MTN congratulates Dave and Amanda Schutz on the birth of their son, Kaler John, on Monday, December 7. Red-haired and blue-eyed, Kaler weighed 7' 9 oz and measured 21 inches long.
The Manitou Sprint Triathlon is excited to announce the addition of a USA Triathlon Youth F1 and Elite Development Race to our 2010 event on Sunday, June 13th, 2010.
The Youth F1 Triathlon format provides a pathway from Youth Triathlons to Youth Elite and Junior Elite Cups. All ITU draft legal rules will apply. No national points will be awarded at this event. It will be open to athlete’s aged 12-16.
Elite Development Races provide a pathway from Junior Elite racing to USAT/ITU Elite events. It allows for continued skill progression in the draft-legal format without the impact of Intermediate Distance racing. The Junior/Elite Development Race will be open to athlete’s aged 16-25. Athletes over 25 may race by special invite only. Ranking points will only be issued to athletes 16-19 years old.
In addition, the Manitou Triathlon has completely revamped it’s website www.manitoutri.com. The addition of the new events and website are designed to compliment the 21st annual edition of the Manitou Sprint Triathlon. The same great sprint distance event will be run at Ramsey Beach in White Bear Lake, Minnesota on Sunday, June 13th. Registration for all races opens on January 1st, 2010. More information, including event descriptions and registration details can be found at the race website www.manitoutri.com.
We look forward to seeing you in June!
Manitou Triathlon Event Staff
MTN welcomes Robert Ethan Copenhagen, the first child of Minneman founder/director Bill Copenhagen and his wife Katie, to the world.
Which member of Team Minnesota recently confessed that Robbins Pathologic Basis for Disease is one of his all-time favorite books?
Occupation:
Medical Student
College? Where? Degrees?
St. Olaf College. Northfield Mn. Chemistry.
Favorite food:
Home Cookin'
Favorite books:
The Stranger by Camus, anything by Dostoevsky, Chronicles of Narnia,
Lord of the Rings, Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease
Currently reading Kaplan Step I Review, but I don't think it will make
it into my "favorites" category.
Favorite Movies:
Eyes Wide Shut, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Pulp Fiction, Donnie Darko
Favorite actors & actresses:
Nicole Kidman, Al Pacino, Denise Richards in Wild Things
Favorite TV shows:
Beverly Hills 90210, House M.D., pretty much anything on MTV is
entertaining
Favorite Singers or Bands?
Smashing Pumpkins, Nickel Creek, Kraftwerk, Mike Oldfield, Classical,
anything Trance
Favorite Songs?
I can always count on Hillary Duff or Miley Cyrus to get pumped up for
a big race...(is he joking?)
Favorite Junk Food:
Sonic Blasts
Your Perfect Meal:
Nothing beats properly prepared alfredo sauce with shrimp and homemade
noodles.
Favorite Restaurant:
Since I can't afford any real restaurants, probably chipotle
Favorite Alcoholic Beverage:
Anything cheap or made in germany, preferably both
Non-Tri Hobbies:
Listening to music, scrabble, playing with all my parents animals,
road trips, not doing Tri's.
Favorite College Teams:
The Nebraska Cornhuskers. I even own their personalized cycling jersey
to prevent getting hit by angry football fans.
Heroes?
Middle school teachers, Marc Ellingson and Eric Ellingson, Joe the
Plumber, my parents, anybody who gives me free stuff.
Dream Vacation Destination?
A place where I can live on spongecake, watch the sun bake all the
tourists covered in oil, strummin my sixstring, do something with
shrimp and drink lots of Margarita's.
Winter Training? How do you train in the off-season?
Lots of Bicep Curls, Walking around with the weight I gain from
overeating, Snowshoeing, Downhill Skiing, Making Snowmen.
Generally, drafting can be defined as the practice of gaining efficiency by utilizing the water or air currents created by someone or something ahead. There are examples of drafting in both nature and in sports. Geese fly in a V-formation to reduce drag. Dolphins ride wave currents to save energy. Likewise, from motor sports to bicycle racing to open-water swimming, drafting is a skill that people use to improve overall results dramatically. While it is my belief that increasing efficiency through training and improved stroke mechanics is preferred, I would be remiss to ignore the personal advantage and energy saved by drafting. This article will assess the fundamental pros, cons, and how-to’s of drafting in the swimming leg of the triathlon.
