Ironman Coeur d'Alene : Official Thread (Page 15)

Crap that's depressing.  I've been riding a 53-39 with a 12-25 cassette.  I took the rig out to climb our local 800 foot "mountain" twice and unfortunately didn't have much in the way of legs left.
I was kinda  hoping that for CdA I could just by via changing cassette to a 12-28.  Don't really want to drop the coin on new crankset plus new cassette. 

I know A LOT of people who have used a 12-28 on that course and done just fine.  I'll be running a 11-28 and training on hills with an 11-28. Would a compact crank help? Yeah, it might....but training will be huge too.  This sport is expensive enough, I think you'd be okay with the 12-28, but that's just my 2 cents. I won't be purchasing a new crankset for the race.  I'm just going to train my legs out on hills here so that I'm used to go up them and strong for them too.  If you were saying you'd run an 11-23, then I'd say you have issues!!

Despite what I said before, I actually agree with this.  Many folks will be fine with a standard crank and an 11-28.  It's not that different than a compact with a 12-25 in terms of your easiest gearing. 

However the comment about being pretty trashed after riding hills on the standard + 12-25 does leave me a bit worried.  Of course you have lots of time to build your bike fitness between now and then... but the last thing you want for the IM is to be forced to mash on the hills because you are out of gears. 

I'm pretty conservative about it, obviously... but that doesn't mean you're screwed if you can't do what I say

I'm tempted to drop the coin on a compact and a 12-28... a 50-12 is a worthwhile sacrifice for a 34-28 in my mind.  Especially after reading more and more about the theory of staying in HR zone 2 on the bike.

I train with an 11-23 - which is super nice on down hills, because it takes to about 40+ mph for me to spin out. 

When I was working with a coach, he said train with the 11-23 to build the strength, then race with my 12-27 to save the legs. 

while i could get up all the hills with the 11-23 just fine, i wouldn't want to put that kind of fatigue into my legs when I could just ride a little slower up the hills and still run the marathon

Exactly.  And honestly, the difference between 11 and 12 in terms of top speeed is no biggie imho.  If I'm going 35mph+ on my tri bike it means I'm tucked and squeezing the top tube with my knees and flying downhill and not pedaling anyway.  Very little to be gained from hammering down a hill when it could be almost as fast at complete recovery.

Me thinks I'm going to borrow or buy a 12-28 after IMFL.  Then start training on massive hills.  If that doesn't do the trick, I just realized my wife's bike already has a compact.  Might make the swap (if she'll let me).   Otherwise, my old road bike has a triple crank, baby! And I'm not afraid to use it.

Seriously though, my local wrench is telling me that swapping to compact might not just be a simple swap.  He's warned me of possibility of rear-derailleur interface  issues (as in I could need new one) plus might need to get new chain.  
Ugh...things are rarely simple or easy. 
 

I had originally wanted a triple on my TriBike and it couldn't accomodate a triple for some reason which I can't recall. Might want to double check on that. I did CDA both time with a compact double and was just fine.

No no, you misunderstand.  No way I'd put that piece of junk triple on my sweet tri bike!

Maybe I'll bring my $700 road bike instead of my uber tri-bike. I've done a couple of hilly 70.3's with the road bike before I bought my tri-bike and I managed to squeeze out a 2nd place clyde finish.

a nice summary:

Things to See and Do in Coeur d’Alene

Mileage
Spokane, WA...........................50 miles
WorldMark Leavenworth........246 miles
WorldMark McCall..................297 miles
Seattle, WA............................328 miles
Boise, ID................................454 miles

As its name implies, Coeur d’Alene is a city with heart. Nestled among tall pines on the shores of beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene, this
town also occupies the heart of northern Idaho. Its 100-year-old richly textured history and a population of approximately 30,000 come
together to form one of the few communities in the country to be called an “All-American City.” But Coeur d’Alene has plenty of unique
standouts. Consider, for one, that Northern Idaho has the greatest concentration of lakes of any western state. But there are lakes …
and then there are lakes. Lake Coeur d’Alene is 25 miles long with 135 miles of shoreline and an average depth of 120 feet. For many,
the cutthroat trout and monster Chinook salmon are easily its strongest draws, but fishing hardly holds a monopoly on fun at this
watersport lovers’ paradise. With its placid current and distinctly Northwest environs, sailing, canoeing and boating are also
incredible.
We can’t go too far without mentioning the area’s preeminent golf. Sixteen exciting courses are scattered throughout North Idaho.
Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course has become famous for its Scott Miller-designed links—specifically, its phenomenal signature
hole—a floating, movable green. Consider also perfectly manicured and lavishly landscaped scenery, with junipers, geraniums and
petunias, plus a wall-to-wall bent grass layout that boasts a lake view from every hole. With the arrival of winter, snow sports seize the
attention of powderenthusiasts. Silver Mountain, just 36 miles away at Kellogg, has two mountain peaks, six lifts, 2,200 vertical feet,
and the world’s longest singlestage gondola, rising 3.1 miles up the mountain.
Head north and you’ll run into famed 2,500-acre Schweitzer Mountain Resort outside Sandpoint. Many of its 59 trails feature
breathtaking views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Selkirk Mountains. Lookout Pass Ski Area, on the Montana-Idaho border, is
considered by some to be the best learning hill in the Northwest, and Farragut State Park, north of Coeur d’Alene in Athol, is a
favorite among cross-country skiers. When the summer sun warms the area up a bit, City Beach is the perfect choice for cooling off or
catching some rays. Or, for more diverse water play, Wild Waters offers 11 refreshingly wet slides. Of course, there is also Idaho’s
legendary whitewater. Experience it for yourself on a guided rafting expedition down the Moyie, St. Joe, Salmon, Snake and Lochsa
rivers.
Adjacent to downtown Coeur d’Alene is Tubbs Hill, a gorgeous 120-acre wooded preserve. Paths lined with Douglas fir and
ponderosa pine will take you to hidden coves and beaches—or up hills for panoramic views. Nearby, the 3.3-mile Mineral Ridge Trail
provides one of the best seasonal vantage points to observe migrant populations of bald eagles. There’s also the North Idaho
Centennial Trail, which extends all the way from Lake Coeur d’Alene to the Washington- Idaho border. And don’t forget Silverwood
Theme Park, modeled after a turn-of the- century Victorian town, just 15 miles north of Coeur d’Alene—with more than 60 amusement
rides and attractions, great restaurants, unique shops and superb live entertainment. Or, for that matter, area specialties such as
huckleberries and beer.
But there’s plenty more to discover about Coeur d’Alene. Take time to explore and see what you can find on your own.

