Posted: 8/13/03

Baumler finishes 1st in triathlon

Joe Drennan
Sports Editor

When Amy Baumler crossed the finish line at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon on Aug. 2, she knew she had a good race. What Baumler didnít know was that she finished first in her age division, and 10th overall.

ìIt was really hard to know where I was in the race because I was in the amateur group and we left at all different times,î the Forest Lake woman said. ìI was always fighting with traffic, but that made it fun as I passed a lot of people, especially on the bike.î

It was about 15 minutes after Baumler crossed the finish line that she had an idea of how good a race she had run. The competitors wore computer chips on their legs so race organizers could keep an accurate time of each competitor. ìI felt like I had a good race so I was happy about that, it was a bonus that I won,î Baumler said.

When the final results were in, Baumler had finished first in the 30-34 female age group, and 10th overall out of about 400 women with her time of 1:57:10.

Baumler stated that the hardest part for her was the swimming. She was not allowed to wear a wet suit in the water because temperatures were too warm for them according to the rule books.

To prepare for triathlons, Baumler says she trains about 20 hours a week. She spends three days swimming, and two days running and bike riding.

Baumler says that the running part of a triathlon and training is her favorite part because when she was younger she had no desire to do it. ìIt never seems to be easy, itís always a challenge,î Baumler said.

This was not Baumlerís first triathlon, or race for that matter. She runs several triathlons each year, and competed in the Boston Marathon in 1999.

ìThat was such an honor just to run the Boston Marathon,î Baumler said. ìIt was really neat and the crowd support out there is really unbelievable.î

With competing in several triathlons each year, Baumler is sometimes competing every weekend. When she has races on back to back weekends she usually takes Monday as a recovery day, sometimes doing a light work out swimming. The rest of the week she trains her usual schedule, just at a lighter pace.

Baumler will be competing in a world qualifying triathlon in Menomonie in September. If she qualifies she will be off to New Zealand in November for the World Championships.

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