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.

To be continued...

(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.

To be continued...

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

ANOTHER TRIATHLON, ANOTHER VICTORY...

While web cruising recently we stumbled upon two great articles by Pat Miller. (Pat writes for the Northwood Press in Nevis, MN.) Attached here is Pat's separate coverage of the men's and women's races at the Northwoods Triathlon last August.

Men's Race: READ.

Women's Race: READ.

(Photo: Northwoods Triathlon men's champion Brooks Grossinger.)

A GREAT SEASON FOR THE SKORT LADY...

Some triathletes don't disappear into the crowd. They have something that sets them apart. A sparkle. A magnetism. Kevin O'Connor, for instance, has a ubiquitous "Magic Johnson" smile. Eighty-four-year-old Bob Powers exudes a palpable warmth and an understated gregariousness. He truly likes people. Gregg Garrettson is more overtly extroverted and at 6'5ish, is impossible to miss. When he asks you how are you doing, you know he cares about your answer.

These and others remind us that races are as much social experiences as they are athletic tests. Don't you feel sad for that person who arrives at the venue, talks to no one and leaves as soon as the race is over, the value of his or her time spent measured only by whether his/her competitive goals were met or not?

Another person who can light up a race venue is Minneapolis' Karen Bebchuk, a 43-year-old mother of two girls. And her O'Connorian smile, Powersian warmth and Garrettsonian congeniality are not the only things that make her stand out in a crowd.

She is also the "Skort Lady."

Sure, lots of women race in skorts these days, but Karen was one of the first Minnesotans to don this particular garment. She's been "skorted" for years. She owns numerous pairs, some of which sport rather flamboyant patterns. (Note the floral motif that she's wearing in the purloined Facebook picture above.)

And it is quite possible that Karen is the fastest skort-wearing triathlete in the Land 'o 10-Grand. Check out her 2009 Highlights:

* 3rd overall woman @ Heart of the Lakes Short Course

* 4th overall woman @ Liberty Olympic

* 7th overall @ the YWCA Women's Triathlon

* 12th overall @ Iron Girl - Bloomington

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS...

Multiple Ironman World Champion Cherie Gruenfeld shares some wonderful, inspiring images from the annual CAF Celebration in Southern California. View.

RACE OF THE YEAR - TOP 5 VOTE-GETTERS...

MTN congratulates the Top 5 Vote-Getters for the 2009 Triathletes Choice Favorite Race of the Year. In alphabetical order, they are:

* Lake Marion Triathlon *

* Lake Minnetonka Triathlon *

* Minneman Triathlon *

* Trinona *

* YWCA Women's Triathlon *

Fifty-Five races received votes. The Apple Duathlon almost made the finalists list, falling just 3 votes shy of doing so. In 7th place was Croixathlon, which came within 18 votes of being included. Heart of the Lakes, Timberman and Manitou rounded out the Top 10 Vote-Getters.

MTN, the presenting sponsor of the MMA portion of TriNight '09, thanks all who participated in the voting process.

The TCROY will be announced at the conclusion of the TriNight '09 ceremonies at St. Paul College on November 7. Tickets are still available.

RAMPANT CHEATING? NAH. NOT REALLY...

A very prominent local triathlete told MTN recently that he doesn't vote for Race of the Year because he suspects rampant cheating. "Ballot Box Stuffing," were his words. And yes, he spoke in capitals.

Guess what?

That triathlete was right!

Well, sorta. Cheating happens, though on what we consider to be a "sub-rampant" scale.

What that triathlete didn't know until it was explained to him, was that the obvious cheating is detected and those votes are deleted and suspicious votes are "Red Flagged." In the end, we do in fact know which event deserves the award.

Here are some of the safeguards we employ:

* Finding & eliminating multiple e-addresses. Example: "TH" had voted three times, using her accounts with gmail, yahoo and hotmail. Two of her votes were deleted.

* Scrutinizing those events for whom more than 40% of their finishers vote for that event. Historically, ROYs have received votes from 35-40% of their finishers. In one case, 71% of the equivalent number of finishers of an event voted for that event. A closer look revealed lots of duplicates, multi-addresses and curious addresses (from people unassociated with the event or "goofy" addresses). This event was eliminated from consideration for ROY.

* Goofy Addresses. Actual Example: booger@nosepicker.com. We send test e-mails to these addresses, which invariably bounce back as undeliverable. They are then deleted.

* Curious Addresses. Example: A few years back a certain race got 60 votes from a certain municipal address. We red flagged these, knowing that not everyone who works for the City of St. Louis Park raced at the _______ Triathlon.

At the conclusion of voting, we subtract the number each race's red flags from that event's voting total. If doing so affects a potential winner, we scrutinize the addresses even further and contact the race director and send e-mails to addresses that don't seem to link up with names in the results. We have only had to do this on two occasions. Every other time, the number of possible cheaters, have not been large enough to, once subtracted, dislodge the event from its position among the top vote-getters.

HAMMERIN' HANK...

He's a handsome, mild-mannered gentleman from handsome, mild-mannered Glencoe, a 6000-resident community about an hour's drive west of the Twin Cities. His name is Henry Larsen, but most folks call him Hank.

Hank Larsen, 69, the 2009 Minnesota Grand Master of the Year and perennial nominee for that accolade, is one of America's premier over-age-60 multisportsman; as accomplished in duathlons as he is in tris. And though he seldom races in long distance events, i.e. half IMs, he never fails to impress when he does.

Hank hopes to repeat as GMOY, but that is easier said than done. Also up for the award are du specialist Bob Bailey, 65, perennial nominee and former National Champion Pam Stevens, 57, and 63-year-old Ben Ewers, who is certainly one of the top 3 fastest 60-plussers in the Land.

As you can see, the GMOY is one serious category. We'll find out on November 7 at the TriNight '09 festivities if the GM Trophy has Hank's name on it.

Here's Hank's 2009 Scorecard:

* Divisional victories at Oakdale Duathlon, Gear West, Lake Waconia, Heart of the Lakes (CR!) and Turtleman. A 2nd place 65-69M finish (behind Bob Bailey) at The Apple Duathlon and a 7th place finish against an astonishingly deep divisional field at the ITU Duathlon World Championships (when he was able to avenge his Apple loss to Bailey, who placed 9th).

HAVE YOU VOTED YET?

Triathletes Choice Favorite

Race of the Year

Voting has been brisk and, to date, 54 events have received votes for ROY. If you have not voted, be aware that voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 25. On Monday (10/26) the Top 5 vote-getters will be announced on this site. And the winner will be revealed at the conclusion of the Minnesota Multisport Awards portion of the TriNight '09 festivities on November 7 at St. Paul College.

Have you gotten your tickets yet? If not, link here.

ROY History: Past Winners

2008 - Minneman

2007 - Minneman

2006 - Minneman

2005 - Turtleman

2004 - Turtleman

2003 - Tri-America Oakdale

2002 - Turtleman

2001 - Timberman

2009 - Timberman

WHY JON WON'T BE AT TRI-NIGHT...

