Race Coverage
Iron-Reality Check...
-
Thursday, 28 September 2017 23:10
By Nathan Ansbaugh (nathanansbaugh.blogspot.com - 9/26)
IRONMAN WISCONSIN Race Report - Before every Ironman I have raced, I like to read back through my race reports from prior IM events... in particular my Kona Recap 2011. While this may sound a bit self-fulfilling, its actually more the opposite. I know I need more humility heading into an Ironman that I emotionally have. The buildup before an Ironman is different than any other race, where in the sprints and olympics early season I can't wait to take that excited energy and just explode out of the gate and hammer it throughout, where as the buildup for an Ironman involves so much more and yet I really have to reign it in mentally from the get go to make sure I don't blow it. Mainly, I look back at these prior posts because I need a reminder that Ironman is REALLY REALLY hard. It is so easy to forget the feeling of emotional and physical exhaustion that sets in somewhere around 90 miles into the bike with another 22 to go and marathon to boot. Ironman triathlon is a humility check, training check, and reality check that truly puts you face to face with your fitness, your insecurities, your preparation, and your resilience... but one day after every Ironman, you start to tell yourself, "It really wasn't THAT bad." Well... it is THAT bad...
Throwaway Shoes & Vineyard Views...
-
Tuesday, 26 September 2017 19:10
ATTENTION: Our voting link for RACE OF THE YEAR is up and running again. If you haven't voted yet, cleck on the voting ad on the right side of this page, or link HERE.
By Heather Lendway (heatherlendway.com)
SANTA ROSA 70.3 RACE REPORT - While my year did not start out on the right foot I was looking forward to racing in Santa Rosa for a few reasons. Firstly it has to be one of the more beautiful race courses, with my preferred race weather, sunny but cool, reminiscent of race morning at one of my favorite Minnesota races, Square Lake. Secondly my fitness was starting to come around a little bit, meaning I finally started doing a little speed work on the run and bike. Lastly, my husband Patrick was also racing with me, doing the 70.3 distance for the first time. I can’t deny I was looking forward to Patrick having a different perspective of these races that I do.
- Race morning we were up bright and early as the race was starting for the pros at 6:10 am and we had a 30 minute shuttle ride from town. Race morning was chilly, I was thankful for my hot coffee and layers upon layers of clothes. I slipped out of my clothes and right into my wetsuit to say warm. I kissed Patrick good luck and ran into the water about a minute before the ladies were taking off.
- The swim start was aggressive which always takes me by surprise but it happens every time. The ladies tend to take out the race like an ITU race sprinting the first 200 meters but typically things spread quickly after that. I tried to stay on some feet as best I could but settled into my own pace and exited in third just behind 2nd.
- The exit was carpeted for a small portion for then about a 400 meter run up the boat launch on rocky pavement. It was one of the more painful transition runs I’ve done, definitely will bring throw away shoes for next time!
- Before the swim I debating putting a jacket on for the bike as the air was in the low 50’s and the water temp was mid 60’s but during the swim I warmed up and I knew I’d be OK. I hoped on my bike and took off for a beautiful bike ride....
An American Racecation...
-
Sunday, 24 September 2017 19:10
By Cathy Yndestad (cathyyndestad.com)
CHATTANOOGA 70.3 WORLDS Race Report - With so many interesting race and travel options these days, serious consideration is warranted before committing to any racecation. I love challenging (fair) courses, which seems to be harder and harder to find these days. When Ironman initially announced the 70.3 World Championship race course in Chattanooga, they said it would include ~5000ft of climbing. I was drooling at this set-up and immediately set my sights on earning a qualifying spot. Although unsurprisingly, the bike course did eventually get dialed back from it’s original design, thankfully it still included a meaningful climb with a total of 3000ft climbing over 56miles. The swim and run were also designed to be a legit challenge for all. This race was also appealing due to the number of friends and Coeur Sports teammates planning to race. Although I love the variety of courses available in Europe, I really miss the camaraderie and vibe of racing in the USA.
