2018 Timberman Olympic Triathlon

Grand Rapids, MN – July 14, 2018

(by Christel Kippenhan_
Timberman … Like A Snowman In The Heat
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2018 Inaugural Tri Go Far Sprint Triathlon

West Fargo, ND – June 23, 2018

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Tri Go Far … or … The Need To Feel Some Speed
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2018 Liberty Olympic Triathlon

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, MN – June 9, 2018

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Liberty: … And Then Came The Thunderstorms
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2018 Fargo 1/2-Marathon

Fargo, ND – May 19, 2018

(by Christel Kippenhan)
A Short Fargo 1/2 Marathon Race Report
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2017 Superior Man 41.5

Duluth, MN – August 27, 2017

(by Christel Kippenhan)
I did not see that coming!
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2017 USAT National Championships

Omaha, NE – August 12, 2017

(by Christel Kippenhan)
“Gute Goat im Himmel” and “2017 National Transition Champion”
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2017 Brewhouse Sprint Triathlon

Duluth, MN – August 6, 20217

I Love Me A Good Sprint Triathlon
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2017 Timberman Olympic Triathlon

Cohasset, MN – July 8, 2017

(by Christel Kippenhan)
What a glorious day for racing … What a great race!
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2017 Timberman Sprint Triathlon

Cohasset, MN – July 8, 2017

(by Jessica Maher)
After 3 years of pondering, one cancelled race, and 3 weeks of scrambling to make up for a month of lazy (ok nonexistent) training, I finally did it! I completed my first triathlon. After many recommendations, I zeroed in on the Timberman in Cohasset.
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2017 Trinona Sprint Triathlon

Winona, MN – June 11, 2017

(by Michelle Thooft)
Trinona was GREAT!!! Well, great considering I wasn’t going to do it three weeks ago …
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2017 Liberty Olympic Triathlon

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, MN – June 10, 2017

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Liberty: #52 at age 52 … or … Another battle in the heat and wind
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2017 Fargo Half-Marathon

Fargo, ND – May 20, 2017

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Three Running Races and One Big Change of Plans …
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2016

2016 Superior Man 41.5

Duluth, MN – August 28, 2016

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Not my finest piece of racing … or was it? …
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2016 USAT National Championships

Omaha, NE – August 13, 2016

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Hot, Sweaty, Happy … Omaha 2016 …
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2016 Brewhouse Sprint Triathlon

Duluth, MN – August 7, 2016

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Successful Dress Rehearsal …
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2016 Timberman Olympic Triathlon

Grand Rapids, MN – July 9, 2016

(by Christel Kippenhan)
An Age Group Record That Almost Wasn’t …
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2016 Liberty Olympic Triathlon

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, MN – June 11, 2016

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Liberty Olympic – Hot and Muggy …
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2016 Fargo Half-Marathon

Fargo, ND – May 21, 2016

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Not quite what I had been going for …
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2015

2015 Superiorman 41.5

Duluth, MN – August 30, 2015

(by Christel Kippenhan)
Aquabiking Superiorman 41.5 – This was my first time racing Superiorman. Going into this race, I knew that I would have to …
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2015 Brewhouse Triathlon
2015 USAT National Championships

Duluth, MN – August 1, 2015
Milwaukee, MN – August 8, 2015

(by Christel Kippenhan)
There is a first time for everything …
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2015 Timberman Triathlon

Grand Rapids, MN – July 11, 2015

(by Christel Kippenhan)
I had never raced Timberman Triathlon before, so I was looking forward to a new experience …
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2015 IRONMAN 70.3 Racine

Racine, WI – June 19, 2015

(by Scott Leindecker)
Good swim, happy with my bike, run was a little disappointing.  Still a work in progress …
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2015 Capitol City Triathlon

St. Paul, MN – June 14, 2015

(by Christel Kippenhan)
How to get prepared for your first triathlon of the season?
Paint your toe nails in “Winning Streak” purple …
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2015 Fargo Half-Marathon

