Race Coverage
Do-Do Happens!
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Wednesday, 20 November 2019 12:10
By Johnny Surprise (Facebook - Posted Nov. 9)
Ironman Florida - Shit happens
3.5 weeks prior to Ironman I was on a much too early run with Evan Reed and I unfortunately stepped in a small pothole that I could not see thanks to the darkness and to me not wearing a headlamp. My 5th metatarsal snapped like a large branch, yes, that loud. I didn’t panic; I just calmly hobbled off to the side of the path and asked ER to go get the car. Got home and jumped into the car and went to Parkway, my good pal Dr Ness confirmed that it was broke. Now the fun begins… Thank God for Pete Garber, Certified badass Physical Therapist. He set the plan; we met pretty much everyday until I got on the plane to PCB. Pete is a motivator as well as probably the best PT in the state of MN. I was able to get in a couple of runs before the race BUT we knew it was going to be hit or miss - meaning I would be great or I was going to suffer.
I had probably the best training block I have ever had for this being my 11th Ironman; my fitness was at an all-time high. Had a top-notch coach - ass kissing here - The one and only Andy Schiesl (Hannah Grinakers Coach) he really awakened a monster in me - Good thing. I had one heck of a training partner Meleah...
On Cloud 9...
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Saturday, 16 November 2019 23:10
ED. Sophomore triathlete Shyanne McGregor of Duluth could not have had a more successful Ironman debut: 9:47:52! For MMH purposes, November and December performances apply to the following season's resume. Shyanne, therefore, will come into the 2020 season with a POY-nomination-worthy result already on her scorecard.
By Shyanne McGregor (Facebook - Posted November 3)
Wow!!! What. A. Day.!!! IMFL 2019
The whole last week I was super nervous about the race, but as soon as the gun went off I was surprisingly (for me) calm.
Short but sweet race report:
🏊♀️The swim went well! I probably seeded myself a little too far back but I moved my way up the pack. I ended up 7th overall female out of the water. 🚴♀️ Bike: Didn’t let any girls pass me. Kept the rubber side on the road. No flats. Came off the bike 7th female. 🏃♀️Run: I’ve never run a marathon until today...after a 2.4 mile swim and 112 bike ride. I kept my pace and ended with a 3:26:03 marathon. And a finishing time of 9:47:5...
Calm Mind & Pop Strategy...
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Tuesday, 12 November 2019 23:10
By Hanna Grinaker (thefitspace.com)
Hawaii Ironman World Championships Race Report - I didn’t expect to love racing in Kona. In fact, I prepared to hate it (or at least parts of it). I anticipated feelings of dread, doom or even death wash over me like a tidal wave at various points over the 140.6 mile distance, but you know what? They never came.
Isn’t that interesting how that works? Perception of effort has always been so mysterious to me. There have been races that, on paper, have been equally demanding, but for whatever reason, I had been on top of my suffering in one, and completely overwhelmed by it in another. With time though, I’ve learned it’s usually my thoughts about how hard a race will be that drives how well my brain will cope. Instead of hoping a race won’t be one of those grinding affairs, I brace myself, expecting the hurt to come and welcoming it when it does. “Can it hurt more....?” Oh I’m sure it can.
Ever since watching Sean race Kona in 2016, and then tuning in to the live broadcast on TV the 2 years after that, I developed some ideas about what I would endure. When I stepped off the plane in Kona to a blast of hot air to the face like the feeling you get when you pop the oven door to check on your pizza, I felt relieved. The heat felt like a huge hug—a promise delivered, rather than a bad dream come true....
2019 POY Finalists...
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Thursday, 07 November 2019 23:10
MINNESOTA MULTISPORT HONORS - Determining the four male and four female PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR finalists wasn't easy. In fact, it was contentious at times. For those of us who enjoy arguing, it was a lot of fun. And like the contemporary British philosopher Mick Jagger reminds us, "You can't always get what you want."
In other words, none of the five Committee Members correctly picked all of the nominated performances.
Starting with the women, here are the POY nominations:
POY FINALISTS - Women:
- HANNA GRINAKER's course-record-shattering (2:06:57!) victory at Buffalo Olympic. Her margin of victory was 5:59.
- HANNA GRINAKER's 13th amateur / 2nd US @ the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships. Her 9:55:58 is the 2nd fastest IM time ever by a Minnesota amateur woman.
- DANI VSETECKA's victorious 4:23:56 at Ironman Texas 70.3 (photo L), the fasest half IM time by a Minnesota woman in 2019 by more than eight minutes....
"Doing Ironman Triathlons is Like a Disease"....
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Monday, 28 October 2019 23:10
By Nick Serratore
Warning – This is a long post…
A little over a week ago I raced the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawai’i and finished in 11:00:50. I was 143rd of 165 in my age group, 1,013th of 1,660 men, and 1,176th of 2,271 overall. My swim took 1:09:21, my bike took 5:13:06, and my run took 4:28:08 with the remaining unaccounted-for time in transitions. These are the facts… If you asked me before the race if I’d be happy with those times, I would probably say I wouldn’t be happy, but I also wouldn’t be surprised. After-all, going into the race I had been struggling with a high hip issue and I would guess that my slow run would be from that acting up and my less than stellar bike would probably be a mechanical issue. The swim would be accounted for by noting my lack of experience in ocean swimming. Turns-out, these weren’t the reasons for (what I feel) was my very average day at Kona. I raced a very conservative race and put my health above speed due to the high heat that day. However, before I get into my recap of that day, I need to thank the people who got me to that start line in the first place. Maggie L. Henjum and Alyssa at Motion MN! Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to run pain free for pretty much the whole marathon that day. Dr. Jim Barr at Helix Chiropractic for not only being a close friend, but also being the best chiropractor I know. Step Therapies for allowing me to use their AlterG Treadmill to rehab my hip. Now Bikes in St. Paul for all the tune-ups and work they’ve put in on my Cervelo P5. Chris Balser for dialing in all 4 of my bikes fits. Vicki Ostendorf for being my coach and getting me to this point. The other athletes that train through Tri Fitness – It’s an awesome community and I love every day I get to train with you amazing athletes. And most of all, my family and friends that have supported me in this journey, particularly my parents, Tony and Crystal Serratore, sister, Nina Deno, and brother-in-law, Nathan Deno, best friend, Jack Schuknecht, and fellow Ironman friend, Rachel, who were with me the whole week in preparing for the race. Here’s a quick recap of that day –...
Heather Jackson Was Just as Nervous as Me....
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Friday, 25 October 2019 23:10
By Tim Brown
Ironman World Championships Race Report - Wow! My one word review of the Ironman Kona World Championship. Unlike being disappointed after seeing a movie that received great reviews, Kona absolutely lived up to the hype. What an incredible experience. My not so short version review of the Kona experience is as follows:
A surprising AG win at Ironman Wisconsin (2018) secured the one available Kona slot and dictated some drastic revisions my 2019 race / training calendar. There would be less racing and more focus on distance endurance training. There would be no off season this year. I was surprised to have never experienced burnout during training leading up to Kona. IM training is a massive time sponge but Kona has always been a life-long dream and a fantastic motivator.
Anxiety started to build while packing for the trip. What have I forgotten? It is definitely a rollercoaster ride of panic and relief leading up to the race. But the bike arrived in good shape and it felt good to get on the course to alleviate some of the anxiety for this intimidating venue.
The hills on the bike course were more than I was expecting. It looks pretty flat on TV! It was very windy, as advertised. The heat and humidity were absolutely draining...
