Race Previews
Dancing For Dollars..
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Friday, 20 July 2012 02:30
(Photo - Polska dancing looks fun, doesn't it? Gotta love the outfits.)
Chisago Sprint VII Preview - Many traditional Swedish dances belong to the Polska family. Who knew, huh? We obtained this information from the Internets, as G.W. once referred to The Web, thus it must be true.
Now, we don't know if a Family named "Polska," e.g. Fred and Ethel Polska from Uppsala, invented these dances, or if these dances are related to the Polish kind that happen at drunken weddings that last three days.
In either case, Gloria West, founder/director of the Chisago Lakes Triathlons, has decided to have a Polka, or Polska, contest for this year's sprint course participants. There's prize money for the best dancers, though how ...
can you tell? She believes that racing a .25-22-5K won't trash a body enough to prevent a racer from engaging in a little Polkage after he or she crosses the finish line.
She does not plan to have a Polka Contest after the half. Good call.
Polka dancing at a triathlon? Who would think of such a thing?
Only Gloria West. This is going to be so cool. And soooooooo weird.
Now for a little chase cutting. It's time to predict the podiumers in this year's Chisago Sprint. Let's start with the girls.
- Cathy Yndestad will win because she'll be there. The former, and perhaps future, US Athlete of the Year has won her last five races and set two course records in the process. Number 6 on Sunday should produce a time in the 1:21-1:22 range, another CR.
We're confident that Andi Myers (Great YndeCam Photo R), who has been impressive since her return to Minnesota last fall, will finish 2nd. And because the race is bike-heavy, we see April Morgan grabbing the 3rd spot.
- While the girl's course best should fall, the men's probably won't. When Patrick Parish sets a record, as he did here in 2010 (1:15:17), it tends to stay set for a while. Still, times should be brisk, 1:16s certainly, weather allowing, and the first guy to hear his chip burp on the hilltop should be Brett Lovaas, whose last name is often naughtily mispronounced. Even his wife....
Love Ass, er, Brett has stockpiled 25 victories since arriving in Minnesota in 1997.
Andi Myers' spousal-partner-forever (SPF in Text), Scott is our runner-up pick. Minneman Sprint winner, Jared Smith, and Mo Mouw, who podiumed at Eau Claire and almost (4th) did so at New Bri, are the guys that we think will fight over the Third Step.
Slight Advantage: Smith.
Mo is a heckuva Polska dancer. So is his beautiful triathlete wife, Suzann. Mo could pick up some extra cash at Paradise Park on Sunday while Suzann does the half.
