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Doritos & Sprinklers....
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Thursday, 22 August 2019 23:10
By Mario Minelli
The Wingman Triathlon. This will be more of a race course/venue review rather than a personal recap. Or maybe a mash-up of the two...
I believe the Wingman Triathlon started in 2009, the year after I did my first tri. It's only about an hour long drive from where I live and I've always wanted give it a shot. The problem was that it usually fell on the same weekend as the Festival in the Park Run, a race in Kasson, MN, where I reside. I like to support local events and I'm not one for doing two races in one weekend so I always passed on the Wingman--until this year. So I raced in the 5k on Saturday (August 10), then the Wingman Tri the following day. I did, however, pass on the Festival's Twinkie eating contest that would have made for a triple event weekend.
I entertained the idea of taking it easy in Saturdays race, but we all know it's hard to hold back. And for triathletes who race a variety of distances, a 5k is about as short as it gets in a swim-bike-run event. So...I ran pretty hard in the 5k. Surprisingly, I felt ok Sunday morning for the Wingman. My friend Tom and I got to the race venue, Red Wing's Colvill Park, about an hour before the 8am start time. We were setting up our transition areas when Tom realized he forgot one minor piece of equipment: goggles. This would be his second tri. His other being Rochesterfest a couple years ago so he was a little rusty.
Then the sprinkler system at the park started blasting water into the transition area getting many people wet before the swim, or for the swim depending on how you look at it. A friendly athlete next to Tom had a spare pair of goggles and the sprinkler issue was soon resolved. ...
"Looking Forward to Next Year"....
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Wednesday, 21 August 2019 23:25
By Ashley Hall
GREAT UP NORTH TRIATHLON - Have you ever had the chance to hang a medal on a triathlete’s neck? It’s truly the best part of the event! I shed many happy tears, hugs and celebrations with the triathletes as they crossed the finish line. Every ounce of worry, doubt and stressful moments leading up to The Great Up North Triathlon was worth it the second the medals started being handed out. We had 49 individuals and 5 teams cross our finish line; each dripping not only with sweat but with feelings of pride and accomplishment. Some even had the chance celebrating with their loved ones at the finish line!
We have experience in planning non-profit fundraising events, hosting athletic camps, running our own business and coaching, but nothing quite compares to organizing a triathlon. We had the opportunity to meet triathletes from all over the Midwest and Canada and competitors of all ages and levels; each with their own story and their own “why” of competing.
We had many first timers, some who already have aspirations of competing in more triathlons and some who just wanted to check it off their list. Our first place male for 19 and under was up from Florida for the summer and considers himself a competitive swimmer, but we think he may have a future in triathlons. Our youngest competitor was 13 and completed the race completely on her own as a last minute decision to give it a try...
2019 Maple Grove Triathlon: Anticipation...
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Wednesday, 21 August 2019 23:10
MAPLE GROVE TRIATHLON PREVIEW - COACH KRIS sent us a copy of his event's entrant list last week. Even knowing that the field would swell significantly between then and race day, plus knowing that, historically, many extremely competitive athletes are later sign-ups, we became very excitied by what we saw....
Lakes Country Turns 20!...
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Monday, 19 August 2019 23:20
LAKES COUNTRY TRIATHLON PREVIEW - Can you believe it? Lakes Country Triathlon is turning 20 on Sunday?
The LCT, based at Whipple Lake in Baxter, is a very cool race and we'd love to see the enrollment top the 200-mark.
We were allowed to see an entrant list and are certain that the competition, both up front and in the age groups, will be exciting.
Let's make some predictions, which are not to be taken too seriously, okay? The goal is to stimulate interest and conversation.
So, our men's pick to win is last year's runner-up JOSH BLANKENHEIM. Josh is having a stellar season. He's won two major events (Timberman and Brewhouse), both in very fast times. His 1:57:15 at BH Olympic was a course record.
His 2nd behind PATRICK PARISH, our state's winningest multisportsman this year, at Heart of the Lakes was also a resume-enhancer.
Blank's 58:27 last year was the 2nd fastest time ever on this route. Can he match or break WADE CRUSER's course best 56:55 on Sunday? Weather permitting, we think he can....
A Very Special Performance!
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Sunday, 18 August 2019 23:10
The Minnesota Multisport Honors Committee has been closely following the 2019 Rookie of the Year frontrunners. We're talking about two very special women, CARYN HERRICK and PAIGE SCHULZ.
Before last weekend, the ROY race was basically too close to call. Both women had already established themselves at long distances, then Herrick rocked a 3rd place finish at Heart of the Lakes, giving her a prohibitive edge. Paige had yet to demonstrate similar aptitude in a short race.
Then Schulz rocked a 3rd at Chisago, in 4:42:17 no less, while Herrick placed 5th there in 4:51:01. So, if there was any advantage that Caryn enjoyed in the weeks beteen HOLT and Chisago, it evaporated.
Most Committee members were now favoring Paige because she had won a head-to-head confrontation with Caryn...
