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Focusing on the Small Things...
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Thursday, 05 September 2019 23:10
By Simone Lundquist (twosisterswhotriblog.com)
YOUNGLIFE TRIATHLON RACE REPORT - It started to hit me this past weekend that the season was starting to come to an end. The morning was a little bit cooler and there was a breeze in the air that reminded me that fall is right around the corner. For now I’m just going to try to hold on to the last moments of the tri season and summer.
This past weekend I was able to compete at Young-Life Triathlon in Detroit Lakes, MN. It was the type of race that brought in fantastic volunteers, (175 to be exact) a great venue, and a group of athletes that were excited to be there. The race completely filled up, which is always exciting to see, and the race directors got to show 300 plus people how wonderful young life is and why they should come back next year.
When I first walked into the registration area to get body markings I heard my favorite song playing called Oh Come to the Altar. This calmed my nerves significantly and I knew that it would be a good race from that point on. Before race start I got to reunite with some friends that I hadn’t seen in a while and just enjoy my time talking to the fellow athletes beside me. I loved meeting all the new faces and seeing just how many people were there to race and enjoy themselves throughout the day....
UMN Grad Student Tackles Triathlon....
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Wednesday, 04 September 2019 23:10
By John Miller (mndaily.com)
At the University of Georgia, Rachel Zilinskas was a seven-time All-American long distance swimmer who competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic trials. After tearing her rotator cuff her sophomore year, she knew that swimming would not last forever.
“At the end of my college career, I was just kind of tapped out in terms of what my shoulders could handle,” Zilinskas said.
Being a fierce competitor her whole life, the now-University of Minnesota graduate student gravitated toward a sport that she had been watching since an early age.
“My mom has done triathlons for a really long time,” Zilinskas said. "I knew it was something I was interested in getting into.”
When she first started training for a triathlon, it was more of a bucket list item that she wanted to check off. That was until she competed in her first race....
Square Lake & IMOO Notes...
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Tuesday, 03 September 2019 23:10
SQUARE LAKE WEEKEND PREVIEW (Sort of) – The Square Lake Short Course Triathlon will celebrate its 20th anniversary next Sunday. The Square Long Course race, now a full 70.3, will turn 19 on Saturday.
We have not seen an entrant list for the shorter race, thus we cannot comment on the competition.
We haven't seen a list of 70.3 participants either, but we know that three of state's true elites will be competing, two of which—JOSH MORK (photo) and KORTNEY HAAG--are coming off huge victories at Chisago, and the other –BECKY YOUNGBERG—has been the runner-up at Chisago the last two years.
Josh's breakout 4:09:52 back on July 28 puts a target on his back. Though he probably won't be able to match that time on Square Lake's seriously challenge course, he can be expected to beat last year's winning time, JESSON KEENE's 4:22:21. But, by how much? We predict a 7-10 minute lowering.
Becky had this to say, via Messenger, about her match-up with Kortney:
“...to beat her she needs to swim bad and I need to have a great day in all 3 disciplines 'cause I can’t match her on the bike, and 56 miles is a long way. If it’s cool weather I race really good though! Should be a good one. We have had some epic battles over the years!
Gaby and Josh are Athletes of the Month...
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Sunday, 01 September 2019 23:10
AUGUST 2019 ATHLETS OF THE MONTH - To be eligible, athletes must turn in at least two outstanding performances during the prior month, in this case, August 2019.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE MONTH - GABY BUNTEN, 27, North Oaks
Gaby excelled on the national and international stages in August. Here are her highlights:
- 5th overall woman @ USAT Sprint Nationals
- 5th overall woman @ USAT Olympic Nationals
- 11th overall woman / 2nd US @ Lausanne (CHE) World Age Group Championships.
HM - BECKY YOUNGBERG, 44, Eden Prairie (See "Female Master of the Month" for resume.)
Fun & Fast Times...
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Saturday, 31 August 2019 23:10
HOPKINS ROYAL TRIATHLON - Saturday morning at Shady Oak Lake. Cloudy, mild temps (low 60s), negligible wind, flat lake. Add the new transition layout and you have ideal conditions for a triathlon, the kind that result in fast times and a spate of rewritten age group records.
ANDY ZABEL, arguably the frontrunner for the 2019 Most Improved (male) award, was the clear favorite to take the men's overall title.
The women's gold medal race was less predictable, though. 2017 champion ANDREA MYERS, who had excelled on this course in each of the previous three years, had experience on her side. Here stiffest challenge on Saturday would come from rising rookie star CARYN HERRICK.
Zabel and Herrick were later registrants, thus they were among the last starters in the event's time-trial format. Myers was an early starter, which allowed her to appear to gap most of the field, women and men alike, from the get-go. We've seen this before. Andrea finishing well ahead of her rivals, then having to wait to see if others would overtake her in the final results.
Myers husband SCOTT was the first athlete to cross the finish line. ERIC ROESNER and KEVIN GREIMEL were in next. Then Andrea crossed the finish line. Ultimately, Scott would have the 5th fastest time of the day, Eric would place 7th, and Kevin, a two-time Top Fiver here, would finish 8th.
Andrea's time on Saturday was 1:11:27, a personal best on this course, a performance she could be proud of. But would it be good enough for the win? ...
