(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.
