Race Coverage

Chicking the Field...

Monday, 01 July 2013 03:10

(Photo - Trijuice.com's Nick Morales and 89-year-old Bob Powers.)

V3 Minneman IX - Whether it was scheduling thing, or insufficient promotion (the event's website is a work-in-progress), or something else, it was sad to see Minneman's numbers drop. Only 300ish athletes signed up for this year's event.

MM is a great race, great enough to have earned three Race of the Year awards, and folks need to remember that. Those folks who did register enjoyed the same benefits that this event has always offered. MTN encourages the multisport community to make plans to race at Minneman in 2014 and return this event to its former glory.

Those who weren't at beautiful Lake George last Saturday missed a great athletic and social experience. And they didn't get to see 89-year-old Bob Powers cross the finish line. That is always an inspiring treat....

As for the competition, the Lendway girls, Heather and Lisa, totally rocked the sprint race. Heather won and Lisa placed 8th. And we're talking about the OVERALL standings, not just the women's contest.

Women being crowned the outright winners of races is rare, but not unprecedented. Heck, North Dakota's Marnie Walsh is likely to win any home-state race that doesn't include Sean Cooley.

But this is Minnesota, one of the most tri-talent-rich states in the US of A. Though conditions weren't conducive to record-setting (wind and a longer than advertised swim), Heather Lendway nevertheless negotiated the courses in 1:09:28, 1:36 faster than Lydia Novotny's CR. (FYI, Minneman's swim leg was lengthened from .3 to .5 in 2012, thus new record-keeping was necessitated.)

Lisa Lendway's 8th place finish (2nd woman) required a1:16:19. There were nine women in the overall Top 25. That may be unprecedented in a Minnesota coed tri.

The companion Olympic race, which celebrated its 2nd anniversary on Saturday, was led by 2012 Rookie of the Year runner-up (to Heather Lendway) Brian Sames and Alaskan star Lori Deschamps, who placed 5th overall at Nationals in 2008. For Sames, it was his third win of the season and fifth of his young career. So you know, Brian shaved his mustache, claiming that he, not his fiance', was responsible for that life-altering decision.

As for Deschamps, she may have benefited from Diane Hankee's dnf (flat tire at mile 24 of the 26.6 mile bike leg). Diane was gunning for her 3rd consecutive win of the season and appeared to have a sizable lead (her and Lori launched in different waves) when her tire blew.

It was a big weekend for elites getting flats. Patrick Parish and Catherine Lee DNFed at Lake Waconia thanks to sub-turgid tires. RACE RESULTS

Photo - The Lendways - Heather (L) and her fertile sister, Lisa (R).