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Monday, 20 July 2026 00:10

2026 Turtleman Coverage - While T-Man's Sprint race unfolded pretty much as you thought it would, the Olympic was a different story. The men's overall podium were guys who were cracking the Top 3 for the first time in their respective tri careers. And the women's winner was a visitor from California, who managed to outrace our pre-race pick--Kelly Van Dyke--by 33-seconds.

We love when this stuff happens.

So, the men's Olympic race was won by Dylan Coutermash of Faribault,  who raced here, albeit rather anonymously, in 2023, finishing 44th in the Sprint. The silver medal spot was earned by Aiden Doughman, who nipped bronze medalist Nathaniel Phillips by one second.

Winning the women's race was West Coaster Devin Nuckles, a long course veteran, who narrowly beat Trinona Sprint winner Kelly Van Dyke. Anna Cook too the third place award.

Three-time Minnesota Triathlete of the Year Preston Youngdahl, who has competed sparingly since 2024, took the Top Step in the Sprint in Race Record time (1:01:09). Unsurprisingly, his closed challenger was two-time Minnesota Junior of the Year Corbin Deichman (1:04:32), who came into the race undefeated in two starts. Fellow Junior Trevor Bauer, who was making his 4th racing appearance on MInnesota soil this season, took 3rd. 

As predictable as the men's Sprint winner was Erin Rock, who has two wins and four podiums in her last five in-state starts, on the women's side. Two minutes and thirty-two seconds back was runner-up Rebekkah Deslauriers. Deirdre Hassett claimed the podium's bronze medal step.

MTN congratulates race management and participants on the success of this year's events, which were well-attended (350+), almost 30% of whom were newbies.

A Great Race Report!

Saturday, 18 July 2026 00:10

By Jessica DeShaw

Ironman Coeur D'Alene was an amazing race!  I finally wrote a race report for the first time!  It's long.  It's true.  I don't want to ever forget it! 

Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2021 Race report: 

This was the most challenging race I’ve ever done! 

Sunday morning I woke up with a sense of empowerment that I hadn’t felt before!  I knew the support I would have on and off the course and I felt overwhelmingly confident! Ok, maybe there was a little trepidation, but the temp was supposed to get to 100+!  Ironman CDA is #4 for me, but will be my 3rd finish!

(For future reference, Sam Elliott is the name of my bike!  He’s a sexy ass Quintana Roo QR5!  If you know who Sam Elliot is and his role in Road House, or any role; you’ll understand!)

I was able to get a good sleep the night before!  Up and moving by 2:50am grabbing my 2 bottles of Infinit nutrition from the freezer, put the 2nd in my bike special needs bag. Verifying that my extra tube and CO2 were still in there too! Trying to eat my granola bar in between running my mental checklist repeatedly!  Texting back and forth with Mark and Mike, to make sure our senses of humor were still in check! Mike, thanks to you, I will never look at a marshmallow the same again!  EVER!  Lol

Making sure I had IB in my run special needs bag.  I knew it was going to be needed, but not for the reason it usually is!

Adam drove me to the start.  We dropped off my special needs bags with the wonderful volunteers CDA always supplies and walked over to the bike entrance. Sam had a nice nap there the night before and I knew we’d have a good ride! Due to that nasty C word,  only athletes were able to go into transition. I proceeded to outfit #samelliott with the frozen Infinit nutrition that would get me through the first loop of the bike and place several sleeves of Cliff bars in my storage tube on the frame.  Loaded my water bottle and filled up my aero bottle. I laid out my towel and set out my Saucony Endorphin Shift running shoes, laid my socks over them.  Took out my bike shoes and placed my helmet next to them, upside down with my sunglasses.  I threw my wetsuit over the bike rack.  Sunscreen, chapstick, and snacks also joined my supplies.  Mike eventually showed up a few minutes after I had all my items laid out. When MIke was finished laying his items out, we aired up our tires to approx 90 psi. (not 100 psi today!  It was too hot!)  It’s amazing the instant best friends you can make when you own the bike pump and the ones supplied are zip tied to the surrounding fence!  Lol  One of the many things I love of the tri community!  

