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Encouraging Signage...
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Wednesday, 27 July 2022 00:10
TURTLEMAN NOTES - Regional triathlon attendance has been in decline for at least a decade. And the pandemic has exascerbated that in a big way. Unlike, runners, swimmers and cylists, Triathletes depend on racing for their identity, thus "uncertainly" can, and has, shifted many to a single sport emphasis. The migration from triathlon to cycling in all its forms, for instance, can best be described as "torrential," not a trickle. Still, high-ticket races like Nationals and Ironman-branded events are keeping the sport alive in a global sense, but they are contributing to the shrinkage of local and regional races.
It's easy to get a bit depressed about this stuff, but there are some signs that our regional scene may be rebounding, albeit slowly. And we need to remember that we are responsible for either resuscitating our sport locally, or pulling the plug. We can resuscitate by racing locally and enthusiastically. Instead of doing one local race a year, we can do two or three. And we can encourage potential newbies to give tri a try, or encourage vets to add another local race to their schedules.
Studying last Saturday's Turtleman results, we were heartened to see that 300 athletes finished the event, especially since last year's finisher total was 213. Eighty-seven additional line-crossers is a significant upward bump (31%). Very encouraging, especially if what we are seeing is an actual trend....
It is Better to Suck at Three Sports Than to Excel at One....
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Thursday, 14 July 2022 00:10
9th BUZZ RYAN SPRINT PREVIEW - A great feature of the Buzz Ryan (and Brewhouse) application process is that registrants are asked to leave comments about themselves. The cooler ones can be used on race day by the announcer.
Reading this year's comments we learned that in addition to being a talented triathlete (4th woman at Brewhouse Olympic in 2019, 7th last weekend against a strong field at Timberman Sprint), KATIE BENZIGER "is a heart doctor and mom to Theo and Marit." We also learned that WYATT COOK, 19, is a confident young man. He's registered for the Elite Wave though Buzz is his "first ever triathlon." We then learned that BRAD IRWIN, 59, is a philosopher. He asserted that "It's better to be bad at three sports than good at one." Let''s all ponder, which is what philosophers do, that for a moment.
Some participants used the comment feature to voice their political views. One nameless guy thinks a certain prominent politician is a "Poop Head."
There were lots of great comments and it's hard not to smile when reading them. The point of doing this is to remind participants that they matter and that the goals of the event are fun and personal enrichment...
It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This...
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Monday, 11 July 2022 00:10
TIMBERMAN SPRINT - On paper it appeared that BROOKS GROSSINGER's string of second place finishes in 2022 would come to an end last Saturday. The five-time Timberman champ (4x Olympic, 1x Sprint) had the talent and the muscle memory to chalk up another win, which would be career number-37. Fellow elite master KRIS NISULA from Thunder Bay looked to be his strongest challenger, unless a breakout performance by an underdog stole the thunder....
Inspirational Friendship....
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Saturday, 09 July 2022 00:10
By Pascal Aeschlimann (Vicosoprano, CHE - Facebook - 7/5/2022)
Emotionally recovered from a very nostalgic weekend.
20 years after the 7 days Gigathlon, Rod Morriss Raymond (winner of the first Gigathlon in 1998) and I closed the loop by participating in the last Gigathlon in the category "Men Couple." Still not fully recovered from Ironman Nice, 6 days earlier, we were glad to be among the 60% participants who could finish the beautiful journey...
Bertram Blast VI History...
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Thursday, 07 July 2022 00:10
BERTRAM BLAST - This awesome six-year-old event, which is happening next Sunday (June 10) is Minnesota's only off-road tri and du event (It also includes a bike race). Very cool. It is staged at Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park near Monticello. BB is a laid-way-back, nature-celebrating experience that has a bit of a hippy vibe. It's one of those events that reminds you why you love this lifestyle. ...
