Ironman Coeur d'Alene - TriathlonFull Ironman

I stayed near the back and wide for the start because swimming is my weakest event. I took my time and entered the water 5-10 seconds after the start. I got right in with little incident. If anyone is nervous about the mass start, I highly recommend this technique. I quickly found someone at my pace who was not kicking much and began to follow him. This worked awesome because I did not have to break my stroke to sight. For the first few minutes I checked every so often to make sure he was going the right way and he was always dead on. So for the rest of the way out, I just kept my head down and followed right behind him. I so wished I could've thanked him. This swim was a rectangle - about .5 out, .2 accross, and then .5 back. Then you run on the beach, hit the time mat, and jump back in for the second lap. I lost my trusty sighter and drafter at the first turn; it did get a little crazy and cramped at the turns. By the time we got headed back, I found another person to swim behind. I was able to do this on all four long legs of the swim. It paid off; I had not expected to get out of the water in under 1:30 and I swam a 1:24! This is 2:15/100 pace; that's as fast as I swim 100s in a pool!!!! Even though I am a slow swimmer; this was my favorite part of the whole day. The water was pristine and I was able to freestyle the whole time; I never had to stop and rest, or tread, or back float, etc. When I finished the swim, I was in 1600ishth place.

Get faster in the water. This was my best swim ever; but I am still a pretty slow swimmer.

I got my goggles, neoprene cap, and swim cap off easily. I also got the top 1/2 of my wetsuit down (I wore a jon by the way, the fulls make my arms too tired.) I then laid down in front of a volunteer and they peeled it right off for me. Then I carried it to the gear bag area; I was able to find mine pretty quickly. I got out my helmet, shoes, socks, sunglasses, and race belt. I got everything on pretty smoothly; then I shoved my wetsuit into my bag and had to run around a bit to find someone to take it from me. They kept wanting me to go into the change tent, but since I was changing, I did not want to get stuck in that mess. I just wore a zoot two-piece tri-suit for the whole race. Finally someone took it, I stopped for some sun screen and then headed to my bike. I got my bike off the rack easily, but I was on the FAR end of the transistion area so I had to run my bike all the way to the opposite end; this took some time. I ended up with a T1 time of right around 5 minutes.

I would like to be a little quicker on this first transition next time. Practice should help this.

As I mentioned above, after our drive on Friday, I was prepared for a hilly bike. Mark (my husband, coach, and trainer) had told me I should ride mile 1-30 easy, actually holding back; 31-60, I should just settle into a nice pace; 61-90 is where I could push it and actually try to race a little; and then 91-112 I should again fall into a nice, steady pace, evaluate nutrition, stretch the legs and prepare to start running. This is pretty much what I did. The first 20 or so miles of the bike follow Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive and go right along the lake. There are a couple small climbs in this portion. I talked to a lot of nice people on the bike. After this first segment, we came back through town and then headed out to the hills. The first big climb, came around 25 miles; I just put it in my granny gear, slid back on the seat, and took my sweet old time getting up. The decsent was fun, but scary. I was going close to 40 at times, but there were some really sharp switch-backs. I had to actually stay on the brakes the whole time. Because of this, it was hard to gain back a lot of the time lost climbing. After this hilly section was over, we got out on some pretty flat roads (although, still rolling hills). The problem now was that we had the wind in our faces. We rode for a while on a trail, called the Centenial Trail that actually goes through a lot of Idaho and Washington and I think other states as well. We rode over an old Railroad bridge, which was fun and interesting. We also rode around a greyhound track and through some parking lots. There really was never any good, long, stretch, where I could just get down in my aeros and mash. (I think this might have ended up being a good thing for the run.) Then we came back though town, on a nice downhill. . . got to look fast and impressive for the fans. Then we went out and did the same loop again. Did I mention that by this time, it is getting HOT. It was close to the record high for this race. They actually had one year where it got close to 100. On our day, officially, I guess it ended up hitting 95! So the second bike loop was a bit slower for me; I felt like I was following the plan, but I think the heat just naturally slowed me down a little. I was feeling good though coming into T2. I had to make 2 pit-stops; one on each lap which always annoys me. My nutrition goal, was to drink a 20 oz, 6-scoop bottle of perpetuem on each bike lap. I got my first one down with no trouble. By the second lap though, I really couldn't choke it down any longer. I switched to gu and water every 10 miles. I think this worked pretty well. I think I also got about 80 oz of water down through the ride. I also took 3 electrolyte tabs each hour. Asside from what I used on the course, I used all hammer nutrition products. I grabbed a gatorade and just took a few sips at one of the aid stations on the second lap. I was craving it, so I figured that meant something. On the second lap, I also tried to remember to keep myself feeling cool by pouring some water on my head every now and then. That felt good. I encouraged everyone that I went by and everyone that went by me. I made some bike-leg friendships; people that I would go by, then they would go by, then I, then them and we always talked and joked. That was fun and really helped me keep a positive attitude. Every time I encouraged someone, I felt better about myself and my race. This really enabled me to stay in a "positive box" and I think this played a big part in my having such a positive race experience. As I crossed the dismount mat, I was feeling really great. When I finished the bike, I was in 1200ishth place.