I earned my championship qualification by winning my AG in Mallorca earlier this year, then spent the summer specifically training and racing shorter distance events to prepare. After three strong olympic distance races and a consistent stimulus of specific training, I was feeling strong and ready to give it a good effort in Chattanooga. Aside from the obvious enthusiasm associated with World Championship races, I was thrilled to be racing back in the USA. So many wonderful people to see!
It was a long flight from Zurich, but what a wonderful week it was in the U.S.A! ...
A Couples Weekend...
-
Saturday, 23 September 2017 09:10
LAKE GENEVA ESCAPE TRI - MTN congratulates JORDAN ROBY and CHRISTINA ROBERTS on their amateur victories yesterday at Lake Geneva Escape. For Jordan, who will once again receive serious consideration for a Most Improved nomination, the win was his third of the season and fifth of his career, and it required that he post the fastest amateur men's run split of the day.
Roby's margin of victory over runner-up Mark Caballero of Milwaukee was 57-seconds.
Christina's win was a convincing one, her margin over 2nd place Kelli Benton of Tulsa, Oklahoma was 5:36. The victory was Roberts' sixth in nine starts this season and 18th of her multisport career. It's safe to say that she is one of the two-or-three frontrunners for 2017 Female Triathlete of the Year.
The wins earn Jordan and Christina free entries into next year's Escape From Alcatraz, at race at which Roberts excelled in 2014, when she placed 6th in the women's amateur competition. RESULTS
CLC DAVID ROTBERG MEMORIAL DUATHLON - The fourth edition of this season-concluding event was won for the second consecutive year by JASON TOTH, who covered the unique 20-mile-4-mile-7-mile bike-run-bike in 1:32:32, which lowered his 2016 course best by 3:05. The win was Toth's 3rd in six starts this season. The 40-year-old from Eagan will be part of this year's Master of the Year discussion which is more competitive than ever now that it includes MATTHEW PAYNE, winner of more MMAs than any other Minnesota male, and perennial Team Minnesota member BROOKS GROSSINGER....
The Mother of All Races...
-
Friday, 22 September 2017 23:10
By Laura Knoblach (decagirlblog.wordpress.com)
Swiss Deca Race Report - This March, I was peer-pressured into signing up for the race of my life by some of my very best friends: Shanda Hill and Joey Lichter. They promised that if I didn’t, I’d be sitting at home the entire month of August, wishing I were with them. They were right…
Still, it took their convincing, along with my world turning upside down, for me to finally commit to doing the Swiss Deca.
For those unfamiliar with ultra triathlons, a Deca is a 10x ironman-distance race. There are two formats: the “one-per-day” and the “continuous.” In the former, an athlete races one ironman-distance triathlon per day for ten days. The later consists of a 24-mile swim, 1,120-mile bike ride, and 262-mile run with a 14 day cutoff.
We all chose the later.
While most onlookers would call it crazy, the thought of doing this race (and training for it) became my sanity. I’d spent several years working through abuse that had happened to me as a child and teenager, when a I was raped by a close friend in the fall of 2016. The experience landed me in a hospital bed in late January, as I worked through the aftermath of what had happened. ...
Toasted Legs...
-
Wednesday, 20 September 2017 19:10
By Corey Nygaard (swimcoreyrun.blogspot.com)
CHATTANOOGA 70.3 WORLDS Race Report - Fourteen Months ago, my body had no idea what it was in for over the coming months. The reason that time frame was so important: that is when I qualified for Chattanooga, In July of 2016. Long time to get ready, right?!
Two Ironmans and two 70.3 races later, I somehow made it alive to the weekend I had lost focus on so many times. I think when a race is so far off, it can be hard to stay focused on that one goal. It was probably a good thing I had races to keep my motivation high and the work, well, hard.
I'll start off with a few short snippets of a few of my summer races, that did not really meet my expectations.
Racine 70.3 - I got to race with one of best friends in his first sorta half distance race. Since the swim was cancelled, for the second year in a row, it was basically a time trial. I managed a solid AG placing and Branden is off to Worlds in South Africa next year, awesome man. This run was incredibly painful as I had just started down the road of IT Band issues. ...
