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Hanna Makes History!...Updated...

Sunday, 09 September 2018 23:10

iRONMAN WISCONSIN - For months we have been echoing the opinion that HANNAN GRINAKER (pre-race photo with her best guy) is the most complete amateur female triathlete in the US right now. By that we meant that she is a true threat to win every race she enters regardless of distance.

Hanna made her Ironman debut in Madison yesterday, and what a debut it was! We predicted an outstanding performance, perhaps even a podium. Knowing that she'd be facing the woman who is arguably the premier long distance amateur Iron woman in the country right now, we're talking about Illinois' JACQUI GIULIANO,we suspected an epic battle, one that would produce exciting results.

And it certainly did!

Hanna pulled, then pushed Giuliano to what will likely be the Iron performance of the year by an American amateur woman. And Jacqui pushed, then pulled Hanna to the fastest ever Iron debut by a Minnesota amateur female. With her extraordinary 9:49:01, Giuliano crushed DANI FISCHER's amateur record at IMOO by more than eight minutes. And with her silver medal-earning 10:08:33, Grinaker unseated, according to our records, SARAH MERCER (10:24 at Ironman Canada in 2001), as the fastest IM debut by a Minnesota woman.

Hip-Hop Hats, Flappy Inflatables & the "I Made It" Lady....

Saturday, 08 September 2018 23:10

SQUARE LAKE 70.3 - JESSIE STEVENS called it "the most fun I've ever had at a race."

She was talking about yesterday's Square Lake 70.3, its 18th edition, and her epic womano-a-womano battle with eventual winner JAN GUENTHER (photo).

Clad in bright yellow socks and a slightly oversized Ricky Fowler (golf reference) hip-hop hat, she was making a strong sartorial statement as well as a strong athletic one, as she dogged Guenther from beach to finish line. Having not raced in these scenic, rolling environs since her victorious effort here in 2003, Guenther relied on long-stored muscle memory to keep herself at the front of the women's race. And it wasn't until the later miles of the relentlessly hilly run course,that she managed to establish a comfortable gap.

The 59-year-old Guenther, still a world class amateur endurance athlete, was exhausted and sore when she crossed the finish line in 5:12:48. Stevens was smiling ear-to-ear when she arrived 2:25 later, rightfully proud of her performance.

Claiming the final step of the women's podium was KELLI MORETTER-BUE, whose 2018 tri resume features a 2nd (Waseca), third (Square Lake) and an eighth (Maple Grove Olympic)....

My Very First Win...

Friday, 07 September 2018 23:10

By Simone Lundquist (trosisterswhotriblog.com)

Young Life Sprint Race Report - When I first started doing triathlons my goal was to just not be the last person to finish, but as I got older those goals changed. As I started to improve I wanted to try to make it on the podium for my age group, and then the goal changed to wanting to win my age group. Once I was able to win my age group a few times I wanted to get an overall podium spot, and once I finally accomplished that I wanted to win my first race. All of those goals were things that I really wanted to accomplish at the time, but they all led up to making an overall win seem achievable. In my last tri season I knew that it might be possible to get my first win soon, but I didn’t know when or what race it would be at. All I knew was that it was a goal that was always in the back of my head every time I raced this year.

Throughout the season I was able to make the top ten in most of my races, but I had not gotten an overall podium spot yet, and it kept fueling the fire for me to push even harder at my next race. Going into my weekend racing at young life, I had just came off of racing at nationals and I still felt fired up from that, which seemed to benefit me. I knew that I had placed well the year before, but I wanted to do even better this year and I still had the goal of an overall win in the back of my head. Nothing felt different leading up to the race except for the fact that my racing partner (also my sister) was off at college doing cooler things and I missed her a lot. I knew that the race would feel weird not seeing her in transition, or seeing her fly by me on the bike, and especially not hearing her obnoxious cheering as I finished, but I knew that I would still enjoy my time competing....

Will Minnesotans Rock at IMOO? We Think So...

Wednesday, 05 September 2018 23:10

IRONMAN WISCONSIN - Can you believe that Ironman Wisconsin will celebrate it's 17th anniversary on Sunday? It's true. Our region's grandest multisport event, one that is arguably the premier "domestic," ie. "mainland," 140.6, has been around for almost two decades already.

Time flies when you're having fun....

Square Lake XIX Preview...

Tuesday, 04 September 2018 23:10

SQUARE LAKE PREVIEW - Next Saturday and Sunday the Square Lake 70.3 (Saturday) and Sprint (Sunday) will happen. We glanced at an entrant list last week and saw that world class amateur endurance athlete JAN GUENTHER, now 59, was on the 70.3 start list. This got us excited. We recall the 2001 Square Lake races when Jan won the Half IM on Saturday, returned on Sunday and placed 2nd in the Sprint. Two years later--she missed 2002 because she was busy WINNING Ironman Wisconsin, which shared the same weekend--she won the half again. Exhausted, she lay in the grass afterward and asked how hot it was. She was told that temps were in the mid-90s, with dew points in the mid-70s. She replied, "Good. That explains why I feel so lousy."

Despite the broiling temps and juicy air, Jan set a course and masters record in 2003. Her time was a circumstantially remarkable 4:49:21...