(Photo: Jon is the guy on the right.)

Wouldn't you know it?

The year that Thunder Bay, Ontario's Jonathan Balabuck becomes eligible for Minnesota Multisport Award consideration he won't be able to attend the TriNight festivities on November 7.

That's because the Triathlete of the Year nominee will be on what is known as "The Redneck Riviera." More specifically, he'll be in Panama City, Florida, a place that looks and feels a lot like Mexico, albeit with a fresh coat of paint. Well, maybe not that fresh. And it has the most beautiful beaches anywhere.

Panama City is the site of Ironman Florida, and Balabuck is registered for this year's race.

Via e-mail, Jon, pictured above with his son, talks about his iron-history and his preparation for IMFL '09.

"Ironman is like a favorite food. In little portions, you crave it, but once you have over-indulged; you can't wait until you've digested it and are completely done.

"I had my first crack at Ironman back in 2004 at Lake Placid; went in blind, and finished with a whole new view of what serious training meant.

"We have had snow here already, no leaves for a month, and the last time I open water swam was September 11th (Burrito Union 10 Hour Tri). So why would I want to do a late season Ironman? Like I stated earlier, I crave one last race and hopefully all the cards will fall right. That is what has been keeping me going. That is what puts me on the indoor trainer for long rides, in a wetsuit in the pool, and on the treadmill during the dark. The idea that just being able to do something so big has enough clout to earn one's respect. I respect Ironman (the distance).

"In 08, I DNFed in Arizona due to paracarditis (viral infection of the heart wall)

but at the time I thought it was just a bad day. It turned out to be a really bad day, both physically and emotionally. I had always promised myself never DNF and walking it in was some form of respect to all other athletes; much like Rutger Beke did in 07- he walked the marathon in Hawaii, when I passed him he said 'good job' and I always respected that mentality of triathletes.

"In Arizona I was sick, and when I finally admitted defeat on the race course, I was a broken man. Florida is in a way a redemption for that race. So Training may have been less than ideal, but my passion to wake up and give it a solid go is strong, so only the day itself will dictate how the script will unfold.

"Prediction? I do have number stuck in my head, written down on a piece of paper hidden even from my wife and child, but those who train with me, know this number- It is written in marker on my pull buoy and paddles to remind me why when I start slipping.

"In the end it is the journey, and the journey has been fun. All the races in Minnesota are gems and if I find success on race day in Florida, every single person that toed the waters edge with me have made it possible.

"To all the volunteers, race directors athletes...Thanks for the memories and see you at the races in 2010." JB

STEVE WAS ROBBED!

(Photo: Steve Sander at Young Life Triathlon)

"I saw your review of Most Improved and of Triathlete of the Year -- how is it that Steve Sander makes the Most Improved list, over Triathlete of the Year? He WON the overall of the TRI Minnesota Series. Wouldn't that put him in the running--or at least 'considered'?

"Palmer, Payne- most improved? Improved from what? Kicking butt in 08 (or more years for Palmer) to kicking butt by a bigger margin in 09?" - Mario Minelli

Mario, thank you for the opportunity to explain the rationale used by the MMA Selection Committee to determine award nominees.

First of all, Steve's name was discussed when the committee was determining TOY nominees. So were Patrick's, Matthew's and Dan Cohen's.

Steve's name was dropped from the discussion when his head-to-head performances with each of the eventual nominees, plus Patrick, Matthew and Dan, were reviewed. He did not win any of the head-to-head battles. Also, the margins which separated him from these rivals was often significant.

Next, those who did receive nominations excelled in events with greater perceived field quality. A few years back Lynette Bacon won all seven of the multis that we were aware of her having entered, still she did not earn a spot on Team MN, i.e. those perceived to be the 10 most accomplished male and female multisport athletes in the state that year. Why? She did not face any of the state's top women, like Cathy Yndestad, Julie Hull, Marlo McGaver et al. How then did we measure her performances? What we did is make a list of the 2nd placing girls in each of the races that Lynette won. We then compared their times and places to those recorded by the top finishers at our state's most competitive events.

The results were interesting.

Only one of the runners-up--Jen Lenarz--had cracked the Top 10 in a Midwest Multisport Series event that year. Jen had actually finished 7th twice and an 8th on another occasion in MMS events and the time differential between her and the winners in each case was several minutes.

The point we wish to make here is that the Committee truly scrutinizes the performances; we take this process very seriously. Lynette is a talented triathlete and so is Steve, but wins alone do not determine whether one is worthy of a TOY nomination. Field quality, head-to-head battles and relative splits are all taken into consideration.

Mario, we have a question for you. Who would you bump from the TOY list to make room for Steve? Devon? Kevin? Brian? Sam ? Jon?

That's a hard one, isn't it?

There is soooooooo much talent in Minnesota that limiting the nominations to just 4 or 5 will invariably leave a deserving athlete or two behind. Steve is an emerging talent and we haven't seen his best racing yet. There should be lots of nominations coming his way in the years to come.

Now for the "Most Improved" issue. Devon Palmer won ONE race in 2008, the Liberty Half, and he was helped by the fact that Dan Arlandson, Dan Cohen and John Shelp all made mileage-adding wrong turns on the bike course. His runner-up efforts at Manitou and Lake Waconia were actually his best performances of the year. In 2009, he won FOUR big races--Manitou (CR), Life Time Fitness Elite, Heart of the Lakes and Turtleman--and placed 3rd overall at AG Nationals. He's gone from being ranked 7th on Team Minnesota to being a contender for 2nd (Top Amateur) behind perennial #1 David Thompson.

That's major improvement, Mario.

Now for Matthew Payne's "MI" nomination. In 2009, Matt won one race (Graniteman) and finished 2nd in one other (Lakes Country). He had no other podium finishes. This year, he won three races--Chain of Lakes, Albert Lea and Buffalo Olympic--and reached the podium in five other races. And his lowest finish was a 7th at Life Time Fitness Elite; last year he failed to crack the overall Top 10 in four races.

Matt was good last year, but not quite good enough for a spot on Team Minnesota. He'll definitely make the team this year.

Steve Sander sent us this response:

"Just saw that I seem to be at the center of a little controversy. If I may point out that I had a few races in 2005 but was deployed to Iraq in 06 and 07 so last year was essentially my rookie year for being a competitive triathlete. Although I was an All American I believe I didn't get a lot of recognition because I was just out of the lead pack. However, if you look at Buffalo 08, Mankato 08 and Waconia 08 Matt and I were very close if not evenly matched. Matt just did more high profile races to include winning the Tri MN Series last year. At the beginning of the season Matt blew me out of the water. By the end of the season I was starting to catch up. Devon on the other hand was fast last year and super fast this year. In my opinion Devon has easily demonstrated that he has improved greatly this year and could if not should win Athlete of the year. Then there is Patrick. Besides the fact that if you take a picture of him while running it is guaranteed to be fuzzy he has improved as an all around triathlete with much improved swim and especially bike splits. I'm glad I'm not voting on this one.

