Please give to The Capital Times Kids Fund.

Ironman racers rave about ideal conditions (with photos)

Samara Kalk Derby  —  9/08/2008 2:16 pm

For those who competed in the world's most prestigious one-day endurance event, the Ironman, in Madison on Sunday, the day couldn't have been better.

"The weather was ideal -- ideal conditions," said Jessica Jacobs, 31, who finished third among the women.

It was her eighth Ironman, her second in Wisconsin. The last time she did Ironman Wisconsin, it was very hot, Jacobs said. "Today was perfect, just perfect. If every race could be like this, I'd be the happiest athlete in the world."

Jacobs set a personal record Sunday at 9:50:45. It was her first year as a pro.

"Today was a PR. Today was a podium finish," Jacob said, polishing off a slice of pizza after the run.

Originally from Green Bay, Jacobs now lives in Birmingham, Ala., where she is a professional triathlete, personal trainer and swim coach. When ESPN began filming her during the race, she looked in the camera and said, "I'm from Green Bay, I love the Packers and I still love Brett Favre."

She intensified her training after going pro, which she says has gone up "900 percent." But there are other reasons for her strong showing.

"This is home for me. My family was here. The crowds were amazing. This whole race -- everything about it is just so well organized and happy. No other Ironmans compare," said Jacobs, who has done Ironman Hawaii twice.

"People-wise, this is better," she said. "Going through Verona, Mount Horeb, State Street. The energy of the people, you want to bottle it up and take it with you. It's amazing."

Ironman spokeswoman Helen Manning also called it a perfect day.

"The swim went really well. The sun came up over the water, and it was absolutely stunning. The weather has been really great," she said at 7 p.m., 12 hours into the triathlon.

"Right now the finish line is completely packed with people. There are people in the streets just cheering them on. We're really, really pleased so far.

"This is probably one of the more temperate days we've had. We've had some very, very hot days here, and we had one year where it was very cold and rainy. In terms of perfect days, we've come real close today."

The people are always great," she added. "The spectators are great. Our volunteers are wonderful."

About 2,200 athletes entered Lake Monona just off of Monona Terrace at 7 a.m. for the 2.4-mile swim. The athletes then biked for 112 miles and ran a 26.2-mile marathon.

The oldest person who started the Ironman was attorney Frank Farrar, 79, of Britton, S.D. The youngest participants were 19. There were four 19-year-olds who entered, including Cory Markwardt of Madison.

Hillary Biscay of Tucson, Ariz., took the women's title, while Chris McDonald of Australia claimed the men's title.

The race will air on Fox Sports Network Wisconsin on Sept. 27.

Brett Wilking, 33, a cartographer from Salt Lake City, Utah, set a personal record at 9:47:59 in his third Ironman.

Wilking, like others, said it was a nice day but a little windy during the second half of the bike portion. He compares it favorably with the Ironman Wisconsin he did in 2005, which was hot and windy.

The course is very challenging, he said, tougher than the race in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, that he did last year.

The volunteers in Madison are extremely helpful, he said, which makes it one of the best races around.

"You miss a gel or a drink handoff, and they chase you down with one. They go that extra little distance," Wilking said.

Tim Monk, 37, from Woodlands, Texas, had his best race ever during his third Ironman.

"I ran much better than I ever thought I could," said Monk, who finished in 9:53:19.

"The day was awesome. The weather couldn't have been better, and the fan support was phenomenal," he said, comparing it to Coeur d'Alene, which he has done twice.

A vice president of sales for Douglas Laboratories, a vitamin and nutritional supplement company, Monk said that he trained 14 hours a week, and 24 hours some weeks.

Monk swam in college, so the swim portion was easy for him. He completed the swim in 56:59 and was in one of the front groups, so he didn't have to worry about getting hit and kicked in the face.

Ron Rietsema, 49, of Hollale, Minn., had a tough time in the water. He got punched in the jaw and punched in the goggles, which came undone.

"You get pulled and pushed around. It's always brutal. You are in survival mode," said Rietsema, who dropped out at the 80-mile mark of the bike portion. He had the flu all week but wanted to compete after investing so much in the event.

"I thought I could work my way through it," he said afterward at Monona Terrace, where he was waiting for his daughter and future son-in-law to finish the race. It was Rietsema's second Ironman, after doing Coeur d'Alene.

Dan Morwood, 34, of Ontario, Canada, came in as the 11th pro in 9:21:30. It was his seventh Ironman, his second as a pro and his second in Wisconsin. It was a lot cooler and a little windier than it was in 2003, when he did Ironman Wisconsin as an amateur.

But he admitted this year's conditions were pretty ideal.

"Every race brings its own challenges," Morwood said. "It never gets easy. The more you race the harder it gets, especially when you're racing as a pro. You push as hard as you can from the start and try to hold on for nine hours or however long it takes."

A lot of people would say Ironman Wisconsin is the hardest Ironman in North America, he said. "It depends on who you talk to. It really beats you up," he said, admitting he could barely walk when it was all over.

Jeremy Davis, 29, who is completing his Ph.D in nutritional sciences in Ames, Iowa, said the bike course with its hills and trees reminded him of Vermont, where he grew up.

It was Davis' first Ironman and he finished in 9:49:07. "I'm pretty happy with that," said Davis, a marathon runner.

The swim and bike portions went well, he said, but even though running is his strength, the run was the toughest. He was doing seven-minute miles for the first 14 miles but then had to walk at every aid station, Davis said.

He came in seventh in his age group and is hoping to qualify for Hawaii.

"The conditions were the best I'm sure they could ever be," he said. "It was windy on the bike, but besides that it was perfect."

Katherine Morkri, 47, a billing specialist, was one of about 3,500 volunteers helping out at the race. She has volunteered all seven years of Ironman Wisconsin. She started at 9 a.m. Sunday and was scheduled to work until midnight. She worked in the volunteer tent, as a bike handler and bike retriever, and at the finish line.

"It's fun. I've had a ball. I enjoy it. It's rewarding," said Morkri, who likes the option of doing multiple jobs and not having to stay in the same location all day.

Tom Raykovich, 46, volunteered for three hours organizing the bags where the athletes keep their swim, bike and running gear.

"I didn't do a triathlon, but I'm shot," he said, adding that he's signing up tomorrow for next year's race.

Top finishers

McDonald broke Chris Lieto's Wisconsin course record of 8:46:30.

Serge Meyer of Switzerland finished second (8:55:50), followed by Jason Shortis of Australia (8:59:14), Bernhard Keller of Austria (8:59:39) and Markus Fachbach of Germany (9:01:56). 

In the women's race, Hillary Biscay of Tucson, Ariz., managed to pass Karin Gerber of Switzerland and finish first, with a time of 9:47:25. Gerber (9:49:46) was followed by Jessica Jacobs of Birmingham, Ala. (9:50:45); Heidi Jesberger of Germany (10:02:18); and Lauren Jensen of New Berlin, Wis. (10:07:39). Biscay and Gerber each led at various points in the marathon portion of the race.

Shortis finished third despite having what is believed to be an asthma attack during the bike portion of the race, according to the Ironman Web site. "It sounds like he's been coughing blood for most of the marathon," the update read. 

Justin Henkel was the first Madisonian to cross the finish line. He finished eighth overall with a time of 9:06:56.

For more, go to http://ironman.com/, which includes race coverage and the ability to track individual athletes.

Come back to madison.com  for more stories and photos.

Samara Kalk Derby  —  9/08/2008 2:16 pm