FEATURES

Run Faster on Race Day...

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ED. Well-traveled Mike Buenting is a two-time nominee for Minnesota Master of the Year He is also a triathlon coach and a real estate guy.

 

By Mike Buenting (agegrouper.us)

In order to run fast on race day, one must be willing to push hard in training and run fast on those days when nobody is watching.

Most of us age groupers find joy in running. We rise up each morning, go run our miles and enjoy the outdoors or treadmill. We just run based on how we feel, which really becomes the same pace day in and day out.

But then as we progress we start to set goals, lofty goals and we aspire to be faster!

So, how do we become faster?

I know it sounds simple, but to race faster we must train at faster paces. Here are some tips – three key sessions each week – I use in coaching athletes to run faster. (I have a knack for taking the average athlete and turning them into a Boston marathon qualifier!)...

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Swenson is US Junior Triathlete of the Year!

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By Kristina Swenson

As a big sister, one of the best things in the world is seeing your little brother grow up to not only be an amazing human, but an amazing athlete too.
While I may have started the Swenson family triathlon journey back in 2005, the legacy my brother has left and will continue to leave has far exceeded mine - which I couldn’t be more proud of.

With nearly 500,000 members a year, our governing body USA Triathlon has awarded Kyle Swenson one of the biggest honors of 2021 - Men’s Junior Triathlete of the Year. The Junior age group consists of male athletes age 19 and under - in this case, approximately 335 of them. This tremendous accomplishment and recognition just makes my big sister and triathlete heart burst with pride. Below is what USAT and Kyle had to say about this honor - and what humble thoughts, too.

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Why Run-Walk Training is a Good Thing...

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By Amby Burfoot (outsideonline.com)

Jeff Galloway almost certainly holds the record for a run-walk marathon — he ran a 2:16:35 at Houston in 1980 while taking a brief walk break each mile. It’s also his personal record, and it came eight years after he made the 1972 Olympic team in the 10,000m.

In 1978 Galloway remembers hitting a low point in his training and racing. He had injuries, suffered through races far slower than his expectations, and began feeling “down” about his running. “I thought, ‘Okay, maybe I’ve reached the end of my improvement curve,’” he recalls. “I wallowed in my misery for a bit, and then realized I needed a different goal. I came up with a new personal mantra: ‘Run Injury Free.’” ...

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Funny Things About Triathlon Swimming...

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By Alfred Dockery (swimbikestumble.com)

What do you get when you combine fear of water, fear of tight spaces, and performance anxiety? A triathlon swim start.

What do triathletes mean when they refer to being in the washing machine during a race? It’s a slang term for playing rugby while drowning.

What prompted you to take up a hobby where people regularly brag about being able to pee while in motion and occasionally put on rubber suits to swim for more than a mile? My job as a sea lamprey exterminator was too glamorous.

During your last race your googles fogged up so badly that you could not see the buoys so you just aimed for the middle of the pack of swimmers ahead of you. When you told a friend about the experience she replied, “so you were crowd sourcing?” ...

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Failing Forward....

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ED. Runner-up for MInnesota Rookie of the Year in 2021, Detroit Lakes' Cami Eckhoff has set her sights on Ironman in 2022.

By Cami Eckhoff

Have you ever given up on something too soon and regretted it? I have… college swimming, sophomore year, I battled a bad overuse shoulder injury and after therapy and a cortisone injection to cut the inflammation and pain, I could have kicked my way through every practice the remainder of the season to compete at Conferences, but I quit the season early, letting myself and my team down. It has really bothered me and I wish I could go back and do it differently.

I’ve developed a growth mindset since then and have a new outlook at obstacles. The last couple weeks have brought many tears and frustrations while trying to train and I told Keith and my boys, I’m putting up a big fight this time and am ready to fail forward, learn, and make changes for the better....

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