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Two Woohoos, a Cowbell & Talking to My Legs...
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Friday, 24 June 2022 00:10
By Cami Eckhoff
Race day~ Part 2: The Bike
My transition wasn’t the quickest but I wanted to be sure I had everything- sunscreen, chamois cream, chapstick, a bathroom stop, then out I went. The gal helping me in the changing tent was fantastic! So thankful for the volunteers!! She also made sure my wet note from Graham got back in my bag as a keepsake!
The first 40 miles were so much fun! A couple downhills I clocked 38 mph and remember hollering “woohoo!!!”
I took my personal needs bag at mile 56. Refilled my fuel and hydration on my bike, stopped in the porta potty and off I went. I took water and Gatorade at a few aid stations throughout the ride with smooth handoffs from the volunteers.
The sun started to come out midway through, with a blast of heat and more hills to climb. I saw Keith, Josh and Mel and heard the cowbell and cheers at mile 70 which gave me an extra boost. An older gentleman at the top of one of the biggest hills sat in his chair and gave each participant a clap. I thanked him and told him he was in the best spot as that hill was a struggle! ...
Graniteman XIV Preview...
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Wednesday, 22 June 2022 00:10
GRANITEMAN CLEARWATER - Online registration for the "original" Graniteman event, which started at it's Rockville venue in 2004, then relocated to it's current Clearwater location in 2009, has closed. (Race day registration is available!) The event started as a sprint, but added a wonderfully bike-heavy Olympic race in 2015.
We haven't seen the final list yet, so the preview we're posting here is based on sign-ups through last week. When we see the new list we will update this post.
Also, because the list we have does not delineate which event--Sprint or Olympic--that individual athletes are doing, our comments will be rather general, and certain to contain some "guessing."
Here are some athletes we expect to excel in the 19th Graniteman Triathlon, Clearwater version:
MORGAN BELL, 19 - Morgan won her AG at Buffalo Sprint, finishing 8th overall. She was her division's silver medalist here last year, but we think she'll take the top prize on Saturday.
JEFF GILMER, 63 - He's our pick to win his division in, we suppose, the Olympic race. As for the Sprint, we suspect that CRAIG PETERSON, 60, if he decides to register, will take his AG in the shorter race....
Top "Billings"...
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Tuesday, 14 June 2022 00:10
12th TRINONA - It may not have been the worse day for racing, but it certainly wasn't optimal either. Excessive humidity was an issue.The air was heavy and saturated, So, it wasn't a day for record-setting. For many, survival was the goal.
Still, one athlete of the 400-or-so who raced managed to trash a long-standing mark. He didn't just redefine the standards in his Age Group, he won the Sprint race, doing so by a huge margin. Wer'e talking about teen phenom NOAH BILLINGS (photo L). The 16-year-old Rochesterian covered the .25 - 11 - 5K route in 55:49, breaking the Junior CR by 1:18. The runner-up, MIKE KARAU, who like Billings has taken his racing to another level in 2022, by 5:14.
Billings was coming off a win and Junior CR at Tri Clear Lake (IA) two weeks earlier, an effort that complimented his overall Top 5 performances at Apple and Tri By Knight (IA - Jr.CR). He is the clear 2022 Junior of the Year frontrunner...
LMT XVIII Preview...
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Sunday, 12 June 2022 00:10
18th LAKE MINNETONKA TRIATHLON PREVIEW - The LMT is one of a precious handful of Minnisota triathlons that have proven to be downturn and pandemic proof. Non-immune events are either leaving the calendar or resigning themselves to lower turnouts. LMT is still getting its target numbers, and filling well in advance of race day. This means that the organizers (Ross and Tina) have done, and continue to do, albeit with new directors, something right. In other words, the Rogney's legacy is going strong.
Lake Minnetonka has always been an exciting and competitive race, and that will not change in the near term. We've looked at the list of registrants and are excited to make some predictions, choices that are not intended to be taken too seriously. Instead, their purpose is to generate interest, discussion and spectatorship.
The women's race promises to be fast, as three of the frontrunners have rocked the LMT route before. There is also a relative newcomer in the mix that could shake things up a bit. ...
"I Did My Best to Recommit"...
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Friday, 03 June 2022 00:10
By Dani Treise
First race of the year- check!
Chattanooga North American 70.3 Championship - Lots to say and lessons learned, but overall I’m proud of how I managed the adversity of day.
Swim: I was aggressive at the start (something that doesn’t come naturally!) took some risks and came super close to making a better pack than usual! I’ve been getting more consistent in the water and am excited making progress each race.
Bike: I have done a ton of work on pushing strong power the aero position in the past few months and started the ride feeling pretty good. But about 12 miles into the 56-mile ride, I got slapped with my first ever penalty – 5 minutes for drafting.
I was trying SO hard to stay legal distance back, but a lapse of attention must have allowed me drift a bit too close. After the ref gave me the news, I immediately dropped a good amount back and ended up alone with my thoughts for the rest of the ride. But my goal for the ride was to stay super focused and positive, so here was my opportunity I thought! I did my best to recommit to the effort and keep my mind out of the negative – but wow was this tough! But I did way better than I have doing this in the past, so small win here....
