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There are some athletes who are not afraid to something new. If swimming is good, then perhaps biking after a swim would be better. If you have a lot of energy left after swimming and biking, why not add a long run to make the workout a complete success?

Julie Hull is that type of person. After being on the gymnastics team all through high school, Hull started running in college to stay in shape. It wasn't long until she completed her first marathon - Chicago in 1994. Training for marathons got her interested in swimming and biking to help make her a stronger all-around athlete.

"I've done about ten marathons since 1994 including Boston in 2004. It's a funny thing on how I qualified. I was training for my second Ironman as a September race and ran Grandma's (marathon) as a part of the training. I didn't do any of the 'classic' marathon training as one 18 mile run was my longest, but I still ran a 3:32 marathon, a 15 minute personal best."

Hull is from Farmington, Minnesota - a place not normally conducive to year-round outdoor training. Julie and her husband Erik, who has been bitten by the same triathlon bug, have found a system that works well, and actually enjoy training during the cold winter months.

"We enjoy winter running in Minnesota and also have a treadmill in our basement. Like many Minnesota triathletes, we have our race bikes set up on bike trainers for riding indoors during inclement weather. I also have a handful of close training buddies. We have a great triathlon community in Minneapolis."

Julie's first triathlon was a half Ironman in August of 1998. There would be many more after that.

"I've done six Ironmans and too many duathlons and triathlons to count. My personal best for an Ironman was at Florida in 2008. I finished in ten hours, thirty-two minutes."

Marathon runners dream of qualifying for Boston. For Ironman athletes, it's Hawaii. Many months - some times years of hard work and training are necessary to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman.

"I qualified for the Hawaii Ironman at Ironman Wisconsin in 2005 and competed in Kona in October of 2006. Qualifying was an incredible thrill and a moment of pride that will always hold a fond memory in my heart. Competing in Kona was the icing on the cake - including the cherry. Just being on the playground with the best of the best - it's easy to get caught up in the hype. I made sure to keep myself grounded on race day and just embrace every minute of the day. I worked really hard for years to earn that spot to be at the start line. I wasn't going to just let those precious hours just swim, bike or run by."

After finishing first at Chisago last year with a time of 4:37:13, Julie looks forward to coming back to defend her title.

"I loved the flat course at Chisago. All other halves that I've done have been really hilly and it was so refreshing to do a flat bike course. I chose to do it as a flat course training indicator for doing the Florida Ironman on November 1st. I never felt like I worked hard on the bike being flat. That paid off when it came to the run. I remember by mile eight or nine of the run it started getting hard, physically and mentally. By mile ten I wanted to walk but learned that I was actually in the lead (thanks to the cheers from the ladies at the water stop). I worked really hard to maintain focus on 'just a 5K left.' Breaking the last, most painful parts down to simple mental steps really helps. I think I raced 12 of the 14 weekends in shorter races leading up to that race and wondered if I was ready to crank out a half Ironman. I guess I was. There is a psychological training that happens when you physically train for longer races. It is a training of the brain, patience, persistence, etc. It was a beautiful day weather-wise and a really well run event. For having over 1000 people out there for two distances, they do a great job making it a success for everyone."

The Chisago area was settled by Swedish immigrants in the mid-1800s, and remains a popular tourist area. This proud history is evident throughout the triathlon run course - around "The Big Lake," a Swedish flag at the finish line and Swedish pancakes for the participants.

A true Minnesota athlete, Hull is one of those athletes who enjoy pushing herself to be the best she can be. If you're a betting person, the odds look good that Julie will come back to reclaim her title at Chisago again this year.

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