Minneapolis, Minnesota- July 11-15
Mitch's Race:
Lifetime Fitness Toyota Cup Minneapolis
Well, after a rigorous few days in NY I was again on the early flight, this time to Minneapolis, Minnesota in midwest USA. Whilst I was waiting for the lovely Southwest Airlines staff to get me in the air, it struck me how little I knew about the destination. I hadn't even looked at a map so I was a bit disappointed in myself. However, the name was familiar because I knew a few of the mighty ducks grew up there so I was on the look out for some hockey sticks.
Aside from the opportunity to race against some of the worlds best, the major attraction to this race was the long list of complimentary luxuries afforded to the pro athletes. This included 2 nights accommodation at the lovely Best Western Dakota Ridge, airport transfers, shuttles to and from training venues, tickets to the pro dinner and inevitably a few laughs with the other athletes.
In an attempt to dramatically enhance my knowledge of the area, I found some locals to question about what keeps them busy in Minneapolis. It turns out that it's home to the worlds largest shopping centre, "The Mall of America"! Impressive is an understatement... Apparently it's just not possible to visit all the shops in one day. Im guessing thats got something to do with the giant theme park smack bang in the middle... It's awfully distracting!
It is always a challenge to take care of your body during race week given the necessary adjustments to training and nutrition that can leave you feeling lethargic and somewhat stressed. This is magnified on the road when many things are out of your control. Fortunately, I had managed to recover reasonably well from the NY race, although I was still nursing nasty blisters on my feet which prevented me from running during the week.
The Toyota Cup is one of the worlds richest triathlon series, which is put on by major sponsors Lifetime Fitness. Aside from racing on a Saturday, the other variation to the norm was having the women's pro field take off first as part of the "Equalizer", which sees the first finisher (male or female) awarded a $5000 bonus. The girls were given a 10:34 head start before we set off for the chase.
With several of the sports best swimmers in the mens field I knew I'd have my work cut out hanging in there early on. The beach start suited me and I was way ahead at the five meter mark before getting swamped and stomped by every arm and leg imaginable. The lake water didn't actually taste too bad... I began to enjoy the swim much more after things settled down around the first buoy and I sat in comfortably with the chase pack. Missing the front swim pack remains my biggest frustration in the sport and I'm really looking forward to the day I follow them around for the full 1500m, even if it means collapsing on the sand! Nonetheless, our pack got a huge cheer from the big crowd waiting on the beach which is always nice!
After a quick transition I hit the rocky road in chase of the group up front. I was feeling far more confident on the bike after having it properly assembled and fitted with a new bike seat after the dramas of the week before. Although, there was nothing my little legs could do to take any time away from the big guns up front. After 15km's or so I settled in well and aimed to limit my losses. The course was relatively flat and quite scenic as we flew through the local neighborhoods. It was great to see so many deck chairs on the front lawns filled with cheerful spectators, however I was desperately hoping one would give me an indication of my position in the race!
It was difficult to keep track of your bearings on the winding course and there were very few opportunities to assess your position in the race. I knew there were several guys up the road but coming into the run I had no idea of where I was. I was slightly embarrassed putting socks on in T2 but I simply couldn't withstand another 10km of carnage on my bare feet.
The heat quickly became a factor on the two lap run course around Lake Nokomis. Although there were significant areas of shade, it was difficult to maintain concentration and keep the tired legs ticking over. I had a number of bunnies up the road to chase but unlike the week before I was without the same sting. I managed to collect a couple of the fast bikers but it was too little to late to get the rest. I ran a respectable 34:14 which was among the quicker times but it left me in 12th position for the second time in two weeks, and around 1:20 outside the money. Further up the road, Sarah Haskins held off Hunter Kemper by 10 seconds to claim the the Equalizer bonus... That's a pretty tight finish after two hours of racing!
The result was far better than the previous week given the quality of this field and I stood at the finish line satisfied that I'd given my best on a day where I felt less than 100%. It was another great experience and I took another long list of lessons out of the week.
After the race we got a group together and headed out to the Mall. Knowing that we had dinner arrangements with the hotel manager Matt at his family home out in the suburbs later that night, we were eager to get a gift to thank him for looking after us for the week. We came across a unique little shop specializing in old fashioned photography with only ten minutes to go before we had to be picked up. After a mad rush to the dress up closet and some direction from the girls in the shop, we were looking ancient in no time! This was a laugh to say the least and the photo made a great gift once it had been signed by the group.
I was a little reluctant to be flying out later the next day after having had such a good time in Minneapolis. I was pleased with what I had learnt about the area and despite the spectacular Mall, lakes and triathlon, it was clear that the local hospitality was the most memorable aspect of my visit. I met some of the most polite and generous people I know and I really hope I can get back there in 2013 to do it all again!
Mitch's Rating:
8/10
Mitch's Next Race:
Rev3 Maine- August 26th
Mitch's Pictures:
Alright...
Where are these guys?
LFTS Minneapolis Results
Wait we're not ready...
Okay, now we are!
The famous "Mall of America"
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