"I have only to blame myself for not being considered for Athlete of the year. At best I could hope for an honorable mention but I didn't compete in the races I needed to so I could show how I compare against the "Big Dogs". That coupled with a few beginner mistakes I made in the big races I did compete in. I am honored and ecstatic that I am even being considered for most improved against guys like Matt, Devon and Patrick. If I don't make those same mistakes next year I will have a better shot at being considered for larger awards but for now I will bask in the honor of both a great season and being noticed enough to be in a controversy. " SS

THIS GUY IS FAST...

It's not hard to get a Minnesota Master of the Year nomination.

That is, it's not hard if you are a perennial nominee for US Master of the Year (Brian Bich), or the reigning 45-49 National Champion and overall winner of the Square Lake Half IM (Rhett Bonner), or you set a 55-59M record at Ironman Coeur D'Alene AND turned in a half IM time that would have nuked your division's World Best had the course been accurate (Greg Taylor), or if you are simply the most decorated amateur triathlete in the history of the Sport (Tony Schiller).

Do you know the guy who's pictured here? He's one of several wicked-fast over-age-40 Minnesotans who almost received an MOY nomination. His name is Charlie Roach, he's 51 and lives in Lakeville.

Here's what Charlie did this season.

He kicked off the year with a 5th place overall finish at the Falls Duathlon. He followed that with a 3rd place overall finish at Paynesville. His next effort was a 4:33:37 at Chisago Half.

In August he cracked the overall Top 10 at both Lakes Country (7th) and Minneapolis Duathlon (10th).

MTN congratulates Charlie Roach on his super season. We want him to know that his accomplishments have not gone unnoticed.

IRONMAN REALITIES...

Cherie Gruenfeld is the best 65+ female ironman in the world. Her husband, Lee, is the author of numerous wonderful books and Cherie's biggest fan.

You may have read this piece on ironman.com. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. If you have, well, it's worth reading again.

And again.

Experience is a harsh teacher -- she gives the test before she gives the lesson - and once in a while we need a reminder that toeing the start line at Ironman isn't an automatic ticket to a lifetime of bragging rights. Read...

JOSH'S KONA QUEST..

Edina's Josh Riff files this report:

Kona Race Report 2009

October 10th, 2009. Bobbing up and down in Kailua bay, Kona I reflected on the last two years and drew the strength that would get me through this Ironman. I know Kona is a special race, I had done it before, however this time would be different.

This quest to Kona started in 2006. I had qualified for Kona at IM Arizona with a 9:37 and had trained while living in Tucson. I was working as an ER doc and had tons of time to train and we had our first child on the way so I thought this would be my last big dance. A week before the race I was hit by a car while on a training ride and my life changed forever. Thinking my racing was done I accepted a dream job working for Target as a medical director and moved to Minneapolis. I also started to grow a family and we had our second child a year and half later. After 2 years I began to feel the itch and decided I needed psychological closure and signed up for IM AZ. I thought this would be my last IM but I ended up qualifying for Kona with a 9:29 finish. I took the spot.

Training for Kona was interesting. In June I was promoted to be medical director of Target, I still worked in the ER Monday nights, my children were 2 years old and 6 months, and my wife, while perfectly understanding, is not a huge fan of 6 hour rides on a Saturday. Some days had me working out at 3 am to get a workout completed by 9 am. My computrainer saw a lot of action. What I underestimated, and as a doctor should have known better, was that despite getting in the training I was not getting in the recovery and about 6 weeks prior to the race developed a knee pain that would have me limping mid run. Despite aggressive physical therapy, cortisone injections, and even acupuncture it never improved. After 4 weeks of water running it still was hurting. I knew this was going to be a painful race.

Race morning was uneventful. There is an electric energy to the race in Kona and you can feel the excitement in the air. I lined up 2 rows back in the swim and without any warning the cannon went off. The first 5-10 minutes of the Kona swim is a washing machine ride full of elbows. I was able to make it through the swim relatively unscathed in 1:03. My goal was 60 minutes but such is life.

Running into transition was painful to my knee and I knew today was going to be a long day. I have a rule about never making last minute changes but on this day I decided to race with a front 303 and to use arm coolers (Thanks Kevin of Gear West). This was an awesome decision as immediately on the bike it started to heat up and dumping water on my arms was a welcome reward. The ride to Hawi was easier then I remembered and I was slingshotting along.

Normally I can bridge packs of riders pretty aggressively but knowing that I was going to have a long, painful run I decided to enjoy my time on the bike and never went all out. This was very different from my usual style of ride until I want to throw up, but hey I am an older, wiser man. The ride was completely enjoyable and before I knew it, it was over. The hard part was about to begin.

As I entered T2 I actually sat down to get ready. I really took my time and even stopped to say hi to Dan Arlandson. I decided it was time to go and started to run. OK I started to limp. My first mile was in the 8 minute range. I was in real pain but worse was the fact that I was being passed by 100’s of people. It was rather demoralizing as I had great fitness (I was training for a 3:10 run) but did not have the chassis to support it. At mile 3 I saw my friend a physical therapist who shouted “You look terrible, but I think you can finish”. I continued to limp until mile 5 when I thought my knee could not get worse and then I picked up the pace for 100 steps, then I would slow down to ease the pain. When I hit Palani hill I got a boost of adrenaline as the Target Kona store was volunteering at the aid station and went crazy when I came by. After jogging up Palani I hit the highway and made a pact to sort of run aid station to aid station which I would walk and get ice. The aid stations were my savior.

As I entered and exited the energy lab I was beginning to feel psychologically better. I knew I would finish the race and would not be walking all night. Between mile 21 and 24 my knee really started to stiffen up and began to lock up forcing me to stretch it out. At mile 24 I was at 9:43 overall time. I debated trying to break 10 hours but decided today was not my day. After cruising through the aid station at mile 24 I saw two pro friends of mine walking and they invited me to finish with them. As tempting as it was I decide to finish this sucker as fast as I could. The last 1.2 miles of Kona are the longest 1.2 miles of your life. As I finally turned the corner on Alii drive I was getting the “Looking good” to which I responded “I do not think so”. I ran in to finish in 10:06 with a 3:46 marathon. Ouch.

Looking back I am proud of my accomplishments. While I could not execute on the race I trained for, I adapted and truly enjoyed my time racing. While I normally race for a PR or a podium finish this time I raced for personal redemption. In 10 or 20 years from now I will not remember my finish time but I will remember the feeling of flying down the Queen K highway, of crossing the line and being greeted by fellow Target team members, and of overcoming injury to finish what I started. This year made me stop and think about what racing an IM really is about and it made me reflect on the personal and professional sacrifices it takes to be competitive in an IM. When I was younger it was about pushing the body faster and further than I had before and it was about competition. This year’s race was a turning point. It made me realize Ironman is not about swimming, biking, and running 140.6 miles as fast as you can, it is about getting to the starting line and hopefully making it across the finish line with the respect and love of those who are special to you.

