Welcome back - on to race day...
As expected, 4AM came early, despite getting to bed before 9PM. Got up, enjoyed a cup of coffee (thanks for the good coffee, Kristin!), and got my race gear on. It is a strange feeling to leave and not have any of your normal race gear with you (no bike, jersey, shoes, helmet, sunglasses, etc.). But off we went. We made it downtown quickly, found a very close parking spot, and headed into transition to prepare. Immediately, the energy level in the air is incredible. When you're used to racing 300 other people, sharing transition with 2800 athletes is incredible. Despite the high energy level, I managed to stay focused and calm. Race day. The hay is in the barn, time to reap the harvest. To mentally be ready for 10+ hours of racing is a challenge. Thankfully I found a spot to be surrounded by my family and friends and relax and joke around. There's no reason to be scared at this point, it is just wasted energy. Here are a couple more pictures of pre-race, including my favorite - "suns out, guns out" pose:
Once my wetsuit was lubed up for the swim, we relaxed and shared a few laughs and then I headed down to the swim start. With a bit of panic, I realized that the race was to start in 5 minutes. I was still standing in a pack of 250 or so athletes, on land, unable to reach the water. We finally filed in and I reached a decent spot at the front of the mass in the water and waited for the cannon. There is no countdown, so while maintaining a relaxed and prepared mentality, I waited. The mass was pushing forward, the kayakers holding us back. Then...BOOOOOM!!!!
--The Swim (1 really long loop)--
The first 1000 meters were fast. There had to have been a tailwind. I found some open water and cruised, keeping my swim stroke long. Looking back at the efficiency score from my Garmin, it was pretty impressive. As we made the first turn, the water started to get choppy and crowded. I ended up finding some open water again, but soon realized I was inside the buoy and would have to backtrack back out to make the turn. I think the trade-off was worth it. The back 1700 meters of the swim were
very choppy and crowded. I finally fought my way into open water again. There were packs of people who were bunched up on each other, which made it difficult to pass. I made a few digs, but didn't want to spike my HR. In IRONMAN, you want to avoid getting close to your anaerobic threshold early in the day. If you do, your body loses its ability to generate power, which is key in the relentlessly hilly bike course. Back to the swim: after making the last turn and angling back towards the Monona Terrace (T1), I found a guy swimming the same speed and stroke cadence as me. We swam together back to shore, and just like that, 60 minutes in the water and out into T1. (
GARMIN FILE)
--T1 (including the "Helix")--
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| Crowd support on the helix! |
Out of the water, I had originally told myself not to run. But, in the excitement of the moment, I jogged, if you can call it that. I found a pair of strippers, ahem...peelers...who helped with my wetsuit and sent me on my way. As I was running towards the helix, my legs showed no signs of cramping. This was a huge relief as I suffered massive cramps at my last race 2 weeks prior. Again, I'll give credit to Dr. Ronda. The helix is a 3 story spiral that climbs the parking structure where the transition area is. On race morning, it is packed with spectators, over 3 to 4 deep on each side. What an incredible feeling to be cheered on my so many people! I saw JR, smiled for the camera, and slowly made my way up. I quickly found my bike gear bag, and headed into the changing room. Let me summarize the 9 minutes I spent in "T1": run up the helix, struggled to put on gear (jersey, arm warmers - it was 52 degrees!, socks, etc.) since I was wet it was frustrating, put on bike shoes, "run" to my bike, "run" my bike all the way across the parking lot, and ride down the helix on the other side. It was amazing that some people completed this in less than 5 minutes!
--The Bike--
The previously mentioned helix is hard to navigate on a bike. Gravity wants to shoot you down at 30mph, but the continuous curve wants to throw you over the edge. Pretty fun though to come shooting out of the helix at 25mph and out onto the road. It was fast going to start. Got some cheers from another PowerBar team elite member, which was nice. After a hairy section of bike path, we finally got out to the roads to Verona. Not without a casualty though, as my water bottle flew out over a bump. Thankfully there was a fully stocked aid station at mile 10, which I hit up for more IM Perform. As we were cruising out to Verona, I started to feel my legs cramp up. This was alarming. Too early but I had prepared myself mentally to back off if I had to. I wanted to race well, but I also wanted to ensure I finished. From this point forward, I took every opportunity to stretch on downhill sections, just to keep loose. The first 35 miles went quickly, but then the wind started to make a statement. It would have been very easy to get upset at the wind, but I kept reminding myself that everyone else was dealing with the same conditions. Somehow this helped. Then the relentless hills started.
