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"...We Are Building Character Here..."
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Thursday, 07 June 2018 23:20
By Marc Sontowski
New Bri Tri race report- Vulgar language may appear, if you are offended I guess I don’t care. Also enjoy all the grammar flaws :)
I was originally signed up for Buffalo, and well, no need to speak on that’s so here we are. I am overly excited for this race, because if you know me, you know I love to race. I don’t have a spare weekend in sight that I’m not doing some type of race.
I show up at the ass crack of dawn because that the type of person I am, not because I need to make sure I get all the pre ride, run, and swim in before transition closes, but because I just like being early to things. My pops always told me that being late to something is one of the most disrespectful things you can do in any circumstance. I guess I took that a little too serious as I was there about 5:55 and apparently the park wasn’t supposed to open until 6:30.
As those who raced know, it was a little bit on the windy side, but wind builds character. I find out the swim is a time trial start, I still don’t know if I’m for or against it, I guess I really don’t give a shit either way. The swim was fantastic, the water temp was ideal, some waves and wind, but again we are building character here....
Mr. Minnesota, Schnoodles & Pasta Kristina...
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Thursday, 07 June 2018 23:10
GOING OFF-COURSE! - The 15th edition of the popular LAKE MINNETONKA TRIATHLON is coming up, so we thought it would be cool to go off-course with the LMT's awesome race director ROSS ROGNEY. Here's a bunch of fun stuff you may not have known about him:
- Name: ROSS ROGNEY
- Age 54
- Hometown - Excelsior (I live in the home I was born in).
- Education - doctorate in chiropractic
- Occupation - I have a chiropractic clinic in Excelsior.
- Dream Job - I'm doing it, or a fishing guild - Bush pilot .
- Former Jobs - I have done a lot of bad jobs Bouncer, tarred roads, roofer, promoter.
- Family - Wife Tina, daughter Sophia, son Noah.
- Pets - I have the best dog in the world. Rosy, a white Shnoodle, and a gold fish (that won't die) Steve-o
- Tattoos? Decorative Mutilations? - Just scars my right leg is a mess....
Epic Head-to-Heads on Tap at Liberty Half...
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Wednesday, 06 June 2018 23:10
LIBERTY HALF IM XIV - We are very excited about this year's Liberty Half, in large part because 2016 Ms. Everything, HANNA GRINAKER, is returning to serious racing after an abbreviated 2017 season. Her aptitude at all tri distances is stratospheric. She's capable of rocking sub-2:10s--she has two actual 2:10s on her scorecard already!--in Olympic races, and 4:30s, perhaps high 4-:20s, at 70.3.
Of her eleven previous multisport races, three have been halves. Her first such effort was here at Liberty, where she finished 2nd in 4:47 despite having ridden long. Her second half produced a 4th place finish against a stellar cast of veteran long course elites. Her time was 4:41. Her other 70.3 was at Madison last year, where in ghastly weather, she placed 3rd in 4:46 behind former pro / Ironman Wisconsin record-setter DANI FISCHER, and Rochester's brilliant DANI VSETECKA, whose victory earned her the Performance of the Year award.
Can Hanna win Liberty's women's title on Saturday? Sure, but she'll have to outperform our state's all-time winningest female 70.3 racer: KORTNEY HAAG. Kort has won this race twice, and owns the women's CR, a brisk 4:35:45....
Liberty Olympic Turns 15...Updated...
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Tuesday, 05 June 2018 23:10
LIBERTY OLYMPIC TRIATHLON XV - Next Saturday, the Liberty Tris will celebrate their 7th anniversary at the Lake Rebecca venue. For those who don't recall, or who have come to the multisport lifestyle in the last decade, the orginal Liberty races were staged at Baker Park.
The LIberty experience features a long course (half IM) and an Olympic event. Let's discuss the Olympic race today.
The men's competition this year will feature three past champions, including race record holder KEVIN O'CONNOR, who has won this event three times.
Then there's DAVID HOLDEN (photo L), who has also won this race thricely. Who will prevail in the O'Connor / Holden match-up next Saturday? KO had beaten David on this course in their last confrontation, which was back in 2013. He also finished ahead of him in their last head-to-head, which was at Lake Waconia in 2016. Based on this, we give O'Connor the advantage next weekend.
But then there's 2017 Master of the Year, a guy who has won more MMAs than any of his male peers, MATTHEW PAYNE. A two-time LIbery winner, albeit in the half, where he owns the two fastest times in race history, Matt has amassed 50 career wins in his first decade of racing. One doesn't bet against a guy like that....
Racing Stuff From Last Weekend...
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Sunday, 03 June 2018 23:20
ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ - In 2014, CHRISTINA ROBERTS did Escape From Alcatraz, finishing an impressive 6th in the women's amateur race. It was a performance that helped launch her elite amateur career. Last Sunday, she returned to the Bay Area where she rocked an overall amateur podium finish. Adding more coolness to the deal is the fact that she was the first American amateur woman to finish, placing 3rd behind Sweden's decorated Jenny Nilson, who placed 2nd overall at Long Distance Worlds in 2015, and Italy's Michela Santini, who like Nilsson, is a pro duathlete / amateur triathlete. In 2014, Roberts turned in a time of 2:39:41. Last Sunday her time was 2:36:34, which landed her in 9th place overall, including pros.
Also excelling at Alcatraz was Roberts' sweetie pie, JORDAN ROBY, who cranked out a 7th place amateur finish (21st overall), as well as KRIS SPOTH (9th amateur), and PAM STEVENS, 65, who won her AG by 26:20! RESULTS
PIGMAN SPRINT - PATRICK PARISH placed 2nd on Sunday at Pigman Sprint. Also cracking the men's Top 10 was The U's BRADLEY WOODFORD. He placed 7th....
