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Metric Tons of Love...
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Friday, 22 August 2014 00:10
YWCA of Minneapolis Women’s Tri 2014 Race Recap...
By Nicole Cueno
Last Sunday, the Seventh Annual YWCA of Minneapolis brought at least 1,050 women, a metric ton of love, and more smiles than anyone could count, across their finish line at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. The race, known both for fielding a strong open wave and catering to all level of female athlete, did not disappoint: records were broken by top competitors and hearts melted at the tear-jerking Friends and Family finishes.
Heather Lendway, continuing her streak of wins and smashing course records was the unsurprising winner in 1:03:16 on the sprint course (500y swim, 15.5 mi bike, 5k run). She lowered the previous record by an astonishing 4:09, set by Claire Bootsma in 2011, after not only winning USA Triathlon Nationals the previous weekend but after racing just the day before at the U25 Elite Development Draft Legal Race in Detroit, MI. Look for her race reports on both that race and the YWCA of Minneapolis Women’s Tri later this week.
Lendway was followed by another Lendway. Lisa Lendway crossed the finish line in 1:10:52. For the special family awards at the YWCA of Minneapolis Women’s Tri, they made for unmatchable competition in the family Sister-Sister Awards. Gaby Bunten (1:11:04), Claire Bootsma (1:11:43…post and pre-overnight RN shifts), ...
The "Fun Size" Equalizer...
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Thursday, 21 August 2014 00:10
LIFE TIME TRI - MAPLE GROVE - According to Gaby Bunten's Facebook page, Kris Spoth (pronounced "Spoath") is like the best boyfriend ever.
We'll take her word for it because we've met him and he seems to be a great guy. Besides, we really like the shirt he's wearing in the photo (L).
And what are those long things sticking out of their tropical drinkie-poohs? Back scratchers?
We digress.
Kris is a two-time winner of the Maple Grove Triathlon's Collegiate competition. On one of those occasions (2012), he won the race outright. His 2:03:07 is the fastest amateur time at MGO.
Gaby (pronounced "Gabby") is also a past collegiate champ here.
Because the Maple Grove Olympic Triathlon is the third and final event in Life Time's Minnesota Series, we thought it would be totally cool to employ a Life Time-esque "Equalizer" to determine if the boyfriend outraced the girlfriend ...
Stuff From Last Weekend...
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Wednesday, 20 August 2014 00:10
ST. PAUL TRIATHLON - The husband/wife team of SCOTT and ANDREA MYERS shared the Winners Circle at the St. Paul Olympic Tri at Lake Phalen ast Sunday. Both won by commodious margins, Scotty by 4:59, Andi by 6:55. The event had 74 finishers. RESULTS
ST. PAUL SPRINT - This event was won by MARCUS DUVAL and CATHERINE LEE, whose husband Terry took care of their totally cute toddler named Elliot so she could race. That arrangement worked out well. Cathy knows a lot about food and food preparation. Marcus is a former star swimmer at Illinois Wesleyan University and he has spiky blond hair. Three hundred and seventeen athletes crossed the finish line. RESULTS
MINNESOTA SENIOR GAMES TRIATHLON - The St. Paul Triathlon hosted this event which we think is a National Championship event for 50-plussers, but we're not sure. Coming out on top of the 25-member field was Stillwater's MIKE LYNER, 60, who's from England and has a great accent. The women's winner was KATHRYN JENSEN, 50, who is a St. Paul Triathlon veteran with consistently great results. On Sunday she was 2nd overall. She sometimes winks at her friends when she comes out of the water (photo L). RESULTS ...
Another Superior Experience...
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Tuesday, 19 August 2014 00:10
SUPERIOR MAN III - The MTN Guys are giddy with excitement about next Sunday's Superior Man races. A companion event, the "41.5" has been added and we love its bike-heavy distances: .5 mile swim - 35.4 mile bike - 5.6 mile run. The format is reminiscent of the short-lived, yet awesome, TriStar event that used to be associated with the Maple Grove Triathlon.
Before we make some predictions about the half IM, which was named "Triathletes Choice Race of the Year" in 2013, we will say that our picks to win the "41.5", based on last week's list of entrants, are YWCA Women's Tri director Nicole Cueno and Kiwi transplant David Phillips.
A decorated distance runner, Cueno is a parttime triathlete who tends to win or place highly every time she shows up, which is rarely more than once a year. In 2014, however, she has already raced twice, winning on both occasions with fast times....
Minnesotans Rock in Pigland...
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Monday, 18 August 2014 00:10
17 Annual PIGMAN HALF & 3rd Annual PIGMAN OLYMPIC - David Thompson did NOT win the Pigman Half yesterday. Had he done so, the victory would have been his 10th at this, the upper MIdwest's oldest half, and the 19th 70.3-mile win of his career.
He didn't win because he didn't race. Instead, he went out and torched the course record in the Pigman Olympic Tri, a companion event inaugurated in 2012. The old CR --1:58:20--was set in 2013 by 2007 US Athlete of the Year Daniel Bretcher, a totally cool guy who got his pro license in 2008. David, who outsplit the entire field in every phase of the competition, posted a 1:54:56. Moreover, his margin of victory over the runner-up - Bretscher--was a porky 7:15.
The victory was the 92nd of Thompson's multisport career, and his 7th W of the 2014 season. David is currently sporting a semi-mohawk and it looks really, really cool....