Mike and I took the pics we needed to, and then proceeded to try and find Mark and Adam who were supposed to be by ‘the big tree’ but you know how it is with kids, they never stay in the same spot!  Haha.  Mike and I finally located them.  They pointed out where Kym and Jeremy were.  We headed over to them to wish them good luck!

We walked back over to #Samelliott and White Lightening and decided to start squeezing into our wetsuits.  Out came the trislide, suit juice, and glide to move freely for the 2.4 mile swim that lay ahead.  If you’d like a good laugh, watch someone try to put a wetsuit on sometime.  I’ve got moves that will make you laugh for days!  Ok, maybe not days, but for a few moments at least!  It was close to 5am by this time and the pros would be starting soon.

Swim 2.4 miles:

MIke and I knew the group we wanted to be seeded in, but I wanted a quick dip before we found our place in the masses. Suddenly  we heard the gun start of the pros and listened to the cheers of them entering the water. The water was amazing!  By amazing I mean as soon as you accepted the small chill as it seeped into your wetsuit at the zipper or whatever small holes from your fingernails that may have happened during the badly choreographed dance of getting into it!  Lake Coeur d’Alene is such a beautiful lake!  You can see the bottom for quite a ways out! I felt comfortable so we made our ways to the hour 20 swim group.  The age groupers started getting into the water at 530am.  There were a few thousand of us, so it wasn’t just a free for all. It takes time!  Mark and Adam found us in the sea of black triathletes and gave us another thumbs up!  Reminding us this was F.U.N and we paid to do this!  I closed my eyes and said a prayer for safety for Mike, myself, the other athletes and spectators.  

Finally!  We made it to the sandy beach!  I was almost dry from the previous quick dip, so I jumped back in the lake and got to know my soon to be best friend, Lake CDA.  It was approx 6:20 when Mike and I entered the water.  I’m a bit of a slow starter in the water.  I need to get my face in it.  Gather my bearings, and I was on my way!  The buoys lined up for the ½ mile swim to the first turn.  I made it past the first buoy. Then the second.  I was a bit conservative on my stroke.  Smooth and steady! Humming Jesus loves me repeatedly to myself to stay calm.  With each stroke I was closer to that big RED corner of the first turn.  The water, as I remembered from 2017, was choppier on the backside due to the boat traffic of spectators for the race.  I came out of a stroke and took in some water!  It took a few moments to clear it out of my throat and get moving again!  Making the second turn to head back to shore was a great feeling!  The sun was shining right in your face, making the buoys hard to spot, but it was beautiful!  Just keep swimming!  

Eventually you hear the voice of Mike Reilly calling out names of those crossing the timing mat for their second loop and you know you’re almost halfway done with the swim!  

I can see the bottom!  I can feel the bottom!  It’s time to get out and make my way over the timing mat and get back in to start loop 2!  This time it feels different! I feel more relaxed.  More confident!  

By the time I hit the second turn on loop 2 I realized I had been doggin it a bit and my arms were still feeling good!  I pushed harder and passed many swimmers on the last stretch. You don’t need your arms much after the swim, so why not!  I made it out of water to hear Mark and Adam cheering for me at the swim exit!  I made my way to T1.  I found a bench along the way by the aromatic porta potties and slipped my wetsuit off rather quickly! I continued on to #SamElliott.  Sam had been waiting for this all morning!  I got to Sam, only to see White Lightning, still racked!  I had beat Mike of out of the water!  Yes, I was very proud of myself and I may have to rub it in for a bit!  Hehe!

