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Foot blister denies Naknek triathlete berth to Worlds

July 19th 3:13 pm | Van Williams Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

Professional triathletes are some of the baddest people on the planet because they specialize in swimming, cycling and running when most other people focus on just one.

Bristol Bay's Damian Hill is in the club.

The 28-year-old former commercial fisherman from Naknek is still relatively new to the pro ranks, but he was in position to make a name for himself at the recent Rev 3 Series Portland race in Oregon.

Hill was among the race leaders after the swimming and biking legs, about 62 miles into the 70.3-mile torture test. He was also vying for a berth to the World Championships as one of the top two American finishers.

"I was right there," Hill said. "There was a motorcycle next to me. There was a helicopter in the area. I was in the race."

It was supposed to be his big moment.

But his dream was derailed by the smallest of injuries - a blister on his foot.

The persistent pain wreaked havoc on Hill during the 13.1-mile run, forcing him to walk at times and dropping him from the top five to 24th among 27 in the men's pro field.

"I was a little bit angry after the race," he said. "This was the first big race I was planning for ... there was a lot weighing on it and I didn't perform."

It was tough for him to process.

"I wouldn't say it's been tough mentally," he said before breaking into laughter. "I've definitely drank a few beers."

Hill deserved a few cold ones. If nothing else to ice down his swollen body and bruised ego.

He finished the triathlon with a time of 4 hours, 43 minutes, 28 seconds, slowed dramatically on the run by the ugly, purple blister on his foot.

"I've developed some pretty bad blisters, but this is the daddy of them all," Hill said. "I've never seen anything like it."

Early on, though, he felt indestructible.

He was in fifth place after the 1.2-mile swim (27:08) and then turned in the fourth-fastest time on the 56-mile bike (2:07.56).

"I was comfortable. My head was in the right place," Hill said. "I know how to replicate that again."

Then disaster struck shortly after he started running.

"I ended up falling apart about mile 5 or 6 of the run," he said. "I walked the last three miles."

He finished the 13.1-mile race in 2:04:20.

Hill admitted he entered the race with a nagging injury to his heel but it wasn't supposed to affect his performance.

Maybe he overcompensated for the heel and that's how he got the blister? Maybe it was something else. Either way, it's something he will have to address with the trainers on his pro team sponsored by Athletes Lounge in Portland.

"I have to go back and look at what I'm doing wrong," he said. "There's something going wrong in my running mechanics."

Injuries are a part of the game and Hill said his teammates have been nothing but supportive.

"I've got great people behind me," he said. "They are all throwing out all sorts of suggestions. It's cool. Everybody is still behind me 100 percent."

Hill plans to race next Aug. 7 in Canada at the Sooke International Triathlon in Sooke, British Columbia.

Until then, though, he will have stay off his feet until his blister heals.

"I'm taking it day by day," Hill said. "I'm bouncing off the walls."

 

Van Williams can be reached at vwilliams@alaskanewspapers.com

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