Minnetonka Recap

Saturday was exactly what I was hoping for. I knew last year I suffered from some sloppy transitions, especially T2. This year I practiced my transitions with more focus the day before. I also did a lot of visualization on how I wanted the the transitions to go so when they came up I could mentally prepare myself on the way to the zone. My first transition was only slightly faster than last year but I got my race number belt on and left my shoes in the clips. The mount went good and I had a slight bit of trouble getting into the shoes but all in all I was satisfied. Brett had some trouble with his mount missing his saddle twice and ejecting his water bottle and having to go back for it. I don't know if it made the difference in the race but it would have mad for a very exciting finish if he nails it. My second Transition was only 1 second slower than Brett and felt very smooth. It was a full 18 seconds faster than last year and was time that could have made the difference if Brett lands on his saddle on the first try.

I was also extremely pleased with my swim. It was slower than last year but so was everyone else's. I came out third behind a supersonic swimmer Thad Ingersoll and Brett. Erik Henderson passed me on the bike for a few seconds while I was getting on my shoes but as soon as I got them on I started hammering. I saw Brett passing Thad at about mile 5 and did not gain much ground until about mile nine when I started to real Brett in. I made the pass for first with about 3-4 miles left in the bike and came into transition with about a 15 sec lead. I knew I could outrun Brett as long as didn't burn out in the first half mile. Last year I paced of of Michael Williams for the first quarter mile and it proved to work rather well. This year I was on my own and felt good but not great. At the turn I had about a 30 sec lead and for some reason the back half felt a lot easier than the front. I definitely did not have much in the tank at the finish but enough to have a great race and take first by 49 sec.

This is one of my favorite races as it short and close to the cities allowing more of my friends and family to cheer me on. This year my old roommates and close friends Mike and Andrea Moonen came with their son Asher along with my new step father in law, sister in law, her fiance and my ever supportive mother. It was great that they got to see me get a win.

After the race Josh Blankenheim, Tony Schiller and I went on a recovery run together. Tony Schiller is a former pro who has been around forever. He was one of the top distance pros in the world in the late 80s and early 90s not to mention his incredible resume as an AG athlete. Tony won this race two years ago as a young 50 year old and went on to win Worlds that year in his age division. I never turn down a chance to rub shoulders with someone like Tony. Tony's experience and tips are some of the best training tools you can put in your tool box. I asked Tony if he saw anything I could improve on and he told me that I looked like I was bouncing a bit when I was running and showed me how I can correct it Great tip! To go along with being a star in the sport he has to be one of the most approachable guys I've met in the sport. As soon as he crossed the finish line at Minnetonka last year he asked who I was. Always a great compliment when someone you look up to wants to know who you are. Tony and I also shared some stories and even got to talk military for a time. Tony's brother is in the Navy and close to getting his own ship. A very impressive feat. I look forward to racing with Tony in the future and will try to put his tips into practice.