Race Previews

Doing Them Because They are Hard...

mtt-bike-turn.gifFYI - Matthew Payne WON the USAT Duathlon National Chamionship this morning!

 

By Matthew Payne (for usatriathlon.org - blogs)

 

Duathlon and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship. On the one hand, I’ve managed to get fairly good at it, and it’s always fun to do things you’re good at. Also, as someone who lives in a cold weather climate and likes to race frequently, duathlon is great in that it extends our local multisport race season about one month each direction, allowing me to squeeze in a few more races each year without the expense and hassle of airline travel. Another great thing about duathlon is that without the swim, you can of course leave the wetsuit, goggles and any other swimming gear at home. It’s always nice to have to have less junk to lug around and keep track of....

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TFC Podium Picks...

jaquelyn.gifTRI FOR A CAUSE PREVIEW - Yesterday afternoon we received an email from TFC founder/director Henry Praska. It contained his race's current registration list. Also, he asked us to predict Saturday's podium finishers.

We like Henry. He's got a heart the size of Utah. And we like his race. Happily, we offer these predictions:

TOP 3 WOMEN -

1. Michelle Andres - Duh! Once again, MA proves that she can't stay away from the sport she loves; the sport that has made her famous. Can she match the course-record (1:16:51) she set in 2012? Probably. Betting against Andres isn't very smart.

2. Sara Carlson - Carlson's star is on the rise. This was an easy pick....

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An Annual Classic...

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29th HEART OF THE LAKES TRIATHLON PREVIEW - Of of eight Minnesota multis (seven tris, one du) slated for next weekend, HOLT will boast the largest and deepest field. The event has been recognized as the Minnesota State Triathlon Championship since 1995 and this year will host the Best of the US Team Minnesota qualifier. The top 3 male and female amateurs from our state will receive invitations to compete at the 2015 BOUS Championship in St. Paul....

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Du Nats Preve...

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USAT DUATHLON NATIONALS PREVIEW - Du Nats in St.Paul are Saturday and we thought it would be groovy to predict the overall and AG winners and guess which Minnesotan would place highest in each of the categories....

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Minnesota's Original "Destination Triathlon"...

T1-Timber.gifTIMBERMAN PREVIEW - Many of Minnesota's coolest multisport races are staged in rural or semi-rural areas, places that don't have enough athletes to justify staging a race. These locales, e.g. Green Lake in Spicer, Leech Lake in Walker, Lake Bemidji and Pokegema Lake, lure athletes from elsewhere, especially the state's urban areas because they are "Destination" races. Travelers are happy to book hotel rooms and eat in restaurants because the total experience is so much more than an athletic challenge. Words like "aesthetic" and "recreational" and "getaway" and "vacation" apply.

Saturday's Timberman, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary, is Minnesota's original "Destination Triathlon." Billed as our state's "Premier" DT, it is the model for all such events that have followed. (Moreover, the event is proudly produced by an entirely volunteer staff.)

T-Man has earned its reputation and richly deserves its iconic status. It saddens us, though, that it shares its date with our state's largest triathlon as well as...

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Graniteman Turns 10!

hill.gifGRANITEMAN - CLEARWATER PREVIEW - This event, the original Graniteman, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this weekend. It's first five editions were staged in Rockville, after which it relocated to its current home in Clearwater. One of four races that will happen on Saturday--No races are slated for Sunday. What's up with that?--G-Man is the only one that is not experiencing declining enrollment.

Bill and the G-Man Events Gang must be doing something right.

Who do we think will win at Clearwater?

The obvious choice for women, based on the enrollment list we perused, is Nicole Heininger, the 2013 Minnesota Rookie of the Year, who is coming off a big victory at Lake Waconia. A win on Saturday would be the fifth of her young career....

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