Riff, Joshua

S - 01:03:32

B - 05:09:09

R - 03:46:00

10:06:54

RHETT'S ODYSSEY...FINAL CHAPTER..

(Larry Rosa Photo: Kona at Midnight. There's no place like this place.)

Race Day


"Awoke at 4 am feeing pretty good. Got dropped off by my family at the Kona Pier at about 5:30, with lots of activity going on already. I found my way through the maze of the King Kamehameha Hotel to the body marking area which was running very smoothly compared with when I was here in 2004. I then went and pumped my tires up and made sure my bike and bike shoes were attached to each other and were ready to go.....READ..

A GREAT IMAGE FROM DALLAS...

Devon Palmer chasing Best of the US National champion, Brian Duffy at the Toyota US Open in Dallas. (YndeCam Photo)

SO MUCH WAS ON THE LINE....

(Below - Hammering through the gloom, Cathy Yndestad heads for downtown Dallas. Image courtesy of ASIPhoto.com. Right - Florida's Mandy Mclane winning her 2nd major Olympic distance triathlon of the year.)

Most of the girls who will receive 2009 USAT Athlete of the Year consideration were in Dallas for the 3rd annual Toyota US Open last Sunday. Apple Valley' s Cathy Yndestad, a two-time AOY Honorable Mention, and Windemere, Florida's Mandy Malone went off the front; not only in the Race to the Toyota Cup, but in the battle for the AOY award.

The morning was dank, gray and chilly and conditions were not going to improve. The downtown highrises were decapitated by gauzy mist. Twenty-plus miles away, Cathy stood on the slope leading into the slate waters of Joe Pool Lake. Standing nearby were fellow Elite Championship wavers Lindsay Whalen of Chicago, Florida's super master Linda Robb, the vastly improved Jenny Fletcher, a transplanted New Yorker who now calls Santa Monica, California home, and Mandy McLane. All of these girls are vying for post-season honors. The question is, which would get the Big Prize--the US Athlete of the Year crown--and who would settle for Honorable Mention.

From the get-go, Mandy and Cathy demonstrated an aggressive purposefulness that the others couldn't match. In the early miles of the bike segment it became clear that one of these girls would win. Cathy had faced Mandy twice this season, at Life Time Fitness and at Nationals, and come out on top both times.

But this was a different Mandy Mclane.

As always, Cathy fought tooth-and-nail, but this was Mandy's day, her eventual margin of victory 47 seconds. Lindsay Whalen rounded out the women's Elite Championship podium, finishing 1:17 after Cathy.

Here's a look at the seasons of these three great triathletes. Who do you think is in the driver's seat in the race to the AOY award?

* Cathy Yndestad - Six wins in 11 starts plus a 3rd place overall finish at Nationals, where she out-raced both Lindsay (8th) and Mandy, who did not crack the Top 25, highlight her 2009 scorecard. Additionally, she only missed the podium on one occasion, a 4th at St. Anthony's. In nationally visible events, she has one win (Life Time Fitness) and two 2nds (Buffalo Springs Lakes 70.3 and Toyota US Open). In Cathy's favor here is her consistency and the her head-to-head records against Mandy (2-1) and Lindsay (3-1).

* Mandy Mclane - Huge wins at Chicago, Florida 70.3 and Toyota US Open are her highlights. Non-elite efforts at Nationals and the Florida Challenge Half, and placing behind both Cathy (by 2:48) and Lindsay (by 1:12) at Life Time Fitness raise the question of consistency.

* Lindsay Whalen - Like Mclane, Whalen has several big wins--Hy-Vee, Memphis in May, Miami International and Augusta 70.3--this season. On the downside, Mandy beat her by more than 4 minutes at Chicago and 2:04 at Dallas, and Cathy outperformed her at Life Time (by 1:36), Nationals (by 1:30) and Dallas (by 1:17).

Cathy will face Mandy and Lindsay one more time this season, that being at the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, FL on November 12.

US Open Results:

Editor's Note: Other girls who should also receive AOY consideration include long distance stars Kathleen Calkins and Meredith Brooke Keeran.

DEVON'S DALLAS...

(Competitive Image / Paul Phillips Photo: Devon doing what he does better than anyone else.)

St. Paul's Devon Palmer had a great race against a super field at the Toyota US Open Triathlon in Dallas last Sunday. It wasn't until the 2nd mile of the run that Pennsylvania's Brian Duffy pulled away from Palmer and strode on to victory.

Though he was not passed, Devon ultimately finished 4th. Later starters Nathan White of Des Moines, who closed with a 32:05 run split, and super rookie Sean Jefferson, an elite runner-turned-triathlete-just-seven-months-ago, slipped into the 1:12 gap between the winner and the St. Paul resident. FYI, Jefferson covered the final 10K in 31:02! Only two-time Olympic medalist Bevan Docherty (NZL), who placed 3rd in the pro race, ran faster, albeit by seconds.

Devon had every reason to be pleased with his effort. The three men who beat him will all receive USAT AOY consideration. Why? Duffy's '09 resume includes wins at New York City, Philadelphia, Nations and Best of the US. White's scorecard is highlighted by wins at Hy-Vee and Big Creek. And Jefferson's claim to fame is his 2nd place overall finish at Tuscaloosa, just 11 seconds behind National Champion Joey Maloy of Massachusetts.

The roster of elites that Palmer out-raced on Sunday was also very impressive, guys like National duathlon champion Nicholas Sterghos (4th) of Georgia, three-time AOY Honorable Mention Mark Harms (5th) of Wisconsin, Richmond, Virginia's very promising Rudy Kahsar (6th) and Washington DC's Zach Britton (7th). Who knows, maybe Devon will garner a AOY Honorable Mention.

We'll know next month. And if he's not honored this year, you can bet he will be in 2010.

US Open Results:

OSCEOLA DUATHLON...IN JOE'S WORDS..

Rochester tri/du-athlete Joe Moyer (pictured) has been racing like a banshee of late. And with great success. He's won two of the last three duathlons he's entered, and placed 2nd in the other. His wife Ann has enjoyed similar success.

Joe's most recent victory was at the Osceola Duathlon last Sunday. This is his report:

"When pulling into Osceola on race morning, the temperature reading at a bank was somewhere in the 20s, maybe 26. I don't quite remember as I was trying not to acknowledge it. When unloading the bikes from the back of the truck, there was a layer of frost on both of them.

"The bike portion of the race was shortened to 11 miles from 22, due to concerns that the cold...and forecasted windy conditions would be hazardous at worst and unpleasant at best.