While completely legal, drafting can be accomplished by simply swimming directly behind a lead swimmer within 3 ft or at the hip within 2 ft. That said, be careful whom you follow. Are you drafting off someone whose pace you can maintain? Or, are you drafting off someone whose pace is waning? Are you familiar enough with your desired pace so that you can recognize when this is occurring? If so, remember that you can go from draft to draft. In other words, you may find that you need to find a more appropriate “draftee”. This should be done calmly and should stay within your race plan. To make such adjustments, wearing clear goggles is a must, especially in murky water, so you can position yourself correctly.
Properly done, drafting can improve efficiency up to 45%. This may just be the advantage you need. Some of you may remember when the USA Olympic swim relay drafted off of the French team and stormed home for the gold. The USA swimmer took advantage of his second place position, and took the draft. The energy savings allowed the American to charge in the last 15 meters, surpassing the French competitor. Says Jim Wise, former all American swimmer and owner of Elsmore Aquatic, “If you are the lead dog, you are the target”. As a lead swimmer you will need to know your competition, and will need to be aware whether someone is using you to draft. If you are confident that your pace can sustain the lead, you may not care whether someone is drafting. If you know that a competitor can challenge you throughout the swim, you may want to allow someone else to take the lead so that you can build your energy reserves for the other two legs of the race.
Some question the sportsmanship of drafting. As a swimming purist, all efforts to improve swimming through correct mechanics and training are preferred and all other skills and tactics are a bonus. Consider drafting just another tool among many in your arsenal. For example, through the use of a wetsuit a swimmer can artificially improve both body position and buoyancy. Many of the athletes I have worked with can improve times up to 20 seconds per 100 yards using a wetsuit. Over a mile, this can save over 5 minutes in time.
There are some negative consequences of drafting. Although collaborative efforts to block other swimmers are a rare practice in triathlon, it is a possibility. Interfering with the draftee by getting too close, or excessive contact due to sloppy stroke mechanics. If this happens don’t be surprised if the draftee gives you a swift kick on their downbeat kick.
In conclusion, my opinion is to "take what nature gives you." Be fair, respectful, and use drafting as a skill to improve efficiency, something that will allow you to swim, ride and run faster.
Coach Walton can be contacted at tim@waltontraining.com.
(Photo: Heidi Keller-Miler and daughter Madison, 15, at the trailhead of Colorado's 14,000-foot Quandry Peak.)
Tom Miler has learned to live with the fact that his significant other is a, gulp, groupie.
Team Minnesota's PATRICK PARISH has, with extensive counseling and high doses of anti-psychotic medication, gotten his homicidal tendencies under control. You'll be happy to know that the woman he is happily strangling in the photo survived his savage attack (the victim's friend tasered Patrick). Her trachea has been surgically repaired, the bruises have faded and the nightmares are less frequent.
In truth, Patrick has never harmed a member of his own species. He was not actually strangling the girl in the picture; he was "playing doctor," checking for swollen lymph nodes.
In 2004 I learned that my co-worker's husband had a kidney disease and needed a transplant. His brother had donated to him 3 years earlier and unfortunately the kidney disease came back and he needed another transplant. They had no more family to ask and the doctors thought it would be best to have a non-related donor this time. After a little research on kidney donation I decided to volunteer to see if I was a match for him. It turned out that I was and about 3 weeks later I donated my left kidney to him. Its been almost 6 years and he is doing great and I have had no lingering side effects from donating. As an athlete the only thing I have noticed since donating is I don't tolerate hot weather races as well as I did before but I'm ok with that since it has allowed someone else to have their life back.
Organizers of the YWCA Women's Triathlon will be announcing some exciting changes in the near future. Stay tuned...
nnay? Or a Gewurztraminer? 
Favorite Movies: A Walk in the CloudsFavorite Singers or Bands? Love all 80's music
Hello Friends,
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
(Photo: The Bich Family - L-R Grandfather Howard, sons Connor, 9, Nate, 11, dad Brian and mom, Kirsten.)
Occupation: College Biology Instructor (Lake Superior College in Duluth)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
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.
2009 Most Improved nominee, Steve Sander had this to say about Devon Palmer going pro:
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.
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
(Facebook Photo: Lydia Novotny and her best friend, Phydeaux. Actually, his name is Oscar.)
