Joe Drennan
Sports EditorWhile most people were preparing for the Christmas holiday, Forest Lake native Amy Baumler was in New Zealand for the World Triathlon Championships.
Baumler qualified for the World Triathlon Championships at the qualifier race in Menomonie, WI. Baumler was one of the top 15 finishers in her age group, 30-34-years of age. About 15,000 people at the race were trying to earn a spot on the U.S. team that sent 350 triathletes to Queenstown, New Zealand for the big race.
To prepare for the big race, Baumler trained virtually every day. She would swim Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at the White Bear Racquet Club, then swim or run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. During her training, Kodiak Coffee and Baumlerís employer, Minnesota Surgical Associates helped raise the funds needed to send her to New Zealand.
The race was on Dec. 6, but Baumler left for New Zealand about a week before the race. The early arrival gave her a chance to recover from jet lag, as well as get used to the weather down there as it was summer time. The early arrival also gave Baumler a chance to get a few workouts in on the course she would be racing on.
ìA lot of people wanted to ride the course early, but they had a problem getting our bikes there,î Baumler said. ìWe took a plane to Auckland, then we took a boat, then truck to the south island of Queenstown, and there were 18,000 bikes for all the athletes.î
While she got her own workouts in leading up to the race, Baumler also had the chance to observe the training techniques of athletes from other countries. A total of 50 nations were represented at the triathlon, giving Baumler and other triathletes a good opportunity to pick up some new training techniques.
ìSome of the other teams trained super hard the day before the race,î Baumler said. ìWe [the U.S. team] were tapering our training to conserve energy for the race.î
The day before the race the triathletes paraded through the small town of Queenstown in an Olympic-like opening ceremony. The nations were led by local children who made flags to represent the different countries.
ìIt wasnít so much of representing Forest Lake anymore, it was representing the United States of America and that was so cool,î Baumler said.
Come race time, all of New Zealand seemed to be watching. The triathlon was televised live nationally, with helicopters in the sky to follow the triathletes through the course. The race started in the 60 degree water of Lake Hayes where the triathletes swam 15,000 meters. The next leg after the race is 40.2 kilometers on a bike. The final part of the race is a 10.2 kilometer run. Baumler finished the race in 2:42:12 to place 51st out of 80 competitors in her age group.
ìIt was the most unbelievable thing I have ever done,î Baumler said. ìI kept saying to myself that I couldnít believe I was part of something so big, and the next day we got to watch the pros qualify for the Olympics. We were cheering on the athletes that weíll be seeing at the Olympics in Greece.î
Now that she has reached the pinnacle and competed at the World Triathlon Championships, Baumler is not too sure what she will do next. She is pretty sure she will continue to compete, possibly in an ironman competition. Baumler said she may also get back into showing her American Saddlebred horses, something she did before her triathlon days.
Who knows, Baumler may try to get back to the World Triathlon Championship race again several years from now. Baumler said the oldest competitor at this years race was about 75-years-old. That gives her another 40 years to compete.
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