Race Coverage
Rust Busting and Instant Friendships...
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Thursday, 24 March 2022 00:10
By Kristen Hawkins
Oro Valley Intermediate Triathlon Race Report - Great to be back racing. Grateful for the opportunity to do an early season race in ideal temps with top-notch scenery and the excellent company of Katie Deregnier.
It was a little chilly off the bike but we were just glad we weren’t dealing with frozen water bottles and the icey eyelashes Minnesota has given us the last few months.
Pool swim was smooth and surprisingly quite seamless. Rolling hills on the bike were fun and a refreshing challenge after hours on the bike trainer. Flat, looping run course in a dry 60 degrees was a nice cherry on top of a great race. This race was a great start to the season, a good rust buster and has me hungry for more of what 2022 has in store! ...
Snake Swimming, True Hills & Fun With Friends...
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Tuesday, 22 March 2022 00:10
By Katie Deregnier
Oro Valley tri: Intermediate distance
What a fun experience at the Oro Valley triathlon! The best part was having 3 other Minnesotans and training partners there! It is so uplifting to cheer one another on throughout the race and I am so grateful for the community triathlon in Minnesota has brought me!
One unique part of this event is that the swim is in a 50 meter pool. The intermediate distance did a snake swim up and down each lane. The pool was to my advantage, being that my first sport was swimming. Flip turns and wall push-offs sure do beat open water! I finished the swim just behind pro triathlete, Lara Gruden.
The bike was a bit chilly at about 55 degrees but I'm not complaining coming from Minnesota! The 3 loop course was beautiful and felt incredible just to be outside going up and down true hills! ...
Triumph in Tucson...
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Sunday, 20 March 2022 00:10
Four Minnesotans enjoyed a successful start to their 2022 racing seasons yesterday (Saturday) at the Oro Valley Intermediate Triathlon (750m-22.2-4.5) in Oro Valley, an upscale northern suburb of Tucson, Arizona.
Leading the way for the Loon State contingent was Farmington's 2021 Most Improved nominee KATIE DEREGNIER, who earned the women's amateur title by finishing behind local pro Lara Gruden, who rocked a 2nd place overall finish behind men's winner Soren Jensen. Deregnier, who according to our records, now has three career triathlon wins, finished 6th in the overall results.
Women's 3rd place / 2nd amateur went to another Minnesotam, one who also was part of the Most Improved discussion in 2021, KRISTEN HAWKINS of St. Paul. Winner of three multis in 2021, Kristen has landed a podium spot in five of her last seven races. ...
Ironman Florida - Stacked Fields, Golf Ball Blisters & Chased Dreams...
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Wednesday, 10 November 2021 00:10
ED. Rachel, Katie and Ted reflect on their Ironman Florida experiences:
RACHEL ZILINSKAS - 8th place - 9:35:04 - PR
"First pro race in the books at Ironman Florida! It was a great experience lining up with such a stacked field. There was a lot I executed well but even more that I learned. I’m so excited and motivated to go on from here.
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"Thank you to everyone who cheered me on and supported me this past weekend. I really felt all the love and that’s what makes this community so special. Special shoutout to my sister for crushing her first experience as my race support, to my fellow @yoderperformance teammates on course for the encouragement and inspiration, and to Andrew and @pennltz for driving the whole way from PA to support us!" ...
Scream Tunnels, Thankful Quads & Citgo Signs...
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Friday, 22 October 2021 00:10
ED. Katie enjoyed a breakout year on our state's tri scene this year. Her nomination for "Most Improved" will be announced next week.
By Katie Deregnier
Boston Marathon Race Report - If you ever get a chance to do the Boston marathon, do it. It is an incredible experience that will leave you smiling for days! This year, Boston was moved from April to October with no complaint. The beautiful fall leaves, and amazing weather (65 and cloudy) made for an absolutely perfect day to run a marathon.
Boston started with a rolling start based on qualifying times. The morning is quite the process as athletes are shuffled in to buses at their designated times to drive to the town of Hopkinton where the start is located. After leaving the bus, athletes walk about a mile to the start line, and roll into the race. This made for a very laid-back atmosphere with ample time to take photos beforehand.
Since Boston is a one-way course, I met spectators at every town. Each place had it's own source of energy, from kids giving high fives, to live music, to the famous Wellesley college "scream tunnel" where hundreds of women from Wellesley college line up and scream- we could hear them a mile away! ...
Paychecks, Honor Badges & Mixed Bags...
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Thursday, 07 October 2021 12:10
By Dani Treise
6th Place Finish at Ironman 70.3 Memphis!
Wow, so much to unload about this race! My best placing and my first paycheck as a professional athlete - which was a big goal for me - not for the actual money (barely covered the hotel for the trip), but definitely a badge of honor.
But the experience was a mixed bag. I’m still puzzling over my swim and bike performance. I couldn’t hang on to the pack in the water and ended up doing a solo effort leaving me coming out behind and in a tough spot. My hamstring acted up on the bike again and I found myself not being able to push any meaningful watts. Between that and the constant rain and slick corners, the ride wasn’t my favorite! ...
