WINE & ONION RINGS...

There's nothing Team Minnesota's Brook Mutzenberger loves more than a good glass or two of spiritus fermenti. Her favorite varietal is Cabernet Sauvignon.

Brook's favorite junk food are onion rings. What wine goes well with rings? Does a good Cab work? Or a white wine? A Chardonnay? Or a Gewurztraminer?

Perhaps one need not be snobby at times like this. Surely, either white or red will work.

Brook's dream vacation destination is Cuba, a nation not known for indigenous wine, though it's transplanted vines from Europe, especially Spain, are producing satisfying blends.

Will she find a good local Cabernet in Cuba? Probably not. But let us recommend the 2005 Conde de San Cristobal Ribera del Duero. Made from 80% Tempranillo with the final 20% a blend of Cab and Merlot, this vino is richly textured, seriously aromatic and an especially good compliment to Cuban food. And foods with copious amounts of grease. Like onion rings.

Can Brook find onion rings in Cuba? Sure. Where? Let us recommend the Sesame Onion Rings at Havana New Hope. Only $14.

Here's some more stuff about Brook:

Occupation: Group Training Coordinator & Personal Trainer at Life Time Fitness
College? Where? Degrees? Concordia College, Moorhead, MN - International Business & Spanish
Favorite food: Cheese
Favorite books: Lance Armstrong book My Journey Back to Life: It's not about the Bike and Michael Phelps book No Limits
Favorite Movies: A Walk in the Clouds
Favorite TV shows: Brothers & Sisters
Favorite Singers or Bands? Love all 80's music
Favorite Junk Food: Onion Rings
Your Perfect Meal: Grilled chicken, rice, black beans, tomatoes & avocados
Favorite Restaurant: Red Stone
Favorite Alcoholic Beverage: Red Wine - Cabernet
Non-Tri Hobbies: Wine tasting!
Heroes? My mother
Dream Vacation Destination? Cuba
Winter Training? How do you train in the off-season? Tennis, Boxing & Weights

FINAL STRETCH ACQUIRES WIN MULTISPORTS...

Hello Friends,

I would like to formally announce that WIN Multisport Events, LLC and all of its events and assets have been acquired by Final Stretch, Inc on Dec. 4th. The Hy-Vee Rochesterfest Triathlon, Waseca Triathlon and the Treadman Duathlon are being directed by Mark Bongers for 2010 and beyond. These events are now currently taking registrations. The WINMultisports website is up to date and will remain active for several months as the Final Stretch website is being redesigned. Mark and I have a strong business relationship and this move is a WIN-WIN for us.

This was not an easy decision for me. I love directing races and meeting all of the people. I will have a reduced role at these events, but I will be part of the staff at each.

I plan to be a participant of several races in 2010 in an effort to improve Bill the triathlete.

It has been my great pleasure to create these great events in the area with many of you helping us. I am extremely proud of what we have created and I know Mark and Final Stretch will continue to produce a great set of events.

Thank You very much for your support!

Lets have some fun in 2010.

Bill Nevala

SOLID ADVICE...

Todd Jensen is a decorated triathlete and tri coach from New Berlin, WI. His wife if professional triathlete Lauren Jensen.

I find all the chatter about the "Should he? Shouldn't he?" interesting. My advice is you won't know unless you try it! There is no shame in trying, and I say go for it. Lauren went through a similar scenario back in 1993 after fainting at the USAT AG Champs (Leon's). While she was winning the local races, she was unsure she had the talent to be competitive in the deeper pro fields. Racing with the professionals escalated her racing to a new level.

My advice would be to treat the first few seasons in the elite ranks as an opportunity for learning, especially at such a young age (to a Master's athlete like me, anyway).

Do not measure success based on prize money earned, but on continued personal improvement. Don't assume you need to be fully (or even partially) sponsored to attempt this - sometimes the effort to chase sponsorship distracts one from the main goal which is racing fast.

And be prepared for a new level of bureaucracy (drug testing, pre-race meetings, the stagger rule) that is not a part of age-group racing. -TJ

HIS FATHER'S SON...

(Photo: The Bich Family - L-R Grandfather Howard, sons Connor, 9, Nate, 11, dad Brian and mom, Kirsten.)

Former US Master of the Year and four-time Minnesota Triathlete of the Year, Brian Bich is a fan a local singer/songwriter Peter Mayer, especially his song "Holy Now."

The song's message is soothing, simple and prophetic: if you stop searching for miracles you'll clearly see that they are everywhere.

Brian's hero is his father, Howard, a quiet, altruistic man who taught his children to work hard, love life, cherish family and never stop challenging themselves. Like his father, Brian lives these values. He works hard, adores his wife and sons and seeks the challenges that help him grow as a person.

He lives the kind of life that allows him to see the miracles in his midst.

Brian's favorite movie is "The Sound of Music." Listed below "are a few of his favorite things:"
Occupation: College Biology Instructor (Lake Superior College in Duluth)
College? BA in Biology and Education - Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD ; MA in Biology - University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
Favorite food: -home-made grilled salmon wraps with rice, guacamole, and mango salsa

Favorite Movies: The Sound of Music
Favorite actors & actresses: Will Smith
Favorite TV shows: ESPN Sports Center, but I'm too cheep to buy cable so I never get to watch it
Favorite Singers or Bands? The Proclaimers
Favorite Songs? Holy Now by Peter Mayer
Favorite Junk Food: Snickers bar
Your Perfect Meal: I eat so often that my meals tend to blend together, so hear it goes:
first breakfast - 2 slices of peanut butter and honey toast
second breakfast - 3 slices of french toast with maple syrup
lunch - 3-egg potato omelet with salsa, toast, and orange juice
afternoon snack - peanut butter and jelly sandwich
supper - barbecue pork ribs with baked potato and corn-on-the-cob
bedtime snack - big bowl of peanut butter Captain Crunch
Favorite Restaurant: Chipotle (we need one in Duluth, though)
Favorite Alcoholic Beverage: Straight shot of Jack Daniels - just kidding, I don't drink much!
Non-Tri Hobbies: -cross-country skiing
-shoveling and hauling dirt with a wheel-barrow - I love manual labor

Favorite Pro Teams: The Chicago Bulls when Jordan was playing
Heroes? Howard Bich (my father) - He was the father I hope to be to my sons and he taught me how to work hard, love life and never stop challenging myself.
Dream Vacation Destination? European bicycle tour with my family
Winter Training? How do you train in the off-season? If the snow is good I spend most of my training time cross-country skiing, but I also do a little swimming, snowshoe running, and biking on the trainer.

UPDATE: Brian's best friend (and two-time Master of the Year nominee) Rhett Bonner adds these comments:

You really can't say enough good things about Brian. He is kind of a

throwback. If there was ever someone that you could say "Now that's

old school" about, it's him. He is truly a great father, husband and

citizen. I am blessed to be able to call this caring, loyal, and

honorable man my best friend. RB

TONY'S THOUGHTS...

Minnesota's most decorated multisport athlete, Tony Schiller has these insightful comments on Devon Palmer's decision to enter the pro ranks in 2010:

In the debate about whether or not Devon Palmer should turn pro in 2010, the ONLY certainty that anyone can bring to the speculation is, "We don't know."

Devon appears to have the ability to be a great professional triathlete. After an outstanding 2008 season, I fully expected him to improve and have a great 2009 season; he did that and then some, blowing away my highest expectations for him. Clearly, at only 22, he's already set a pretty high standard and there's no reason to expect he won't just keep getting better and better. If his passion to excel keeps pace, he could enjoy a long and successful career in the pro ranks.

But is he ready now? I don't believe so, not yet. I base that on his few rare losses and his relatively small margins of victory against other local age groupers. While we're pretty competitive here in Minnesota, some of those fellas he's battling with are getting pretty long in the tooth (sorry Kevin, Brian) and wouldn't likely fair well in pro races (sorry again). For that reason, I believe Devon is still one more year of solid improvement away from being able to step into the pro ranks and consistently vie for prize money.

The real questions than are... is it better to go learn from the school of hard knocks and take all your lumps in a hurry, until you get sick and tired of losing and start to figure it out? Or is it better to have another year of mastering the skill of winning under all conditions, circumstances, types and lengths of courses and against all comers? Put another way, is it better to start 2011 on the heels of a tough and grinding campaign and believing you're ready to finally break through, or is it better to come off a year of domination and confidence building, believing you're ready to blast onto the pro scene?

Those questions weren't written to persuade an opinion either way. They were posed to frame the discussion. The approach that works best for one won't necessarily work best for another. I could make a case for either approach for Devon:

Turning pro now will give him certain experience he can only gain from being a pro, and the benefits of that will show in 2011 and later. Many top pros did it this way by grinding through the ranks, one step at a time until finally reaching the top tiers of the sport. Conversely, countless more aspiring pros couldn't make it work this way... when each and every race requires an epic effort just be an also ran, it can be very tough on an athlete who is used to winning suddenly isn't winning at all. It (losing) can take a toll and only the mentally toughest athletes can keep battling, keep having fun, and not have their self-confidence destroyed if the progress doesn't meet their expectations.

Major league baseball knows this better than most sports... they've learned that almost every ballplayer does better by working his way through the ranks from Instructional league to A to AA to AAA and a long enough stint there before advancing to the Bigs. On a rare occasion athletes will skip over A ball and jump straight to AA, and some will jump from A to AAA, but big league teams rarely rush a player through AAA, even when they are tearing up the league, simply because the competitive level at the Bigs is so intense and most players not quite ready for it will do more damage to their career than good.

Baseball has found that most players do better at the start of their big league careers after having an entire second season at AAA after they tore up that league. That would be the best case to be made for Devon waiting another year. He's proven that he can win at AAA and now 2010 could be his year to tear up amateur racing, locally and everywhere else. By dominating all age group challengers in big races and places like the ITU age group world championships, Devon could bring to the pro ranks a resume of winning that few pros could match. It could very well make his 2011 rookie pro season a big success, and propel him to higher pro success in the years to come than if he rushes into it and struggles out of the gate.

No matter which path he chooses Devon would be well served to enter 6-12 running road races each year to keep improving his run. And lastly, no matter what he finally decides, he must believe with 100% certainty that it's the right path for him. No matter what, even if he races as a pro and loses occasionally to local amateurs when racing at home, he must realize that those good days and bad are all part of the plan and never look back or question his decision. Either way, it's full speed ahead.

I'd love to be 22 and trading places with him.

COMING...

* More "Getting to Know Team Minnesota"...

* Other's Comment of Devon's Decision to Go Pro..

STEVE CHIMES IN...