Fargo, ND – May 9, 2015

(by Christel Kippenhan)
What can be said about this year’s Fargo 1/2-Marathon?  IT WAS COLD!
I followed the weather forecast for the whole week leading up to the event, and …
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2014

2014 Neil’s Year in Review

(by Neil King)
Instead of writing one race report I decided to report on the year of racing instead.  It all started in early February …
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2014 IMoo – Ironman Wisconsin

Madison, WI, September 7, 2014

(by David Lewis)
Going into this Ironman the plan was simple…race. After my first IM two years ago I had felt more like a spectator than a participant. But really that is how …
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More than just a Race report …

Door County Half Iron; July 20, 2014
Northwoods week
Superiorman, Duluth, MN; August 24, 2014

(by Matt Backmann)
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2014 Superiorman

Duluth, MN; August 24, 2014

(by Rich Johnson)
Superiorman delivers an experience! Last year intense heat, this year wicked water. …
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2014 HITS ironman distance triathlon

Waconia, MN; August 16, 2014

(by Justin Domogalla)
Finished first 140.6 last Saturday a HITS Endurance festival in Waconia.  Goal time of 11:30 finished in 11:36.  Good enough for …
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2014 Young Life Triathlon

Detroit Lakes, MN; August 16, 2014

(by Noelle Kuitunen-Johnson)
I was very excited to do this race because it was the race I was aiming for last season, when I was sidelined with a broken foot.  I have been working so hard at triathlons hoping they will give me rock hard abs …
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2014 Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon

Duluth, MN; June 21, 2014

(By Scott Leindecker)
I rolled into Duluth and my car temperature gauge read 47 degrees! Almost a 30 degree difference from when I left Bemidji!  I am lucky to have …
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2014 Lakes To Pines Triathlon

Park Rapids, MN; June 14, 2014

(By Matt Backmann)
THE COLD, ERR RAIN, NEVER BOTHERED ME ANYWAY …
Stayed on plan, Thursday night was pancakes, Friday lunch was a grilled chicken sandwich, and Friday night was protein, grilled chicken, with a carb, pasta. The biggest difference …
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2014 Fargo Half Marathon

Fargo, ND; May 10, 2014

(By Matt Backmann)
So I skipped doing a race report for the Stride into Spring up in Bemidji a few weeks ago. Figured it was going to be more of a training day in execution and I didn’t go into it with the belief that it was a race. …
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(By Brandi Backmann)
How Never, turned into Maybe, turned into Training, turned into FINISHED!
A year ago if you would have asked me if I would ever do a half marathon, I would have looked at you, laughed, and …
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(By Christel Kippenhan)
GOOD START INTO THE 2014 SEASON
It has almost become a tradition to start off my triathlon summer season with the Fargo 1/2 Marathon. This year’s event was a week earlier than in previous years, and therefore, …
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2013

2013 itu standard distance ag WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

London, UK; September 15, 2013

(By Christel Kippenhan)
I wanted to write a race report about my experiences at the 2013 ITU Age Group World Championships ever since I returned from London, but somehow work and life always interfered. It was an amazing experience, …
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2013 Square Lake Triathlon

Stillwater, MN; September 8, 2013

(By Matt Backmann)
What a tremendous weekend! It started on Friday with a drive down to a house that David and Nancy Lewis, Sandi Heegard, and Brandi and myself rented for the weekend.  This may have been one of the best ideas that we have had …
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2013 Superiorman Triathlon

Duluth, MN; August 25, 2013

(By Rich Johnson)
Wow! What an amazing experience! I saw that this triathlon existed about July of 2012, and I immediately wanted to do it, I went to college in Duluth so I was well acquainted with the course. I was not ready for that distance last year, so …
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2013 Lifetime Triathlon Maple Grove

Maple Grove, MN; August 24, 2013

(By Matt Backmann)
“Meltdown in Maple Grove” or “Remember Time is Relative”…
Short version: the swim was long (10th in AG with a 2:02/100yd, yikes!), the bike was brutally windy, the run was hot, humid, and miserable!
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2013 USA Triathlon National Championships

