Race Previews
Cinco History & Predictions...
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Thursday, 30 April 2015 00:10
Photos - Both great shots used in this post were lovingly purloined from Steve Stenzel's great blog--iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com. We encourage you to check it out if you're not already an avid reader of his stuff. Steve is a self-professed ELITE GILF.
- RACE PREVIEW - Here is some historical stuff on the 8th annual CINCO DU MAYO LONG COURSE DUATHLON and the 6th edition of its SHORT COURSE companion race. FYI, we've glanced at an early registration list and predict that DEVON PALMER will repeat as the men's champ in the LC race and that LISA LENDWAY will challenge, hopefully break, Joanna Hall's four-year-old short course record. We also think that defending champ SHELLEY OSTRANDER will duke it out with MEGAN ERLANDSON for the top spot in the women's long course competition.
Over 200 athletes are expected to participate.
RACE HISTORY: ...
Mini-Preves...Morris & Falls...
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Friday, 24 April 2015 00:10
MORRIS TINMAN - Though Burnsville's Bette Rowley has won this race each of the last three years, we think she's going to have to settle for 2nd place at UM-Morris tomorrow. Our talkative gut tells us that Sheena Dauer of Montevideo, will come out on top. We're basing this opinion on astological and phrenological factors, plus the fact that she dominated the women's Olympic field at Green Lake last August. We met her and thought she was nice. She has straight white teeth, a Ph.d and looks great in scarves (photo L).
Who will win the guys' Olympic-ish-distance race in Morris tomorrow. We think that Paul Wymer will nip Mick Bakker for the victory. RACE WEBSITE
FALLS DUATHLON - A great turnout--250+-- is expected for Saturday's run-bike-run and we encourage undecided athletes to say "What the heck," or WTH in texteze, and enroll. It's a great event. Final Stretch puts on awesome races.
So, who do we think is gonna win? History tells us that former-amateur-turned pro-re-turned-amateur Devon Palmer is the guy to win, something he did here in 2013....
Minnesota's Du Season Opener...
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Tuesday, 21 April 2015 04:10
FALLS DUATHLON PREVIEW - Minnesota's 2015 duathlon season gets underway next Saturday in Cannon Falls. Aptly named, the Falls Du is the first of seven run-bike-runs leading up to USAT Du Nationals in St. Paul on June 6. Falls is a great event, one that will help you get a jump on your Nationals prep. And there's nothing like a duathlon to knock off your winter rust and reacquaint you with your pain threshold....
A Great Way to Help Grow our Sport...
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Tuesday, 21 April 2015 03:10
Final Stretch, Gear West Bike & Triathlon and MTN wholeheartedly encourage all veteran triathletes to make sure they introduce the multisport lifestyle to at least one, hopefully more, friend or family member this season. And the best way to do that is to get them involved with an exciting new program calle THE ROOKIE TRIATHLON EXPERIENCE. Check it out:
More Loot For Lendway?
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Monday, 20 April 2015 00:10
HEATHER LENDWAY podiumed in her non-drafting pro debut at Las Olas International last month. Can she do it again next Sunday at the iconic St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida? Maybe, but to do so she would have to outrace at least one recognized superstar.
Sarah Haskins, arguably the finest female triathlete that America has ever produced, is probably the best non-drafting Olympic distance female racer in the world. You just don't bet against her. At St. A's, she's won five times in seven starts. She placed 2nd in her non-winning efforts back in 2006 and 2007. Her course record is sick. 1:56:44.
Then there's Alecia Kaye, who won here in 2013 in 1:57:10. Haskins is the only American who beats her regularly.
Finally, there's Denmark's Helle Fredericksen, who, get this!, hasn't missed a podium since 2012.
To beat one of these women next Sunday would take at least a 1:59; maybe a 1:58. Is HL ready to go that fast? Good question. If she can, she'd take her place among the very best in the sport....
Crawfish, Jazz & a Paycheck...
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Saturday, 18 April 2015 00:10
DANI FISCHER, who was ranked #2 on Team Minnesota last year, won the USAT Duathlete of the Year award and was named AOY HM, will make her pro debut at New Orleans 70.3 tomorrow, and the MTN Guys are anxious to see how she fares. She's only raced once at 70.3, but demonstrated that it may be her best distance. In that single event, which was the 2014 USAT Long Distance Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she won handily in a time--4:23:37--which proved to be the fastest legitimate half IM clocking by a US amateur woman last year.
A strong cyclist and an even stronger runner, we suspect that Dani's pro career will resemble that of Ruth Brennan Morrey's. In other words, we think she'll learn fast and develop quickly. Like RBM, she'll probably start WINNING major events in her second year of pro racing (2016), maybe sooner.
Ruth's first half as an amateur, like Dani's, produced a victory and a sizzling time (4:21!). Ruther's first pro half--Mallorca '13--was a "valuable learning experience" and she had to settle for 12th place, albeit with a terrific 1:18 run. Eight halves later, one of which was a podium effort (2nd at Augusta), she outraced British superstar Rachel Joyce for her first major win (Kansas 70.3).
Most pros need much more than a year to establish themselves as podium contenders. Ruther's rise to that point only took four months....