The opening 3 mile run and closing 1 mile run remained the same. During packet pick-up, many of the athletes expressed some dissatisfaction that the shortened bike course would cause them to not place as well overall. I could understand their feelings, as I am a much stronger cyclist than runner. That said, I feel that Gloria (the race director) made the correct. decision,

"I was assigned bib #1, so there was some pressure to put in a good effort. I knew I needed to stay close to the fastest runners, so I would have time to....move in front of them on the shortened bike course.

"Ann and I both warmed up well so we could go into the first run at full intensity. When the gun went off.., I settled into a good pace....By the halfway point I moved into 3rd...and was only 10-15 seconds behind the two leaders coming into transition. I saw that Ann was in the lead at this point of the race.

"Transition was a bit slower than I would have liked, as I needed to put on some winter gloves so that my hands wouldn't go numb on the bike.

"On the bike, I settled into a good pace and could see the two leaders...I moved into 2nd...after two miles. At about mile 3 I made my final pass...Knowing how short the bike course was, I was riding right at, or above, anaerobic threshold...as I needed a bit of a buffer going into the last run.

"Coming into transition, they announced that I had a pretty good lead, so I got the running shoes on as quickly as possible and headed out. I started the run very hard, and maintained that intensity the entire time...Nobody was close enough to pass me, but due to the fact that there were waves of athletes that started behind me, there could still have been another competitor covering the course in a quicker time...

"I crossed the line with a time of 57:23. The announcer told me if nobody else crossed...by 1:00:23 I would be the overall winer. (The last wave started 3 minutes behind the first wave.)

"1:00:23 came and went without anyone else finishing and I realized that I had won. Immediately I headed out onto the run course to find my wife Ann. I was hoping she could pull off an overall win, as I bet it would be the first time in MN multisport history that a husband and wife won the same race overall.

"Alas, it was not to be, and Ann finished 2nd...which was a very good effort for her considering the cold and her intolerance to it.

"Maybe next year Ann and I can pull off the double win." JM

Editor's Note: Joe, we're not sure that you and Ann would have been the first Minnesota couple to win the same race. We suspect that Suzann and Mo Mouw may have done that on more than one occasion.

2009 Osceola Duathlon Results

1. Joe Moyer (Rochester, MN) - 57:25

2. Jim Felling (River Falls, WI) - 58:30

3. Denver Rogolla (19, Morse, MN) - 59:12

1. Diane Hankee (Lino Lakes, MN) - 1:05:33 (This was Diane's 3rd win in 2009!)

2. Ann Moyer (Rocjester, MN) - 1:06:21

3. Renne Richards (Oshkosh, WI) - 1:06:47

NOT A DAY FOR PRs...

Photo: Michellie Jones & Rhett Bonner. He insists that they are just "good friends."

(Kailua Kona, HI - Sunday, October 11, 2009) Furnace-like heat. 8000-pound gorilla humidity. Gale-force winds. Unless your name was Chrissy Wellington (women's CR - 8:54:02!) or Cherie Gruenfeld (65-69W CR - 13:22:10), you set your Performance Dial on "Survival Mode" and prayed for a same-day finish. Several fast Minnesotans spent much more time, in some cases extra hours, on the courses than originally hoped.

How'd they do?

Here's how:

* Dan Arlandson, 33, Burnsville - PR - 9:13:42 (Full Vineman '09) - IRONMAN '09 - 10:19:44

* Rhett Bonner, 45, Duluth - PR - 10:42 (Hawaii '04) - IRONMAN '09 - 10:31:14

* Mark Carey, 39, Rochester - PR - 9:11:41 (Florida '07) - IRONMAN '09 - DNF

* Dan Friedrichs, 40, Mankato - PR - 9:47:41 (Florida '02 - Dan's 1st IM!) IRONMAN '09 - 11:04:39

* Josh Riff, 34, Edina - PR - 9:29:59 (Arizona '08) - IRONMAN '09 - 10:06:54

* Greg Taylor, 55, Mankato - PR since turning 50 - 9:37:20 (Hawaii '05) - IRONMAN '09 - DNF

* Sue Rubens, 43, Plymouth - PR - 10:14:31 (Florida '07) - IRONMAN '09 - 11:53:28

* Merilee Sander, 49, Northfield - PR - 10:54:18 (Arizona '08) IRONMAN '09 - 13:33:56

PERSPECTIVE: After winning the 1979 Boston Marathon, a TV reporter asked Bill Rodgers which runner he admired most. She expected to hear a name like Lasse Viren or Toshihiko Seko or Jerome Drayton or Derek Clayton.

"Anyone who spends more than 4 hours to go the distance," was Rodgers' surprising, sensitive and thoughtful reply. He went on to explain that he knows his limits; that he was blessed with speed and that he could tolerate no more than two hours and twenty-five minutes of running.

The abovementioned elite triathletes pushed themselves and persevered for much longer than they had hoped to last weekend. Hanging in there required extraordinary guts and will and they are to be admired even more than had they achieved their original goals. What they did last Sunday was learn first-hand what their less-gifted peers go through every time they toe the line at an IM. Those folks who commit themselves to continuous movement for 13-14-15-16-17-or-more hours; the folks who the great Boston Billy Rodgers believes deserve the lion's share of the admiration.

* Ironman...Results...

MALE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR...

(YndeCam Photo: Devon Palmer is nominated for three of his performances this season.

The Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009Minnesota Male Performance of the Year.

* DAN ARLANDSON, 33, Burnsville - PERFORMANCE: His 2nd consecutive win atFull Vineman (9:13) in northern California. Dan won the 2008 POY award for for his dominating win on this storied race course.

* KEVIN O'CONNOR, 38, Medina - PERFORMANCE: His course-record effort against a stellar field--Brian Bich, Devon Palmer, Nathan White, Curt Wood et al--at Pigman Sprint.

*DEVON PALMER, 22, St. Paul - PERFORMANCE: His course-record-setting victory atManitou Sprint. This effort illustrated that he had, as they say, "gone to the next level."

* DEVON PALMER, 22, St. Paul - PERFORMANCE: His victory at Life Time Fitness Elite, which had arguably the deepest "non-championship" amateur men's field of of the year in the U.S.

* DEVON PALMER, 22, St. Paul --Performance: Devon's brilliant 1:27:45 at Heart of the Lakes was the event's fastest amateur time since 1999.

Other performances receiving serious consideration:

* Kevin O'Connor's CR at Minneman

* Sam Hauck's course record, set under extremely windy conditions at RochesterFest Olympic.

* Jeremy Sartain's stunning course-record at St. Paul Olympic.

* Jonathan Balabuck's amazing 9-laps at Burrito Union 10-Hour. The previous course best was 7 laps.

* Devon Palmer's 3rd-place finish at USAT AG Nationals.

The MMA Selection Committee reserves the right to add nominations as they see fit.

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will be presented Academy Awards-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

FEMALE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR...

(Photos:: Cathy, Marnie, Kortney & Jan.)

