SYCAMORE – The Kishwaukee Family YMCA on Sunday was the site of a showdown between members of Team Cornmeal and Team Durst Busters.
Even though they row on the same dragon boat, that did not stop Holly Durst and Josh Corn from engaging in a friendly rivalry before and after the indoor triathlon. They also poked fun at each other with their team names: Durst led Team Cornmeal while Corn captained Team Durst Busters.
In addition to bragging rights, breakfast was on the line.
“There’s been a lot of trash talking started, mostly on my part, hence the back of their shirts,” said Durst, referring to the back of Corn’s shirt that read: “Shutting Holly up one event at a time.”
“On Facebook, we told Team Durst Busters to bring their wallets because Team Cornmeal is hungry,” she added.
Corn wasn’t a pushover; he was the winner of last year’s indoor triathlon, which has participants compete for distance instead of time.
At Sunday’s indoor triathlon, swimmers had 10 minutes, cyclists had 20 minutes and runners had 15 minutes to see how far they could go. Kishwaukee YMCA officials then calculated the distances of 95 participants to determine a winner.
The distances were measured through the stationary bicycles and treadmills of the Kishwaukee YMCA, 2500 Bethany Road in Sycamore. Distance in the pool was measured by laps.
Corn said the competitive spirit he shares with Durst and the other team members extends into other areas, such as the cycling class they take at the YMCA.
“She said she was going to have a team, and I couldn’t let her have first place easy,” said Corn, who beat Durst in cycling.
Ben Mueller, who won the indoor triathlon two years ago, said he exercises five or six days a week by running, biking or swimming so he can compete year-round.
Compared to a regular triathlon, the indoor triathlon is “lighter” in terms of pressure, Mueller said.
“It’s a good thing for a beginner to do because you just have to complete the time,” Mueller said. “You can go whatever speed you want. If you need to walk, you can walk. ... There’s less pressure. And it’s interesting because it’s how far you can get in a period of time.”
Mueller said he was getting over a bad cold, so he didn’t know what to expect; he placed first overall.
In the end, it was Team Cornmeal who was buying Team Durst Busters breakfast. Not only did Team Durst Busters beat their rival but they also were the top team at Sunday’s triathlon.
Dave Rivera, a member of Team Cornmeal, vowed revenge.
“Let the record show, we will be back next year, and it will be a different story,” he said.
Indoor triathlon results
Here are Sunday’s winners and their total distance:
Overall: Ben Mueller, 15.58 miles
Women: Brenda Vance, 13.71 miles
Teams: Team Durst Busters, 14.95 miles