2009 Most Improved nominee, Steve Sander had this to say about Devon Palmer going pro:

"If I may I would also like to chime in on Devon's decision to go pro. My response is partially bias as it will mean I won't have to race against him... thank god. However, how cool would it be to tell your grand kids you were a professional athlete. Pretty frickin cool if you ask me. Devon is also young enough that this decision makes perfect sense. What happens if Devon gets hurt and misses this opportunity? No more bragging to the grand kids. I would see this as an opportunity and my opinion is to grab every opportunity you have with both hands because opportunities like this one are few and far between. I like the fact that Devon is challenging himself and that is what this sport is all about. Shoot for the stars Devon and don't let anyone tell you that your dream is unattainable. "

Merry Christmas,
Steve Sander

KEVIN'S COMMENTS...

Kevin O'Connor respects Devon Palmer's decision to obtain a pro license in 2010, but wonders if he (Devon) may be doing so a year too soon.

Kevin had this to say:

"No big surprise but I have an opinion on this but it isn't any more valuable than the next person's opinion.

"I think is is great when we have an amateur that dominates the amateur ranks before they race with pro athletes. When you have the best amateur racing against those pros the following season there is always interest in that former amateur's results.

"I sincerely hope that I am wrong, but I fear that Devon is going to have a tough time competing with those guys. We certainly saw that with David (Thompson) in his first couple seasons. However, that didn't hurt David and I am sure it won't hurt Devon. In fact, it may help speed his improvement.

"I am sure Devon has his reasons for the decision he is going to make and I am certain the most influential reason he will have is what will help him be the fastest athlete he can be. And if that is getting kicked around by all the best in the world, then go for it. If it means honing his skills for yet another year as an amateur, then good for him.

"I would just like to see him race another year as an amateur so he can showcase his talents and skills, but again, that is just my opinion. I know his opinion is worth a lot more than mine. However, I can argue the value of racing against those that are faster than you. That has always raised my performance and fitness." KO

DEVON'S READY...

Coach Kris Swarthout (photo) fully supports Devon Palmer's decision to become a professional triathlete in 2010.

"When posed with the question on whether Devon should or should not go pro, my overwhelming answer is “yes.” Devon is a young talented up-and-coming athlete. I have watched him develop and know he is far from done in his development.

"Devon has some good momentum behind him right now and I believe he is in the position to ride a wave of accomplishments into the professional arena. I do not think another year of amateur racing will push Devon to the next level. Racing against other pro triathletes will allow Devon to see first hand what he needs to do in order to excel. It will force him to sink or swim, and I know he is a good swimmer.

"Devon has defined limits that will become evident in his first season. His run is not currently where it needs to be for him to podium as a pro. With that said, I think his swim and bike will allow him to stay in the mix in most races and maybe win some money. As a 23 year old, Devon will be in a position to learn as he grows and as his run legs come around, his mental game will become more solid.

"Devon has a source of financial support/sponsorship available to him in 2010. If he were to remain an amateur, there would be no guarantee that support would be there in 2011. I have seen that support in form of financial sponsorship is few and far between for entry to mid level triathletes. The term Po'ffesional was how DKT once described his career and he wasn't far off the mark. I know many "top level" pros who struggle to find financial sponsorships. For the most part these sponsors are supporting the individual because they believe in him/her as a person, not because of his/her race resume. Bottom line: Take it when you can get it.

"All of this becomes moot when you think that turning pro is what will make Devon happy in 2010. I would rather see him happy and at the bottom of the pro field, than not happy at the top of the amateur field.

"Devon will do well. It will take him a few years to get to where he wants to be, but know that he will get there. He has a solid mental focus and a great disposition. He is very likable and that will help in the long run. His career as a coach will also benefit from his racing as a pro." Kris

MORE ON THE "ONE KIDNEY" TRI CLUB...

(Facebook Photo: Lydia Novotny and her best friend, Phydeaux. Actually, his name is Oscar.)

In response to Teresa Brenneke's post "Shannon Nelson's Journey" and Jon Balabuck's follow-up, decorated triathlete (2008 Minnesota Rookie of the Year runner-up) Lydia Novotny sent us this e-mail:

Hi ...,

I wanted to actually comment on your recent post about Shannon Nelson and her journey with one kidney. I just recently, well actually two weeks ago had a non functioning left kidney removed and now I'm a part of the exclusive "one kidney club =)." It was nice to hear about someone who is so successful in the sport of triathlons and endurance sports do so well and that there are others out there with one kidney!

Thanks ...
Lydia Novotny

Ed. - We've asked Lydia to share her story with us. Hopefully, she will.

UPDATE: Lydia responded immediately to our request. Here is her story:

Here is a bit of the history behind my surgery:

It all started out last March when I went in for a routine doctor visit and found out my blood pressure was high. Knowing what this means I was a bit shocked since I knew I was fit and ate fairly well...I sort of dismissed the whole high blood pressure issue at first, but then when I went in to the minute clinical at work a few months later, my blood pressure was severely high and that's when I decided to look into this more. After many many tests, the doctors were able to pin down that my issue was my non-functioning left kidney, which I was born with. This kidney was producing a nasty hormone (renin/Ag2) which was restricting my blood vessels thus causing me to have high blood pressure. I was on a blood pressure medication this whole time and knew that I had to make a decision to have the surgery to remove the kidney or stay on the medication for the rest of my life. After visiting Mayo last month and getting more confirmation I was pretty set on the surgery. About two weeks ago I underwent my first surgery to remove the kidney. The first week was really rough, but I've been feeling much better each day. The doctor has told me to take it slow with the training and said it would be a bit of time before I felt 100% again. My blood pressure has actually come down to normal since the surgery with no medications which is great! It was a difficult decision when deciding to remove my kidney since I knew my training would be compromised but I knew that this was the best decision in the long run when it came to my overall health. I think and hope that I'll keep feeling better and doing more and more each day and be ready to have fun and compete in 2010, just like in 2009! -LN

SHOULD HE? OR SHOULDN'T HE?

Reigning Minnesota Triathlete of the Year, Devon Palmer will procure his pro license in 2010. His coach Kris Swarthout fully supports his decision and will share his rationale in an upcoming post. Several prominent athletes have been asked to weigh-in on the "Should He? Shouldn't He?" debate and their comments will be posted as well.

Palmer explained his decision: " I thought long and hard about when I should go pro. It is something I intended to do in the long term but the option was there in 2010. I am lucky to have several trustworthy people to consult and got very different perspectives on the matter. There were convincing arguments either way. In the end I figured it would be good to take the step now and start learning what it takes to be competitive at the next level." - DP

What do you think? If you would like to comment, please contact MTN at 651-714-1829 or jerry.bous@gmail.com. We'd be happy to publish your thoughts on this subject.

LOOKING FOR A GREAT STOCKING STUFFER?

Blaine, MN - 2/12/2009 - It's time to train for a big race! Children will become the star triathletes of this exciting story as his/her photo is placed inside the back cover of this book.

'If I Were A Triathlete' was written by the wife of an avid triathlete. After spending countless hours as a race spectator with their young children, the lack of children's triathlon products became apparent. Determined to support the sport of triathlons, they founded Future Triathlete and created a children's book. Each child can put their photo in the back cover of the book and their face will show through each page as they become the star of this exciting story. 'If I Were A Triathlete' teamed up with SCS Multisport to create a realistic experience for the reader. It is currently being sold nationwide via www.futuretriathlete.com and www.triathlete.com. It can also be found in local sports retail stores such as Gear West, FOSS Swim School, Duluth Running Company and Tri Fitness.

"I love this book!" - Giancarlo Canessa, founder of triathlete.com

This story has become a favorite for many triathlon families. As the sport of triathlons continues to grow, these young readers will be ready to lace up their running shoes and start training. Ready! Set! Go!

Future Triathlete was founded to bring the sport of triathlons to children and to encourage physical activity in families.

SHANNON'S JOURNEY...

By Teresa Brenneke

Teresa, aka "T" or "Coach T," is a highly accomplished multisportswoman and an Endurance Coach with Life Time Fitness.

How many times have you been in the middle of the lake, the water churning around you from all the other athletes swimming, somebody swims over you, leaving you gasping for air, and your mind starts to wonder, why? Why am I here? What am I doing? I don’t have to do this, but you keep on going. What makes us keep going? What is the motivation to get up at 5AM to swim 2500yds before heading into work? Why do we go out for a 50mile training ride when it is 45 and drizzling on a Sunday morning?

For many it is not an age group win at a local race, it is not trying to earn a qualifying spot for Kona; it is setting a goal and pursuing that goal. Believing that if you follow your training plan, get plenty of sleep and proper nutrition you will reach or exceed that goal.

Being a personal trainer and endurance coach has allowed me to be blessed to work with all different types of people. I gravitate to the athletes because they are self motivated, often needing more help with taking rest, than training hard. Shannon is one of those individuals.

I was introduced to Shannon Nelson in 2008. Shannon was already an accomplished athlete completing in well over 50 endurance events including IM Florida in 2004, and 15 marathons. But in 2005 Shannon was starting her taper for the Fargo Marathon when she was sidelined by making a decision to donate one of her kidneys to her brother, an easy decision for Shannon. Determined to get back to training she registered and for an IM Florida 2006 thinking that she had plenty of recovery time. But, it was too soon to push her body to do what was necessary, and she decided to skip the event.

The kidneys remove toxins and waste products, and are responsible for regulating the amount of water and salt in the blood. As an endurance athlete, it is a challenge to keep the body fluids at the correct levels so that performance is not affected during long endurance training and racing. For Shannon with one kidney, this challenge is magnified. She has spent the past few seasons learning how her body functions on one kidney and adjusting her training, nutrition, and recovery as needed.

In 2009 she complete her first long triathlon with her new body, the Liberty ½ Ironman. She finished, but experienced terrible cramping on a hot day. This experience left

her wondering if maybe it is just too much or, is there more to learn. The call to set a goal and reach for it is in Shannon’s blood, so she set out to learn more, and signed up for the Chicago Marathon. Her thoughts were if the Marathon went well, she would once again attempt the Ironman distance. Chicago was a success!

A week ago, Shannon was able to land one of the slots available for IM Arizona 2010. GO SHANNON!

May the Spirit of Triathlon live on with all of you as it does with Shannon! Enjoy your Journey! - Coach T

Team Minnesota's Jonathan Balabuck responded via e-mail:

Your story of Shannon; Awesome. It is nice to see that the gift of life is truly embraced in our community. In 2004, I had just finished Hawaii IM and it went anything but stellar, yet I was happy to finish. My mind was racing another race during the grind to Alii drive; my mother, who was in attendance was sick. She had renal failure due to type 2 diabetes. Back at at the hotel, she had a dialysis machine in which she had to go get 'cleaned' by one a day and during the night while in Hawaii. On the run this all came to the fore, and I then realized that within a month, I would be beginning my recovery from surgery. Hawaii was October 13th I believe, we successfully underwent kidney transplant Nov 17th (that i know) in Toronto. After Hawaii everything would change- so i thought.

