Ironman Coeur d'Alene : Official Thread (Page 162)

I can be happy with my performance and still nitpick it at the same time

Hey folks! Totally been following the thread but little time to post as I had friends I was hanging out with post-race, then traveled to TX for my brother's wedding that is this Thursday. I just posted my RACE REPORT in the forum, but I'll give you the nutshell:

1. Happy with swim and bike for the most part

2. Killed T2 like it was nobodies business (1:11!!)--I beat a good amount of the pros! SWEETNESS

3. Lower back and uterus decided they hated me and my run was a bit rough.

4. STILL came in sub-12, STILL had fun, STILL learned a lot about how to race for the future, STILL finished a smile on my face, STILL happy I'm signed up for IMAZ '11 and IMTX '12, STILL thrilled to race a challenging course like CdA, STILL thrilled to have met so many awesome BT'ers out there!

So yeah, some things went wrong out there--some I probably could control, and others, well $@%! happens sometimes and you just have to adapt and overcome! Onward and upward!

Again, you all have been FANTASTIC!! I hope I get to race with many of you again. I'm eyeing IMAZ HARD right now (well, after I get back from bro's wedding festivities and make the drive back to San Diego from Spokane!). 

And, let me remind you of a few things I did before: regardless of your time, crossing that line means you're an Ironman. So many never have the drive or self discipline or health to make that happen.  We GET to do this! We CHOOSE to do this! We make ourselves STRONGER by doing this! Adversity, chosen or stumbled upon, if taken with the right attitude can make our lives in total so much better.  Yes, analyze your race and see where you can make adjustments to make it BETTER next time, but don't forget that you DID accomplish something that most people NEVER dream of and that most people think is CRAZY not because it is actually insane, but because it requires so much more than most are willing to give.  Take those characteristics, those accomplishments, those moments of victory, and don't just apply them to your next race, apply them to LIFE!

See you out on the race courses Honey Badgers!

Thanks everyone for being a part of my first ironman journey.  I'm finally home from Idaho after spending some time in Yellowstone and the Tetons. 

The swim was absolutely insane and I loved every second of it.  Well, except for when someone's stroke pushed down on my legs and I thought they were going to drowned me.  Somehow I managed to get through and finish better than I had exptected. 

The hills on the bike as others have said sure looked easier from the road.  I did well staying at my pace as others passed me and just kept pedaling.  The scenery around the lake was so beautiful, I kept thinking what a perfect day it was. 

The run started off super.  My legs felt strong and ready to go.  At about mile 3 my stomach started giving me some issues, and I couldn't run without pain.  I'm not sure what was the cause and have never had this problem in any training.  Because my legs were strong, I managed a 13 minute pace for most of mywalk.  I didn't meet my goal time of under 14, oh well, I finished and for me that's what mattered the most. 

The feeling of running down the shoot at Sherman was one of the most amazing I have ever had in my life.  I just wanted to turn around and run through the the tunnel of cheering supporting people over and over again. 

Congrats to everyone on their day at IMCDA.

Sorry I didn't have a chance to catch up on the thread earlier, but that was me who gave you the shout out.  I recognized your race kit and didn't recall seeing another one so I figured that must have been you. Great job out there!

Brad

Thanks for your work volunteering!  All of the volunteers I encountered were fantastic!

GREAT photo! To be cherished, for sure.

I love the Ironman outfits on the kids! That's awesome.  Great job!

Count me among the itchy.  Back when I didn't think I was going to be able to do CDA, I signed up to do STP in one day with a friend (that's July 9).  I'm questioning that decision now, but I'm actually looking forward to getting back on the bike.

Whew! Back from vacation and all caught up on the thread now.  Very interesting to hear how everybody's days went.  It perfectly matches something I was thinking out there on the run. Every person out there, behind every face, each person has his or her own story.  As I was running, I'd look at people and wonder what brought them here? Is it going well for them or not?  Are they just glad to be there participating or do they just want it to be over? Coming from different places, literally and figuratively, and experiencing the same thing in the same place at the same time is all part of being human. However, there is also another part about being human that I knew was behind ALL of those faces on the run - the drive to do it.  To explore what you can do. To see what's on the other side of the "can I do this?" question, whether that's participating, finishing or meeting a certain time.  For many, I believe the physical manifestation of that question was the hill before the turnaround on the run. If you can get over that hill, you can answer the question. For me, it was powerful symbolism.

Whether people got what they wanted out of the race or not, well done to you all for getting in the arena and making the attempt.  Those with the drive to venture into the unknown (of which Ironman is just a part literally and figuratively) are the ones who who get things done in this world. 

