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Minnesotans Set to Rock Du Nats...
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Monday, 01 June 2015 00:10
DU NATIONALS (STANDARD DISTANCE) PREVIEW - 2014 USAT Duathlete of the Year Honorable Mention Diane Hankee (photo) was one of the favorites going into April 23rd's Apple Duathlon, but an injury forced her to limp in in 13th place. Concerned that whatever was making her gimpy in Sartell would not be healed before Du Nationals on June 6, we emailed her to find out what the deal was.
Thanks for checking in. I have given it--achilles strain--the attention it needs, Kevin a Gearwest has been awesome helping with my bike fit to reduce the strain. Training has been awesome and I'm where I need to be. Going into Apple I was not "there" and did a few things wrong. I have had to be patient with my schedule to peak for Nationals which has been extremly hard with wanting to race a lot as I typically do. Things are lining up- I have fire in my belly, I am not burned out, and excited to race the new course!
It's fun to read Diane's stream-of-consciousnessy comments, isn't it?...
Sleep Deprivation Is Not Good...
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Sunday, 31 May 2015 00:10
By Dr. Krishna R. Polu (active.com)
When I was an internal medicine intern, my friends used to tell me I was nuts. Back then I would work and work and then work some more, often on no sleep. A typical call day would start at 6 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. the following day. If I slept for an hour during that time I considered myself lucky.
After my shift, I would head to the pool, go for a run or get on my bike for a workout. Sleep became a luxury (not a priority) as I tried to fit everything into my hectic schedule.
Despite the long hours at work, I was determined to stay in shape and keep competing in triathlon. Often I would feel dizzy or lightheaded during these workouts, but trudged through them regardless. Sometimes when I was spinning at the gym I would close my eyes and take one-minute naps. This ludicrous behavior finally ended when I fell asleep and drove off the road returning home from the pool. After that, sleep grew as a priority....
Realistic Expectations...
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Friday, 29 May 2015 10:22
By Erin Sontowski (usatriathlon.org)
My name is Erin Sontowski, and I am in my second year of multisport racing. To most people in this community, that would make me a newbie. Which I completely agree with. Heck, I still get real nervous about getting knocked over on a windy day while on my aerobars. (That may be a whole different thing altogether though, let's just say coordination has never been my strongest skill.)
I am lucky enough to have a wonderful coach who is patient and knowledgeable, and it certainly doesn't hurt that he is my big brother. After spending the last eight years watching my older brother, Mike, compete as an elite-level triathlete, I knew it was inevitable that I would end up joining him along the way. He has worked so hard to be an amazing athlete, and now he can add USA Triathlon Level I and Youth and Junior Certified Coach to his resume. Now, as one of his athletes, I get to share my triumphs as well as my struggles with him both as a brother and a coach. Plus when he gives me particularly grueling hill or sprint workouts, I get to share words with him that I probably wouldn't with any other coach that wasn't blood related....
You Know You're a Triathlete When...
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Friday, 29 May 2015 00:10
From: RunLadylike.com (November 2013)
After finishing my half Iron distance triathlon several weeks ago, I stayed on the course to cheer on all the athletes who were completing the full Iron distance. As the sun set and it began to get dark, you could see the focus, pain and determination in the eyes of everyone on the run.
My good friend and training partner – who is also an Ironman finisher – leaned over to me and said, “The thing about Ironman is that every step becomes a choice. You choose to keep putting one foot in front of the other. You choose to keep moving forward. It’s no longer physical. It’s all mental at this point. It’s a choice.”
There’s something slightly crazy about all of us who choose long distance endurance sports – who choose pain and hurt and hard days as our drug of choice. Good crazy, but still crazy all the same. In honor of all my friends who competed in IRONMAN Florida this past weekend and for everyone who has swam, biked and ran to achieve their goals this year, I thought I’d end the season with a little triathlon humor...
Schrock Rocked...
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Thursday, 28 May 2015 00:10
ATTENTION - The Lake Minnetonka Triathlon is full but a few "Charity Slots" are available. Don't let this oppotunity pass. Act quickly. RACE WEBSITE
When the list of nominees for 2014 Grand Master of the Year were announced, it did not include Sheri Schrock. A second look at her resume, which now included two performances of which the MMA Selectors were previously unaware, suggests that they may have blown it. In the end, Greg Taylor would have still won the award. His resume was unbeatable and hands-down earned him the US GMOY, too.
Also, Pam Stevens, Neil King and Bill Schmitt deserved their nominations. Still, a great case could be made for Schrock, because in addtion to her half dozen regional AG wins, she also won her division at USAT Long Distance Nationals and place second in her AG (1st US) at the Weihei ITU Long Distance World Championships. The selectors were not aware of those last two efforts. Missing that information, plus the fact that Pam Stevens beat Sheri at Apple and at Nationals, kept her from receiving the nomination.
We're happy to have the chance here to highlight the great racing that Sheri has done in 2014 and earlier, and apologize for not giving her appropriate recognition last fall....