It was that race when everything became real, and that this stupid disease (or any for that matter) takes no prisoners, nor does it look at a person's 401k portfolio, it just sucks plain and simple.

Recovery took longer than I expetected, but then again, I decided to run Boston in April- I was happy to have a goal, but that was way over my head in 2005 when I started running again in January.

Shannon: thanks for being you, realizing chasing pb's and finisher medals have a place on the mantle, and that the gift of life is far more rewarding than any sports achievement. -JB

WILL YOU BE THERE?

The 22nd edition of America's "Funnest" Fun Run, the Life Time Fitness Reindeer Run, is next Saturday. There's no better way to get into the Holiday spirit ....

Photos: Top - Start of the 2008 RR. Lower Right - An Adam Lambert sighting at the last year's RR.

THE GRIM TRUTH ABOUT DENNIS DANE..

"Ryan was born on 3/26/09. I was busy working during tax season and Ryan came three weeks early. He was healthy and Shannon (my wife) and I couldn't be happier...Being a dad has been wonderful."

Two-time Team Minnesota member Dennis Dane continued:

" I had a really hard time getting motivated for the 2009 season. I loved being at home with my family. Long bike rides were not as important to me. Cutting some workouts short was okay.

"In mid-June I started to get my racing form back and ended up having a surprisingly good year. I think Curt (Wood) and Jeremy (Sartain)--whose wives are currently preggers--will go through the same thing. They will find it hard to work-out, but will eventually find a way to schedule training around family time."

If you know Dennis, you know that he is sickeningly humble and generous. He's a devote Christian and family man. A CPA, he's never been indicted, much less convicted.

He seems squeaky-clean and too darn good to be true. Right?

But he has a dark side. In fact, he's a killer!

Dennis "The Hunter" Dane has taken more life, including Bambi! (see photo below!) than Freddie Krueger, Hannibal Lecter and Jeffery Dalmer combined. Sure, he (Dennis) has yet to kill a human being, but he has wrought significant carnage among the ectothermic aquatic vertebrate, Galliformes and Artiodactyla populations in the upper-Midwest and central Canada. His weapons of choice: the rod, the bow and the 12-gauge.

Here's some other disturbing stuff you may not have known about the seemingly perfect Dennis Dane.

He loves to bowl. How many triathletes do you know who are "keglers," and darn good ones, to boot. Heck, he almost went pro. No kidding! He used to average 194.

Sure, bowling isn't a crime, but practitioners display odd behavior, like wearing Fart Shirts with ironed-down collars and printing on the back, e.g. Bubba's Auto Glass or Nerdlemann's Life, Home & Auto. They borrow each other's shoes, most of them smoke and a distressing number of them have "comb-overs."

Have you heard the rumors that Dennis is also a Communist sympathizer? If his drink of choice--White Russians--is any indicator, we may have a Pinko in our midst.

Here's some other stuff you may not know about about Team Minnesota's Dennis Dane:

Occupation: CPA

College? Northwestern College Where? St. Paul, MN Degrees? Bachelor's of

Science in Accounting

Favorite food: Wings

Favorite books: The Client, Babywise (things change after kids)

Favorite Movies: Forrest Gump, Catch Me If You Can

Favorite actor: Tom Hanks

Favorite TV shows: The Office, Seinfeld

Favorite Singers or Bands? Mercy Me, Casting Crowns

Favorite Songs? Mighty to Save

Favorite Junk Food: Ice Cream (is this really junk food??)

Your Perfect Meal: Chicken Parmesan with garlic bread

Favorite Restaurant: Buffalo Wild Wings

Favorite Alcoholic Beverage: White Russian

Non-Tri Hobbies: Bowling, Hunting and Fishing

Favorite Pro Teams: Twins and Cubs

Favorite College Team: HAWKEYES!

Heroes? Simon Whitfield (this guy has guts! He is a really good dad too)

Dream Vacation Destination? Canadian fishing trip

Winter Training? How do you train in the off-season? I take a few weeks off

then start with some easy training. By December I'm putting in more volume.

Tax season makes it tough to train so I have to squeeze in the workouts.

Thanks for being such a good sport Dennis. FYI, the venison was delicious. Ed.

"COAL," BARBARA FREESE's EC0-HISTORICAL MASTERPIECE IS HIS FAVORITE BOOK...

David Thompson has been called a man of few words. This couldn't be further from the truth. He's a man of many words. Most of them, actually. It's just that he reserves the majority of his syllables for inner dialogue or telepathic communication with his similarly spooky-bright and tight-lipped bride Hannah Sullivan. How many couples do you know who can non-verbally finish each other's unspoken sentences?

We were somewhat shocked, and very pleasantly surprised, when the introspective Mr. Thompson, our state's premier multisportsman since 2002, responded, non-verbally, of course, to our questionnaire. As you'll learn, he's a a very cool and interesting fellow; a guy who loves to eat and do home improvement stuff. Here are his written responses:

Occupation: Professional triathlete

College? BS and MS
Where? Not to be named undergrad institution, MIT for grad school
Degrees? BS Marine Systems Engineering, MS Nuclear Engineering
Favorite food: cereal, trail mix, McChicken, Spicy McChicken, Boston Creme, Craisins, Deluxe Breakfast, Local Deluxe Breakfast (Hawaii only)
Favorite books: Coal, Lance to Landis, Breaking the Chain
Favorite Movies: Blue Harvest, Top Gun, With out Limits
Favorite actors & actresses: Brad Pitt
Favorite TV shows: Family Guy
Favorite Singers or Bands? Andrew Bird
Favorite Songs? whatever's on the Current
Favorite Junk Food: peppermint patty
Your Perfect Meal: Cereal, Thanksgiving dinner
Favorite Restaurant: McDonalds
Favorite Alcoholic Beverage: Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Non-Tri Hobbies: dry wall, finish work, framing, concrete staining, power tools, excel vba programming
Favorite Pro Teams: European cycling teams, Vikings, Premier League Football
Favorite College Teams: MIT cycling team
Heroes? Spiderman, Hannah Sullivan, Henry Thompson aka Big Dawg
Dream Vacation Destination? anywhere in Hawaii
Winter Training? Yes, plus swim meet and indoor track
How do you train in the off-season? Swim inside, run outside, ride my Tacx fortius inside

STRENGTH TO MINIMIZE...

You can tell a lot about a person from their ringtone. Matt Payne's is "In the Meantime" by Helmet.

If you are not familiar with Helmet, they are a very influential Alternative Rock band. Terms like Post Punk, Alternative Metal, Post Hardcore, Noise Rock are used to describe its genre. The music is spartan and spasmodic, stripped of excess, both lyrically and melodically as it unapologetically flagellates conformity.

Many of Matt's responses to MTN's questionnaire demonstrate his "Strength to Minimize" (a line from "In the Meantime"), which refers to not allowing the prescriptions of culture to get in the way of finding what defines and satisfies oneself.

Fashion and self-understanding are rarely compatible.

Here are his unedited answers:

Occupation: Aeromechanical Design Engineer, Alliant Techsystems Inc.
College? Where? Degrees? I was on the 10-year plan. 2 years at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY that resulted in no degree and a huge bill, followed by about 5 years of driving all over the US in a beat up old conversion van with my buddies seeking rock stardom (interspersed with a bunch of random manual labor temp jobs and one year at MSU-Mankato that didn't amount to anything). Somehow I ended up at the University of Minnesota where I received my BS in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics.
Favorite food: Chipotle: Steak burrito, no beans, extra hot sauce, tons of cheese (plus the chips and salsa). If you ever need to pound down 1500+ calories in a hurry after a race, there's nothing better on earth.
Favorite books: I'm a total sci-fi nerd. Lately I've been into Orson Scott Card and John Scalzi.
Favorite Movies: I don't really stay up to date on Hollywood's latest. I pretty much end up going to whatever my wife drags me out to. The last movie I was legitimately excited to see was District 9, which was excellent.
Favorite actors & actresses: See above.
Favorite TV shows: The only TV show I'm catching with any regularity right now is The Office.
Favorite Singers or Bands? I still listen to the exact same stuff as when I was in high school, which is predominantly mid-90's era NYC post-hardcore (I'm sure that will make sense to about 1% of the people that will eventually read this). Helmet, Quicksand and Orange 9mm are my all time favs.
Favorite Songs? Meantime by Helmet. Hearing that song for the first time in 1992 inspired me to quit the high school CC and track teams and join a band (thus kicking off the 10-year bachelor's degree plan). When I hear it today I still want to drop whatever I'm doing and pick up a guitar.
Favorite Junk Food: Tortilla chips. I'm the guy who can't possibly open up a bag of chips without eating the entire thing in one sitting.
Your Perfect Meal: I'm really low maintenance when it comes to food. I'll take a backyard barbecue with my friends over some outrageously priced 5-star gourmet fluff any day.
Favorite Restaurant: Based on the portion of my paycheck that ends up in their cash register, Chipotle. But the Lions Tap would give them a run for their money if I lived closer.
Favorite Alcoholic Beverage: Good ol' American beer in a can. I'm not the slightest bit picky here.
Non-Tri Hobbies: Poker, reading, video games.
Favorite Pro Teams: The Twins are the only pro team I really follow at all.
Favorite College Teams: The Gophers I guess, but I'm a casual fan at best.
Heroes? My Dad and both of my Grandfathers. They were just all around solid guys who worked hard 100% of the time and passed on a much better life to my generation than we really deserve.
Dream Vacation Destination? Maui. A) You can swim out 50yd from pretty much any beach on the island and be surrounded by sea turtles, which is awesome. B) The bike ride up Haleakala (10,000 vertical feet of non-stop climbing over 35 miles) is absolutely epic and should be on every cyclist's bucket list.
Winter Training? How do you train in the off-season? Swimming, swimming, some more swimming, followed by a little bit more swimming (with just enough running and cycling mixed in to not forget how). Right now I'm giving up a minute or two in the water to most of the other Team MN guys. I hope to rectify that situation by next summer.

It's a pleasure to know you, Matt!

IRONMAN ARIZONA: THE RUDY PROJECTILE

By Lee Gruenfeld

(Tempe, AZ - November 22, 2009) I'm not normally a sentimental human being, unless by "sentimental" you mean cynical, sarcastic, skeptical and curmudgeonly. When I hear the moniker "hero" conferred on a 6-year old who dialed 911 after he smelled smoke, my gag reflex kicks in. People and events worthy of our collective admiration are scarce in real life and it doesn't do us proud to keep inventing headlines out of thin air just because we're hungry for some positive news. READ

PASS THE TOFURKY...

(Photo: Kortney with newborn so, Owen.)