Hi everybody ~ After many years in triathlon, I finally signed up for the full with CDA 2011.  This will be a new adventure for me and I'm looking forward to the experience. I've been catching up on this forum recently and have enjoyed the information exchange and the tips.  The comparisons to the Lake Stevens bike (I just did that race this year), the info about the swim (yikes!), and places to stay have already been helpful.  You all sound very supportive.  I look forward to learning more from you all and hopefully actually meeting some of you in CDA next June.

Cheers,
Brad 

Brad, welcome to the group!! We're glad to have you and this group here is off and running, so to speak, quite well! These next few months will be great, and 26 June even better!! We're glad to have you here!

Thanks!  Yes, I was very impressed how active this board was so far in advance of the race.  It was information from here that led me to the house we're renting so it's already working out well.

I'm in! It will be my 8th Ironman race but the first time in Coeur d'Alene. I did a bike ride there about 8 years ago which I think was on some of the same roads as the Ironman course. I remember it being very pretty.

My fastest race was IM Arizona in April 2007, when I had a great combination of winter time to train, a coach who pushed me, and a tough training plan I followed fairly closely. The last few races have had more demands on my time, no coach so it's all me , and a plan that I didn't follow consistently anyway. And I've had to recover from some injuries along the way. But mostly it's just been lack of consistency.

So here's my public declaration: I'm going to get myself a coach to guide my training. Maybe an online coach, maybe a local coach. I'm going to train consistently and follow the plan and not slack. I'm going to be smart and not injure myself. I'm going to rock IMCDA!

got this from a localish vet who was kind enough to give me the run down:

Similar pitch/steepness but shorter than Cardiac or the climbs out of the American river confluence (e.g. the climb up to Cool). The west side of Cantelow is comparable but still longer. Training in the Auburn area would be good. I need to spend more time there.

I think some of you may be worrying about the hills a bit much.  Are there hills?  - Yes.  If you only train on bike paths or live somewhere that is pancake flat (Florida for example), it is going to see quite hilly I would think.  I would still recommend riding a Tri bike, as there are many sections that are flat, or that you can still be in aero.

As compared to Lake Steven's course - I would say it doesn't have as many rolling hills.  It does have a couple hills that can compare in steepness. 

I happen to like hills, they give me a chance to get out of aero and downhills are always fun

Tri bike for sure, but be mindful of gearing.  Most people wish they had gone with an easier granny gear on this course.  As for the swim, I thought it was "polite" compared to the thrashing of sprints I've done, and I was fairly close to the buoys.  Maybe I just got lucky.

JoshKaptur (BTW - nice job at IMLP this year!) have you or anybody else out there that completed IMLP also ridden the CdA course?  Just curious how IMCdA compares.  IM used to have an interactive overlay of the courses and if I remember IMLP had many more feet of climbing, so I think I will be fine.  We will not get that sweet 6 mile downhill...  twice though...  but also will not have to climb for 17 miles back into tranisition with 5 steep climbs (Cherries and Bears)... twice.  My take is simple, I trained for IMLP in FL with regular cranks and a 53/39 (albeit 170's, I am short) and an 11-23 cassette, then raced with the same cranks and an 11-28 and was just fine.  Luckily I live in Middle TN now and hills are just a way of life here.  The challenge here is to find 1 mile straight without a hill. 

The best advice I ever got from a coach was to focus on cadence and HR.  My goal was 80 cadence avg, and I averaged 79, felt like a million bucks coming off the bike.  Believe me, 80 cadance is tough for me, I am a natural spinner and my legs really want to ride at 95-100 rpm.  Focus on cadence and HR and listen to your body.  Dropping a ton of coin on a compact set to get up 2-4 hills 20 seconds faster is crazy!  IM is a LONG day and unless you are looking towards KONA, 2-3 minutes is not going to matter.  Running 26.2 after riding 112 is tough, so everytime you start mashing at 50 rpm or trying to spin up a hill at 95 rpm just remember how much that will hurt on mile 16 of the run.

Want to get better at hills... train on hills...

Edited by gremlin327 2010-09-13 12:14 PM

great run down, thank you!  I'm planning on doing it on my road bike as I have not invested in a tri bike yet.  I'm new to aero bars - did three 1/2 irons without them stupidly.  Anyone have any suggestions as to how to get used to it?? I feel very unstable in them right now.

I rode a road bike for a year  and the only advice I would give is to get the profile design seat post that changes the seat angle.  It made a big difference to me.  Come to think of it I still have mine Id sell it if you want it.  Can not remember how much they cost.  It is carbon.