Bike 112 miles:

I threw my helmet on, grabbed my sunglasses, and filled my back tri pockets with the opened CLiff bars that would be my additional nutrition on the bike.  Walking Sam to the bike mount line gives you time to think!  ‘You’ve got this!’  ‘Pace yourself!’  What a great feeling to clip in and take off!  It felt great to be on #Samelliott.  I knew this course!  I’d been on it several times since 2017, and we drove it the day before.  Mike caught up with me as we climbed Higginspoint; about 6 miles out.  We chatted for a bit.  We made it to the first turn around and I made a tiny, stupid, mistake! Mike heard me exclaim ‘oh shit’ and turned around in time to see me go head over handlebars.  My storage box broke off, but Mike and the volunteer medic found nothing wrong with me and no damage to my sexy Sam!  I had a nice gouge in my shin. It looked like an umbilical cord dangling, some road rash that I wasn’t ready to look at yet, and maybe a little embarrassment, but otherwise, good to go!  I grabbed some more water and was on my way.  Mike stayed with me for a bit and I told him to get moving!  He smiled and said he’d see me later. I enjoyed the downhill and waited for town to come back into view.  The volunteers were great! Cheering so enthusiastically all through town!

Now we were headed out of town and onto the long climbs I was not going to let beat me!  It was hot, the breeze was hot!  The first long climb on 95 rose up in front of us!  I shifted to my granny gear and climbed slow and steady!  It was actually kinda fun!  Other bikers made jokes and then we noticed two bikers on the other side of the road, climbing with very little effort!  Those bastards were out for a Sunday stroll on their Ebikes!  I'm sorry to admit, but I may have said a not nice word under my breath to them! Don’t worry, they couldn’t hear me and they didn’t deserve it, but how dare they tease all us Ironman athletes with their fancy ebikes!  Lol

No ice was to be found at any of the aid stations on the first loop of the bike course!  I took advantage of the downhills by getting out of my saddle and tucking in to all but fly downhill!  It was glorious!  I was able to see MIke a few miles before the turnaround, we exchanged encouraging words and I continued to the turnaround.  So far I was happy with my time. I do have to say I could tell the spill at the turn around made my shoulder out of whack because it was tougher every 10 miles to grab nutrition from my back pocket! Did I also mention, it was HOT?

We proceeded with the ride up and down the lovely hills again back towards town.  The no passing zone was a bit frustrating as I was unfortunately detained behind a less confident rider who rode her brakes then entire 2 miles to the bottom! I quickly passed her and enjoyed the last few miles back to town!  I made my way past the transition area to round 2. I was able to hear Mark and Adam cheering and I waved!  I made my way to the turn around again. This time I stayed upright!  I grabbed my bike special needs bag and grabbed my 2nd bottle of Inifinit, and took some more IB. Due to mishap at this spot the first time, I was happy I had those tiny pills!  I was taking in at least one bottle of water at each aid station, drinking Infinit every 5 miles, and adding Shot blocks every 10. As I got to the base of our first big climb on the second loop I remembered 2017.  It was exactly there when the heat hit me!  I was telling myself, DNF is NOT an option! Based on 2017, I knew the 2nd loop would be hotter.  The standing traffic that we would ride by only heated up areas on 95.  Thank goodness they finally had ice at the aid stations on round 2! Based on 2017, I knew the 2nd loop would be hotter, and it! Was! Hot!  My feet felt as though on fire!  I came to the first aid station and came to a physical stop. I filled my top and my shorts with ice!  My ladies were perky and my ass was cooling down!  I felt refreshed, but knew it was going to be a bit more difficult this round!  About mile 75 I got my first cramp of the day!  I had to get off the bike and walk!  It was the first of 11 times I would have to quickly dismount. I may have said a few choice words to myself each time it would happen.  They alternated between my right inner thigh and my left lower calf muscle.  Each aid station, I had a volunteer load up my top with ice and then my backside with ice!  There were lots of laughs!  It’s amazing the lack of modesty you acquire when doing Ironman!  If it’s goin to make your race more comfortable, you do itl!  Each time I had to walk I became more determined! Each time I saw an athlete sitting on the side of the road, I got more determined!  With each step I could feel the blisters forming. Each time I saw someone getting picked up by race support, I was more determined!  My shoulder ached and it was more difficult to reach behind me each time for Cliff blocks, but by this time I was gagging on them! 

