Race Coverage
Positive Takeaways ...
-
Monday, 03 June 2024 00:10
By Brandon Lee
Chattanooga 70.3 race recap - I really do love racing in Chattanooga. This is my 4th race there in two years, and I’m drawn to that beautiful bike course through rolling hills, the great race support, and always stiff competition!
My lead up to this race was semi-conservative, we pulled back training volume some over the winter because it’s a Kona year and a long season! I felt fit coming into the race especially on the bike, swimming fitness is right where I want it to be right now, and there is some work to do on the run. But overall, I felt I could have a good day if I nailed my nutrition.
The swim went well, the current was not super strong, which I was happy about. Definitely have a better idea of where I need to be and what ti work on....
Exciting Racing at LCT...
-
Friday, 26 April 2024 00:10
Additional Lakes Country Coverage - As in the Maple Grove Olympic Triathlon, the runners-up at Lakes Country truly shined. SPENCER SYVERTSON was first out of the water in first into T2. He then ran hard, turned in a sub-1-hour effort, which is a big deal at LCT, after which he waited for pre-race favorite / defending champ JOSH BLANKENHEIM, who as a late registrant launched the wave after Spencer. The fact that Josh was stringing together 5:30 miles, however, made his repeat victory inevitable.
JASON CRISP filled out the men's podium, his second Top three at LCT.
Similarly, in the women's race it was the eventual runner-up, who happened to be a newbie with strong running credentials, who set the stage. MELISSA GOBLE's first tri produced a solid swim, a promising bike split and her signature brisk run, which surprisingly was bettered by eventual 3rd placer MATA AGRE. Goble (photo) was first to finish, followed 28-seconds later by Agre. Both women waited for superior...
Bontrager & Illgen Break Out!
-
Tuesday, 23 April 2024 00:10
14th Maple Grove Triathlon Coverage - With 1000+ sign-ups and just under 900 finishers, this year's Maple Grove Triathlon was the second largest tri in Minnesota this year, surpassed only, and slightly, by the YWCA Women's Triathlon.
Twas a perfect day for racing at Weaver Lake Park on Sunday and great performances were plentiful. In the Olympic race the pre-race favorites did what they do, though perhaps not as convincingly as usual. Men's winner PRESTON YOUNGDAHL turned in a amateur course record effort--1:53:55, bettering Wade Cruser's prior best by 23 seconds, yet his margin of victory was only slightly more than a minute over runner-up TIM BONTRAGER, whose 1:54:59 appeared to have been a breakout effort, especially when you look at the list of talented guys he outraced, several of whom he'd never beaten before.
JOE ADRIAENS (1:56:15), JAKE KEEHAN (1:56:57) and elite collegian NATHAN KIM (1:57:41) secured the three-five spots. Seven men broke two hours.
Unsurprisingly, HEATHER LENDWAY won the women's Olympic race in a fine time, 2:05:07, but it was her runner-up that turned in arguably the most impressive women's performance of the day. UW-Madison's RACHEL ILLGEN placed 4th here last year in 2:16:22. This time, tough, she, like...
Triathletes Impress at Earth Day...
-
Wednesday, 17 April 2024 00:10
2023 EARTH DAY RUNS - A pair of prominent Minnesota triathletes turned in triumphant performances last Friday and Saturday at the 23rd edition Earth Day Runs, St. Cloud's largest endurance event.
As in 2022, weather conditions were, for lack of better words, not great. The two-thousandish dressed-in-layers participants once again were buffetted by arctic winds. On Friday evening 2022 Male Master Triathlete of the Year Andy Zabel pushed ahead of local multiple EDR winners Jonathan Stoltman, Morcelli Kombo and William Lindell to claim victory in the 5K, his 16:45 landing him at the finish line seventeen seconds in front of Stoltman....
Angry Hamstrings & Gratitude...
-
Sunday, 14 April 2024 00:10
By Cami Eckhoff
Young Life Olympic Race Report - It was a great morning at the 20th Anniversary of the Younglife Triathlon yesterday, filled with the best volunteers and spectators!! Everyone on course cheering, including my parents, Keith and the boys, were super uplifting! It made the race extra fun having you all out there! ...
"It's Been a Hot Minute..."
-
Thursday, 11 April 2024 00:10
By Erin Weiler (sweetsweatlife.com)
YWCA Women's Race Report - It’s been a hot minute – 5 years to be exact! – since I’ve raced a triathlon and up until about 6 weeks ago, racing was more or less off the table. But things changed so I tracked down a bib to the YWCA Women’s Tri here in Minneapolis. And while I wouldn’t call it a comeback – they’ll be no 140.6 anytime soon – it sure felt fantastic to be back out there.
There’s not a lot to say about a sprint. The 500-yard swim was short, but slow. Mostly thanks to a lack of swim training, but also swimming with anything on my shoulders (in this case, my kit) is not my jam. There’s a reason I wore a sleeveless wetsuit my last couple IMs!
The bike – no surprise the bike was my favorite. It was so much fun being back on my Argon (just my third ride outside on it since 2019!). My power was woefully mediocre – I’m lookin’ at you, watts I used...