IM Wisconsin is known for its challenging and relentless bike course. The hills themselves aren't overwhelming. But they are steep, and keep coming. It is easy to be the tough guy in the beginning and power up the hills, but after 40 miles, you're done. Even if you're a great cyclist and can power through the entire course, you're not going to have a good marathon. You see a lot of guys walking who had great bike splits. But then they walk a 6 hour marathon. The 15-20 extra minutes spent climbing the hills wisely can save you 2.5 hours on the marathon. Decision making is key. Back to the race...
Once you reach Mt. Horeb, the course goes up and down like a roller coaster. The first loop usually feels good. Before I knew it, I had climbed and weaved my way through Cross Plains, had nailed my nutrition plan, and was feeling great. Keeping an eye on my HR, which seemed to be a little higher than I wanted. Nothing to be alarmed about though, I had made sure not to spike over 165, as this is where I arbitrarily set my lactate threshold (as discussed in the swim leg). After the Old Sauk Pass climb, which is always entertaining with its "Tour de France" style crowds (think men in grass skirts, ironmen are sexy signs, and beer drinking shenanigans), the course hits a somewhat downhill strecth. This must have been the only section with a tailwind. For about 4 miles, my garmin didn't drop below 25-27mph, and I hit over 40mph. Pretty crazy on a pedal bike! The last climb before Verona was entertaining as well, and before I knew it, back to Verona. Another tailwind section, (maybe 10 miles of tailwind for 112 miles of riding), I was back into the wind and heading out for loop two. I snatched more nutrition from my special needs bag (6 more PowerBar gels) and took off. When we hit the freshly paved stretch before Mt. Horeb, it became apparent that I might have lost some fitness in my last few weeks of training (which were more like resting - trying to recover from my cramping/injury). I tried to keep that out of my mind and stay positive. Playing the mental game. As I climbed up to Mt. Horeb and reached the aid station there, I reached out to grab a water bottle from one of the volunteers. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in my quad, when I looked down, I realized there was a bee stinging me! I swatted it away, and was uncertain whether to stop and get medical help, or keep going and hope I don't have a reaction. I kept going, and ironically, it was the pain/itching from the sting that took my mind off of my tired legs! Never thought I would say that I was glad to get stung. The next 35 miles were a mental grind, but before I knew it, I was through the last 2 big climbs, through Verona, and back onto the home stretch. This is where the cramping started to worsen. Somehow I managed to average over 20mph in this section, despite the wind, constant stretching, and the sketchy bike path. I downed an entire bottle of IM Perform at the last aid station, and put my mind to the task of just getting back to T2. I can stretch and deal with cramping there. Before I knew it, I was back climbing up the helix, chasing another PowerBar team elite member who I'd later meet on the run. The one MASSIVE complaint I had, was that I wore compression socks on the bike for the first time, never with my bike shoes. My feet are still sore today from being crammed in my shoes for so long! (
GARMIN FILE)
--T2--
Let's flashback to 2011 for a minute...85 degrees and humid, 6 hours in a poorly vented aero helmet, 9 minute transition because of the A/C inside. I wasn't falling for that again. I made sure to get in-and-out as fast as possible. It worked. T2 was under 4 minutes. Still room for improvement, but much better than last year! I took some salt pills and ran out of transition.
