Ironman Coeur d'Alene - TriathlonFull Ironman

We head on down to the beach. We know that there are 2500 athletes, but it’s looking more like 10,000…..and they all brought their parents, kids and coaches. It’s a zoo. Down to the sand in time to hear the standard ‘this is the best day of your life’, watch the helicopters, listen to U2. Quick kiss, and the last thing Jeff said was ‘Love you – SWIM!’ We were off!

Well, ‘off’ may be a very accurate description of my swim. In retrospect, I seeded myself too far in front…we were in the second or third row, and I was surrounded my large men. Hit the water at a full run, and dove right in…….into the washing machine. I spent the first 15 minutes – most of the first leg – fighting a full blown panic attack. Heart rate spiked, couldn’t get air. Kicked, grabbed, smacked swam over…and that was the other swimmers! I took a hard right turn, and swam for clear space. Cost me major distance and time, but helped calm me down. Chop was much worse than during my practice swims, and I took several waves to face once I hit clearer water. Seriously contemplated hitting a kayak, and DNF was swimming in my head….in the water, me? Really? Hit the first swim buoy with 900 of my new friends, and truly understood the term washing machine. Hit the second turn bouy – marveled at the audacity of the people cutting the corner – and inhaled wonderful gas fumes. Rescue boats at the ready! Rode the wave in, hit the beach and ran back for a second try. Someone yelled ‘42 minutes’ at me, and really bummed me out. Still, I figured I’d be better this time – less people left, if nothing else – and off I went!! Felt stronger, but so did the waves. Where did all of this chop come from?!? Finished, picking people off right and left in the last 500 yards…..and saw the clock with a 1:32. WHAT?!?!?! That was a blow. Off to T1 to try to reclaim a bit of a race.


Seed myself farthr back, and farther to the right. Swim faster. Really not sure what happened.

Shout out to my volunteer in T1. I was shaking so hard she had to put my gloves on my hands for me. My toes were full on white – and numb. Completely forgot the suncreen – good thing I did that before the race! Sent me off to the bikes, shouting at me to buckle my helmet. Can’t begin to imagine how I looked with numb feet, loose helmet, trying to run!! However, I did a best time in T1, and beat Jeff’s T1 time. Little victories.

It felt very efficient. No clue how some people do it so much faster!!

Wow. Really glad I’d driven the course with Stan – that helped. I was really hoping to beat my IMWI time. I didn’t borrow race wheels this time, and I hadn’t trained as well (Boston was my ‘A’ race) so I’m not sure how I got that idea, but I did. Went out strong, made a conscious effort to not blow it out too early, and held a pretty decent pace. Did well on my nutrition, killed my first 9 scoop bottle of Sustained Energy at the 50 mile point. Hydration had been handled very well in the lake. Had to urgently pull over and hit the porta-potty at the 20 and 40 mile marks. Geez. Maybe I should learn how to pee on the bike. Discovered that men, at least men in Idaho, don’t lock porta-potty doors. Way TMI on each stop!
Saw Julia several times – we traded porta-stops! She looked great, and she was gone!! Saw a few other TRIbe peeps on the bike – going the other way. The loops did make it fun to cheer for friends!
Heading out of town – mile 3 or 4 – thanks to guy who told me I had the best legs on the course – made me smile for miles!
At around mile 40 saw the police escorts, tv crews, etc go through with the leaders – going the other way. Yup. 50 miles ahead of me. Gotta love the 2 loop course. Immediately started worrying about blocking and obstruction calls when the all started to pass me. Took a while, but sure enough……flashing lights, motorcycles and cars behind me. WOOSH! Fast dude on the left. Yelled ‘looking strong’ at me. Made my day! Couldn’t see the name…but saw the number. Checked out the roster 8 hours later - Andy Potts! Several miles later…several more pros passed. Hit the downtown where finishers turn right and 2 lappers turn left…..and had to pull out in front of a few FOPers to make the left. Jeez. I would have paid good money to go right at that corner!!
Second loop was obviously a repeat. Felt harder. Held my pace, pretty much. How did the hills get harder? Picked up second bottle at special needs….after they hunted to find it. Downside to being a MOP rider – it was crowded. Decided that with heat, I better start drinking water. Starting tossing bottles at every aid station, and getting new ones. Mostly concentrated on finishing my second SE bottle. Mile 90 took the thermotabs and endurolytes Jeff gave me. I decided to stop to do that….saw way too many pills in the road to risk doing it on the fly. Got nailed in the face by a bee or other big bug…drew blood!
Saw Jeff as I was heading back into town – and he was heading out. Probably 20 miles ahead of me. He looked strong! I spent the next 10 miles trying to calculate, using algebraic formulas, how far ahead he was in minutes and miles……finally gave up and decided that he must have had a kick-butt swim and great first loop!
Finally, it was me flying into town and taking the right turn into the bike finish…..woooot! 7:11.09


More hill training. Pushed a bit harder on the first lap. Get a new bike. RACE WHEELS.

