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Juniors Kick Butts at Maple Grove Sprint...
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Monday, 20 March 2023 00:10
MAPLE GROVE SPRINT COVERAGE - Six-time MGS winner CHERYL ZITUR posted her fastest time ever on the Weaver Lake course last Saturday, breaking her former course record by eight seconds. That stellar effort, however, landed her in 3rd place.
Finishing in the second spot was shoo-in Most Improved nominee ELENA HENGEL, whose impressive 1:05:37 was 39-seconds quicker than Zitur's time, and only five seconds behind the winner, 19-year-old GRACE BUSCH, whose course record, coupled with her win at Fairmont and 2nd at Turtleman, make her one of two frontrunners for 2022 female Junior of the Year alongside two-time JOY BELLA BUENTING....
The Off Season is Overrated...
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Saturday, 18 March 2023 00:10
By Tim Brown
Can we all agree that winter is too long and the tri season is far too short up here in the tundra?
Given that this was one of those magic years in which I transitioned from oldest to youngest in my age group, I decided to ditch the off season. This race season started with a trip down to Miami / Homestead Florida for the Clash 70.3 Triathlon. Clash Events (clashendurance.com) are held at some of the country’s most notable motor speedways. Clash Miami offers a professional triathlon race, sprint tri, bike relay, and half iron triathlon races. I signed up for the 70.3 held on Sunday, March 12th....
Part II - Fun. Not Fun. Fun Again. Then the Best Feeling in the World....
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Wednesday, 15 March 2023 00:10
By Jennifer Martone
Ironman World Championship Race Report Part II - Sooooo…race day (I’ll leave out a lengthy description of my day-before the event way-too-loose stools, and bad choice to order an incorrectly cooked chicken club sandwich, for another conversation. Suffice to say Pepto Bismol was a savior). I got out of bed up at 3am, ate my almond butter-honey-english muffin and Skratch pineapple flavored drink, made sure my timing chip was adhered to my ankle, and made my way to Kailua Bay via a pre-sunset drop off from Brent and Sam to the pier bike transition area. Our gear bags and bikes were dropped the day before, during what felt like a red carpet parade, including a 20 second survey by Ironman staff, answering questions on the brand names of all my gear. I made my way to one more biffy before joining the 50-55 AG swim corral, scheduled to start at 6:55am. Upon leaving the grassy knoll, I heard another woman say to her husband “not sure about race day karma but the woman next to me in the biffy just shit her pants”. It wasn’t me, I just peed, I promise....
Part I - Limiting Exposure...
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Sunday, 12 March 2023 00:10
By Jennifer Martone
Ironman World Championship Race Report – Kona, Hawaii 2022 - Finding “the spirit of Aloha within,” that’s what those of us competing on the world’s stage were asked to do as we navigated through the barren lava fields, along with the strong wind, heat and sun on October 6thand 8that this year’s World Championship Event. For so many athletes, this race was a few years in the making. The last time Kona hosted Ironman was in October 2019, meaning that three years of qualifiers were split into two separate race days, with women racing Thursday, and [most of the] men on Saturday. Moving forward, Ironman plans to continue this 2-day event format, with more women receiving qualifying slots in 2022-23 to even out the gender numbers, a somewhat polarizing topic.
Our trip to the Big Island began at MSP airport where I met Caryn Herrick and Peter Wikman at the gate prior to boarding (I actually met Peter’s very sweet mom first, and then introduced myself to the speedy MN royalty triathlete couple as we traded Godspeed sock friends), and they coincidentally ended up in the seat across from me on the first leg of the flight to Honolulu. They are the cutest and friendliest couple. Peter’s AG was assigned to the Thursday race, along with some of the older male AGs to even out the numbers this year. David Swanson, another veteran triathlete, who I first met back at IMFL in 2012 was also on our flight. Always easy to pick out the Ironman athletes with their ripped calves, backpacks, and caps.
My husband Brent, son Sam, and I booked a condo in Waikoloa, about 35 minutes north of all the action. This was somewhat intentional, as I thought it might be too overwhelming to be right at game central. Looking around at athletes from all over the world with zero percent body fat, incredibly buff bodies, and $15,000 bikes can be intimidating. I took the advice from Matt Dixon’s Purple Patch Podcast to limit my exposure and think of this event as a “long training day at the end of a vacation”. A good way to remain calm, and not overdo it in the days leading up to race morning. His advice proved to be spot-on. Brent, Sam, and I took a little day trip to the lush Hilo side of the island on day 2, splashed around in the beautiful ocean on day 3, and took...
Honoring a Legend...
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Wednesday, 08 March 2023 00:10
By Nick Morales
The MN Triathlon Community and Triathlon in general lost a great and inspirational athlete with the passing of Bob Powers at the age of 98. This picture was from 2015 at the Heart of the Lake Triathlon. He was probably 90 or 91. Heard he did his last triathlon at 92.
Bob took up the sport of triathlon at the age of 65.
In his later years he wasn’t the fastest guy on the course, but for sure he was the most determined guy to get to the finish line. Even though he was tired after crossing the finish line he was always surrounded by people talking to him.
I interviewed Bob once. He was more interested in what I was up to versus talking about himself. I learned he was a Marine who served our country in war, he might have received a medal or two for his service (would have to find that old interview but recall something like this).
