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Looking Forward...
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Friday, 24 April 2020 23:10
By Frew Frakes
Gear West received our copies of the 2020 Multisport Calendar from the printer just as concerns about the Coronavirus closed restaurants and more throughout the state. The calendar has been a project I’ve had the pleasure assembling since 2004. With the generosity of local photographers - Paul Phillips, Kerry Yndestad and Nick Morales – I’ve tried to illustrate the determination and perseverance of home town athletic talent and the spirit and camaraderie found within our local triathlon community.
This year’s calendar included a photograph I shot last year at the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon. That June morning began with optimism. As the sun rose above Excelsior Bay, I captured the first athlete finding her spot in transition. Soon however, the skies turned ominous and a steady rain began to fall. By the race’s conclusion, everyone was cold and wet from a typical spring thunderstorm. I look now at that calendar picture with slight foreboding given our current situation.
This winter began to recede early and the promise of spring was on the horizon. Then the forecast of a global pandemic stormed into reality. Now our multisport season’s future is murky at best . Early races are in jeopardy or already canceled and we are left to contemplate our priorities while figuring out how to navigate what comes next....
"I Do Not Have Time To Get Bored"....
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Thursday, 23 April 2020 23:10
ED. Christel is a professor at Bemidji State University and a three-time nominee for Minnesota Master of the Year.
By Christel Kippenhan
I'm kind of curious about how my friends are dealing with the current situation.
Living by myself has never bothered me, and it still does not bother me, even if there are days I do not interact face-to-face with anybody.
But, I'm also still working, and I'm still interacting with my students, yet remotely. In addition, preparing my class content for remote delivery is very time-consuming, and I think the last time I worked this many hours in a day or week was when I was working on finishing up my dissertation. So, I do not have time to get bored or missing things I otherwise would do....
Cherry Garcia & Carol Baskin Killed Her Husband...
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Tuesday, 21 April 2020 23:10
ED
. Another instalment of "Minnesota Triathletes Coping With Quarantine."
By Mitchell Clayton
Wow, how life has changed. Not just for me, and not just over the past month, but for everyone, and for the foreseeable future. Staying sane while being cooped up is the new challenge, and creative solutions are needed…
Snacks: Ben & Jerry’s has a new #1 customer, but I should probably keep his name a secret… Word on the street is he lives in Rochester, MN and devours Cherry Garcia but will settle for Gimme S’more. Also, a cheap substitute for the healthier days is 3-ingredient cookies. 2 bananas, 1.5 cups of oats, 1/3 cup chocolate chips, mix and mush it all up, bake for 12-15 min at 350.
Entertainment: Carole Baskin killed her husband and fed him to the Tigers. If you aren’t getting the reference, drop what you’re doing and start streaming “Tiger King” on Netflix. YouTube has also been a savior. Vessa, my girlfriend and roommate and aspiring triathlete that I’m coaching, and I have been OBSESSED with Eric Lagerstom and Paula Findlay’s channel. They showcase their life as professional triathletes, put out high quality videos, and have fun doing it. Also on the topic of YouTube, anyone else think Lionel Sanders needs to focus on swimming a bit more than the insane bike workouts and races he posts about??...
Ping Pong and "Survivor" Picnics...
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Sunday, 19 April 2020 23:10
ED. How is Kortney Haag and her family handling "Life in the Pandemic Lane?"
We are doing good here as well just taking it day by day.
So with 2 boys I am just trying to make life for them as normal as possible. I was supposed to do the Boston Marathon but now it is pushed to September...hopefully. I am planning on racing it but there is a chance that it may not happen. As it is up in the air about most races I decided just to not worry too much about the training right now and go back to mostly base training.
One thing is that I have been making the boys do some running as well as I think it is good for them to get out of the house - Owen is 13 and Keaton is almost 10. Owen likes to run on his own (mostly because then I don't tell him to work harder :)....Keaton does about 2 miles with me and he holds a decent pace....I am trying to teach them both just to be healthy and enjoy what running and other sports bring to their life. ...
Exercise May Protect Against Deadly COVID-19 Complication...
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Friday, 17 April 2020 23:10
Regular exercise may reduce the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a major cause of death in patients with the COVID-19 virus, a top exercise researcher reports. He is urging people to exercise based on his findings, which also suggest a potential treatment approach.
From Neurosciencenews.com
A review by Zhen Yan, PhD, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, showed that medical research findings “strongly support” the possibility that exercise can prevent or at least reduce the severity of ARDS, which affects between 3% and 17% of all patients with COVID-19. Based on available information, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 20% to 42% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 will develop ARDS. The range for patients admitted to intensive care is estimated at 67% to 85%.
Research conducted prior to the pandemic suggested that approximately 45 percent of patients who develop severe ARDS will die.