Train on some hills. Where are those in Central Indiana?

This was a pretty quick transition for me. As soon as I dismounted, I handed my bike off to a volunteer, I then ran to my gear back and switched shoes, changed my helmet for my racing cap (that all of my 7th grade students had signed for me so that they could "be there with me" on race day), and my gel flask. My socks felt pretty dry, so I did not bother changing them. Then I ran out. I was out of T2 in about 2:30.

I was a runner before I started triathlon; so this is usually my stongest event, but I had no idea what to expect today because I had never done a marathon after riding a century+ ride and swimming for an hour and a half. I hoped that I could maintain about 9 minute pace and that I could run the whole thing. The thing is, with all my research and training, they (the authors, coaches, books) never tell you much about the run. They just say, go aid station, to aid station, practice walking because 99% of all first time triathletes walk at some point during the marathon, stay in your box, do "whatever it takes" to get to mile 18, then drink flat cola. . . . Anyways, needless to say this leg was a pretty big unknown. My nutrition goal was a gel shot and water at one mile, then gatorade and an electrolyte tab at the next. My legs felt like their normal flat post-bike state for the first mile. My first mile was an 8:50, then I had an 8:40, then and 8:30, then a 9, then a 9:10, then 9:30, then a 9:40, 9:50, 10, 10, 10, 10. For quite a few miles I was running right at about 10 minute pace and this was about the best my legs could do, without possibly going to hard and blowing up. At about mile 15, the started getting LONG, I was running some 12-13 minute miles and the crazy thing is, I still felt like I was going 9-minute pace. I have been running since I was 12 and I usually know what an 8-9 minute pace feels like. It was a pretty weird sensation. Other than being pretty slow for miles 15 on, nothing else felt bad. I never got sick or even nauseous, I never had to stop and walk, never got any leg cramps, or other random pains. At mile 15 it was getting a little rough, but I knew that at mile 20 I could start the "crack" of long-course triathlons, flat cola! I had never used it in a run or race before, purposely. . . .I wanted to experience the magic for the first time. So at my slow 13ish pace, I got to mile 20, and had the cola. It did give me a pick up. My miles started coming down to 12 then 11 then close to 10 for mile 22, then I got a pretty big side stitch for about a mile and had to slow down again. I decided it was too hard to drink coke and run. I decided I could walk just the last 3 aid staions, just long enough to drink my gatorade, then water, then cola. I did this for 22, 23, and 24. Then I was like I have less than 4 K to go. My little crazy head-case high school girls can run this far (I coach xc). . . .here I go. At 24, I was at 12:04. I thought, "if I can't run 2.2 miles in 26 minutes, I don't deserve to call myself a runner." I crossed the finish line in 12:28. Now wait, you didn't think I would write this novel-long race report and not give you some details on the final two miles did you?? I didn't think so. Wink So I didn't grab anything except coke at aid station 25; I just shot that and kept going. A few minutes past the 25 miles marker, a guy came up behind me; I hadn't been passed in miles. (Even at 12-minute pace, I was still passing 20-30 people a mile.) I asked him, "how many minutes from the finish line do you think we are?" He said, "Oh probably about 6." He then asked me how I was doing. I then started to lose it; I said "fine. . . but I'm worried. . . (trembling voice, beginning to cry). . .about my husband. . . I haven't seen him since mile 9; he was only at mile 5 and he was walking. . . I never saw him on the second loop. . . " He assured me that Mark was fine and that there were lots of race officials taking care of everyone. Then I said "Yah, I'm sorry; I guess I'm just exhausted and getting emotional." Right then I noticed a 4-wheel golf-cart type thing pull up beside me, I look to my right and there is Mark sitting in the back. He said "I'm ok. They're taking me to the med tent. You just go finish; it's right up ahead. I'm proud of you." So then of course, I was flooded with emotion, sad because Mark could not finish, but excited and relieved because up ahead I could see the finish arch. I then told my new friend. I'm going to do this for Mark and I and I kicked it in the last 1/4 mile. I finished feeling strong. Of course I cried when I crossed then finish line. Mark is fine and in good spirits. I will save his story for his race report. When I finished the run, I was in 598th place. (I moved up over 1000 places from the swim finish to the end of the race.)

Order a cooler day.

Found my huband in the med tent, got a massage, tried to keep from throwing up or dying. Couldn't eat anything.


Extreme heat, Hilly bike course


This was a perfectly organized and managed race. The officials, volunteers, and all other people involved with gettting if off smoothly were awesome. I highly recommend this race to anyone!

Today I can actually walk normally and go down stairs with out using the railing. Thanks for taking the time to read my race report. I hope that it offers some help, guidance, or encouragement to someone.