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Fast and Furious...

Friday, 25 August 2017 23:10

By Christel Kippenhan (seecktri.wordpress.com)

“There’s a great fascination with ultras being harder than other races,
but the mile is every bit as difficult as 100 miles if you apply yourself to it.”
Rickey Gates, ultrarunner
as quoted in Outside Magazine

BREWHOUSE SPRINT RACE REPORT - I heard Kris Swarthout from Final K Sport Services once express a similar sentiment about sprint triathlons:
"Never say you are just doing a sprint triathlon. Sprint triathlons are fast and furious, you push yourself and go all out for the duration of the race."

I was a sprinter growing up, and I’m still a sprinter at heart. So, I love those fast and furious sprint triathlons, especially if they do not skimp on the swim distance. And the Brewhouse Sprint Triathlon does it just right.

Swim > 12:21; 1:31 / 100 yds; 4^th female; 1^st age group ....

41.5 is a Very Cool Distance...

Thursday, 24 August 2017 19:10

Photo - 2016 Women's Podium (L-R) - Lisa Wacek, Christel Kippenhan, Angela Engel.

SUPERIOR MAN 41.5 PREVIEW - The way the 41.5, which is now four-years-old, breaks down is this: .5 mile swim - 35.4 mile bike - 5.6 mile run. Cool distances, huh?

As with yesterday's SM Half IM preview, we are going to share some 41.5 history and make some predictions:

- Top 3 Men:

1. PETERS SOMERS - 2:23:23 (2016)

2. KRIS NISULA, ONT - 2:24:54 (2016)

3. MITCHELL CLAYTON - 2:26:33 (2016)

- Top 3 Women:

1. DIANE HANKEE - 2:31:52 (2015)

2. LISA LENDWAY - 2:33:40 (2015)

3. JESSICA ROSSING - 2:40:35 (2015)...

Three-Time Race of the Year...

Wednesday, 23 August 2017 09:10

SUPERIOR MAN HALF IM - A three-time "Triathletes Choice Race of the Year" winner, Superior Man will celebrate its sixth birthday next Sunday. Let's share some SM Half IM history, then make a few predictions.

- Nine men have bettered 4:20, five of whom have gone faster than 4:15:

1. SEAN COOLEY - 4:04:21 (2016)(photo)

2. MATT PAYNE - 4:10:44 (2015)

3. MATT PAYNE - 4:10:47 (2016)

4. PATRICK PEACOCK, CAN - 4:14:21 - Masters Record (2016)

5. BEN LINDELL, WI - 4:14:47 (2016)

- Twelve women have broken 5-hours at SM, five of them have bettered 4:45:

1. NICOLE WALKER, CAN - 4:25:05 (2016)

2. KORTNEY HAAG - 4:36:34 (2016)

3. CHRISTINA ROBERTS - 4:40:34 (2016)

4. HANNAH GRINAKER - 4:41:32 (2016)

5. KORTNEY HAAG - 4:43:08 (2015) ...

Maple Grove Sprint & Lakes Country Previews...

Tuesday, 22 August 2017 19:10

MAPLE GROVE SPRINT - We are very impressed with the way JENNIFER FITZHARRIS-FUNK (photo) is racing this year. Sure, she has been racing well for the last several seasons, but she seems to have gone to another level in 2017. The tattoed 42-year-old Minneapolis resident's current resume features 2nd place efforts at Minneapolis and Chisago Sprints, and a 6th (4th amateur) at YWCA Women's Tri.

Here at MGS, JFF has three top 5 finishes, her best being a 2nd in 2014.

Is this the year she wins? It could be. We see her in the Top 2 with three-time champ CHERYL ZITUR.

It needs to be noted that Cheryl isn't totally healthy right now, plus her luck this season has been awful, affecting two ofher three starts this season. She flatted at Buffalo Sprint and crashed at Walker.

So, the door is wide open for a new champ. The one most ready to step through that door, in our opinion, is JFF. Still, we are not ready to predict the upset. Zitur is sort of the Dave Scott of Minnesota's women's multi scene. Never count her out.

This said, we're anxious to see how this year's sprint race turns out. FYI - We're picking LAURA SWARTZ to claim the bronze on Saturday.

As for the men, we predict that 2013 MGS winner DAVID PHILLIPS, who posted his seventh career win two weeks ago at Lake Marion, and brawny GREG DUMMER will take the Top 2 places. Based on his 2017 resume to date, Dummer is our pick to win.

LAKES COUNTRY TRIATHLON - WADE CRUSER is enrolled, thus he is our pick to repeat, threepeat actually....

Maple Grove Olympic Preview...

Monday, 21 August 2017 19:10

MAPLE GROVE OLYMPIC PREVIEW - On Saturday, the Maple Grove Sprint and Olympic Triathlons will celebrate their 8th anniversary. Approximately 800 athletes are expected to participate, and the field strength in both races is impressive.

In alpha order, here are some of the Elites, i.e. "Premier Division," in the OLympic race who will battle for top spots:

- JOE ADRIAENS, 29, Elk River - Joe is enjoying a breakout season and is a likely 2017 Most Improved nominee.

- JAKE BRAAM, 26, Elysian - Likely Rookie of the Year nominee. A solid effort against a great field on Saturday should put him over the top.

- WADE CRUSER, 30, Sauk Rapids - Most Improved winner in 2016, Wade comes into this race as a prohibitive favorite.

- ERIN FARRENS (36, Maple Grove) - Erin, winner of the 2016 women's Most Improved award, was not on the registration list that we perused. She is the 2016 women's champ and has cracked the Top 5 here four times. We'd be surprised if she didn't race....