Iron woman takes on Ironman Wisconsin

“Pain is temporary; pride is forever, Beverstein!” A cry echoing from among the 40,000 observers who jockeyed to watch the 2004 Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon on September 12, 2004, spurred on Gretchen Beverstein ’02 toward the finish line—a grueling four miles away.

“Oh it hurt. The temptation to stop and walk was all too powerful,” says Beverstein, UW-Madison alum and current graduate student at the School of Nursing. But hearing those supportive words, the Madison triathlete gutted it out to finish the race in 11:58.30. The time garnered her a sixth place finish in her age division (20-24 yrs.).

The Ironman, which features a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a complete marathon (26.2 miles)—all done in succession—requires the triathlete to complete the course within 17 hours, sometime between 7:00 a.m. and midnight.

Beverstein’s entry placed her in the women’s 20-24 age division, combining pros and amateurs. Although the competitors—2,188 strong—began together at the same starting point, race results were divided by age and gender, which is typical of all Ironman competitions.

Preparing for the race

Beverstein, who admittedly “loves setting goals” and undertaking tasks that “are both challenging and achievable,” set her sights on the Ironman triathlon about one year ago when she began competing in sprint and half-Ironman distances.

Her many years of training regimens and competition, she says, gave her a strong foundation for such an endurance event. She played water polo for UW as an undergraduate at the School of Nursing, was an avid runner throughout her four years in college and began competitive road-bike racing two years ago.

“It seemed only natural that I combined all three disciplines into one sport,” says Beverstein.

In the months preceding the triathlon, Beverstein trained “long and slow” in the pool, biked and ran—all to strengthen her aerobic base. With a background in nursing, she relied on a sure-fire physiological tool to gauge her intensity and fitness: her heart rate.

“I wore a heart rate monitor during all of my training to make sure that I was not working at a level that is too difficult, but yet, that is challenging enough to yield benefits,” says Beverstein.

In May of 2004, Beverstein increased both volume and intensity of training so that, by August, she was training roughly 20 to 25 hours weekly.

“I had three hard, intense weeks followed by one week of recovery (less volume and intensity) to allow my body to become stronger and heal,” said Beverstein, in preparation for what she called her “ultimate athletic feat.”

This athletic preparation required even greater grit from Beverstein because of her concurrent academic commitment. In the summer of 2003, Beverstein had enrolled full-time in the master’s program adult nurse practitioner sequence at the UW-Madison School of Nursing before officially starting her triathlon training in January of 2004.

Race day

On race day, Beverstein was one of 2,188 athletes who, en masse, jumped into the waters of Lake Monona at 7:00 a.m. to swim the 2.4-mile course. She recalls the experience as daunting.

“I remember hearing and feeling my jaw crack several times from other swimmers’ feet and elbows. This is a lot of bodies all trying to stay afloat at one time,” notes Beverstein. Adding that she was thankful “to make it out alive,” she completed the first phase of the triathlon in one hour and 10 minutes.

The biking phase was the least taxing for the master’s student, yet, she admits, it required skilled technique and balance. Beverstein averaged 19.5 miles per hour, attributing her solid time to the luxury of being able to train on the actual course—the terrain around Verona, Mount Horeb and Cross Plains.

“It’s very challenging and requires a lot of technical skill,” states Beverstein, “so being familiar with what to anticipate helped tremendously.”

The most physically challenging part of the race for Beverstein was the run, especially the last four miles. With 136 miles of the 140.6-mile course completed, she recalls thinking, “this isn’t so much fun anymore.” … but then came the voice of a fan that stoked her competitive fires.

Beverstein’s sixth place finish—supreme by most standards—does not qualify her for the 2005 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii: Only the top three competitors from each men’s and women’s age group qualify. However, her strong results beget more goals for Beverstein.

“So I didn’t qualify this year. That will have to be my next goal, as I plan on doing another Ironman again someday,” she notes, adding that her priority currently lies in her master’s education.

With a plan to graduate in May 2005 from the master’s program as a nurse practitioner, Beverstein reflects on the mid-September event that showcased the mettle of the gifted athlete: “I indeed have never felt so much pain, yet so much pride, all in one day.”