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Improve Your Swim Drafting...

mass-swim.gifBy Triathlete.com

Swimming behind another athlete can save upward of 30 percent energy expenditure. That is, if you’re doing it properly.

Truth: You are wasting time and energy if you are not drafting in the swim leg of a triathlon. There are no rules against drafting another swimmer as long as you do not impede or obstruct their movement. How to make the most of the draft zone:

Get in position ....

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A Race Worth Several Thousand Words...

calteton-runner.gifAuthor's Note: this article has been written with broad-ranging artistic licenses. All such licenses are possessed by the author, and may be produced if legally compelled to do so. As such, the details in this article have not been verified by the author or any other party. The reader is advised that the words below are written only as the author's best recollection of the events, and may not be taken as sworn testimony.

By A Guy or a Gal from Northfield, probably a student at Carleton.

 

June 5th, 2014 – The venue was packed with 65,000 cheering fans (or was it 65? 6.5?) to witness the 2014 running of the Carleton Triathlon, in Northfield, MN. Conditions were perfect, mostly sunny with little wind and temps in the mid-sixties. But the focus was not on the beautiful weather, nor the toned bodies of the competitors, but on one simple question: “Could anyone unseat the dominant champions of this event?” ...

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A Voyage of Rediscovery...

jody-painting.gifBy Jody Quesnell
 
Four years ago, I was done competing in triathlons.  I had had enough. After 15+ years of delightfully competing I was tired. I wanted gin and tonics instead of gatorade, a mocha with whip cream instead of a bike ride. It did not help that I landed in the hospital after a terrible infection manifested by a mucky lake swim, Fearing the infection was serious enough to take my life, I decided if and when I recovered I would get my goals realigned and finish some things I have always wanted to do. In that was the desire to be a USAT coach. I had been a teacher for 19 years in Minneapolis School and decided I could use my talents to teach willing and excited adults about the world of triathlons.  These “students” have taught me to love the sport again.
 
First, take a 40-some athlete who turned to me in hopes of learning about the sport. He had recently lost more than 50 lbs and always dreamt of doing a triathlon, but was too scared.  He did not know...

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The Day After...

jon-and-cheryl.gifED. Jon Zitur sent us this "Semi Race Report:"

Hi MTN Guys,

I promised you a race report on our race the day after Liberty Tri, and I figured I should make due on my promise.  The first ever Zitur Sufferfest was held the day after Liberty at the same exact course and had a total of two participants. Unfortunately, after standing in the rain and getting completely ready for the race, my mom (Cheryl Zitur) and I decided with her accident prone nature and my inability to adjust my “just hammer it” attitude for weather conditions, that maybe it would be better to pass on this race.  My mom is training for the Age Group Worlds competition in Edmonton and I’m training for Ironman Wisconsin, so we wanted to play it safe.  After feeling down and not wanting to waste a good taper, we decided to race the exact course on Sunday instead; in 70-degree sunny weather.

Race morning was a bit quieter than most other races.  Instead of being surrounded by other triathletes frantically organizing their transition space, we were accompanied by the port-o-potty employees picking up the leftovers from yesterday’s race.  The race was delayed when our swim...

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Hands Down Favorite Race...

CR_Alcatraz2.gifBy Christina Roberts

ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ RACE REPORT - This was hands down my favorite race that I’ve ever done. I was intrigued by this race for the heavy swim and run and decided it would be fun to check it out so I threw my name in the lottery last fall and got in!

Race day started with a 3:30 AM wake-up call but with enough coffee, I was wide awake before the sun came up. Once transition was set up in the dark, we had to take a bus to the pier where we would start the 1 hour journey to Alcatraz Island. Imagine 1600 neoprene-laden, nervous athletes crammed into a boat (see picture 1below). I felt like I was part of a cattle herd, awaiting slaughter. When we arrived, we were given some last minute instructions and over the intercom system we heard “Swim, Bike, Run, Have Fun” repeatedly. That phrase, as well as “embrace the pain” which was advice from a triathlete friend, kept me pushing through the entire race. Once the professional wave dove off the side of the boat, it was pretty much a free for all for the rest of the age-groupers to jump into the 58 degree bay water to swim the 1.5 miles to shore. There were 3 exit gates and we were all herded off the barge into the water. The jump was thrilling, though I felt like a lemming heading off the edge of a cliff, blindly following the athlete in front of me! The bay water was rough and the waves tossed me around quite...

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