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Triathlete Competes Against World's Best ide, and 30km Run by Jennifer Herr Staff Writer ON THE RUN - Triathlete Mike Patrick travelled all the way to Nice, France, earlier this month to represent Canada at the World Long Distance Triathlon Championships. Over 1,400 triathletes from 35 countries countries were entered in the race that included a 4km swim, 120km bike ride, and to finish, a 30km run. Despite suffering from dehydration during the run'the Bowmanville resident finished the race in under eight hours. After fighting dehydration, Michael Patrick was just happy to finish the World Long Course Triathlon Championships in Nice, France, June 1. Patrick, a Bowmanville resident who operates the Bowmanville Foundry, says he knew he was in trouble early in the running portion of the three-part race. The race consisted consisted of a four kilometre swim in the Mediterranean Ocean, a 120 kilometre bike ride through the Alps, and a 30 kilometre run to finish finish "I got off the bike feeling confident confident and strong," says Patrick. It was then that he started reacting badly to the energy drink provided on the course. Because racers can only take with them what they can carry, Patrick was unable to replenish replenish body fluids with his usual energy drink. "You "can only take what you can carry on the bike. I had three water bottles with me, but I really needed seven for the bike ride," says Patrick, who returned home from France late last week. . - In spite of the fluid problems, worsened by 30 degree temperatures, temperatures, Patrick finished the race in seven hours and 56 minutes. Hé completed the swim in 58 minutes, and was 21 minutes ahead of his four-hour goal on the bike course. The run took him three hours and ten minutes. A member of the Canadian Cross Training Club, Patrick was one of 32 Canadians competing .in the race. He was the only racer from Durham Region. While '1,400 people began the race, only 1,150 completed the gruelling course. Patrick was roughly roughly in the middle of the pack. "There's a high attrition rate in a race that long," explains Patrick, who turned 40 on his last birthday. Patrick says the spectators and fans in Europe were "unbelievable", not only in Nice, but in the mountain villages racers passed through on the bike course. "We went through about a dozen tiny mountain villages, and they had spray painted words of encouragement encouragement on the hills," remembers Patrick. Personal support for Patrick came from his wife and children. He says he was always aware of them cheering him on in transition areas, and his oldest daughter handed him a small Canadian flag to hoist as he crossed the finish line. A large number of professional triathletes participated in the Championships. Asked if he would ever join their ranks, Patrick is emphatic. "There are no 40-year-old pros," he says. A new running foot designed by Flex-Foot entitled "The Cheetah" At the European Open Championships in Madrid, Spain, Rob Snoek won a bronze medal in the 200m, setting a new Canadian record with a time of 25.95 seconds. He also had fourth place finishes in the 100m The 28-year-old says he is miles ahead of where he was last year, due in large part to a healthy body. The knee injury that plagued him last season is no longer a factor. An amputee athlete from the knee down on his left leg, Snoek has a in New Liskeard (July 11,12), the U.S. Nationals in Springfield, Massachusetts (July 18, 19), German Championships in Germany (August 23,24), and the Paralympics Revival in Duddserstadt, Germany, (August 30). Them's the Breaks by Chris Rourke Staff Writer You could excuse Steve Butterworth for feeling like he's cursed with bad luck in sports. He suffered a broken leg and broken neck in two separate instances in the past year-and-a-half. Broken Leg Butterworth and his Clarington Midget Sonbon Homes Orioles teammates travelled to North Bay (June 6-8) for the annual North Bay Baseball Association tournament and that's where he suffered a broken broken lee. He rounded third and slid into home in their opening game against Sault Ste. Marie when he rolled over on his ankle and broke his leg. The broken leg was the second serious injury Butterworth has suffered suffered in the last two years. Broken Neck During the 1995 hockey season, Butterworth suffered a broken neck when he slid head first into the boards. "I guess I'm cursed for breaking bones," Butterworth said recently. "I just felt it pop and I was hoping it wasn't broken." UNLUCKY - Steve Butterworth must feel like he is cursed with bad luck. He broke his leg at a recent baseball tournament in North Bay. Prior to that, his hockey career was ended when he broke his neck after getting hit from behind into the boards in 1995. He is pictured above with his dad, Craig. The broken leg will keep the Midget Oriole' best pitcher out of the lineup until the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association playoffs in August. The team dedicated the rest of the North Bay . tournament to Butterworth and another injured pitcher, Jamie McCarthy. The Orioles went on to win the tournament, tournament, despite the loss of two of their pitchers. "It's frustrating to see them play and H can't, but I just have to be patient and work hard to get back," Butterworth told The Statesman. Butterworth said the most nervous nervous part of coming back will be the first slide he takes. Butterworth's manager, and father, Craig, had many thoughts running through his head after his son was taken to the doctors. "It was a real fluke. I thought about the bad luck he's had the last two years," the elder Butterworth said of his 15-year-old son. "Steve's a strong-willed kid, he'll come back stronger than ever." TSN Interview After he suffered his broken neck, the younger Butterworth and his father sat down with The Sports Network (TSN) to do a special on spinal injuries in sports. "We did that for one purpose and that was to. get out a message that you shouldn't hit from behind," Craig added. (Clir Canadian statesman WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1997 SECTION TWO