Katy Bloomquist Freitag and Ryan Rogers solidly belong in an elite triathlete echelon.
They crushed the 2022 Ironman Cozumel.
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There are 170 Ironman events worldwide. The competition is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run, all done consecutively. There is a time limit of 17 hours.
Both are members of the Headwaters Triathlon Club. Both were coached by Neil King.
A destination race
This was Freitag’s fourth Ironman and second Ironman Cozumel.
“I had done it in 2019,” she recalled. “I love it down there because it’s a beautiful swim because it’s clear water and you can see the fish, so I just really, really enjoy that.”
She completed the other Ironmans in Florida and Arizona.
“I’m a glutton for punishment,” joked the 58-year-old.
She and husband Scott “like to do them as destination races for vacations, too.”
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Of course, not everyone considers grueling, 13-hour continuous exertion that tests you physically and mentally a “vacation.”
Laughing, Katy emphasized that they really do enjoy races.
Ironman Cozumel presented its own unique challenges.
“It’s hot and humid to compete, especially by the time you get to the run,” Freitag said. “We were fortunate because we got down there early, and so we really acclimated to the weather.”
Her husband, Scott, competed in a bike race in Cozumel about a week before the Ironman. This was his first “destination bike race,” and Katie said he hopes to do more.
Scott, who retired as Park Rapids postmaster in late October, wished to spend a month somewhere warm and sunny. Katie, who owns Bloomquist Law Firm, suggested they return to Cozumel. She was able to work remotely while they were there.
In order to avoid getting sick, Freitag had an influenza shot and COVID booster two weeks before traveling.
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But she had a cough when she landed on the Caribbean island.
“I had a respiratory infection leading into the race,” she said. “It meant I had to find a doctor in Cozumel to get checked, get an antibiotic. She checked my lungs and cleared me to compete, too. However, I was not 100% going into the race.”
That connection with a local doctor would be pivotal later when she had to have emergency surgery.
A spiritual time
Katy began training six months prior.
Her interest in triathlons started almost a decade ago. “I was going to be turning 50 and I wanted to get into better shape,” she recalled. “You can absolutely do it. It’s just a matter of dedicating yourself. You’re never too old to get into the best shape of your life.”
Katy books her exercise around her full-time job as a lawyer like appointments to ensure that they happen. It’s usually at 4:30 a.m.
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She does strength and mobility training in addition to endurance training.
“It’s never easy. You will hit some point, during the course of the day, that is challenging, physically and mentally. One way to counteract that is to be sure you’re on top of your hydration and nutrition,” she said. “It’s a careful balance. If you don’t have enough, you won’t have the energy to finish, but if you have too much you’re going to get sick.”
Figuring out the proper food-water intake happens during training.
Triathletes have to carry everything they need on their backs, she adds. It’s illegal to accept assistance on the course.
Katy said she learned early on that exercise is a healthy response to her “high-stress job, Type A personality.”
“I found it’s a spiritual time for me when I’m out there in nature on long runs, bikes and swims because I talk to God,” she said.
Training has also taught her to stay present in the moment, focusing only on the current task.
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She’s grateful for the beauty of the northwoods. “We’re so fortunate up here. The trails are amazing. The lakes are amazing. Training up here is stunningly beautiful.”
She typically completes a triathlon every other year, allowing recovery time and other interests.
A week after finishing Ironman Cozumel, Katie experienced “excruciating stomach pain.”
Unbeknownst to her, she had an internal hernia. It had been there a long time, but the symptoms had been mild. Katie attributed the back aches to old age.
In Cozumel, the hernia led to a bowel obstruction and perforation. It was leaking infection.
Scott called the local doctor, who sent an ambulance and secured the best surgeon at the best hospital.
Katy had to have emergency surgery.
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“Thankfully, they saved my life.”
The surgeon removed three feet of “black dead bowel.”
She stayed in the hospital for eight days.
Three weeks after her surgery, Freitag said in a phone interview, “It’s better than I was, but it’s slow going. I wanted to bounce right back, but the reality is it’s major surgery. I’m just going to have to take my time.”
A ‘daunting day,’ but train right
Ryan Rogers, a 1998 Bemidji High graduate, tackled his fifth full Ironman in Cozumel.
He’s previously completed Ironmans in Washington state, Wisconsin (twice) and Lake Tahoe.
Due to his work schedule, Rogers, 43, trains largely by himself. He works for Beltrami Electric Cooperative. King assigned Rogers’ workouts.
Rogers hits the Paul Bunyan Trail for his long runs and bike rides. Since the trail is flat, he uses a power meter to adjust gears and mimic climbing hills.
He, too, spent six months training.
“The last month and a half is really intense,” Rogers said, which means 14 to 20 hours per week. “I might do a 5- or 6-hour bike ride on Saturday, and a 2.5-hour run on Sunday.”
A friend introduced him to triathlons when he was about 26 years old.
“What kept me doing it was that you aren’t doing the same thing over and over. You get to swim. You get to bike. You get to run,” Rogers said.
The heat was an issue for Rogers in Cozumel. Race day temps were in the mid to upper 80s with 80% to 90% humidity, he said. The terrain was “nice and easy.”
“I had a game plan going in on my nutrition, but on the bike I got a little bit out of whack. I feel like I took in a little bit too much salt,” Rogers said. He avoided cramping; however, his feet swelled.
The marathon felt especially hot, he said.
He finished in 11 hours and 16 minutes. This was a personal record, 20 minutes faster than previous Ironmans.
About 1,600 started this Ironman, with roughly 1,200 finishing, he noted.
“You always want to do well, but for me it’s the challenge of finishing. Each race has had its own challenge of itself. Tahoe had elevation. Cozumel is the heat. Wisconsin is the race that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be hard, but it is,” Rogers said.
LIke Katie, he focuses on one aspect of the triathlon at a time. His aunt, who runs in ultra marathons, advised him to pace himself.
Ironmans are expensive, with registration and travel costs reaching a few grand or more, he admits. He’s on a two-year cycle of entering full triathlons, competing in half or other races in the off years.
Rogers hopes to undertake an Ironman in Europe or New Zealand in the future.
For anyone interested in attempting an Ironman, Rogers suggests joining the Headwaters Tri Club.
“It’s achievable for anybody. You just focus on one thing at a time and make sure you did your training.”
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