Race Coverage

Rabbit Holes, Sleep Scores, Terror Bridges...

Friday, 04 September 2026 00:10

By Heather Lendway

2026 Nationals Race Report - Race week has been pretty similar year after year with minor tweaks here and there.  It's hard not to hyper analyze everything happening to your body during this time.  Guaranteed conversation with Patrick is something like, "wow that hurt way more than it should have, I felt terrible, something's wrong".  Patrick, my husband, usually smirks or has some comment about the taper blues, of course his perspective from the outside is much more rational than the rabbit hole my mind has gone down.  I had raced USMS Open Water Nationals 2 Mile at Square Lake two weekends prior and my shoulders were feeling destroyed since then.  Thankfully I have a great physical therapist that gets all my injuries back in order, but the concern that pain would strike was still top of mind.  

I was once again in a later start heat so my race morning alarm was 5 am like any other day, nice for sleep, not as nice for racing in the heat. My Garmin watch morning report was a great way to kick off the morning with my highest scores ever, Training Readiness: 100 - "Prime, ready for action," Sleep Score: 93 - "Optimal," and its final words of encouragement, "Time to Shine."  Race morning I go right into auto pilot, eat breakfast immediately, continuously alternate drinking water and coffee.  I went to transition around 6am to setup my bike and run gear, then headed back to my hotel to relax for another hour before walking back to the race start. 

I did a quick jog, got into my wetsuit and headed off to the starting area.  Two heats prior to going off they let you down to the pier to do a swim warmup until the heat in front of you goes off.  I always opt out of this, arm circles, arm swings, leg shakes (swimmer style), is sufficient to get the blood flowing and I can focus on the starting position I want. Around 8:15 we were in the water and prepped to start.  My recent strategy has been to start strong and make a gap immediately so no one is getting a free ride on my feet or free sighting.  It was a bit warm for a wetsuit being low 70's, my legs always overheat so I frequently pull the neck of my wetsuit down to let some cool water flow in, it doesn't quite get to my legs but helps me stay cooler. My swim was feeling great, my shoulders were behaving and I was actually enjoying it.  Even as a swimmer, I'm usually ready to be out of the water after about 1000 but things were feeling good.  

My transition was smooth, a fairly long run to the bike but motivating to hear all the cheers, including my Dad.  This bike course has terrorized me in the past as we bike over I-794 bridge high into the sky where the wind gusts over 20mph have almost knocked me over on multiple occasions, luckily this day the winds were tame.  To start, the bike heads north along the lakeshore, back south past the transition where you get some encouragement from fans, then over the terror bridge for a leg on the freeway, onto south lake drive and back over terror bridge.  Early into the bike the words in my head became, "focus" and "smooth," as that was literally what I was trying to execute, consistent strong cadence.  I have power numbers available to me, but mostly race on feel and sense of where I'm at. Things were feeling good and again I was quite enjoying myself. About three quarters through I had a moment where my left knee seized up and I thought that maybe that would be my race ending moment, I was able to shake that out and continue. On the descent from terror bridge back to transition I got a massive ab/chest cramp where the muscle under my rib seizes up so tight you can physically see the muscle protruding from my upper abdomen. This has happened at every bike finish for the last couple years of racing, I've finally trained myself to handle it.  I learned from my massage therapist to whack it, the shock will trigger the muscle to release. So, when you see me karate chopping myself coming into T2, that's what's happening, it can take several strikes to release but it works.