Female Performance of the Year

The Minnesota MultisportAwards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Female Performance of the Year.

*KORTNEY HAAG, 30, New Hope - PERFORMANCE: Her victory under the most inhospitable conditions--extremely windy and rainy--at Pigman Half.

* JAN GUENTHER, 50, Mound - PERFORMANCE: Her amateur victory at Ironman Wisconsin, where she finished 11 minutes in front of the 2nd fastest woman.

* MARNIE WALTH, 40, Bismarck, ND - PERFORMANCE: Walth's half IM debut at Chisago Lakes, where she was the women's amateur champion and 2nd woman overall. Her time was incredible: 4:23:46.

* CATHY YNDESTAD, 31, Apple Valley -- PERFORMANCE: Cathy's brilliant 1:36:16 at Heart of the Lakes lowered Becky Lavelle's 13-year-old amateur record by 42 seconds.

Other performances receiving serious consideration:

* Marlo McGaver's win over the deepest women's field ever assembled at the Apple Duathlon.

* Cathy Yndestad's 4th consecutive victory at Life Time Fitness Elite.

* Cathy Yndestad's 3rd place women's overall finish (1st - 30-34W) at USAT Nationals.

The MMA Selection Committee reserves the right to add nominations as they see fit.

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will be presented Academy Awards-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

COUNTDOWN TO KONA...

We'll be following these and other Minnesota athletes at Sunday's Hawaiian Ironman World Championships.

* Dan Arlandson, 33, Burnsville - PR - 9:13:42 (Full Vineman '09)

* Rhett Bonner, 45, Duluth - PR - 10:42 (Hawaii '04)

* Mark Carey, 39, Rochester - PR - 9:11:41 (Florida '07)

* Dan Friedrichs, 40, Mankato - PR - 9:47:41 (Florida '02 - Dan's 1st IM!)

* Josh Riff, 34, Edina - PR - 9:29:59 (Arizona '08)

* Greg Taylor, 55, Mankato - PR since turning 50 - 9:37:20 (Hawaii '05)

* Sue Rubens, 43, Plymouth - PR - 10:14:31 (Florida '07)

* Merilee Sander, 49, Northfield - PR - 10:54:18 (Arizona '08)

OSCEOLA DUATHLON PREVIEW...

(Photo: Cascade Falls in downtown Osceola, WI.)

The third edition of the Osceola Duathlon will be staged on Saturday and, weather permitting, the women's course record and several AG marks should fall. The men's CR, David Thompson's 1:12:33 over the 3 mile - 22 mile - 1 mile route should stand for another year, though Wausau, WI's Mark Beversdorf could come close to matching it. The new-and-improved Joe Moyer and perennial OD medalist John Shelp should fight over the other two podium spots.

Four women--Diane Hankee, Suzie Finger, Tracie Kent and Ann Moyer are capable of matching or bettering Teresa Lopez-Stickney's 1:27:35 course best.

Who will win?

That's hard to say. Hankee's a great cyclist and is capable of the 23 mph average necessary to challenge the record. But Diane hasn't raced since mid-August.

Kent is capable, too, but may be a bit tired. Her last three races were Pigman Half, Ironman Wisconsin and Duathlon Worlds.

Moyer, like her husband, has improved significantly this season and her effort at Green Bay Du last weekend clearly demonstrated that she should not be taken lightly.

That leaves Finger. The rookie is fit and fearless. She loves to race and will be gunning for her 3rd win of the year.

Advantage: Moyer. She's been flirting with the Winner's Circle all season. She's now ready to land in it.

Look for Ben Ewers (60-64M) and Bob Bailey (65-69M) to crush their divisional CRs.

RHETT BONNER'S KONA COAST LINES: MARK & CLINT - SEPARATED AT BIRTH..

Can you tell these guys apart?

Day 3 - Tuesday Oct. 6th

"I arrived at the Kona Pier this morning at aobut 6:50 am and started my swim after a brief warmup on the pier. I got a great massage yesterday and during my swim this morning my right ankle and calf that had cramped after about 40 mins. of swimming on the previous 2 days, felt nice and loose, and I was able to swim steadily for about 55 mins without any cramping at all! I didn't see any tri-celebs in the water today but after I got out and rinsed off the salt water I saw T.J. Tollackson roaming around- looking like he had just finished his swim as well. That was it for my workout on Tuesday. I spent the rest of the day doing things like grocery shopping and walking around in the heat of midday for about 40 mins. to try to acclimatize. I have met several nice triathletes in my condo complex from all over the world: Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand to name a few. Mark Allen stays at this complex each year. I saw him in 2004, and then saw him driving in through the entrance on Sunday. He looks a lot like Clint Eastwood, only not as bulky in the upper body."

Day 4 -Wednesday October 7th

"I awoke this morning with a headache. I have been fighting a cold for about 2 and a half weeks now and started on some antibiotics on the first day that I got here to Hawaii because I had developed a sinus infection. I felt better by the next day but have had episodes each day where I willl feel sort of lousy, and I am still feeling pretty stuffed up. I went down to the pier and and ran into Lars Finanger who is from Minnesota and now lives and works in Boulder, Co. We talked for a while and got caught up with each other's lives- He is a really super young guy. He has competed here in the past, but is not racing this year. I got in the water and did my swim with some guys from Texas that I met down at the Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3 race. Roger Whacker and a couple of his buddies- Tommy and Scott. Roger and I both got slots in 2004 for Kona at the 2004 Buffalo Springs race, and then each of us got slots again this year at the 2009 edition of the BSLT, Thanks to the new USAT age rules (age as of 12/31) he is now in the 50-54 y/o AG."

"I felt pretty good after I got warmed up, and swam about 40 mins. today, but after I rinsed off started to feel pretty tired, and my headache which had gone away as I was swimming was now back. I decided to walk over to Lava Java for some coffee, then I went over to the big IM Exp which was just opening up for the morning. I had the pleasure of talking with Sarah Reinertson who is an amazing young woman. She is I believe the first female leg amputee competitor to finish the Hawaiian IM. I met her at BSLT in 2004. She got her slot for Kona and then when she did the race, she didn't make the bike time cutoff and was not allowed to start the run. I have a videotape of the NBC coverage of that year's race, which did a"spotlight" on Sarah, and every time I watch the part where she is told that she can't start the run I start crying. As a testament to her spirit, she qualified for Kona again the next year and came back and took an hour and a half off of her bike split and went on to finish the race! She is not racing this year in Kona, but is here to represent the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and to promote her new book. She is truly an inspiring person!

"I next drove out to the Energy Lab and did about a 45 min. bike with a few one minute intervals just to stay fresh. As I got back to my minivan, I had an amazingly cathartic clearing of my left sinus- the other athletes nearby were giving me funny looks as I was bent over blowing my nose loudly into a big wad of paper towels that was covered in bike chain grease. My headache went away almost immediately! I had to laugh as I caught a glimpse of my face in the rearview mirror. I had white zinc oxide (which I had applied all over my nose and lips before the ride) smeared on my face with a mix of black bike chain grease- think of an intoxicated mime trying to apply their face paint.

