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"It is a Big Deal!"
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Thursday, 11 December 2014 00:10
Photo - Nicole and her mom, Mrs. Heininger. Lower left photo on Page 2 - Nicole had assumed that her hotel room would be larger.
By Nicole Heininger
Ironman Cozumel Race Report - Part II - Two and a half months after IMOO I'm heading to MX to race IM Cozumel. I can't say enough great things about this experience. I had big goals set for myself coming into this race. After IMWI I knew I could push myself harder, I knew how my body responded to the distance and there was time to be taken off. I also knew this race would prove to have more challenging conditions for myself but I was willing to experience them. I'd be lying if I said I thought it was going to be easier. NO WAY, I'm not sure any IM will feel as good as my first. Also, leading up to this race was difficult. I never imagined I would have went through so many ups and downs in a two and a half month time frame but I did. Even with all the events occurring in my life, physically I was on form. I was swimming distance faster than I had all season, even being limited to all indoor pool training. Running speeds were shocking myself (I started wearing two garmins at times thinking one wasn't working correctly). Biking seemed steady from the season but it was hard to tell switching to the trainer and going strictly off of feel. I was ready! ...
Impatience and an XL cap...
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Wednesday, 10 December 2014 00:10
By Nicole Heininger
Ironman Cozumel Race Report - Part I - To start, I never planned to race an Ironman nor make racing part of my life. I originally completed a triathlon to challenge myself. One and done. Years later my rookie season, friends were talking me into signing up for a half IM and I was terrified. This would prove to be my biggest challenge yet and I wasn't sure I was quite ready for it. I knew I would complete the task at hand but I wasn't going to do it half-a$$ed. When I set my mind to something I do it wholeheartedly, therefore, going through the motions was not enough for me, I was going to commit and be all in. So why was I so scared? I had only raced several triathlons, I mean I barely knew how to transition....
Random Semi-Important Stuff...
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Tuesday, 09 December 2014 06:10
- LAKE MINNETONKA TRIATHLON - We just heard from our good friend Ross Rogney (photo L with Steve Sander), who told us that his annual classic triathlon--Lake Minnetonka--is over half full already. Act quickly to get in, okay? We suspect that this race's "non-charlty" slots will fill within the next month. RACE WEBSITE
- NORTHWOODS TRIATHLON - Registration for our state's fastest-filling triathlon, Northwoods, will open on January 2 at 8-AM (ZapEvent.com). Last year, the event filled in less than 30-minutes. Also, Northwoods has a new webpage: LINK
- APPEAL TO RACE DIRECTORS - The MTN Guys want all of Minnesota's multisport events to prosper but various trends over the last five years have resulted in diminishing attendances. The trend that chaps our hienies the most has to do with scheduling because that's an area that can be changed. Over the last three seasons, there have been 8-9 weekends with 3, 5-or-more Saturday races followed by Sundays with no races. We believe that everyone would benefit from a better distribution of events. Yes, we understand that some races cannot be moved. For those directors who can be more flexible in their scheduling, we encourage them to consider moving their events to the least busy days on those weekends when a crowded, say, Sun. is preceded by a vacant Sun....
HL's Dream Bike Vacations...
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Monday, 08 December 2014 00:10
By Heather Lendway (heatherlendway.com)
It’s that time of year where I’m normally thinking about putting my tri schedule together for the year. Since I’m still waiting on some schedules to come out I decided to think about something completely different, my dream bike vacations. So far I’ve come up with four but feel free to comment and give me more ideas. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
1. Scotland
In 2011 I traveled to Europe for the first time. I took a train from London to Edinburgh and rented a car. I drove (on the left side of the road) from castle to castle, through the mountains and by lochs. It was beautiful, unfortunately while driving you can’t take in all the scenery as much as you’d like, I stopped plenty for photos but had I been on a bike I could have really taken it all in. I’d love to go back and ride the route I drove. Check out my map and some of the things I did capture on film in my gallery below.....
Getting Un-Crazy...
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Sunday, 07 December 2014 00:10
By Jene’ Shaw (triathlon.competitor.com)
Prepare for battle with a pre-race brain ‘audit.’
You’ve paid up to $700 to race—so why let your brain f@#k things up? This question from sports psychologist Dr. Simon Marshall, Ph.D., was the basis for the brain training program he developed to help athletes combat pre-race anxiety, appropriately titled “Calm the F@#k Down.”
From the stress of family drama to actual race execution, there’s a long list of issues that can leave you feeling a little crazy. You’re not, of course, but Marshall explains that you’re undergoing a temporary loss of equilibrium. The good news is with the help of external assistance using tools and skills you already have, you can return to a state of self-reliance in time to race your best.
Marshall, who is the husband and coaching partner of two-time XTERRA world champion Lesley Paterson, started with the principles of crisis intervention—or, in this case, “acute sport psychology intervention”—and came up with a program to address issues you may have leading into your biggest race.
For the six days before, Marshall will spend 15 minutes combating potential issues: distraction control for expo time, start-line visualizations, race checklists, final pep talks and more....