She's doesn't eat meat or listen to Heavy Metal music. She loves sappy love story movies, though her husband refuses to watch them with her. She'd love to wash down her Thanksgiving Tofurkey with a nice glass of Argentine Bonarda or any of the fragrant Malvasia varietals. And as much as she appreciates these and other fine wines, if she had her drothers, she'd slam a few beakers of Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil (Caipirinha is made with Cachaca, which is like rum, sugar and lime).

But alas, Kortney Haag will need to lay off the booze for another eight months or so. You see, the number 2-ranked woman on Team Minnesota learned recently that she is preggers with her second child.

Other stuff you may not have known about Kortney Haag:

* Education: BS Business Management (Northern Iowa University)

* Occupation: Mom; employed part-time by City of Golden Valley

* Favorite Food: Thai

* Favorite Restaurant: Cafe Lurcat

* Favorite Junk Food: Brownies with ice cream

* Favorite Books: Shopaholic Series

* Favorite Music: Anything on 89.3 - The Current

* Non-Tri Hobbies: Baking, playing Star Wars with Owen (her son)

* Favorite Teams: Chicago Bears & Iowa Hawkeyes

* Dream Vacation Destination: Bora Bora

BUFFALO WINGS & SEAN PENN...

When Sean Penn's name was announced as the winner of the "Best Actor in a Leading Role" Oscar last February, nobody was happier than triathlete/tri-coach Dan Cohen (left). He--Cohen--sprang joyfully from his sofa. As he did, his right knee caught and lifted the edge of the coffee table, sending the styro carton containing the remaining four "Blazing" chicken wings--he'd ordered the 18-pack from a nearby Buffalo Wild Wings and did not plan to share--to the chronically un-vacuumed carpet.

Imposing the "5-Second Rule," Dan frantically scooped

up the befouled appendages, plucked away the visible debris, and resumed consumption.

This did not really happen.

But it could have, because there are few things that Dan Cohen loves more than Buffalo wings and Sean Penn movies.

You probably didn't know that, right?

Well, there's a lot of stuff that most people don't know about Dan. Sure, he's a tremendous multisport athlete and successful coach. We all know that. But he is also, according to his own resume, an "Adjunct Instructor."

What the heck is that, you ask?

We don't know either, but it sounds important.

We sent out a questionnaire to all 20 members of Team Minnesota '09 asking them to share some personal, non-tri-related information about themselves. What we learned is that these great athletes are also cool and occasionally down-to-earth people.

Here's some of what we learned about Dan Cohen:

* College: BA Psychology (St. Mary's University); M.Ed Kinesiology/Exercise Science (University of Minnesota)

* Favorite TV Shows: "House" and "Iron Chef"

* Favorite Movies: "Fletch", "Color of Money", "Lord of the Rings"

* Favorite Actors: Sean Penn, Robert Downey, Jr. & Jody Foster

* Music Preferences: Phish, Widespread Panic, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead

* Favorite Junk Food: Ice Cream & Apple Crisp

* Favorite Restaurants: Pei Wei, Spoon River, Sakura Sushi

* Favorite Adult Beverage: Any beer; the darker the better

* Non-Tri Hobbies: Movies & Traveling

* Dream Vacation Destination: Hmm...A lot of places in Europe

Coming next...Kortney Haag...Getting ripped on Caipirinha...

HOW THEY DID...

(Tempe, AZ - November 22, 2009) MTN congratulates all the Minnesota Ironmen who took the IM Arizona challenge last weekend. We are proud to publish your results:

* Brooks Grossinger (Mayer) - 9:52:06

* Greg Taylor (Mankato) - 10:09:28 - 55-59M Course Record

* Jen Lenarz (Apple Valley) - 11:24:34

* Ben Ewers (North Oaks) - 11:32:49 - 2nd 60-64M

* Wade Folske (Golden Valley) - 11:33:22

* Marty Weiland (Lakeville) - 11:40:45 - See photo - Can you guess Marty's favorite beer?

* Dave Flynn (Woodbury) - 11:51:15

* Kelli Hayes (Winona) - 11:55:28

* Angie Hong (Savage) - 12:05:11

* David Barnes (Lakeville) - 12:19:24

* Joe Conlin (Deephaven) - 12:21:05

* Lindsay Osborn (Shakopee) - 12:28:17

* Mitchel Talbot (St. Louis Park) - 12:37:25

* Don Weirens (St. Louis Park) - 12:55:01

* Matthew Snell (Blaine) - 12:57:22

* Gerry Hagen (Minnetonka) - 13:02:41

* Michael Sherer (Duluth) - 13:04:09

* Kim Locher (Lakeville) - 13:09:31

* Sara Will (Burnsville) - 13:16:13

* Frank Blackstock (Plymouth) - 13:23:04

* Julian Jones (Elk River) - 13:26:29

* Dawn Garlough (Bloomington) - 13:41:32

* Rob Bryant (S. Paul) - 13:41:42

* Caroline Hale-Coldwell (Minneapolis) - 13:47:45

* Mark Kwamusi (Pequot Lakes) - 15:00:21

* Anthony Maiers (Hutchinson) - 15:02:02

* Harvey "Smiley" Thorleifson (Minneapolis) - 15:12:31

* Sue Weiskopf-Larson (Lino Lakes) - 15:16:37

* Noburo Tobonari (Northfield) - 15:43:21

* Joseph Pedersen (Lindstrom) - 15:53:33

UPDATE: We received this e-mail:

"....forgot about the western Wisconsinites that routinely compete in the metro in the Ironman AZ results?

"Both Jim Felling (30-34M) and Cindy Tiedke (50-54W) of the Wild River Tri Club posted PB's of 10:08:02 and 13:50:33 respectfully!"

Congratulations Jim & Cindy! Thanks for the heads-up.

Did we miss anyone else? Let us know.

NOTE: No Minnesotans were on the DNF list!

IRONMAN ARIZONA COVERAGE..

Sunday - 6:25 PM - Another CR for Greg Taylor! Greg smoked the old 55-59 course best, taking it from 10:27:39 to 10:09:28! It's Taylor's second IM CR this year and could earn him a USAT Master of the Year HM. We'll see!

Way to go Brooks! Mayer's Brooks Grossinger just joined the Sub-10 Club! His PR time was 9:56:02!

Sunday - 5:05 PM - Samantha McGone sets the women's record, a brilliant 9:09:19!

Sunday - 4:50 PM - McGlone is still leading the women's race but Montana's Lindsay Corbin is only 3 1/2 minutes back with about 8K to go. Everyone, as expected, is slowing down. Michellie's mark may stand for another year.

Sunday - 4:15 PM - Scarborough, NY's Jordan Rapp has won Ironman Arizona. His 8:13:35 bettered Andreas Raelert's course record by 41 seconds and the time he (Rapp) recorded here in November '08 by 6:10. Rapp was also victorious at Ironman Canada last August. As he did in April '08*, Des Moines' TJ Tollakson finished 2nd, his 8:20:22, lowering his PB by 12 minutes.

(* There were two Ironman Arizona races in 2008. Several errors were made in earlier editions of this post. Thanks to the ever-observant Terrance Lee for updating our information.)

Canada's Samantha McGlone appears to be in control of the women's race. And, yes, Michellie Jone's CR (9:12:53) is in jeopardy.

Sunday - 3:50 PM - Through the swim and bike portions of today's Ironman Arizona several Minnesotans are racing strongly. Remember, it's 140.6 and anything can happen (and often does). Nevertheless, Greg Taylor and Ben Ewers are on pace to set divisional records and Brooks Grossinger and Jennifer Lenarz, appear to be heading for personal bests.

IMAZ Athlete Tracker:

MINNESOTANS IN TEMPE...

(Photos: Greg Taylor napping at Timberman and Jen Lenarz kicking tush at Chain of Lakes.)

Weather should be an ideal for racing at Ironman Arizona on Sunday. Temps should range from 50 degrees at the start to 75 by mid-afternoon. The pro fields are deep and Michael Lovato's and Michellie Jones' course records (8:20:56 and 9:12:53) could fall. Prediction: Canada's Samantha McGlone will dip under 9:10.

Several AG records should be rewritten, and don't be surprised if a pair of Minnesotans do some of the editing.

Who?

Mankato's Greg Taylor and North Oaks' Ben Ewers.

Taylor, 55, has already set one divisional IM record this year, doing so at Coeur D'Alene. If he were to match his CDA time--10:22:40--on Sunday, he'd trim 4:59 off AZ's 55-59 CR. Greg is hungry after his DNF in Kona last month and also knows that a victorious effort in Tempe could put him back the hunt for a USAT Master of the Year Honorable Mention.

Based on his winning effort at Vineman 70.3, Ewers, 63, who was crowned Minnesota Grand Master of the Year at TriNight on November 7, appears capable of slipping under the 11-hour mark at Arizona. (The formula: 2 x your best half + 1 hour. Ben's 70.3 time was 4:58, thus he should be able to go as fast as 10:56 on Sunday, if he has maintained his fitness, that is.) The current 60-64CR is 11:09:21.

While Taylor and Ewers chase records, the fastest of the 37 Minnesotans who will be racing on Sunday should be Mayer's Brooks Grossinger. If everything goes well, i.e. if he races like he did a Chisago last July (4:03:47), expect Brooks to crack 10 hours.

And who will be the fastest Minnesota woman on Sunday?

Our guess is that Jen "Swat Girl" Lenarz of Apple Valley, will outdo the 11:37:26-PR she set at Louisville last August. We also think that Shakopee's Lindsay Osborn will better 12-hours.

MTN's NOMINEES FOR US ROOKIES OF THE YEAR..

St. Louis Park's Suzie Finger was the 2009 Minnesota Rookie of the Year. Do you know who the national Rookies of the Year are?

Of course you don't.

Presently, neither USAT Triathlon nor the national tri mags (Inside Triathlon & Triathlete) include ROYs in their season-ending athlete recognition. Hopefully, this will change in the relatively near future.

Since 1998, MTN editor Jerry MacNeil has assisted in USAT's AOY selection process by providing athlete bios. In the research process, he has come across some very talented first-year triathletes. Had the Federation had a ROY category in 2008, for instance, Jerry would have recommended New Jersey's David Slavinski for the men's award.

Who would his 2009 nominees be?

Florida's Sean Jefferson and Massachusetts' Crystal Anthony (pictured above).

These athletes have made impressive transitions from elite running to multisports. Anthony demonstrated great range, excelling in long and short course triathlon, and, less surprisingly, in duathlon. Jefferson's early season efforts were "medium-dazzle," but from August on he raced as well as any US amateur.