"I then ran down into the enrgy lab and felt pretty good, depsite the heat. I think I am starting to get a little bit acclimatized.

"I got another great massage and a chiropractic adjustment in the afternoon, and then went out to dinner at a great Sushi place with Joshua Riff, who is a very talented triathlete who just moved to Minnesota within the last year or two. Joshua is college buddies with female pro Sam McGlone, so he is staying with her and her friends in the same condo complex that I am in. Our dinner party also included the family of pro triathlete Kim Loeffler. All of these people were very nice, and the food was fantastic.

"Tomorrow is a total rest day, and my family arrives from Minnesota and Oregon. I am really looking forward to seeing my posse." - RB

COMING NEXT... MINNESOTANS AT KONA..

TRIATHLETE OF THE YEAR: THE WOMEN

(Photos from top: Jeanne, Jan, Kortney, Heidi & Cathy.)

The Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Female Triathlete of the Year.

*JEANNE FLECK, 44, Proctor - Two wins, a 2nd at Manitou and a 3rd at Heart of the Lakes were Jeanne's 2009 tri-highlights.

* JAN GUENTHER, 50, Mound - Fifty-years-old and still winning, which she did twice--Lake Minnetonka and Ironman Wisconsin--this season. A podium effort at Lake Waconia Elite, a 4th at Heart of the Lakes and a 4:36! at Chisago Half have us believing that Jan is the fastest 50+ female triathlete in America.

* KORTNEY HAAG, 30, New Hope - Kortney won four races this season, at least one of which is Performance of the Year-worthy (Pigman Half). Her 2nd at Heart of the Lakes and 4th at Life Time Fitness Elite were nearly as impressive as her victories.

* HEIDI KELLER-MILER, 44, Chaska - Two big wins--Minneman and Brewhouse--as well as podium performances in three other races earned Heidi this nomination.

* CATHY YNDESTAD, 31, Apple Valley --Seven victories in 10 starts, plus winning the 30-34W national crown for the 2nd straight year highlight another stellar season for the 2008 US AOY runner-up. A win in Dallas on Sunday should mean that she doesn't have to settle for runner-up status this year.

Other athletes receiving "TOY" consideration were Brook Mutzenberger (29, Eden Prairie), Julie Hull (37, Farmington) and Marnie Walth (40, Bismarck, ND).

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will be presented Academy Awards-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

TRIATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: THE MEN

(Photos From Top: Brian, Jonathan, Sam, Devon & Kevin.)

The Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Male Triathlete of the Year.

*JONATHAN BALABUCK, 29, Thunder Bay, ONT - Balabuck does the lion's share of his racing in Minnesota and it's about time the MMA Selection Committee considered him eligible for award consideration. In '09, he raced in six Loon State events, winning three of them--Liberty Half, Brewhouse and Burrito Union--and picking up a 2nd (Buffalo Olympic) and two 3rds (Chisago Lakes Half and Lake Marion).

* BRIAN BICH, 43, Duluth - Can Brian win the TOY award for the 4th consecutive year? We'll see. He did win half of the races he entered, set two course records and finished a remarkable 7th overall at the Best of the US Championship.

* SAM HAUCK, 25, Shoreview - Three wins, including a course record-setting effort at RochesterFest Olympic, a close 2nd at Heart of the Lakes and a Top 10 finish at AG Nationals justify his nomination.

* KEVIN O'CONNOR, 38, Medina - Three course records--Pigman Sprint, Minneman and Minneapolis Duathlon--and brilliant podium performances at a half dozen other major events make O'Connor a true contender for this award.

* DEVON PALMER, 22, St. Paul --Huge Wins at Manitou, Life Time Fitness Elite, Heart of the Lakes and Turtleman, plus his 3rd place overall finish at AG Nationals highlight a resume that is perhaps one big performance shy of earning Devon a USAT Athlete of the Year nomination. (FYI - He'll face AOY contenders Brian Duffy, Jr., Mark Harms, Nathan White and Sean Jefferson this weekend at the Dallas US Open.)

Other athletes receiving "TOY" consideration were Dan Cohen (35, Eden Prairie), Matthew Payne (32, Columbia Heights) and Patrick Parish (24, Circle Pines).

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will be presented Academy Awards-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

FEMALE "MOST IMPROVED" NOMINEES..

(Photos: Top - Kortney. Middle - Pam & Brook. Bottom - Greta.

The Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Female "Most Improved."

*KORTNEY HAAG, 30, New Hope - Kortney raced 11 times in '09, winning four times, placing 2nd at the ultra-competitive Heart of the Lakes Triathlon and taking 3rd in her half IM debut at Chisago, where she posted a remarkable 4:25:54. She finished 4th at Life Time Fitness Elite behind three women--Cathy Yndestad, Lindsay Whalen and Mandy McLane--who are likely nominees for USAT Athlete of the Year.

* BROOK MUTZENBERGER, 29, Eden Prairie - Brook cracked the women's Top 10 in only two races in 2008. This year she finished in the Top 5 on five occasions, including a big win at Lake Waconia Elite, where she earned the right to represent Minnesota at the Best of the US Championship, and a 3rd at Turtleman.

* PAM NIELSEN, 33, Minnetonka - Pam has come a long way since 2008, when she almost earned a Rookie of the Year nomination. Her podium finishes this season at Minneman and Liberty Half, plus her 8th (amateur) at Ironman Wisconsin were the highlights of her '09 scorecard.

* GRETA SIMPSON, 28, Minneapolis - Simpson was totally off the radar in 2008. This season she raced in eight multis, reaching the podium six times, including three victories--New Bri, Silver Lake Sprint (WI) and Cannon-Wells Duathlon. Her best effort, however, may have been her 2nd (behind Kortney Haag) at St. Croix Valley Olympic.

Those receiving "Most Improved" nominations are those whom the committee perceive to be the fastest rising stars on the Minnesota multi scene. Other athletes considered in this category include Shelley Nelson (3o, St. Louis Park), Angel Hohenstein (29, Duluth), Brooke Larsen (30, Northfield), Katherine Schlaefer (31, St. Paul), Christel Kippenhan (44, Bemidji), Tara Makinen (29, Duluth), Cindy Blackstock (36, Plymouth) and Ann Snuggerud (42, Chaska).

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will be presented Academy Awards-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

COMING NEXT...FEMALE "MOST IMPROVED" NOMINEES..

Have you gotten your TriNight '09 Tickets yet? And have you VOTED for Race of the Year?

RHETT BONNER'S KONA COAST LINES...

Minnesota Master of the Year nominee Rhett Bonner shares his Ironman odyssey.

