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"...Wired With Excitement"...
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Friday, 14 November 2014 00:10
By Ryan Bailey
LTF Oceanside Race Report:
The Oceanside Triathlon was just six weeks away when I decided to sign up. The next few weeks would bring an exciting rollercoaster of training to get ready for the race. About a month before the tri, I noticed a twinge in my Achilles, something that I have struggled with in the past. I backed off on running and worked harder in swimming and cycling. I knew I had to keep my running sharp so I added a tempo or two per week. Running only two days a week made the pain subside and I was soon able to train at full strength. The set-back motivated me and I was feeling ready to roll.
I landed in California Friday evening. I went straight to my hosts, who graciously made me dinner and drove me somewhere I could shake out my legs after the long day of travel. I slept great Friday night and had my pre- race run done before the sun was up. After the run and breakfast, I assembled my bike and made sure everything was working properly. My host drove me to packet pickup and T1 to drop off my bike to avoid any fuss in the morning. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and mentally preparing for the race, which made me rather nervous. I tried to get rid of the nerves by...
The Celebration Dance...
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Thursday, 13 November 2014 00:10
By Cathy Yndestad (trigirlcathy.blogspot.com)
It’s been four years since my last Ironman, and as a result, I’m bursting with excitement and pure enthusiasm for this coming Sunday. I haven’t been this excited for a race in a very long time and it certainly helps that I’m feeling healthy, strong and content. Now it’s simply getting out there, executing my plan and smiling along the way. Pretty simple right? Ha, I’ve been coaching and around Ironman long enough to know full well that unexpected and random things can leave even well prepared athletes looking searching for Plan B and Plan C. The ups and downs of IM day are always part of the challenge, so I’m doing my best to prepare mentally for that balance as well.
I’ll have several friends and a few of my athletes in Tempe to cheer which just warms my heart beyond description. My friends mean so much to me, and having their support is extremely special. My mom who travelled from Newfoundland will also be their to spectate and experience her very first Ironman....
A Minnesotan. And Damn Proud of it...
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Wednesday, 12 November 2014 00:10
At the behest of the good MTN folk, an all too long IM Florida race report...
By Kyle Serreyn (ky-tri.blogspot.com)
Whenever I tell somebody about a race (and in this case, lots of somebodies), I always wonder if I should tell them exactly how I think and feel, or if I should tell them what I want them to hear. The latter is always more optimistic, the former far more realistic.
Anyway, the race…On Wednesday afternoon, I got into town with my dad (also racing) and my Sherpa (still basking in the glow of her IMOO age group victory). The weather, naturally, was phenomenal in the days leading up to the race. We rode the run course a couple of times, jogged around, did all the stuff that needed doing. On Thursday we all got in the ocean and swam around a bit – clear, warm waters, sunny skies, flying manta rays (seriously) – everything felt good and I was jacked to race....
Payne-Fully Obvious...
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Tuesday, 11 November 2014 00:10
Minnesota Multisport Awards - Just as it was obvious to the Selectors that Heather Lendway would win the Performance of the Year award, it was similarly so for Matt Payne. It was "Payne-Fully" obvious that he would win the men's POY.
Matt held serve at every distance except IM this year. But then, he has yet to do an IM. His 1:55 CR at Buffalo was the fastest Olympic effort by a Minnesota amateur this season. (FYI, Ryan Bailey popped a 1:54:57 at Life Time - Oceanside, which was contested well after the MMA winners were determined and will, for award purposes, apply to his 2015 resume.) Payne's nominated 4:02 at Liberty trumped every other 70.3 effort by amateurs from our state. His amateur wins at Oakdale and Du Nationals were the best run-bike-run performances, and his sprint efforts at Lake Waconia and Sprint Nationals were unrivaled by his Minnesota peers.
Which of his nominated performances--CR at Liberty or win at Best of the US--was the studliest, then? ...
Heather's Greatest Performance?
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Monday, 10 November 2014 00:10
(Great YndeCam photo - Heather Lendway way off-the-front at Life Time Tri - Minneapolis.)
Minnesota Multisport Awards - This is one of two final posts explaining how the Committee determined award winners. Here are some of the arguments behind their selection of Female Performance of the Year: Heather Lendway's Course Record win at Life Time Tri - Minneapolis.
Though DANI FISCHER's victories at Best of the US (largest BOUS margin of victory to date: 4:07) and Long Distance Nationals (4:23:37 - fastest 70.3 time of the year in the US by an amateur woman), were epic, with a capital "E," it was obvious to the Selectors early on that one of HEATHER LENDWAY's nominated performances would win the POY Award. She is simply a cut-or-two (or three) above the rest of her peers, the most pro-ready amateur in the US. Not only that, she is argubly the fastest amateur female that America has ever produced.
From the standpoint of "speed," the Committee agreed that HL's 1:04 at Lake Minnetonka may have been her finest effort. (A strong argument can also be made for her outright win in 1:25, which was not nominated, at Square Lake.)
On the other hand, her dominating effort at Life Time - Minneapolis was perceived as being both fast and internationally significant, even more than her victories at Milwaukee Nationals (the most competitive US...