Check out these resumes:

CRYSTAL ANTHONY, 29, Beverly, MA

* 1st amateur @ Lake Steven's 70.3 - 9th overall woman (4:46:54)

* 1st overall @ Pumpkinman Half - 4:30:41

* 1st overall @ Mayflower International

* 2nd overall @ USAT Duathlon Nationals (She finished 8 seconds behind NJ's Suzanne Huelster, the 2008 USAT Duathlete of the Year and 2009 ITU World Amateur Champion)

* 3rd overall @ Mooseman Olympic

* 8th amateur @ 70.3 Worlds - 4:21:21

SEAN JEFFERSON, 27, Palm Beach Gardens FL

* 1st @ Huntington's Disease Triathlon

* 1st @ Loggerhead Triathlon

* 1st @ Tropical Triathlon

* 2nd overall amateur (25-29 National Champion) @ USAT AG Nationals

* 3rd overall @ Toyota US Open Elite

* 4th @ FAU Wellness Triathlon

* 4th @ Tradewinds Triathlon

* 10th @ Key Biscayne

Some may wonder why National AG Champion Joey Maloy of Brighton, MA was not recommended for ROY honors. Many believe that 2009 was his first year in the sport. The truth is he raced at least twice in 2008 (Witch City and Belleplain).

Anthony's closest competition for 2009 ROY was Emily Dewald, 26, of Bloomington, IL. Dewald's scorecard featured several regional wins, a 2nd (behind Minnesota's Kortney Haag) at Pigman Half and a 3rd at Chicago Elite.

THE AWAKENING OF DUATHLON?

The late 80s and early 90s were the "Glory Years" for the sport of duathlon. The Coors Light Series was as popular as the USTS/BLTS (United States Triathlon Series / Bud Light Triathlon Series) back then.

By 2000 both the Dannon Duathlon Series and Powerman Alabama, the most prominent events on the national du landscape, began to visibly whither, and by 2004 the sport of duathlon in America appeared to have slipped into a coma.

In 2009, the sport seemed to wake up. Attendance at Nationals was heartening and new races are popping up here and there. Nowhere is the proliferation of duathlons more evident than right here in Minnesota.

Four years ago Minnesota was a "Triathlon State." The four run-bike-runs--Oakdale, Gear West, Apple and Iron Girl--that were on the calendar were generally perceived as waterless tris, contested on dates when local lakes were not swim-ready.

Today, our schedule features at least 13 dus. That's right: 13!

Don't believe it?

Check this out: Winter Be Gone, Cinco de Mayo, Falls Duathlon, Oakdale, Gear West, Apple, Du the Dam, Kingswood Off-Road, Minneapolis, Treadman, Cannon-Wells, Young Life and Osceola. There is also the possibility that the Duluth Duathlon will return in 2010.

Sure, the attendance at some of these events are small (less than 200 entrants), but trends suggest that they will grow. And some of these races are in the "good size" range e.g. Gear West, Oakdale, Apple, each drawing more than 400 participants. Two of our state's dus--Minneapolis and Iron Girl-- pull 4-digit fields.

To be continued...Coach and du advocate Jason Digman will assess the state of duathlon in America in future posts.

FAST IN FLORIDA...

Angie Schmidt (photo by YndeCam.com) was one of several Minnesotans who turned in strong efforts at the 70.3 World Championships last weekend. Here, in alpha order, is how the triathletes from our state fared (let us know if we missed anyone):

* Jey Carlson, 43, Minnetonka - 4:39:14

* Errin Farrens, 29, Maple Grove - 4:58:05

* Todd Firebaugh, 47, Woodbury - 4:20:59

* Julie Hull, 37, Farmington - 4:36:35

* Tracie Kent, 35, St. Paul - 5:04:48

* Julie McMonagle, 43, Eagan - 5:21:05

* Angie Schmidt, 39, Woodbury - 4:42:22

* Nathaniel Tollefson, 43, Minneapolis - 4:36:47

* Michael Wendt, 34, Minneapolis - 4:27:43

* Cathy Yndestad, 31, Apple Valley - 4:24:02 (2nd 30-34W)

STUFF...

* Ambivalence about the MMAs....(Photo: Marlo McGaver.)

Selecting nominees then determining winners is an inherently controversial process. And it is the disputatious nature of this enterprise that makes it newsworthy. As the Selection Committee Chairman, I have had several arguments, most of them of the good-natured variety, with those who disagree with the final picks.

The truth is, I disagree with some of the final picks, too. The selection process, you see, is democratic; members submit their picks individually and the athletes receiving the most support take home the awards. Not every committee member gets what they want.

The further truth is, and I think I speak for all five of the Committee members, we feel both good and bad about the selections. In my case, I'm very happy that Kevin O'Connor was named Duathlete of the Year, but I'm sad that an athlete of Marlo McGaver's caliber and '09 resume went home empty-handed. I'm happy for Jan Guenther (Master of the Year), but feel blue that Jeanne Fleck didn't win anything. I feel badly for Hank (Larsen), Rhett (Bonner) and especially Greg (Taylor), while I heartily applaud the winners in their respective categories. And I feel badly for EVERYONE nominated in the Performance of the Year categories, except for the winners, of course.

And then there's Team Minnesota. What a super assemblage of athletes! I think the names are correct, but the order needs tweaking. I won't mention who I feel are ranked too highly, but I will say that I think that Dan (Cohen) and Brook (Mutzenberger) placed lower than I though was appropriate.

In the end, though, one fact is clear: There would be no controversy if there wasn't so goshdarn much talent in this state.

* Jan Guenther's 50-54W US Iron-distance record, set in Madison, WI last September, was short lived. Forty-nine days, to be exact. Atlanta's Laura Sophiea posted a new divisional record at Ironman Florida. Laura's 10:27:25 was 54 seconds faster than Jan's. Sophiea, a two-time US Master of the Year (2001, 2006) who will also be considered for that honor in 2009, has won the 50-54W division at Kona four of the last five years.

We still contend that Jan's performance at Ironman Wisconsin is the AG Performance of the Year in the US.

(Photo: Laura Sophiea racing at Hawaii's Lavaman Triathlon.)

* Thinking about Clearwater....What's with the pro times? In the first three years of this event, pro times appeared "semi-reasonable" while amateur times were insane. This year the amateur times did not seem outrageous, or at least by comparison to 2008 clockings. But the pro times were nuts. 3:34:04! This result lowered last year's men's WB by 6+ minutes. On other "fast courses," e.g. Eagleman, CRs are in the 3:44 range. (The non-Clearwater WB is 3:42.)

So how does Michael Raelert, an infrequent Top 5 finisher in major events, swim a quasi-reasonable 21:58, followed by a 1:59:35 (and 12 guys had FASTER splits!), which is more than 1 mph faster than he's ever covered an Olympic distance course, then a 1:09:06 finish. Geez, wasn't he tired coming off the bike? Well, he supposedly popped a 3:34:04, which, according to our research was a 28 minute improvement on his 70.3 PB.

What's written here is not intended to impugn Mr. Raelart, or any of the wicked-fast pro competitors. There are no accusations here. Just the desire to understand.

Explanations and/or theories are invited. Send them to jerry.bous@gmail.com.

INSANE TIMES IN CLEARWATER!

What is it about Clearwater? What makes this course so darn fast? It's a conscientiously produced World Championship, thus we can assume that courses are accurate and drafting was stridently monitored and violators penalized. Right? Well, it must be a combination of field quality, media hype and the extra adrenaline these factors stimulate.

Here's a peek at the Top 5 pro women, what they just did and how it compares to their best times (according to our research) on courses that aren't located on the gulf side of central Florida.

1. Julie Dibens (GBR) - 3:59:33 (Non-Clearwater Best - 4:10:58 @ 5430 '09)

2. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) - 4:03:39 (Non-Clearwater Best - 4:33:34 - Lake Stevens '08 - Note: MB also placed 2nd at Clearwater '08; her time was 4:04 and change.)

3. Magali Tisseyre (CAN) - 4:05:27 (Non-Clearwater Best - 4:12:29 - Boise '09)

4. Caroline Steffen (SUI) - 4:05:33 (Non-Clearwater Best - 4:31:50 - Austria '09)

5. Laura Bennett (USA) - 4:07:39 (Non-Clearwater Best - 4:18:36 - Augusta '09)

The men's winner was Germany's Michael Raelert, whose 3:34:04 lopped six minutes off the WB. Our notes suggest that his previous 70.3 best was a 4:05:25 at Weisbaden earlier this season.

MINNESOTA UPDATE: Preliminary results show that Apple Valley's Cathy Yndestad placed 2nd in the 30-34W category. Her time was 4:24:02 and she beat fellow AOY contender Mandy McLane by a gaunt 2 seconds. Additionally, it appears that Lindsay Whalen, also an AOY frontrunner, has beaten Cathy by ONE SECOND. (Remember, these are preliminary results.) Yndestad has faced Whalen five times this year--Nationals, Life Time Fitness, St. Anthony's, Dallas US Open and 70.3 Worlds--and come out on top in three of those confrontations.

WELCOME, CINDY!

Decorated triathlete, physical therapist and athletic trainer Cindy Schlafmann manages the Physical Therapy Department at TRIA Orthopaedic Center in Bloomington. MTN is pleased to announce that Cindy will make regular editorial contributions to this site dealing with such topics as injury treatment and prevention, attaining and maintaining fitness, and improving performance.

Welcome, Cindy.

GOOD LUCK, CY!

The three amateur women who appear to be the frontrunners for USA Triathlon 2009 Athlete of the Year are Florida's Mandy McLane, Illinois' Lindsay Whalen and Minnesota's Cathy Yndestad (pictured).

These girls will face each other tomorrow (Saturday) at the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida, and it is quite possible that the fastest member of this triumvirate will be crowned AOY. If Cathy wins the award, she will become the first Minnesota woman to do so. If she does not win, she will be named AOY Honorable Mention for the 3rd consecutive year.

Other athletes from our state who have earned post-season honors are Tony Schiller (AOY '95, Master of the Year '02), Jan Guenther (Master of the Year '99) and Kristin Miller (Duathlete of the Year '06, '05).

CONGRATULATIONS KORT & DEREK...

Two-time MMA winner--2008 Rookie of the Year, 2009 Most Improved--Kortney Haag recently reported in her blog that she and husband Derek are expecting their second child. The due date is June 17. We'll miss watching you race next season, Kort.

Kortney enjoyed a brilliant sophomore season in '09 and was ranked 2nd on Team Minnesota '09.

SILVERMAN & FLORIDA...

The Nevada Silverman and Ironman Florida are 140.6-mile events that are staged on the same day. That may be where their similarities end.

How are they different?

Well, at Florida, some folks finish when the sun is still shining. At Silverman, the sun had been on the other side of the Spring Mountains for 44 minutes and 37 seconds when the men's winner, Chris Williams of Bend, OR, arrived at the Henderson Multigenerational Center, the site of the ST finish line.

