(Photos: Steve with a shirt & Steve without a shirt.)By Steve Sander
When I arrived at the transition the wind was already getting strong and the temp was telling me this was not going to be a comfortable race. I was also interested to see how the pool swim was going to work. I will admit I was a bit nervous as I am not a great pool swimmer. Once I got settled in the transition area I enjoyed seeing some freinds I met last year and making a few more. It helped me relax and beore I knew it my lane was up.
Before the race I thought my toughest competition was going to be Ross Weinzierl. Ross and I got to know each other before the race and found ourselves in the same lane. I found the swim easier than I thought and felt I could have pushed a little harder but came out exactly where I wanted to. I threw on arm-warmers and gloves along with a wind breaker for the bike and was much more comfortable than I thought I was going to be.
I've raced in tough conditions before but the wind at Chain of Lakes Saturday was by far the worst. I went with my 606 wheel set and still nearly got blown off my bike a few times. It was so windy it was tough to judge how I did but I knew it was not a terrble ride considering the conditions. The wind on the run was much easier to deal with and I was able to let the legs go about a quater mile in. The run felt good and I came in with Ross about a minute and a half behind me. Ross is tough and had a great race.
Because the race started in the pool by lanes of 3-4 people I would have to wait for the results to be posted. Ross and I went on a cool down run and talked about how tough the bike was along with a few other war stories. When we got back I looked at the results and saw that somebody named Sam Janicki destroyed me by over two minutes. My first though was "who the expletive was Sam Janicki?!" Whoever he is put the hammer down and made a statement. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet him or congratulate him after the race but I am seriously impressed. This kid has the potential to go a long way this year if he races like that; Most Improved, Team Minnesota, or Race of the Year come to mind. I don't want to get ahead of myself but if Sam races at some bigger races this year he could be talked about for AOY. Yes, by the numbers I saw Sam is for real and I look forward to meeting him at some other races this year. - SS
Ed. - Thanks for the magnanimous report Steve. Best wishes for another super season. We'll see you at the races and the MMAs.
