Coeur d'Alene Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

Started on the outside and had very little contact until the first buoy, which was a little crowded. Drafted for a little while a couple of times, but couldn't find anybody with the right pace. Got into a good rhythm after the first turn and was much more comfortable than previous races. Kept a straight line between turns and hugged the buoys. Hard to sight in the final stretch because it was into the sun and the finish was not well marked. Was able to sight off some condos until I could pick up the finish markers.

Try to go harder early and find some faster feet to follow.

Got calf cramps everytime I tried to yank my feet out. Took three or four painful yanks on each foot to get out. Surprised I was 100th in T1 - must have been the clipped-in shoes that saved me.

More practice getting out of suit after a long swim.

Had ridden a couple of training rides on the course and knew what to expect from the hills. Ate a GU and hydrated on the way out of town. The hills seemed easier and shorter than the training rides, but was still cussing them. A tough bike course - Garmin says the elevation gain is 1255 and most of that is in an eight mile section. Hit 43 mph on the downhill to Bennett Bay, which was a new record for me. Ate some Shot Bloks on the way back to town and drank the rest of my water. Drank 20oz of water and about 8oz of Gatorade all together.

Go harder on the flats - it was my first Oly and I wanted to make sure I had legs for the run, but could have spent more on the bike.

My area was pretty messed up when I got back. There weren't enough bike racks and people had just dumped their bikes and wet suits on the ground so I had to do some manuevering to get to my spot.

Setup closer to the main isle to avoid the chaos further down the rack.

Legs felt pretty good off the bike, better than most bricks. Knew I wasn't in the podium hunt so decided to take it easy for the first half and finish strong. Had to run through a gravel section that was under construction and had to be extra cautious because my ankles don't like uneven terrain. Did the last mile under 7:30, so had plenty left in the tank.

Probably could have gone out at a much faster pace and still finished strong.

Light stretching.


Lack of experience at this distance.


Fun course - they call it the "Scenic Challenge" and it is both. Spectators scattered throughout the bike were a welcome distraction on the hills. Cd'A park is a great start/finish area. Would have liked to have finished better in my age group, but met my goal of finishing my first Oly in under 3 hours.