And the respective race courses couldn't be more different. In Nevada, cyclists negotiate 12,000 feet of climbing. No one averages 20 mph. In Florida, bridges and overpasses account for almost 50 feet of elevation gain and the fastest female cyclist out-splits ST's fastest male cyclist by over an hour.

In Florida, entrants dream of racing fast and setting PRs. In Nevada, participants entertain no such fantasies.

Why?

'Cuz Ironman Florida is probably the fastest 140.6 in North America, while Silverman is the continent's slowest ultra, and may actually be the World's slowest.

MTN congratulates all who took the Florida or Silverman challenge this past weekend.

Silverman '09:

* Brian Moynihan, Eagan - 11:58:06 (2nd 45-49M)

* Adam Krueger, Moorhead - 12:13:00 (5th 25-29M)

* Brian Magnuson, Minneapolis - 13:30:06 (14th 30-34M)

* Joseph Butterfield, Minneapolis - 15:56:03 (14th 25-29M)

* David Becker, Bemidji - 15:40:24 (13th 50-54M)

Ironman Florida '09:

* Jonathan Balabuck, Thunder Bay, ONT - 10:23:21

* Margaret MacMillan, Minneapolis - 11:01:01 (3rd 45-49W)

* Julia Lyng, Bursville - 11:09:24 (11th 40-44W) - 1st IM!

* Michael Murray, - 11:33:28 (38th 50-54)

* Igor Epshteyn - 11:52:19 (161st 40-44M)

* Nicholas Oswald - 11:55:48 (50th 11:55:48M)

* Margarita Sevilla - 12:00:23 (27th 35-39W)

* Ryan Naatjes - 12:01:40 (191st 35-39M)

* Igor Kotlovsky - 12:04:49 (175th 40-44M)

* David Voss - 12:09:12 (137th 45-49M)

* Shawn Husband - 12:11:21 (202nd 35-39M)

* Cindy Cook - 12:50:20 (32nd 35-39W)

* Kirk Hanson - 12:25:50 (209th 40-44M)

* Jeff Groffsky - 12:44:26 (101st 50-54M)

* Michael Koetting - 12:49:29 (248th 40-44M)

* Scott Beesley - 12:50:44 (146th 30-34M)

* Gregory Hayes - 12:56:57 (262nd 35-39M)

* Sharon Hobbs - 13:19:10 (9th 50-54W)

* Christopher Hoff - 13:34:35 (310th 35-39M)

* Lisa Sturk - 14:06:23 (69th 30-34W)

* Michael Bryant - 14:16:34 (321st 35-39)

* Hans-Jurgen Van Heteren-Freeze - 15:24:37 (378th 40-44M)

(Photo: Eagan's Brian Moynihan, the fastest Minnesotan at Silverman V.)

A VERY SPECIAL MAN...

(Photos: Honoree Bill Rataczak and Thorpe Running Inspiration award founder and presenter Tony Schiller.)

By Tony Schiller

The 2009 Thorpe Running Inspiration Award recipient is a pioneer in Minnesota racing and multi-sport, Bill Rataczak.

If you don’t know Bill, this is an opportunity to learn about a person whose life has touched and inspired so many and now it’s our turn to say, “Thank You”, and to offer a little encouragement and inspiration back to the guy that’s been cheering us on for so long.

From Bill’s earliest memory he had only one life dream. It was to fly airplanes for a living. For 34 years he achieved that dream, flying jumbo jets around the world for Northwest Airlines. If you ever flew on one of Bill’s flights, you were in good hands.

He was the guy you wanted flying your plane if you had a heart attack and needed someone to perform CPR to save your life.

He was the guy you wanted flying your plane if you got hijacked. That’s right. He was the co-pilot of the infamous DB Cooper hijacking in 1981. You might recall Cooper as the businessman who got on board with a backpack full of dynamite, cleared the plane of all but the crew and demanded parachutes and $200,000. Once in possession of the loot, he demanded they fly to Mexico keeping the plane under 10,000 feet and 175 mph, the minimum speed needed to keep the 727 airborne. Soon thereafter, he opened the tailgate, lowered the steps and leapt into a nighttime blizzard in the Cascade Mountains, never to be seen or heard from again.

Bill’s convinced the jump killed him, but tales of Cooper sightings continue to this day as the folklore about his existence only grows. The hijacking changed much about air travel as we know it today. It was the beginning of airport security being ramped up in the US and soon thereafter Boeing changed the 727, making it virtually impossible to jump out of.

And Bill was also the guy you wanted flying your plane if you were a runner and wanted a runner partner to show you the best routes after flying to far away places like London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Singapore. When the rest of the crew got off the plane and hit the bars, he was the one who hit the streets to log his miles. He did this from the early ‘70s, when running was a lonely pursuit, especially in other parts of the world, but he loved it. It was the best way to see a city and he had marathons to train for.

He ran early versions of Grandma’s, Nike OTC, New York City and the City of Lakes Marathon which was the precursor to the Twin Cities Marathon. And if you ran in any of the first 13 TCM’s it was Bill who called your name over the PA at the finish as he was the voice of the race through 1994.

He was the voice of other races too, notably, a popular 10k he brought to Annandale and directed for many years before he helped change it to a triathlon in 1987. Though that first edition saw half the field stopped at a railroad crossing by a passing train, the race drew raves and the next year sold out as the first Heart of the Lakes Triathlon using the same course used today, sans railroad tracks. A Bill innovation was using a young upstart artist’s nature drawings for race T-Shirts. The popular designs later became among the most desired race awards around… the framed posters still penned to this day by Bill’s son, the award winning nature artist, Jim Rataczak.

For nearly a decade Bill called the finish line at Annandale before finally doing the race himself. He trained hard, finished a strong swim and was riding well when he heard one of his son’s high school buddies call out, “Hey Mr. Rataczak”. Bill instinctively held up his hand and the two landed a high-speed high 5, only the kid forgot to let go. It caused the perfect whifferdale as Bill’s body came to a screeching midair halt and his bike kept going as he crashed hard to the ground while still holding the kid’s hand. Relying on his old pilot training – never let the passengers see your duress – the shirtless Bill got up, smiled and assured the panicking boy he was alright. He fetched his bike, rode off with a wave, and only when up the hill and out of sight did he let out a howling, “OWWWW”.

He finished the ride and limped painfully around the lake repeating to himself, “I’m going back to announcing.” It was his first – and last – triathlon. He remained a staple at every Heart of the Lakes Triathlon, as the official starter and all-around cheerleader congratulating as many finishers as he could shake hands with. He took great joy in seeing all the visitors come to Annandale and was always a great ambassador for the race and city.

It took a lot to cause Bill to finally miss a HOLT in 2005. In the prior February he was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer which was spreading rapidly through his body. He had surgery and went through 6 weeks of intense chemo where he was placed into a painful mask that was locked to a table for his treatments. The treatments worked and killed the cancer but he lost much of his voice and had to feed through a stomach tube as his weight fell from 154 to 127 lbs. Through it all Bill remained positive, promising all who would listen that he’d soon be back to his loves… playing hockey, running, cycling, flying his plane and cheering all of us on at the Annandale triathlon.

He was. He did all those things within a year of starting treatment and was back in a frail state as race starter in 2006. He returned in 2007 looking and feeling much stronger and like his old self again. The next morning, (Monday, July 23^rd) he awoke feeling motivated by all the racers and jumped on his bike fore the first of his 4 weekly rides. Nearing the ride’s end, he had a fact to bumper meeting with a 10 ton gravel truck. The truck won. Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet – it was all that saved him – but it was a horrific accident. His forehead was ripped open and peeled back to his skull exposing his brain to gravel and dirt. The impact broke the second cervical vertebrae in his neck and fractured too many other bones in his body to mention here.

He was airlifted to St. Cloud where the battle to save his life ensued as he remained in critical condition for over a week and wound up hospitalized for over 2 months. He was fitted for a bird cage to stabilize his broken neck and began the long, slow and painful road to recovery. Throughout it all, friends and family marveled at Bill’s strength as he stayed positive and kept telling everyone he was doing fine and would soon be back to normal.

He was a good faker but those who knew him best saw that, after the cancer, this second whammy was almost too much for even Bill to handle. It was going to be the struggle of his lifetime to find the courage to hang in there and come back again.

He did just that. If you raced in the 2008 HOLT, you might recall one of the highlight moments of the day. When Bill walked under his own power down to the beach to once again handle his duties as race starter, it was called a medical miracle, but to those who know him, it was what you’d expect from Bill Rataczak. Since his leg strength and body balance is still in question, he hasn’t yet retaken to the roads on his bike or gotten back on the ice for senior hockey. But he is training hard on his Revmaster and has been back in the cockpit of his plane for more than the past year, doing what he was born to do, fly.

The Thorpe Running Inspirational is named as a 2-way award. It serves not just to show appreciation to the recipient for how they role model for us strength and courage against incredible adversity. It’s also about the racing community coming together to say, “Keep on fighting my good friend… there’s still many races for you to run in life and we want you out there with us for many more years.”

And that’s just what Bill Rataczak intends to do. He was really touched by this award and thanks the entire multi-sport community for all the support and well wishes along the way. He invites all of you to attend the Heart of the Lakes Triathlon in 2010 and looks forward to sending off your wave and cheering you home at the finish line. - TS

WHAT A SEASON!

(St. Paul, MN – Nov. 7, 2009) Here are the winners of the 11^th annual MINNESOTA MULTISPORT AWARDS, which were presented Academy Awards-style last evening at TriNight ’09 at St. Paul College. St. Paul’s Devon Palmer was the night’s brightest star, hauling in three Emmas. Mound’s Jan Guenther was the other multiple winner, her two trophies lifting her career total to an unprecedented 13.

TRIATHLETE OF THE YEAR

DEVON PALMER, 22, St. Paul & CATHY YNDSETAD, 31, Apple Valley

Cathy, a three-time nominee for USAT Athlete of the Year, was the obvious choice here, though Kortney Haag had a brilliant season. Devon’s big-time victories at Life Time and HOLT, and his 3^rd place overall finish at AG Nationals, gave him the nod over Kevin O’Connor, who beat DP twice last season.

DUATHLETE OF THE YEAR

KEVIN O’CONNOR, 38, Medina

Undefeated on the local du scene, Kevin was able to wrestle this award away from three-time DOY Marlo McGaver, who did suffer one local loss. Speed comparisons also gave a slight edge to O’Connor. Kevin was measured against elite amateur performance standards, whereas Marlo was measured against professional standards. (FYI, McGaver did get a pro license this season.)

JUNIOR OF THE YEAR (Coed)

NICK MADRINICH, 19, Chaska

Nick had a great season, one featuring an outright victory at Chaska, a 4^th behind Dennis Dane, Brett Lovaas and Jon Balabuck and a Top 10 at Manitou (junior males are simply not supposed to be able to do that).

