Race Coverage

Growing A Sequoia-Like Legend...

Tuesday, 24 July 2012 03:00

(YndeCam Photo - Trust us. David did not feel as good as he looks here.)

CHISAGO LAKES HALF VII - 4 / 15 / 78. No, we're not talking about the release date for Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life," one of the most insipid tunes to come out of the unfortunate disco era. Okay, some people of a certain age still like that song and may have even seen Debby open for Englebert Humperdinck at Grand Casino - Hinckley. Our intent here is to satirize, not offend.

We digress.

4 / 15 / 78.

sweet.), decided to keep going. Thompson had walked a long distance, which Big Blue Jersey Guy estimated to be close to a mile, though that seemed a bit exaggerative seeing that David did manage to charge ahead and finish in a circumstantially VERY fast 4:00:59. But those kind of claims are the fecund compost-rich topsoil from whence sequoia-like legends grow.

Yes, David did win, as his time suggests. Heat, humidity and that excruciating ITB thing ultimately could not keep him from his 4th consecutive win at this totally awesome event. (And it truly was totally awesome!) recovery

Thus the #4 part of what originally appeared to be a date.

The win, which he accomplished by a margin of 6:20 over runner-up / amateur winner Dan Hedgecock, who has won six of the seven mutlis he's entered this season and appears to be the frontrunner for the US (Amateur) Athlete of the Year award right now, was his (DKT's) 15th career half IM win. Whoa! As they said back in the pre-Debby Boone era, "That's Some Heavy Shite." Okay, we didn't want to curse in American, so we used the British slang.

Thus the 4 and the 15 parts of the date-like thing.

Finally, with his CL triumph, and it was certainly that, wasn't it?, DKT now owns 78 career multisport victories. Heavy stuff. And very, very cool.

There. 4 / 15 / 78.

Back to Hedge. Dan's amateur win, the 17th of a career that only began in 2010, represented a PR at the half distance. His 4:06:19 on Sunday bettered his LD debut on this course, or a variation thereof, in 2011, by 3:51, and kept him 1:42 in front of 3rd placing Jared Woodfood, an amiable young pro from Chicago who is a former US AOY HM. Fourth overall / 2nd amateur was Matt Payne (4:09:58), who won his first amateur half title earlier this season at Florida 70.3. In case you didn't know, Matt likes turtles a lot. He's sort of a Tortoisologist. swim guys

Six different states--MN, IL, KS, WI, IA, ND--were repped in the men's Top 10:

1. David Thompson (Pro-MN) - 4:00:59

2. Dan Hedgecock (MN) - 4:06:19

3. Jared Woodford (Pro-IL) - 4:08:01

4. Matt Payne (MN) - 4:09:58

5. Alex Hooke (MN) - 4:12:41

6. Robert Vernon III (KS) -4:14:14

7. Mike Lavery (WI) - 4:17:36

8. Ryan Giuliano (Pro-IL) - 4:18:41

9. Kris Spoth (IA) - 4:19:58

10. Sean Cooley (ND) - 4:24:52

One of the men's divisional records was rewritten on Sunday:

* 50-54M - David Lyon (WI) - 4:34:59 (Old Mark - Tommy Krenz - 4:41:29 - 2011)

The women's race is featured in another of today's posts. RESULTS

YndeCam Kiddie Pool Photo above - This is how many of the CL Sprint racers chillaxed while waiting for the halfers to arrive. They also drank craft beer and chocolate milk and ate tasty stuff. This event had cool perks up the ying-yang.