Bike catchers caught me, held my bike while I dug out my chews and unclipped the Garmin. Really didn’t care what they did with the bike, but appreciated their concern! Trotted off to T2!
Another wonderful volunteer helped me go through my bag. Yanked off my gloves, took my shoes, helmet….helped me stuff unnecessary items into my jersey, and shove warm Sustained Energy into the belt. These volunteers are worth their weight in gold! Out of the tent……add a bit of sunscreen, took a shot of Slam and I’m off!

Nothing. Glad I changed into run shorts!

Actually didn’t feel too bad. Started off at a trot. Went for a sip of SE, and it was HOT. 30 second decision – threw that bottle in the trash. There was no way I was drinking it or carrying it. Loved the crowds, the adrenaline, the whole feel. I’d made it off the bike, I was going to rock the run!
Headed out of town – there was Jeff coming around the corner! Looking great – about 9 miles ahead of me, and he appeared to have settled into a comfortable pace. Snagged a kiss, woulda loved to trade places with him! Seeing him definitely gave me a boost.
Had to rethink the nutrition a bit on the run, since I dumped the food. Didn’t have a SN bag, just what I was carrying. A melted cliff bar, a couple of gu, some honey stingers, and my meds. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew I’d only had about 1500 calories on the bike, and I needed more. Starting sucking on oranges at the aid stations. None of the food looked good. Drank water and carried ice through each one, too. Took a few sponges. And HALLELUJAH for spectators with hoses and squirt guns! That was nice!! Ate my thermotabs and endurolytes and Gold…..and then ate a blackberry jet gu to get rid of the taste. Sticky! Settled into a pretty good trot, right where I wanted to be, at about 10-11 minute miles. Would have loved to be sub-10s, but knew that wasn’t happening.
At mile 10 I lost my first toenail of the day – tears. It was driving into my toe, but I was afraid to stop and take the shoe off – didn’t think I’d get it back on. Mile 12, lost the second one. Now I’m down 5 from Boston. OMG. My toes are hurting more than anything else, and my pace is dropping. According to the Garmin, I hit mile 13.1 at 2:33, behind where I want to be by 10 minutes. Starting to shape up like WI. One last porta-stop – another unlocked dude. Am I missing something here? Not happy, and I’m walking more. Downhills are my friend, though, and both of the large hills by the first turnaround were fun…..my feet were slamming and I was picking people off right and left – really helped my mental game at that point. At mile 18, my Garmin died – dang. I was really using it to track my not-so impressive pace, and that hurt. At mile 20 I remember my honey stingers and scarfed two whole bags in about a mile. They tasted amazing!
Ran past some TRIbe supporters – yea! Saw Julia again, Eric, Ron, Tom, Dov, and a few others I thought I recognized! Met a few BTers….that was fun. Didn’t see Kyla till near the end of the run – and she was running! Didn’t know about her tummy issues then, and never would have guessed!
One mile to go – I can hear the music, and the people thumping and clapping. I start to run – pick off 3 more people right before the final turn, hoping for the chute to myself! I take the turn onto Sherman and the street is packed with cheering, screaming people. Volunteers are yelling that I’m almost there – ‘go get it’! I can see the bright lights at the finish, and the finish arch. Now my feet are really pounding, and I’m smiling again! Bruce is playing on the loudspeaker – “Times like this, baby we were ‘Born to Run’!” Saw Jeff just this side of the finish line yelling for me – heard my name – Linda Nollette, you are an Ironman!
Looked at the clock – 14:11:06. Missed my first goal of 12 hours….missed my second goal of 13 hours – thought I missed my 3d goal of PR. Quick congratulatory call from Bethany cleared that up – I beat my IMWI time by a minute and a half. Hmmmmm. Okay. Maybe IM Arizona for the next shot………


Run faster. Figure out why I keep losing toenails. Figure out a way to keep nutrition cold.

Stagger into recovery area, have a wonderful 10 minute massage, fit abdominal cramps. Head to the room, and listen to Mike Reilly announce the last 2 hours of finishers. Wish I'd gone back down to see it, but Jeff was feeling pretty yukky.


training.


I'm a 2 time Ironman! Yea!!