T2 is always the harder transition, your legs and back never feel quite right, luckily things were pretty sorted when I racked my bike.  I slid my shoes on and sprinted out of transition.  My dad was at the exit with words of encouragement, "You're doing great Heath."  Funny how those few words of encouragement quickly send me into a spiral of trying to analyze what the words and tone of his voice meant for how I was doing in the race, even though he literally says those same words every time I race.  I quickly shut down those thoughts and focused on my run, I was feeling great, but I know in the sun, heat and this far into racing things can go sideways quickly.  My goal was to maintain that good feeling until the furthest turnaround which was about 4k, then reassess.  After the far turnaround I felt I could maintain and tried to stay strong as the kilometers ticked down.  Somewhere between 7-8K Patrick and my Dad were positioned in different spots to cheer me on, the suffering had begun and I needed these boosts.  The last 2K you run tantalizingly close to the finish, but head the opposite direction to suffer on. The sun was hot and there was zero shade for reprieve on 90% of the course.  Patrick was stationed along the run with about .5K to go and he said to me, "You gotta go," which was about when I wanted to cruise in. I knew I'd be pretty upset if 20 seconds was going to change the results, so I turned on the hustle and crossed the finish line.  I knew my time was about 2:06, but I had no idea where that placed me among my competitors that finished about 2 hours earlier. 

I quickly found my Dad who's always at the finish line for confirmation that I was currently in the lead.  There were still a few heats of women behind me with top performers like Kirsten Sass that could still sneak into the top spots.  We anxiously waited for time updates on the course until we knew there wasn't enough runway left for anyone to pull ahead of me.  It has been an interesting year and everything came together quite perfectly this race week and race day.  While I did suffer at points, it's one race that mostly felt great and my body could do everything it needed. This was probably one of my most enjoyable races to date, one I'm proud of.  Over the years, I've gotten a little smarter with training and racing, when you consider the bike and run course changes since my fastest time here in 2013, which was 2:05, my 2:06 is quite comparable. I'm not sure how much time I have left racing at this level but I'm going to enjoy it while I can and hopefully in 13 years I'm still throwing down a 2:07.

Fun Battles & Heartwarming Stuff...

Tuesday, 01 September 2026 00:10

2026 Lakes Country Triathlon Coverage – Raindrops teased race participants in the pre-race moments, but didn't stick around. What followed were cloudy and mild conditions that were ideal for racing.

The favorites going in were two-time Triathlete of the Year Spencer Syvertson, and 2025 LCT women's winner Mata Agre (photo on FB), and they did what they were expected to do, winning handily. For Spence, who will undoubtedly earn yet another TOY nomination, the goal was to break the one hour mark, which was easier said than done considering that road construction demanded that this year's bike course be lengthened by three kilometers. 

He would have accomplished that goal with 15-20 seconds to spare, but instead of sprinting across the line, he scooped up his toddler son Vinnie, gave him a kiss then they walked across together. He still cracked the 60-minute mark, albeit by just nine seconds. 

It was heartwarming stuff!

For Mata to outrace her 2025 winning performance (1:13 and change) here she'd need a 1:18. She threw down a 1:17:56.

Spencer and Mata were not the only ones to live up to their favored status. Rising star Jeron Hall, 20, who won his first race three weeks ago at Big Lake Sprint, was the best bet to take 2^nd to Syvertson. He did that with plenty of time to recover before the eventual bronze medalist arrived.

Or should we say bronze medalists. Nick Jasmer and David Lewis have been battling each other all season long, with Nick outracing David twice, and David outracing Nick once. Did Nick, who started one wave ahead of David survive the three minute wait in order to go 3- 1?

When David finished it was clear to everyone paying attention that it was too close to call, and so we waited for the results printout. Though Nick was listed in 3^rd and David 4^th, their times were identical: 1:05:51.

And theirs wasn't the only head-to-head battle that deserves verbiage. The race for 2^nd in the women's race was between talented Grand Masters Mary Deeg, who came into the race with six AG titles this season, and former Minnesota Grand Master of the Year and last season's runner-up here, Lisa Hines. Hines outsplit Deeg in the water and afoot, but Deeg rocked a superior bike split, one that resulted in her placing 2^nd overall women just ten seconds ahead of Hines.

MTN and LCT race organizers want to thank Maple Grove for not staging their race on the same weekend this year. It certainly affected attendance positively. While the number of registrants (221) was not a record, it represented a satisfying post-pandemic rebound.

RESULTS - https://www.mtecresults.com/race/leaderboard/21387/2026_Lakes_Country_Triathlon-Individual_Results

"This Run Course is so Darn Fun"...