At mile 110, I stopped for more water and there was an athlete named Amanda. She was looking extremely defeated.  She had started to shed a few tears as the volunteers were trying to find salt for her. I pulled up alongside her and I pointed out our mileage on my Garmin.  ‘We’ve made it this far!  You can do this Amanda!’  She responded with broken words, ‘I’m not giving up, but I’m going to ride this hill until I have to walk!’  She didn’t walk! I was with her until the top of that hill! 

Coming down the exit to Northwest blvd was a fabulous feeling! I made it to the dismount area and removed my left shoe promptly as the blisters were a bit uncomfortable!  Mark was at the dismount and noticed the left shoe in my hand. I told him the situation. He smiled and told me ‘You got this!  I walked Sam back to his resting place in transition!  He’d done great! 

Run 26.2 miles

I sat down to change my shoes and examine the blisters I acquired during my 11 cramping events.  I grabbed the bandaids and applied. I took some more IB, grabbed my Base salt, and on my way  I grabbed ice and water at the aid station and exited T2 where I got to see Adam, Dalton, Blake and Brennen! They shouted some encouraging words, I waved and was on my way!  I made it about 100 yards and realized I forgot my race bib! Don’t ask me how, I don’t know, but I was a bit frustrated with myself!  I went back, got it and was on my way! 

I felt pretty good as I began walking.  The crowd was amazing!  The small children that hollered ‘I believe in you! You’re doing awesome!’ were priceless! I made sure to ‘power up’ at all the pokemon signs held by spectators. I tried to run as much as possible!  ALL the downhills!  

There were so many angels along that way that had sprinklers going for the runners.  I took advantage of each and every one!  I made it about 1 mile into the run and finally took my first pee break of the day!  That may not be a good thing!

I kept up a brisk walk whenever I needed to walk. I met an amazing gentleman on the return of loop 1 who was doing Madison in September. (His name is Schuster!  We’ll make sure to cheer him on!) He had completed Ironman Texas not too long ago and this was #2 of the season.  I didn’t get to see Mike on the run until my second loop.  He was doing awesome!  He was wired!  We gave each other a high five and he kept marching on!  So did I.

Water and Ice. Salt. Gatorade. I finally tried some grapes on loop 2.  Those were not easy to swallow.  Nothing sounded good, but I kept downing fluids and Base salt about every 5 miles.  Iw would see Mark each loop and he would tell me encouraging messages from friends tracking Mike and me.  

I kept looking at my watch trying to make sure that I had my time frame right to make sure I didn’t have to worry about any cutoffs!  

When I got to the 3rd loop I felt better.  No! I felt more confident about finishing, but I knew I still had to get to the last turn around before the last cutoff. The sun went down as I turned onto the last stretch out past the lake.  The aid stations weren’t as lively as they once were, but they were still cheering us on.  I’m not gonna lie, every time I was on the lakeside I wanted to jump in the lake and be done, but that wasn’t going to get me a medal!