--The Run--
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| It doesn't look it, but that's an 8:30 pace! |
I knew I didn't want to repeat my mistakes from 2011, so I tried to go slowly. The problem is, the first 2 miles are downhill and fast. It is tough to hold yourself back when all your mind can think is "Thank GOD I'm not on that bike seat anymore!". If you haven't spent 6 hours on a bike seat, you'll just have to trust me! My mindset as I was running out from T2 was simply "each mile you run is one less you have to walk", a reminder to cruise and keep my legs loose. Miraculously, they weren't as tight as they were on the bike. I had a quick highlight of my run when pro Ben Hoffman ran up behind me on his second lap. We held pace for a few strides, I could tell he was roughly 8 minutes up on the 2nd pro, so I said to him "Nice work, Ben, you're buying the beers tonight." He ended up winning. Pretty cool moment. After several miles, I was started to be a little worried. I hadn't seen anyone from "Team Hoogie" all day, and had covered most of the run course. It is interesting what goes through your mind after 7 hours of continuous exercise. Then, when I was really getting concerned, I saw three orange shirts standing on the side of the path. It put a smile on my face, or maybe it was a grimace. At this point I was out of my PowerBar gel and onto the thicker, less pleasant tasting GU. Fortunately I didn't have any stomach issues making the change, but I think I could eat a burger and not have stomach problems. I kept counting down the miles, when I hit mile 11, I chuckled as I thought, "hey, only 1 riverbank run to go!", pretty cynical. But like I said, crazy things go through your mind. I saw Kristin and my folks again near Camp Randall Stadium, and must have looked bad. I found out later that Kristin texted JR and told him I needed a pep-talk. As the run makes it's way back to downtown Madison, you get a huge boost from the crowds on State Street. This is fun. So many people cheering for you, the rush of being so close to the finish shoot. I saw JR, he gave me some splits and told me to keep up my nutrition and focus. Less than 2 hours to go. I can do this. Then, the heartbreak. You're 400 meters from the finish and you have to turn around and run another 13 miles. Ouch.
The second lap was a sufferfest. My legs were nearly cramped, I took more salt and was sure to get electrolytes at each aid station. Finally, with 9 miles to go, I broke down and went for the Coke. It may have been too early, but I needed the boost. As I was walking up Observatory Hill (to keep my HR down and conserve energy), I was passed by Andrew, another PowerBar team elite member. He offered me some salt tabs, wished me good luck, and ran on by. He was having a great run. He'd end up putting 5 minutes in on me in the last 8 miles. Impressive race! I chased him up and down State Street, but he was pulling away. I counted down the miles until there were 4 to go. At this point, I told myself that I can run 4 miles any day, and that I can suffer through and try to get under 10:30. I hit up the 3rd to last aid station for some Coke, a cold sponge, a cup of water, and pulled the trigger. I wouldn't stop or slow down for aid again. 2.5 miles of sheer pain, with a huge smile on my face. I was about to become a two-time IRONMAN. As I turned onto State Street again, I could see the Capitol. The finish line is just on the other side. I put my head down and buried myself. I blew by the aid stations and soaked in all of the cheering. Around the Capitol, and turning down the finish chute. When I reached the carpet, I slowed to take it all in. "Craig Hoogerwerf, 28 years old from Jenison, Michigan, YOU. ARE. AN. IRONMAN!" I stopped at the line, did my best Craig Alexander muscle flex, and smiled. Ten hours, thirty three minutes, and three seconds. (
GARMIN FILE)
Team Hoogie quickly found me, snapped some pictures, and soaked it in. I pushed myself beyond my limits for nearly 3.75 hours of running, holding off cramps, and running a marathon PR by 14 minutes and an overall PR by 43 minutes!!! Ecstatic. Given the injury challenges I suffered, the mental stress of the last few weeks, I cannot be happier with my result.
For a full photo album,
click here!
Without further ado, a massive thank you to:
Mom and dad- you've been there for me every step of the way. Thank you for listening to me vent, for encourage, supporting, and volunteering your time to my goals and dreams. I could not have had this success without you.
Kristin- what girlfriend says "you should do it", when the question is "should I sign up for another Ironman?"? You do. Incredible. Thank you for your unending support. You enabled me, cheered me on, supported me, fed me, and didn't write me off as crazy the first time I put my feet up on your wall. "HTFU, your girlfriend just lapped you."
JR and Ronda- I know I didn't have the training with JR like last year, but you guys are fantastic and amazing friends. The chiropractic care and ART saved me this year, and your encouragement and support are unbelievable. I won't ever forget it. Thank you.
Jon/Tim/Steve/Phil- thanks for training with me, encouraging me, and talking trash with me. You guys are great. Let's get together, ride bikes, eat wings, and drink some beer.
To PowerBar- thank you for picking me to be on Team Elite. It has been a great opportunity and I hope to build on my 2012 successes in 2013. I consumed more Powergels than I ever envisioned. Thank you.
Everyone else- thanks for supporting me. IRONMAN is an individual sport, but it takes a great support network, and each of you has played a part. Thank you so much. It has been a great season.
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