Milwaukee, WI; August 10, 2013

(By Christel Kippenhan)
After fighting with weather and bike issues early in the season, the dress rehearsals leading up to the 2013 Nationals had gone well.  In both cases the weather was close to perfect: comfortable temperatures, slightly overcast, no demoralizing winds. …
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2013 Northwoods Triathlon

Nevis, MN; August 10, 2013

(By Matt Backmann)
Back to a “home” race. There is just something nice about being home before the race.  The day started off like most race mornings, wake-up, eat (small bowl of granola and Almond Milk), and realize it is 2:30 am; …
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2013 Green Lake Triathlon

Spicer, MN; August 11, 2013

(By Scott Leindecker)
Green Lake is my old stomping grounds so I was looking forward to competing in this one again. I had not since it was the Fun in the Sun triathlon back in the 80’s, then I was just a relay swimmer. …
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2013 Door County Half Ironman

Door County, WI; July 21, 2013

(By Matt Backmann)
The voices in my head tell me I’m crazy and we tend to agree with them.
This was my A race for the year. All of my focus went into executing at this race since the beginning of the year. …
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2013 Lake Waconia Triathlon
2013 Lifetime Fitness Triathlon Minneapolis

Waconia, MN; June 30, 2013
Minneapolis MN; July 13, 2013

(By Christel Kippenhan)
Murphy’s Law: “If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.
This story begins on Friday June 28, 2013, I was on the last training ride before the Lake Waconia Triathlon. I had a 1 1/2 hour ride scheduled and …
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2013 Lakes to Pines Triathlon

Park Rapids, MN; June 15, 2013

(By Matt Backmann)
REDEMPTION! …
It was very nice to not only be home but also go to bed, I won’t say sleep, and wake up at a normal time. …
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(By Woody Leindecker)
Pre race dinner ended up being happy hour at the 209 bar. A brunch burger and a few shandies. Shut the party down early, …
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(By Brandi Backmann)
A BEGINNER’S PERSPECTIVE
Wednesday night at the time trial I had my first flat tire while biking. …
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2013 Manitou Sprint Triathlon

White Bear Lake, MN; June 9, 2013

(By Christel Kippenhan)
A Lesson in Adaptability.   I have participated in the Manitou Sprint Triathlon three times before (2010, 2011, 2012), and I always really enjoyed the race. It was a fun, fast course, with great competition. However, …
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2013 Chain of the Lakes Triathlon

Alexandria, MN; May 4, 2013

(By David Bjorklund)
Left the hotel at 7am, Claimed a spot in transition, Picked up registration materials, got body marked and returned to the hotel by 7:30 for a nice nap.   Read more …

(By Matt Backmann)
Woke up at 4:00 am as normal for any other day of the week. Got a message from David Lewis asking about the weather while I was eating my granola with almond milk. Being the optimist I said that it would be cool but fine by race time… We will see how that turns out.   Read more …

2012

2012 IRONMAN FLORIDA

Panama City Beach, FL; November 4, 2012

(By David Lewis)
Back in 2010 I set a goal of racing Ironman. For me, Ironman is the ultimate, it is triathlon.  My 2011 season was going to be the warm-up. My plan, 2-3 half-iron races and some honest IM training. Following year (2012)… Ironman. Well, we all know what they say about making plans. Started 2011 injured, 3 months all I could do was walk. I’ve been hurt before, the list is long.  Read more …

Auckland, New Zealand, October 22, 2012

(By Neil King)
It had been a very wet and windy weekend. The Pros’ race the day before had been held in a downpour. With 30 mile per hour winds. Very nasty. Our race day was much better but it did rain that morning. I was in wave 38 out of 40, so my race didn’t start until 10:30 am. I felt good and very relaxed in the wait for the start. Being up on the pier we got to watch all the swim waves before us. We …   Read more …