It’s somehow nearly mid-July and if we take a moment to breath between backyard barbeques, bag toss, and s’mores, we realize that the triathlon season here in Wisconsin is a third over. Team PBC has had a busy little streak of success in 2015. It’s safe to say all athletes on the team have training days that test the will, which make the training days that don’t as sweet as apple pie. We’ve all had break-through moments mentally and physically. We’ve learned new things about the sport and ourselves along the way. Some of us have big goals looming in the latter half of the season such as Ironman Wisconsin or earning a professional license in the sport. Here are some mid-season highlights from Team PBC:
We have had a number of age group wins, podium finishes, and a handful of overall wins. Notably, Team PBC pro triathlete Molly Woodford took the overall wins at Lake Mills Sprint Triathlon and the Elkhart Lake Elite Olympic Triathlon. Keep your eyes peeled for her at Racine 70.3 in 2 weeks. Andrew Keily also took his first OA win in the Olympic Distance Wisconsin Triterium Triathlon. Earlier this season he finished Austin 70.3 with a time of 4:10:27, which was good for 5th OA age grouper. At that race he missed his pro card by just 19 seconds, but that just makes the journey even more worth it. Look for him at Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee this August.
Also racing at AGN will be Jen Anderson, who qualified for the race by dominating at Door County last season. Jen’s season is just getting started after a much needed early season break. We can’t wait to see how she measures up against the competition nationally.
Andrew Porn has had a competitive season so far, taking a few top 10 finishes and overall age group wins. He will also be competing at Age Group Nationals this August. The improvements keep coming as we approach his A race of the year.
Our troop of Ironman Wisconsin athletes includes Luke Gulbrand, Annie Hughes, Dan Perkins, Austin Kazda, Walter Langkau, and Jason Milesko. They have been putting in the miles and staying focused as race day approaches. They’re slaying minutes off previous PR’s in all 3 disciplines. We are nearly 2 months out and I cannot wait to see these athletes shine on race day. Come out and watch September 13th! Annie and Dan will be racing the Door County 70.3, and Jason will be racing the Racine 70.3.
Dana Kalina and Melanie Ott were new to Team PBC this season and we have loved having them as a part of group training sessions and out there competing at races. Both have had some amazing results including some AG podiums and top 10 OA’s. Dana has really started to turn heads with his cycling strength and now turns his focus to Door County 70.3 in just 2 weeks. Melanie is continuing to make gains across the board, and is 3 weeks away from Tri’ing for Children’s Triathlon.
Brandon Nguyen is just getting started with his race season, as he gears up for Pigman 70.3 and continues to progress toward Ironman Louisville. He will also be in Pewaukee for the sprint this weekend.
Dan Bradtke is in his first season of triathlon, he’s coming off of an Achilles rupture, and has still had some impressive results. Look for him next at Tri-ing for Children’s Triathlon later this month.
Our remote athletes are giving the Boulder community a run for their money. They’ve podiumed at a number of races and have more trophies looming in their future. Luke Gulbrand continues his impressive streak of great races as he prepares for his debut at Ironman in Wisconsin. Brandon Holm has become a very strong swim-biker, and as his run progresses will become very competitive at the front of the race.
We have a few athletes who have taken the 2015 season to focus on one sport specifically. Tyler Renk has seen his fastest ever 10k and quarter marathon times ever this year and our cyclists Dan van der Weide and Revere Greist have both had overwhelming success. Dan completed the Liege-Bastongne-Liege Sportive and is now rebuilding fitness after an injury from a crash. Look for him this weekend at Blue Mounds Classic Road Race and the Wisconsin State Championship Road Race. Revere’s highlights of the season so far were podium finishes in both the Time Trial and the Road Race at the Tour of Galena. He will be taking on the Blue Mounds Classic Road Race and is continuing to build his fitness for Cat 1 Masters Nationals in September.
Lastly, we have some promising new recruits coming on board for the end of the 2015 season and for 2016. We can’t wait to add their names to our roster and see them at team practices and races.
Best of luck to all of you out there as you Velcro up your cycling shoes and tighten your easy laces on race day… see you soon.
Coach PB
Cycling and Triathlon Coach, Madison, WI