Sunday, 30 August 2026 00:10

By Paige Schulz

Maple Grove Triathlon Race Report: I had bad luck the last two years at MG. In 2024 I got a flat that didn't seal, so had a DNF. In 2025 I somehow managed to miss the first buoy of the swim and turned myself in for a DQ. I didn't realize I cut the course until after the race when I looked at my GPS data. That was the biggest heartbreak I have ever felt in tri. This year was going to be my redemption year and get to the finish line with a smile. 

There were 8 ladies who signed up in the elite field for 2026. Yes, girls! Before we started, the race director led us through the swim course and pointed out exactly which buoys we were targeting. So that talk was for me specifically LOL. Once I saw Heather at the starting line, I knew that second place overall was the most likely scenario. In an olympic distance race, you cannot hide a weak swimmer. I came out 2+ minutes behind the rest of the elite ladies and a full 7 minutes behind Heather.

Split: 26:08

1:39/100yds (watch pace)

This bike course always feels like such a grind to me. I was trying to push huge power, but I am in the middle of training for Ironman, so there was a bit of a disconnect in the legs. The roads were smooth, and the traffic control was nice. I rode with one bottle on my bike, which had 90 grams of carbs in it. I drank about 2/3s of the bottle and had one gel at the beginning of the ride. I am very curious why others had so many bottles/cages on their bikes for an Olympic. How do you get that much fluid down? Coming out of the swim late meant I passed a bunch of girls. I got off the bike in second place behind Heather. 

Split: 59:30 - 23.3 mph

There is nothing better in a triathlon than the run. And this run course is so darn fun. It is very easy to break into chunks: transition & finish line, huge hill & park, first neighborhood, straight away, and second rolling hills neighborhood. The first lap was mostly solo, but the second lap was where the magic happened because the sprinter and first-lap olympic athletes were filling the course. There was music and cheering everywhere. My husband and kids were on course. I get second place a lot in races, and my oldest son made it very clear when he saw me on the first lap that I was not winning. :) I will happily take a second place to the legendary Heather Lendway.

Split: 37:47 - 6:04 min/mile official (the course is short; 6:15s watch pace)

Final Time: 2:07:43

The highlight of the day was talking with all the girls after the race. Triathlon is such a huge lifestyle common ground that it feels like you can instantly be best friends with everyone. Next up: Ironman 70.3 WI and then Kona!

Emptying the Tank...

Wednesday, 26 August 2026 00:10

By Nick Jasmer

Northwoods Sprint Triathlon Race Report - What an absolutely picture-perfect day to race! The swim started hot and fast, but I was able to find some feet early, settle into a good rhythm, and put together a swim I was really happy with.

Once I hopped on the bike, it was time to get to work. I knew there were guys ahead of me I needed to catch and some strong athletes behind me that I needed to create a gap on. So I put the hammer down. With fresh pavement on the course, it was FAST, and I ended up putting down probably one of my best power outputs ever in a sprint triathlon.

Coming out of T2, I knew Spencer (set another course record!) was up the road and out of sight, but as I turned onto the Heartland Trail, I could see Brett (Winkelman) ahead. I settled into my pace and slowly started closing the gap. 

At the same time, I knew David (Lewis) and Andrew (Moen) were behind me and could RUN. At one point I looked back and could see David closing. Once I hit the turnaround, I knew there was absolutely no letting up.

From there it was all gas. Empty the tank and get to that finish line.

Those final minutes honestly felt like an out-of-body experience with how deep I was digging, but I was able to hold on and cross the line 2nd overall out of 170 athletes! 

Splits: 

Swim - 7:02

Bike - 33:52

Run - 19:14

Finish - 1:02:17

Place -  2nd Overall

Such a phenomenal day racing against some amazing triathletes. One of the things I’m most thankful for in this sport is the friendships it has given me. It was also awesome sharing the course with teammates from Branden Scheel Racing. Everybody crushed it!  Huge thank you to the race directors and volunteers who make this event possible. Thanks to my coach, for pushing me and believing in me.

