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The Layton Boys Strike Again...
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Sunday, 03 August 2025 00:10
2025 GRANITEMAN BIG LAKE COVERAGE - Big Lake's LAYTON BROTHERS are occasional triathletes. VERY occasional. But when they show up, look out. In 2022 OWEN, age 16, won the Big Lake Sprint by just under a three-minute margin. He had also raced in the hometown tri in 2020 (age 14), where he finished 38th. Nice improvement.
Owen's brother KADE, 20, raced in this year's Granitman BL Olympic race, an event he entered in 2023 and managed to finish 11th. Last Saturday, though, he won the race outright by a 58-second margin over a gaggle of tri vets. Neither of the Layton brothers has raced in more that three triathlons in their lives. Very cool. We recommend that they get serious about swim-bike-run because their respective aptitudes are clear.
While Kade's W was a pleasant surprise (as was his brothers a few years back), the Top Two women in the Saturday's Olympic race were very prediicatable. Winner of more than 50 tris and dus in her stellar career, BECKY YOUNGBERG outsplit the field in each discipline en route to her victory, with AMY PREUSSER finishing comfortably in 2nd place. Amy's 2025 scorecard now features two wins, two 2nds and a 4th.
Also predictable were the winners in BL's Sprint competition, with ANTHONY HIRSCHMAN (Scott Ramsom photo), fresh off a victory at Lake Rebecca, claiming the men's title for the second straight year. Seven-time Minnesota Master of the Year...
Crazy Chop Swim, WOWIE Bike, Pro Run...
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Saturday, 02 August 2025 00:10
By Paige Schulz
IRONMAN 70.3 Boise Recap! - 2nd OA. 1st AG. 4:35 for a 5 minute PR on an honest course.
Swim: 39:04 (Long course – watch pace 1:40/100 yds). People were losing their cool and hanging off the support paddle boards within 100 yards from the crazy chop. I felt like I was moving pretty well. Though that may have been more up and down through the chop.
Bike: 2:25; 23.2 mph. WOWIE. Is it the @ventumracing @envecomposites setup? Is it my engine? It must be both. I ran out of gears many times, so time to get bigger chainrings. I nailed my nutrition (carbs = 82 g/hr) and felt strong the whole way.
Run: 1:25 (Short course? – watch pace 6:35/mile). My run time was in the mix of all the pro women.
My mantra the whole run was repeating “You ran a 2:53 marathon.” I stayed on top of my nutrition again with 3(!) gels on the run, and I never even hit the coke train. (carbs = 64 g/hour.) My pace was even the whole run, which maybe means I should push a bit more the first couple miles right off the bike? ...
"Heck of a day"...
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Thursday, 31 July 2025 00:10
2025 CHISAGO LAKES 70.3 - JOE ADRIAENS (photo) is a "podium machine," two of which had happened at the CL 70.3, but wins have escaped him. Until now. Though he came into last Sunday's Chisago Lakes 70.3 as the favorite, we recall that two weeks ago he was favored at Timberman Olympic, yet settled for 2nd because MICAH WARNING had a breakout performance
Was that going to occur again? Maybe. A herefore unknown could upset Joe's plans, and there is a guy, a former Iowan who went to college at Gustavus and now lives in Phoenixville, PA named EAMONN MCCULLOUGH, who had great junior results and has a few sub-2-hour Olympic results. His half IM PR is solid (4:29), but but doesn't stack up to Joe's 4:13.
Well, Eamonn led early, his collegiate swim background serving him well. It soon looked like McCullough was gunning for a PR on a day when PRs are very tough to come by.
Joe is a quiet, patient guy, and...
Legends Prevail at Chisago Sprint...
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Tuesday, 29 July 2025 00:10
19th CHISAGO LAKES SPRINT COVERAGE - "That's what I'm here for," DIANE HANKEE (photo below) told a friend at the swim start of last Sunday's Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon. She was responding, albeit with a preposition-ending reply, to the question. "Are you going to win?" ...
"...Super Fast Until it is Not"....
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Sunday, 27 July 2025 00:10
By Brandon Lee
Ironman 70.3 CDA was a fun one! Great course and super spectator friendly!
Came away 16 OA male 2nd in 40-44 AG, pretty stoked with the result, given a quick turnaround from DSM and not a lot of prep time or fitness built.
Swim was beautiful, water temp was around 65 degrees race morning and air temp was 48. Having done Square Lake 70.3 in 2024, conditions were quite similar so I knew it would be chilly on the bike starting out but needed to remember I’ve done it before. And not to worry about it. Had to back off the effort the last few hundred yards as my stomach was starting to turn a little.
I messed around too long in T1, with gloves and arm warmers and eventually just opted to go without anything except ankle smartwool socks. Honestly my feet got a little cold but that was it. My legs did remain quite stiff for the first 25-30 miles, and I imagine it was from being a little cold. The course is super fast until it’s not, a fair amount of long climbs but...