I chatted with runners off and on and I tried to keep up a slow jog. I made it to the turn around and was rewarded with a glow stick for my last 4 miles.  I slowly made my way back. My back was seizing up with each step. My shoulder hurt!  My feet hurt!  I imagined Mike Reilly once again calling out my name.  I wanted that so badly!  The closer each mile marker told us we were there would be cheers from runners in the dark.  It made me smile!  Then we hit mile 24, oh thank God!  Then mile 25, tears started to well up!  I could hear Mike Reilly announcing each runner as they approached the finish line.  I made it to the edge of Mcuen Park and tried to run, but that was a bad idea!  I got a severe cramp and decided walking was alright for the next 200 yards.  The voices and music were getting louder.  I could feel my heart beating faster and faster.  My eyes were flooded with tears of joy!  I turned right onto Sherman and my heart jumped for joy!  The noises. The crowd! The cheers!  My friend James gave me a hight five as I ran past him. It was wonderful to have a familiar face so close to the finish line.  I made it to the carpet.  The lights were beautiful!  Wam!  I got another cramp!  I made my way down the carpet.  I heard Mike Reilly exclaim ‘Jessica DeShaw, you are an Ironman!’  I couldn’t help but smile, but as soon as I was past the cameras I could no longer stand. I couldn’t walk! Some wonderful volunteers caught me. Found me a chair, and grabbed some ice cold towels.  Under my arms, on my groin, on my head, on my shoulders. I sat for what seemed like forever!  I started to shiver uncontrollably.  They suggested a warm towel, but hell no! I had just spent the entire day in the sun.  I finally was able to get up with their help and was escorted over the finisher picture area.  It’s amazing the strength you have for things!  Adam, Mike and Mark, along with the kids helped me to the cool grass.  I laid down and tried to relax. I couldn’t stop shivering. Mark got a towel to cover me, but they eventually called a medic. I was taken to the Medical tent because I hadn’t peed more than once all day long.  I hadn’t eaten more than a dozen grapes and 2 pretzel sticks all day.  The awesome medic, Sarah Baker, was so awesome. They wrapped me up in silver sheets and gave me some zofran to keep me from puking, which was happening ALOT in the med tent! 

The medic finally decided it was alright for me to get moving. I left the med tent elated!  Exhausted!  But most of all; an Ironman!

I did it!  I became an Ironman again today! 

Favorites and Breakthroughers...

Thursday, 16 July 2026 00:10

2026 Chisago 70.3 Preview - On paper, these are the favorites to win the 20th Chisago Lakes 70.3 on July 26?

NATHAN KIM - Minnesota's 2025 Triathlete of the Year comes into the race as the clear favorite. Victorious here in 2024, his time was 4:11:50. Since then, he has broken 4:10 in four of the five halves he's raced in. The amateur men's race record is 4:04:27, set back in 2014. Weather permitting, we believe Nathan is ready to seriously challenge that mark.

PAIGE SCHULZ - 2025's Female Triathlete of the Year, Paige, like Nathan, is her gender's clear favorite. Her personal best at the 70.3 distance is 4:34:48, a winning time she posted at Madison last year. A sub-4:40 at Chisago hasn't happened since Thunder Bay's Kayla Kjellman threw down a 4:38:43 in 2022. Paige could better that time next weekend. 

Are any men currently registered that could crack the 4:15, or even 4:10 mark? We can think of two guys that are capable. The first is 2025 Chisago winner JOE ANDRIAENS, whose personal best at 70.3 is 4:13, which earned him a podium step back in 2017. The other is SPENCER SYVERTSON, whose improvement over the last three seasons has been mercurial. His current PR is 4:16, a time that he would not be satisfied with next weekend

For women, breaking 5-hours is a big deal, and it is a rare phenomenon when a woman breaks that mark on her first 70.3 effort. When a woman cracks that mark, though, she never looks back. From there she will target the sub-4:50 mark, and once she is consistently in the 4:40s, wins and podium finishes tend to follow.

Several woman will be gunning for their first sub-5 at Chisago. Here are a few of them:

GRACE BUSCH - A recognized elite at Sprint and Olympic distance, Grace's maiden 70.3 voyage in 2025 produced a 5:08. An exercise scientist, we believe that she has learned what is needed break 5-hours next weekend.

AMY PREUSSER - Amy's improved speed and endurance over the last few seasons has been fun to watch. We think she is ready to take her distance game to the next level.

BRIE MCSHERRY - Brie has been chipping away at the sub-5 mark for a whille now, and she came withing 41-seconds of cracking it in 2023. 

MTN will be commenting on the Chisago's Sprint annd Olympic races on it's Facebook page in coming days.

Kick Ass Women!

Tuesday, 14 July 2026 00:10

2026 Timberman Triathlon Coverage - On MTN's Facebook page yesterday (Monday), we highlighted the kick-ass performance of Julia Weisbecker at Ironman Muncie 70.3 last Saturday. So you know, Julia wasn't the only Minnesota female triathlete that kicked ass last weekend. The 41st edition of Timberman was the site of the other of tush pummeling efforts by female athletes.