And the biggest shoutout to my wife Abby and my little guy Noah for being there from start to finish cheering me on. Racing has a whole new meaning for me now. Every time I cross that finish line and get to see my little boy there looking up to me, I’m reminded that this is about so much more than a finishing time or a podium. 

What a day! 

Preston, Heather, Kyler & Bette...

Sunday, 23 August 2026 00:10

2026 MAPLE GROVE OLYMPIC CAPSULE COVERAGE - In 21 starts on Minnesota soil since his return to the state in 2022, Preston Youngdahl has only been beaten twice, and yesterday's  race at  Weaver Lake Park was not one of them. It was his fourth MGO title and his margin of victory over fellow elite / runner-up Joe Adriaens was 2:17.

Placing 3rd overall was the ever-amazing Heather Lendway, who was coming off her 4th (!) National Championship victory in Milwaukee the previous weekend. Her time was insane: 2:03:03, bettered only on this course by her 2:01:30 record set back in '22. 

Finishing 2nd for the women was last year's Minnesota Women's Triathlete of the Year Paige Schulz. Her time was a fine 2:07:43.

The final podium steps for each gender were earned by two-time Green Lake Olympic winner Jacob Niemann (2:03:20) and 2025 Most Improved nominee Amy Preusser  whose time (2:14:07) kept her slightly ahead of Trinona Olympic winner Jessica Taylor (2:14:22) and arguable the #1 female Grand Master in the country, Juliia Weisbecker, 60 (2:14:47).

We'll also mention 6th placer Elena Jasper, who is 18-weeks pregnant. Though formal records aren't kept, Elena's 2:15:26 has to be the fastest "Pregnant Lady" time in the 17-years of the Maple Grove Olympic Triathlon.

MAPLE GROVE SPRINT CAPSULE COVERAGE - Brian Sames' course record 56:59 has stood since 2014. It was taken down yesterday by emerging national talent Kyler Williams, 17, of Zimmermann. His time was 56:21, 38-second fater than Sames' clocking and a chucky 6:20 in front of MGS runner-up Michael Headlee. Before this season we knew that Kyler was good, we just didn't know how good. That became clear last weekend in Milwaukee where he dominated his AG and finished 13th overall in the brilliant time of 1:58:49. 

Bette Rowley's Maple Groove Sprint Debut yielded a victory and a 1:08 margin over 2nd-placing Adeleine Althaus-Kotila, 17, who was nominated for Junior of the Year in 2025 with another nomination likely to come her way at season's end. She has podiumed in all three of her in-state starts this year.

Placing third in the Sprint yesterday were Eau Claire's Trevor Bauer, 17, who has race often and successfully on this side of the St. Croix this season, and South Dakota's Brigitte Setness.

Almost 1200 athletes registered for this years Maple Grove Triathlon. RESULTS

"And I Finally Nailed it!"

Friday, 21 August 2026 00:10

By Cami Eckhoff

Race report - Northwoods Triathlon - This local race is always run so well and is definitely one of my favorites! The volunteers are great, the course is fun, and an Americano Muskie Waters Co afterward is the icing on the cake! 

The swim is also in my favorite MN lake, the lake our family cabin is on, so it always feels a little extra special. It was a little chaotic starting in the elite wave with a lot of men and a few women. I also got whacked in the face for the first time ever during a race. I was not prepared for that. 

Knowing how important quick transitions are in a sprint-distance race, I hustled up the big hill and made it out of T1 as fast as I could.

I’ve had a power goal on the bike for quite some time now, and I finally nailed it! I biked hard, the new pavement was awesome, and by the end I wasn’t totally sure how my legs were going to handle the run. 

David Lewis passed me early in the run. I looked down at my watch and thought, “Pick it up and go with him!!” So I did my best. I managed to average a 6:22/mile pace and finished with a PR and a new women’s course record in 1:03:20! 

It was awesome having Keith, our boys, and my parents there along with a great crew of racers from DL! I love seeing the Tri community continuing to grow!