While it is hard for the uninitiated to fathom enjoying physical exertion that lasts nearly half a day, Eagle River triathlete Katy Rosane admitted as much following her successful completion of the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Oct. 13.
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Eagle River's Katy Rosane runs along the coast in Kailua-Kona in the 26.2-mile run portion of the Hawaiian Ironman Oct. 13.
PHOTO Courtesy of Katy Rosane
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With five other Ironmans as a backdrop, Rosane said there is a reason why the Hawaiian classic is the standard by which other events are compared.
Rosane, 44, said race conditions for the 7 a.m. race on Kona were perfect, with temperatures in the mid-70s from the 2.4-mile ocean swim, the first of three endurance tests.
During her training swim three days before the event, the waves were markedly larger, but race day Rosane said the ocean was a little choppy, “but not bad', making for an enjoyable swim. She said that turtles and ubiquitous fish made the ordeal pass nicely, swimming around the marker 1.2 miles out then turning back toward shore.
Her time of 1 hour, 19 minutes was not her best, but a good time nonetheless, said Rosane, who finished up in the top third of the women's 40-44 age division.
Back on the beach, Rosane said she transitioned to the bike segment not too quickly.
“It seemed like a half-mile jog to the (changing) tent,” she said. Two tents, one for men, the other for women, could accommodate approximately 40 athletes at a time, she said.
Rosane then jumped aboard her 18-speed touring bike for the ride of her life.
“That was the hardest part of the whole race,” said Rosane, as shifting winds played havoc with athlete's bodies and psyches.
Rosane said the erratic crosswinds during the second half of the cycling portion had her praying.
“I thought I was going to lose it,” said Rosane, recalling the searing pain in her forearms from trying to keep the bike on the road, and hotspots on the soles of her feet from pushing down on the pedals so hard. Such an effort was necessary in hopes of making headway into the teeth of the wind.
“My arms were exhausted,” she said. “We had headwinds for nearly 75 percent of the race. I sure was happy to get off the bike.”
The bicycle segment had taken 6 hours, 14 minutes.
A little saddle-sore, Rosane said her transition from bike to the start of the marathon distance (26.2 miles) run was even slower than that from the swim to the bike.
“I could hardly walk after getting off my bike,” she said.
Still with the “keep moving forward” mindset, Rosane pressed on, pounding the pavement, with temperatures now in the mid-80s.
“We didn't get the cloud cover that we had hoped for or expected,” said Rosane, Saturday back in her Eagle River home, reliving the experience of one week earlier.
While her internal sense of pace askew, Rosane said that mid-race split had had the athlete thinking that she was logging 11-minute miles.
“I felt like I was running at a 4 hour, 30 minute pace,” she admitted.
Things just kept getting better, and faster, for Rosane.
In fact, the athlete beat her family back to the finishing line.
“That's okay. They can watch my finish online. They were where they needed to be,” she said.
With the technology of the race, spectators were able to encourage unfamiliar runners by name.
“They were encouraging some man. That's what is so cool about the race — people cheer you on, even though they don't know you,” Rosane said.
Of course, the family photo surrounding the elated finisher at the finishing line came later.
Rosane's time for the marathon was 3 hours, 55 minutes — a personal record by nearly 12 minutes and bringing her combined time just under 11 hours, 40 minutes.
“I was totally thrilled. Now I feel that I should just go out and run a marathon by itself,” she said. Her most recent solo marathon was a 4:09 clocking in Napa Valley (Calif.) in 2003.
With the finish, her sixth Ironman, she said that she and her husband, Bret, now have 13 Ironman race completions between them.
With her qualifying race held in Arizona this past April, in a time of 11 hours, 19 minutes, Rosane said she has been training extensively since January.
“I'm taking a long break — at least a month off,” she said. Even so, Rosane swam the next day following the race. “Just to stretch and lengthen out the muscles,” she added.
Normally, it takes about two months to fully recover from such an exertion, she estimated.
Would she consider competing in the Hawaiian Ironman again?
“I'd love to do it again. If God wants me here again, I'll do it. It was so much fun,” Rosane said.
“I met so many cool people. When I look back on it, it really was fun,” she reiterated.
Reach the reporter at news@alaskastar.com.