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (Coed)

SUZIE FINGER, 26, St. Louis Park

No surprise here. Suzie was the cream of a very solid crop.

GRAND MASTER OF THE YEAR (Coed)

BEN EWERS, 63, North Oaks

A great group of nominees here but Ben was the only one who truly redefined the performance standards in his AG.

MASTER OF THE YEAR

BRIAN BICH, 43, Duluth & JAN GUENTHER, 50, Mound

This was the most controversial category. On the men’s side, strong arguments were made for Rhett Bonner and Greg Taylor. The fact that Rhett is only two years older than Brian hurt his (Rhett’s) bid for the award. Age Grading, which almost put the award in Taylor’s hands, could not be applied in Rhett’s case. After hours of debate, Brian came out on top. Anyone who is fast enough to have beaten Devon (Pigman Sprint) and Kevin (Lake Waconia) and placed 7^th in the deepest head-to-head field of the year at Best of the US has demonstrated that he is in a class of his own.

On the women’s side, Guenther’s position was strengthened by the fact that she excelled in both long and short distance events. Heidi and Jeanne raced only in short races, and Marnie needed at least one more elite effort to be truly competitive in this category. Though Jeanne beat Jan in each of their three confrontations, the six-year age differential plus the fact that Jeanne was unable to match any of Jan’s existing course records in those races softened the argument. Finally, Jan’s effort at Ironman Wisconsin was perceived to be the Performance of the Year.

This was the most talented group of female masters in the history of the MMAs.

MOST IMPROVED

DEVON PALMER, 22, St. Paul & KORTNEY HAAG, 30, New Hope

These athletes had to muscle there way through our state’s most decorated athletes to get to their places on the upper rungs of the Team Minnesota ladder.

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Devon Palmer’s Win @ Life Time Fitness Elite

Devon beat one of the 2-3 strongest amateur fields of the year at LTF. His win at HOLT and Kevin’s CR at “Little Pig” were also given serious consideration.

Jan Guenther’s Amateur Win @ Ironman Wisconsin

Age Grading was not part of the decision here. Jan WON a major Ironman race by a huge margin. Cathy Yndestad received staunch support from two of the five committee members. In the end, 10+ hours of high-level racing was perceived to override two hours of red-line competition against superior competition.

THORPE RUNNING INSPIRATION AWARD

Bill Rataczak

TRIATHLETES CHOICE FAVORITE RACE OF THE YEAR

Winner – Lake Minnetonka Triathlon

2^nd - MinneMan Triathlon

3^rd – YWCA Women’s Triathlon.

4^th – Lake Marion Triathlon.

5^th – Trinona

TEAM MINNESOTA: Men

1. David Thompson, 31, St. Paul

2. Kevin O’Connor, 38, Medina

3. Devon Palmer, 22, St. Paul

4. Brian Bich, 43, Duluth

5. Sam Hauck, 25, Shoreview / Omaha, NE

6. Jonathan Balabuck, 29, Thunder Bay, ONT

7. Matthew Payne, 32, Columbia Heights

8. Patrick Parish, 24, Circle Pines

9. Dennis Dane, 29, Golden Valley

10.Dan Cohen, 35, Eden Prairie

Also receiving consideration: Brett Lovaas, Curt Wood, Mark Carey, Steve Sander and Brooks Grossinger.

TEAM MINNESOTA: Women

1. Cathy Yndestad, 31, Apple Valley

2. Kortney Haag, 30, New Hope

3. Marlo McGaver, 39, Duluth

4. Jeanne Fleck, 44, Proctor

5. Jan Guenther, 50, Mound

6. Julie Hull, 37, Farmington

7. Heidi Keller-Miler, 44, Chaska

8. Brook Mutzenberger, 29, Eden Prairie

9. Marnie Walth, 40, Bismarck, ND

10.Susan Williams, 37, Minneapolis

Also receiving consideration: Thea Fleming, Mary Beth Tuttle, Catherine Lee, Shelley Nelson, Diane Hankee and Suzie Finger.

NOTE: The athlete’s entire resume is taken into account and Age Grading was not employed.

THE ENVELOPE PLEASE...

Coming Saturday evening....The 2009 EMMA Recipients...The MMA results will be posted at the conclusion of the TriNight festivities...

HAVE YOU SEE IT YET?

Have you seen Trinona's new website? It is spectacular! Check it out Here. Great work, Dave. Our compliments to your web designer.

WHAT'S A CELEBRATION WITHOUT ADULT BEVERAGES?

(Back Row - Steve Gunther, Thorpe Running Inspiration Award winner Jeremy Sartain, 2008 Guest Speaker Hunter Kemper--high on life, not alcohol, like the rest of this mob--Kerry Yndestad, Wayne Chapman, the ever-resplendent Santi Bromley and Helen Gunther. Front Row - Cathy "What-Am-I-Going-To-Do-With-All-These-Darn-Awards" Yndestad, Julie Hull and Kristine Heilman.)

Paragons of decorum. These are some of the folks, the ones who are missing were not upright and ambulatory when the photo was taken, responsible for TriNight '06, '07, '08 & '09.

MMA HISTORY...

(Photo: Triathlete/philanthropist Steve Gunther, the man who wouldn't let "The Banquet" die.)

The Minnesota Multisport Awards were born in 1999. They were designed to pay tribute to those tri-and-du-athletes who set the unusually high performance standards in our state.

There was no awards ceremony in '99. The awards were hand-delivered to the recipients at their homes or businesses.

The inaugural MMA Banquet was held at the Commodore Hotel in St. Paul in 2000. The facility could accommodate about 100 people, which was immediately inadequate. The event drew 104 attendees.

The MMAs were held at the University Club on Summit Avenue in 2001 and 2002, attracting close to 200 attendees each time, which exceeded the facility's capacity. In '02 the Academy Awards-style presentation, wherein athletes presented the awards, was implemented.

The Event was staged at the larger and more elegant Downtown University Club, which could accommodate approximately 250 guests, in 2003 and 2004.

In 2005 the MMAs were moved to The Depot in downtown Minneapolis.

The cost of producing what had come to be known simply as "The Banquet" was beyond prohibitive. The 2005 Event cost approximately $25,000, of which $13K was recovered in the form of ticket and sponsor booth/table sales. (NOTE: A huge percentage of the cost--$10K--went to Final Frame, the company that filmed several races, hundreds of athletes and edited and produced the Event's music video and the video highlights of the 40-or-so award nominees. Final Frame was a budding enterprise and provided their services for much less than they were worth.)

The MMAs would live on, winners would be announced in the media and awards would be mailed, but it appeared that "The Banquet" was dead.

Enter Steve Gunther (pictured) and company.

Steve and his committee revamped "The Banquet," now also known as "TriNight." The Program was expanded while costs were trimmed and ticket prices were significantly reduced.

Thanks, Steve!

THE NEW 40...

(Photo: Two-fisted drinker, Greg Taylor, 55, of Mankato, at Timberman. Greg's 2009 tri resume will be reviewed by USAT's AOY Selection Committee.)

Since 2000, MTN Editor Jerry MacNeil has been a consultant to USA Triathlon's AOY (Athletes of the Year) Selection Committee. His role is to research the competitive resumes of dozens of American amateur triathletes and duathletes in several categories, i.e. overall, juniors, masters, grand masters, and submit bios, with recommendations, to the Committee's Chairperson. The recommendations are not always supported, for example, Colorado's Ellen Hart was named 2008 US Master of the Year despite MacNeil's strident advocacy for Florida's Linda Robb. The selection process is inherently controversial and the arguments often are heated. It is democracy in action, and Jerry loves every minute of it.

Last year's men's masters race came down to a pair of fantastic 40-44 guys, New Jersey's Doug Clark and Minnesota's Brian Bich, with Bich ultimately prevailing thanks largely to his season-ending podium finish at the Best of the US Championship in Tempe, AZ.

Well, Clark is back in the mix this year, but his stiffest challenge will not come from fellow 44-and-under athletes. It will most likely come from a 46-year-old Californian named Tim Sheeper and a foursome--that's right, a foursome--of 55-59 gents.

This is unprecedented and very, very cool.

In alphabetical order, the fab four are Dean Harper, 56, of Walnut Creek,CA, Kim McDonald, 55, of Del Mar, CA, Kevin Moats, 55, of Atlanta, GA, and Greg Taylor, 55, of Mankato, MN.

Here's what each of these guys has accomplished this season:

* DEAN HARPER - Divisional wins @ Gold Coast (AUS) World Championships, California 70.3, Wildflower, Treasure Island and Escape from Alcatraz. Additionally, he placed 2nd at AG Nationals.

* KIM MCDONALD - Divisional wins at AG Nationals, Pacific Coast/US Sprint Championships, San Diego Olympic and Encinitas Sprint. He finished 2nd at California 70.3.

* KEVIN MOATS - Divisional wins at the Hawiian Ironman World Championships, Hawaii 70.3 and St. Croix 70.3. Moats placed 3rd at AG Nationals.

* GREG TAYLOR - Greg set a divisional course record at Ironman Coeur D'Alene and turned in a "World Best Equivalent" performance at Chisago Lakes Half. His regional resume was impeccable.

The USAT AOY Selection Committee plans to announce its Athletes of the Year later this month. In each category a winner will be named, as will five Honorable Mentions. It's reasonable to assume that at least two of the six male masters that will be honored will be from the 55-59 AG.

CONGRATULATIONS IRON MOM...

Meet Tessa Mercer, born on September 7 and weighing in at a wee 6 lb. 3 oz. Her mom is long distance triathlete Sarah Mercer, 40, of Golden Valley. If you scroll down to the Iron Minnesotans post, you'll see that Sarah's name is prominent. In fact, she won the Performance of the Year award in 2001 for her 6th place overall--2nd amateur--finish at Ironman Canada.

Congratulations Sarah and David. And welcome to the World Tessa.

RACINE JOINS 70.3 CLUB...

Another race in the popular Ironman 70.3 Series has been announced. The new Ironman 70.3 Racine, formerly the Spirit of Racine Triathlon, will take place on July 18, 2010 in Wisconsin. The event will become one of the 40 races in the worldwide series and will serve as an official qualifier for Ironman World Championship 70.3 which takes place in Clearwater, Florida every November. READ

A LONG WAY IN SUCH A SHORT TIME...

Great Britain's Chrissie Wellington won the Age Group World Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2006. In '07, she got her pro license and shifted her focus to long distance racing. What she has accomplished since then, especially at 140.6, is nothing short of unbelievable.