HEATHER LENDWAY came onto T-Man Olympic as the obvious favorite to win the women's race. The fifth win in six starts for the three-time National Amateur Champion seemed preordained. She was wearing #1 and would more than live up to her number one status. On a morning that featured flat water and temperatures that would wait until the last finisher came across the line to become oppressive, Heather raced hard an unchallenged from waterline to finishline. We weren't surprised to see her cross ahead of the field. Her time was 2:09:23.

So, now we wait for the men, all of whom started after Lendway. As minutes ticked by it seemed likely that a woman was going to be the overall winner. We've seem it before, but it's rare.

The next two finishers were DAVID LEWIS and NICK JASMER. 

Then came first-time Timberwoman / 2025 runner-up for Minnesota's Female Triathlete of the Year CAMI ECKHOFF, who was coming record-setting performances at Tinman Olympic and Buffalo Sprint. Minutes passed before the next athlete finished, thus is became obvious that that two women would crack the overall Top Four.

As we noted earlier, women being crowned the overall winner is rare, but it did happen last Saturday, as did something even more infrequent: women claimed the Top Two steps of the overall podium. Cami's 2:15 put her in 2nd place overall.

Very cool!

Heather and Cami were not the only women who kicked bum at Sugar Lake last Saturday. Sprint course pre-race favorite Elena Jasper, who we learned in the moments before the race is 13-weeks pregnant (Congrats Elena!), lived up to her favored status, winning the women's competition and placing 4th overall. Her time was 1:02:54, the third fastest women's time in the history of the race. The men who turned in faster times were Brooks Grossinger, who won this event for the seventh time, up-and-coming junior Sawyer Puumala, 17, from Thunder Bay, ONT, who dipped under the one-hour mark, and Eric Johnson, who placed eight against a very deep men's field at Timberman Olympic in 2023.

And speaking of Lenways. Heather's sister Lisa and neice Adeline, 17, were among the female ass-kickers at Timberman. Lisa, who has won at least eleven multis in her career, placed 3rd in the Sprint, and her daughter, who Lisa claims is just a year away from beating her mom, took 5th.

Finishing between Jasper and Lisa was Christel Kippenhan, 61, who set an AG record her in 2025 in a 5th place finish, and also placed 2nd here in 2024.

This year's Timberman registered 317 athletes and was excellently produced  by Amy and Alan Dettmer, their committee and 150ish volunteers. Sadly their 10-year tenure as directors is up. They pass the bataan to John and Kari Garrison, who will doubtlessly continue Timberman's history of excellence. RESULTS -https://www.mtecresults.com/event/show/6466/2026_Timberman_Triathlon

Moving in the Right Direction...

Sunday, 12 July 2026 00:10

2026 Lake Rebecca Preview - One-hundred and sixty-six athletes registered for the inaugural LRT in 2024. Two hundred and sixteen enrolled in the 2025 edition of this race. And as of this morning (Sunday), 284 athletes have paid their entry fees. 

You gotta love the trajectory of this event. The organizers are obviously doing something right. It doesn't hurt that the race is staged at one of our state's premier locations, one which hosted the popular Liberty Triathlon for so many years.

And the fact that the recidivism rate is high suggests an elevated customer satisfaction level.

Three of the the four prior Sprint course winners are returning, one of which we are especially anxious to watch. Her name is. Adeline Althaus-Kotila, and she is only 17-years-old. She won here last year, which along with her other fine performances, earned her a nomination for Minnesota Junior of the Year. And yes, we expect her to be even faster this year. 

Will Adeline win again? It's very possible, but once again she will be facing course-record holder / eight-time MInnesota Master of the Year nominee Andrea Myers. They are 1-1 against each other at LRT, and Saturday will be the tie-breaker.

We remind everyone that registration is open and we'd love to see this year's enrollment double the 2024 turnout.

Race Website - https://www.trisignup.com/Race/MN/Rockford/LakeRebeccaTriathlon