FEATURES

"Etched Moments"...

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My Mother, The Bear

By Dave Carney

 On October 5, 2023, my beloved mother, affectionately known as The Bear, passed away. Allow me to tell you about my loving and wonderful Cheerleader.

 Mom always supported me as a child in sports, but her attendance was minimal as she was a single parent raising five kiddos. Her hands were full for sure. Sports were not her love or passion, being a  mother was.. Mom would tell us she did a horrible job and mistakes were made. But to me, she was perfectly imperfect and I wouldn’t change a thing.

During my triathlon days, Mom became my biggest supporter. From driving me to local Minnesota triathlons to encouraging me at Ironman Wisconsin, her encouragement propelled me forward. Then at Ironman Waco, her words of wisdom “God has your wings, let him do it through you” rocked my race and earned me a spot at Kona. It broke my heart she was unable to travel to Kona due to health limitations…

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Ditching the Tech...

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By Gloria West

Do You Race? Analytically or Intuitively

The traditional approach to triathlon training and event performance is to use a number of devices, whether it is our GPS heart rate monitor, watts, zone levels or bike power counts. 


During competition, racing thoughts, critical thoughts or too many thoughts can be too much of a distraction that actually slows us down.



Many athletes don’t recognize the valuable resource already within them. It never occurs to them there is also another option. They can tap into a different approach. Whether you call it an inner sense, gut feeling, hunch or intuition, it does not matter. Have you ever tried just going with your intuition or those gut feelings?



Hearing from one of our Chisago Lakes Triathlon participants, Ryan Richardson, made me reminisce how I used to approach the Ironman and marathons. I didn’t use these external devices as my “inner critic” would get loud if I wasn’t meeting a certain “number” on my Garmin. In fact, one of my best performances was at the 1988 Grandmas Marathon when I didn’t use a watch (that’s about all we had back then) nor did I look up at any mile markers....

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"We Are Definitely Coming Back Next Year"...

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By Jackson Berenberg

Once upon a time, my journey into the world of fitness began with an unexpected adventure. As a father-son duo we stepped into the realm triathlon. My eldest son and I, both novices to the world of triathlon, embarked on this fitness escapade together, an experience that would reshape our perspectives on physical activity.

We chose the Chisago Lakes Triathlon which was not just a race; it was a spectacle that unfolded through the Chisago County well paved roads and the Chisago Lakes streets that brought out a welcoming community. My son, in his first-ever triathlon, managed to earn a medal, a tangible symbol of his triumph and newfound appreciation for the challenge ahead. What struck him the most was the collective energy of the city, a sentiment he expressed marveling at how incredible it must have been for our community as well as for the participants.

As we navigated the course, the support from our neighbors and fellow residents became a source of inspiration. In a moment of challenge when my son punctured a tire, multiple officers extended their help, offering him a lift back. Undeterred, he refused, fueled by the cheers and encouragement from both officers and bystanders. Crossing the finish line together, he caught his breath and declared, "We are definitely coming back next year." ...

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2023 Women's Team Minnesota...

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By Mav

Team Minnesota is the MMH committee’s attempt to provide a season-long “power ranking” of Minnesota’s most prolific and successful triathletes. It’s a similar concept as the PTO’s result-based ranking system. Goose and I come up with this list to motivate and reward our state’s multisport athlete’s. Last week, we revealed the men’s 2023 Team Minnesota. Below, in buckets of 3 after naming the top athlete, is the 2023 Women’s Team Minnesota:

Icon (#1): Heather Lendway

The cream of the crop (#2-4): Elena Hengel, Caryn Herrick, Vanessa Nagel

The all-stars (#5-7): Cami Eckhoff, Bettina Keppers, Cheryl Zitur

The Finalists (#8-10): Jan Guenther, Diane Hankee, Katie Kadera

(Revised Finalists: Diane Hankee, Katie Kadera, Bette Rowley)

 

Goose's Comments: I appreciate and respect Mav's choices, andI agree with ALMOST of them. I like his Top 7. It needs to be said that this year's Team was painfully difficult to determine. The ineligibility of true stars like SHYANNE MCGREGOR, CHISTINA ROBERTS, ELAINE NELSON and TIFFANY KARI-CIZMAS due to...

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The YWCA Women's Tri's Awesome New Director...

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By YWCA Minneapolis (Blog)

Kym Zest is returning to the YWCA Women’s Triathlon as Race Director! In her five-year break from the race she pursued other athletic achievements, started her own coaching business, and had a baby. Now, she’s back to serve the triathlon community, as it has been her home base since 1997. (You can read many of her triathlon race stories on her blog (midwestwithzest). From her first year with YWCA Minneapolis in 2010, Kym has felt how special our Women’s Tri has been. After some challenging pandemic-related years with the Women’s Tri, Kym is excited to revitalize the race and lead the Twin Cities and national triathlon community to empower women and eliminate racism....

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