Even Chrissie herself has trouble comprehending it, as she explained recently on Xtri.com. READ

Chrissie's Iron-resume:

2009: 1st @ Ironman Australia (8:57:10)

1st @ Roth Challenge (8:31:59)

1st @ Hawaiian Ironman World Championships (8:54:02)

2008: 1st @ Ironman Australia (9:03:55)

1st @ Ironman Frankfort (8:51:24)
1st @ Hawaiian Ironman World Championships (9:06:23)

2007: 1st @ Ironman Korea

1st @ Hawaiian Ironman World Championships (9:08:45)

MEET THE PRESENTERS...

(Photos: Cindy, Curt, Nathaniel, Joe & Ann)

Here are the 2009 MMA Presenters and brief explanations of why they were selected.

* Tony Schiller (Thorpe Running Inspiration) - Founder of the award; accomplished public speaker.

* Diane Hankee (Grand Master) - Almost nominated in two categories - Duathlete & Most Improved. Great sense of humor and cool Canadian accent.

* Kortney Haag (Rookie) - The prior year's recipient is always first choice to present this award.

* Devon Palmer (Junior) - He's the Zach Efron of Minnesota's Triathlon Scene.

* Cindy Schafmann (Female Master) - She's one of the best physical therapists in the World.

* Nate Tollefson (Male Master) - This is a "Do Over." He was scheduled to present last year and was languishing in traffic while Jonny J. filled in for him.

* Joe Moyer (Duathlete) - He's a cool guy from Rochester who almost got a Duathlete of Year nomination.

* Wayne Chapman (Female Most Improved) - Speaking of improvement, Wayne used to weigh 4000 pounds (350ish actually) and is now an ironman. And he's from Australia. He has a cool accent.

* Ann Moyer (Male Most Improved) - Like her husband/fellow presenter Joe, she's an elite level athlete who drinks lots of Peace Coffee.

* Matthew Payne (Female Performance) - He's one of the fastest rising new stars on the regional multi scene and a really cool guy.

* Thea Fleming (Male Performance) - A two-time MMA nominee--Rookie in '05, Most Improved in '07--she and Devon Palmer seem to have a "thing" going on. Love is a beautiful thing.

* John Shelp (Female Triathlete) - A wonderful, funny guy. He was a presenter in 2005 and did a terrific job.

* Kris' Choice (Male Triathlete) - MMA Emcee Kris Swarthout has the option of presenting this award himself or selecting some unsuspecting soul from the audience to do the honors. Kris has presented before, though he was on crutches at the time (2004). He should be upright and ambulatory this time around. (UPDATE: Kris has selected Hannah Sullivan tp present this award. Do you know her? She's David Thompson's "better half.")

* Heidi Keller-Miler and Curt Wood (Team Minnesota) - They co-announced this category in 2006 and were a hoot. We knew that Heidi would be funny because she had several glasses of wine in her. Curt's cool sense of humor was a pleasant surprise. Who knew?

* Gregg Garrettson (Race of the Year) - A people-person who is a perfect choice to present this award. He races often and as long as there are other folks at the event, he is doomed to enjoy the experience.

STEPHEN'S EXCUSE...

The deadline for members of the MMA Selection Committee to submit their final choices in each of the various award categories was last Wednesday evening. All but one of the members could comply.

The other was busy. Distracted, you might say.

Why?

At 6:07 PM on Wednesday, October 28, Kari Bullard, wife of 51-year-old MMA Committeeman/triathlete/adventure racer Stephen Bullard, gave birth to beautiful 7-pound, 2-ounce, 20-inches long Sydney Hope.

Congratulations Stephen and Kari. And welcome to the World, Sydney.

Stephen turned in his selections on Thursday.

IRON MINNESOTANS...

(Photos: Mark Carey and Cathy Yndestad are our state's fastest irondude and irondudette of the decade thus far.)

Our research suggests that the athletes listed below are the 10 fastest male and female Minnesotans at iron-distance since the turn of the millennium. Let us know if we missed anyone.

(OOPS! Apologies to Sarah Mercer, who turned in three sub -11 hour IM efforts during the decade.)

Note the presence of uber-masters Greg Taylor, Jan Guenther, Sue Rubens and Melinda Silbernick on this august list.

TOP 10 FASTEST MEN:

1. - 9:11:41 - Mark Carey, 37, Rochester (Ironman Florida '07)

2. - 9:13:10 - Dan Arlandson, 33, Burnsville (Full Vineman '09)

3. - 9:13:42 - Dan Arlandson, 32, Mendota Heights (Ironman Florida '08)

4. - 9:17:54 - Mark Carey, 31, Rochester (Ironman Florida '01)

5. - 9:17:55 - Dan Arlandson, 32, Mendota Heights (Full Vineman '08)

6. - 9:26:19 - Mark Carey, 39, Rochester (Ironman Louisville '09)

7. - 9:30:19 - Greg Taylor, 48, Mankato (Ironman Florida '02)

8. - 9:35:13 - Kevin O'Connor, 36, Corcoran (Hawaiian Ironman '07)

9. - 9:37:20 - Greg Taylor, 51, Mankato (Hawaiian Ironman '05)

10. - 9:37:43 - Rod Raymond, 36, Duluth (Hawaiian Ironman '00)

NOTE: Edina's Josh Riff has a IM PR of 9:27, but it was set before his relocation to Minnesota.

WOMEN:

1. - 10:12:56 - Cathy Yndestad, 29, Apple Valley (Ironman Florida '07)

2. - 10:14:31 - Sue Rubens, 41, Plymouth (Ironman Florida '07)

3. - 10:20:13 - Becky Burdick, 33, Plymouth (Ironman Florida '05)

4. - 10:22:47 - Melinda Silbernick, 47, Maple Grove (Ironman Florida '02)

5. - 10:23:26 - Tina Paulson, 36, Andover (Ironman Wisconsin '02)

6. - 10:24:47 - Jan Guenther, 42, Mound (Ironman Wisconsin '02)

7. - 10:24:57 - Sarah Mercer, 32, Golden Valley (Ironman Canada '01)

8. - 10:26:44 - Sue Rubens, 43, Plymouth (Ironman Canada '09)

9. - 10:27:23 - Catherine Lee, 32, Chanhassen (Ironman Arizona '06)

10. - 10:28:19 - Jan Guenther, 50, Mound (Ironman Wisconsin '09)

Other Sub -11 Hour Minnesota Women:

10:32:12 - Julie Hull, 36, Farmington (Ironman Florida '08)

10:35:59 - Sarah Mercer, 38, Golden Valley (Ironman Wisconsin '07)

10:37:38 - Pam Nielsen, 32, Minnetonka (Ironman Arizona '08)

10:42:28 - Robyn Wangberg, 29, Winona (Ironman Canada '08)

10:45:00 - Catherine Lee, 32, Chanhassen (Hawaiian Ironman '06)

10:46:45 - Cathy Yndestad, 30, Apple Valley (Hawaii Ironman '08)

10:49:17 - Melinda Silbernick, 49, Maple Grove (Ironman Wisconsin '04)

10:49:18 - Sarah Mercer, 39, Golden Valley (Hawaiian Ironman '08)

10:49:34 - Jan Guenther, 43, Mound (Hawaiian Ironman '03)

10:52:21 - Pam Nielsen, 33, Minnetonka (Ironman Wisconsin '09)

10:54:18 - Merilee Sander, 48, Northfield (Ironman Arizona '08)

THE AMAZING RUDY GARCIA-TOLSON...

Many of you know about courageous amputee triathlete Rudy Garcia-Tolson. Some of you may have read the story that we're linking to here on ironman.com. Written by the eloquent Lee Gruenfeld, a best-selling author of numerous novels and biographies, this story deserves to be read. Or read again.

" About fourteen years ago, me bride Cherie was swimming laps in a pool in Rialto, California, minding her own business, when she was suddenly struck by a torpedo....READ

(Photo: Rudy's Legs)

TRI-NIGHT PRESS RELEASE...

In case you haven' seen or received the latest press release from the TriNight '09 Committee, here it is:

Do you have your ticket for Tri Night 2009, happening on November 7th at Saint Paul College in St. Paul? Prices are going up to $30 on November 1st so don’t wait. If you have your tickets but have friends that are planning to come, remind them that if they don't buy their tickets now, they might be out of luck as we are limited to 250 attendees and we are expecting to sell out. Remember that tickets are available for purchase at http://www.midwestevents.us/activity/763 and that the evening starts at 5:30 PM and runs until 10 (perfect for those of us who have an early workout on Sunday).
Here are some absolutes for Tri Night 2009, compliments of the event organizing committee.
First off is the menu. Most ingredients are organic and/or sustainable. If you don't know what that is, just know that it's fantastic food. Think of the ticket price (just $26 through October 31st ). It's like we're paying you to show up!
Second is our guest speaker. Troy Jacobson has been around the world of cycling and triathlon for what seems like forever. If you’ve ever ridden on your trainer in the dead of winter to a Spinervals video, you can blame thank Troy for that. If you’ve wondered who coaches some of the world’s best athletes, that’s Troy. He’ll have stories that are sure to enrich your lives. Don’t miss it.
Third is the raffle. You must attend to win the stuff. There are all kinds of things that are super duper valuable. Our awesome sponsors have donated over $2000 of prizes for you to win. If you win something it's going to save you tons of money in gear costs and such for next year.
Fourth are the attendees. Finally you will get a chance to mingle with many of your friends and competitors in a setting where no one is wearing spandex (at least not the tri suit kind), some are wearing slacks and a sweater and some are even wearing suits and dresses. Make some new friends for offseason and next season training and socializing. Triathlon is a lifestyle and it's the people who live it that make it fun. Come experience it even if this is your first year in triathlon, over half the attendees at any given event will be newbie's and Tri Night 2009 is no exception.
Fifth are the awards. From the People's Choice awards to the Minnesota Multisports Awards, you'll be entertained with stories about people who had significant accomplishments or contributions to our chosen sport. Maybe you will win an award or get inspired to win one next year!
Sixth – you can book a hotel at the Kelly Best Western in St. Paul at a great rate (call them at 651-227-8711 and mention TRINIGHT to get a non smoking room for $77 plus tax), park there and walk over to the college, have fun and stumble back.
Last but not least - the organizing committee (made up of people from all clubs, shapes, sizes and even both sexes) have been working incredibly hard on organizing what is sure to be the best Tri Night in the history of the world. We've sold a lot of tickets and we only have a few left but want to sell the night out. With great food, great prizes, great speakers and attendees, streamlined organization of the flow of the evening – the only thing left out is YOU (if you haven't purchased your ticket) or YOUR FRIENDS (if they haven't purchased theirs). So get your tickets today. Right now. Before happy hour. Prior to walking the dog. Right before hitting the gym. And definitely before it's too late!
Steve Gunther
Chief Executive Officer and Owner, VO2 Max & Anytime Fitness Savage
stgunther@att.net
612-859-3729