Day 1- (Sunday Oct.4)

"I woke up at 3 am and felt pretty rested since I went to bed at 7pm the night before. Made my way down to the Kona Pier at about 6:40 am or so. Just in time to see Michellie Jones (pictured) arrive on her cool custom Felt bike with matching aero helmet and kit. The color scheme is black and pink with a little yellow. I then noticed Normann Stadler with his entourage of young german triathletes. It was interesting to observe the contrast between these two as they entered the water. Norman was joking with his posse and Michellie was quiet, and businesslike. Normann playfully splashed Michellie as she entered the water and started her swim while he was still loosening up on the small spit of sand. The Kona pier and this small area around the triangular beach is THE place to be each morning. the energy here is amazing.

"I started my swim about 30 seconds after Michellie started hers. I was doing a real easy warm up for the first couple of minutes when Norman's group came by me on the right. I recognized Norman as he swam by me because he was wearing a new version of the Blue Seventy "point zero three" swimskin with a white back. Even though I hadn't come close to completing my warm up I couldn't resist the urge to try to keep up with Norman's pack. I'm not kidding- there were at least 15 guys in this pack, so I stayed to the left as each one would slowly go by me- swimming just fast enough that I couldn't quite stay with them.

"As I watched the gap between me and the Germans slowly grow, they stopped. I looked at my watch, and we had been swimming for 15 minutes already. This is part of the magic of Kona. As you are swimming you look down into the crystal clear blue water you can watch all kinds of tropical fish swimming over the coral and white sand on the bottom. It is so easy to swim for an hour here without getting bored.

"Just as I caught up with the group of Germans, who were resting, I saw that Michellie Jones was treading water over to the left of the pack. they all took off just as I caught up, so I tried to keep behind Michellie without hitting her feet with my hands. I was able to stay right behind her for a few hundred meters, but then I got dropped again, and this time the whole pack moved away from me much faster than the first time. I think that the first fifteen minutes was their "warmup". This second 15 minutes or so brought us to the orange buoy that marks the turnaround, or approximately 1 mile marker. I say us because I had latched onto 2 other men who I think has gotten dropped from the German pack. It felt good to know that I wasn't the only one who couldn't hang. On the way back I was able to stay with these two men most of the way until my calf started cramping, so the last 15 minutes was a relaxed combination of trying to stretch my calf and do breaststroke and dolphin kick. By the time I got back to the pier there were now about 500 triathletes there entering and exiting the water and socializing. It already felt like the temperature had risen into the 80's and it was only a little after 8 am.

"I next went on about a 45 mile ride starting about 22 miles from Hawi, which is the halfway point in the race. I chose to go out and ride this section on the way out to Hawi because it is probably the toughest part of the course. It is almost all uphill, and you get a really strong headwind for the better part of about 15 miles. Once I got back to my car I did a 4 mile run. It is hard to describe how hot it was, and how oppressive the heat and the sun is out there on the Queen K highway. As I drove back to Kona with the AC cranked up I looked out on the Lava fields with a strong feeling of dread for what lay ahead."


Day 2 ( Monday October 5th)

"I saw Michellie Jones at the Kona pier again, and today I had my camera with me, so I asked her if she would mind taking a picture with me. She was very gracious - and her husband took a couple of great shots of us. They both seemed very nice. I swam for about 50 minutes and felt pretty good. As I got out of the water, the small chunk of sand was crowded with photographers snapping pictures of Chrissie Wellington. She looked very fit and very tan. A short ride and then another 4 mile run this time along Ali'i drive and my training was done for the day." -RB

...more to come

MALE "MOST IMPROVED" NOMINEES....

(Photos from top: Devon, Patrick, Matthew & Steve.)

The Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Male "Most Improved."

* DEVON PALMER, 22, St. Paul - Huge wins at Manitou, Life Time Fitness Elite and Turtleman, plus a 3rd place overall finish at USAT Nationals clearly demonstrated his significant improvement since the 2008 season. A victory at the Dallas US Open this weekend could earn him a USAT Athlete of the Year nomination.

* PATRICK PARISH, 24, Circle Pines - 2008 Rookie of the Year runner-up, Parish proved this season that he can bark with the Big Dogs in our region. His scorecard features five podium finishes, including one win. His 2nds against national caliber competition at Minneman, Brewhouse and Turtleman were particularly impressive.

* MATTHEW PAYNE, 32, Columbia Heights - Payne won three races this season and demonstrated great versatility, excelling in duathlon (5th at Apple behind 4 pros), long course (top 5s at both Liberty and Pigman halves plus a 2nd at Burrito Union 10-Hour) and sprint (two TriMinnesota Series victories) and Olympic (win at Buffalo).

* STEVE SANDER, 30, Richfield - Ten starts, 8 podium finishes, including 3 victories. Like Devon, Patrick and Matthew, Steve richly deserves his nomination.

Those receiving "Most Improved" nominations are those whom the committee perceive to be the fastest rising stars on the Minnesota multi scene.

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will be presented Academy Awards-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

MINNESOTANS ROCK AT GREEN BAY DUATHLON...

(Green Bay, WI - October 4, 2009)--MTN congratulates Rochester couple Joe and Ann Moyer, and Woodbury's Bob Bailey on their stellar efforts at the 6th annual Green Bay Duathlon yesterday. Joe was top amateur male and 2nd overall behind pro Justin Henkel. Ann was 2nd amateur / 3rd woman overall. Bailey, a nominee for 2009 Grand Master of the Year, won his 65-69M AG by a margin 8:56.

TRIATHLETES AT TCM...

(St. Paul, MN - October 4, 2009) Here are how some of Minnesota's triathletes who raced in yesterday's Twin Cities Marathon fared. We apologize to those whose names are missing. Please let us know if your name was overlooked. (jerry.bous@gmail.com) We will gladly update this post.

Top 100 Men:

55. TJ Varecka, 33, St. Louis Park - 2:40:46

Top 100 Women:

3. Kristen Nicolini, 32, Minneapolis (see photo)- 2:35:06 (This was Kristen's 1st marathon. She has only raced in one triathlon, finishing 2nd! at Life Time Fitness Elite in 2008.)

39. Melissa Gacek, 33, White Bear Lake - 2:48:12

46. Nicole Cueno, 29, Minneapolis - 2:49:37

AG Top 10 Women:

1st 30-34 - Kristen Nicolini, 32, Minneapolis - 2:35:06

Other Tri Women: (At post time, we were unable to find extended men's results.)

* Michelle Andres - 3:13:29

* Erin Manlove - 3:14:23

* Pam Nielsen - 3:16:12

* Laurie Kocanda - 3:20:07

TC Ten Mile: Top 50 Women

14. Marlo McGaver, 39, Duluth - 1:03:27

28. Kadie Hokanson, 28, Alexandria - 1:07:19

31. Ann Snuggerud, 41, Chaska - 1:08:17

38. Julie Hull, 37, Farmington - 1:09:42

41. Renee Saxman, 48, Rochester - 1:09:51

42. Julia Mairs, 43, St. Paul - 1:09:56