Ok, now that I'm caught up, I guess I better write up my own race report.  I'll get to that tomorrow after I get some sleep!

Cheers, Brad.

Oh for cryin out loud I didn't lecture anyone (seriously, did you read what I wrote?).  I write one post in response to few people expressing regrets about their day, and I warn you before I write it that it's not going to be warm and fuzzy and that it's not directed at you if you don't fit in that category (having regrets).  I wrote that post after dozens of encouraging posts including several in the days following the race that were complimentary of everyone's performance/execution, giving kudos to anyone who started the race (I couldn't cut it this year), etc.  Maybe I'm cranky because I can't sleep and it's 4:40AM, but if you consider the context I don't think you should anyone's panties should be bunched up over it. 

I can assure you that based on several PMs I've received, the people that were struggling with regret and questioning how their day went were not looking for me to come beside them and reassure them and make them feel warm and fuzzy.  If that's what YOU wanted it's all over the place in this thread (including Brittany's last post, which I wholeheartedly endorese), including many times from me.  But if you thought my post was all debbie downer, then trust me it wasn't for you (although it sounds like it hit too close to home for a few) and I don't know how else I could have said that.  Even what I did write is full of silver linings about how the hard reflection (again, I never said everyone should do it, but some will) is a good thing long term.

Let me say for the record one last time I'm stoked for and impressed by each and every person that enters an IM.  There are nearly 3000 different outcomes in each one, and each deserves respect.  I'm not judging anyone and I've turned down several requests to provide specific feedback on people's races (not fair for me to second guess their coach, their decisions, etc).  All I was trying to do was steer THOSE WHO WERE INTERESTED IN HARD SELF-REFLECTION to some areas many IMers looking to get better seem to ignore.  If "woo hoo I did an ironman" is the extent of your self reflection based on your goals for the race I am 100% supportive of that and understand it completely.  First beer's on me.  But please understand that some folks, based on their specific goals, were hoping for more on race day and are now grasping for reasons.  I can't say for sure what those reasons were and I couldn't have put any more caveats and disclaimers regarding my suspicions in my post, but I do feel comfortable nudging a few folks who asked towards considering certain areas for themselves.  If that got anyone clutching their pillow because I've roobed you of the IM experience, I'm willing to blame it on post-race fatigue/soreness for now.  I'm confident anyone with the stones to toe the line (again, not me this year) can probably make it past this too.

Time for me to sign-off on the CdA thread.  It's been an awesome ride, and I appreciate many relationships formed and tons of things learned as we discussed.  I'll be around via inspires or on facebook.

Congrats to you all again!

Josh

Hi all and congratulations to everyone. I hardly post on the board but wanted to post now that we are done. Thank you all for all the advice on the board. I found some to be great for me and used a bit in training and on race day.

My goals for the race went like this.

1. Finish swim = DONE. That was huge for me. I swim like crap and do not have time for coaches, masters ect to make it much better. I was done in 1:45… and had to compose myself when done. The swim if you are not great at it or not ready for it is emotionally, physically and mentally tough.

2. Finish = DONE. I finished and I finished hard. Found a second wind in my second loop of the run when the sun went away.

3. Finish in 13 hours = NOT DONE. Finished in 14 hours That was a stretch goal for me. I missed it by an hour. I could be upset about it but I am not. I know what to next time to get the time and will do it.

4. Make the most of the full Ironman weekend for me and family = DONE. My son ran the kids run on Thurs and we had a great time all weekend. Even picked up my lazy on Monday morning and took the family to Silverwood and walked around all day. For all IM peeps there on Monday I think we need an extra T-shirt for that.

5. Meet up with old friend = DONE. I met an old friend from school and his brother on race morning. Just wish I had more time to hang out and catch up with him.

For my first full distance IM I think I did ok, no F that I did great. I danced in the streets along the run, I sprinted the final few blocks blinded by the finish line, jumping, fist pumping and anything else I could do to get the crowd going. It was the best. I will be back to do it all again.

As for what I can do next time.

The swim is a work in progress and will continue to improve as time goes on. I now know I can do it and what its like. I now just have to improve.  

T1 I think went well. I think I would eat after the swim and have something to drink a bit. Not being able to do a swim to bike at this distance in training made it hard to judge what my body could handle. Not eating or drink at this time did prove to be a mistake later in the day.

The bike went well for me and my ability. It could have been better if my gears were not slipping while I was going up hill. Not sure what went wrong there. I would go to spin up the hill and my gears would shift down 2 or 3 harder, and then back 1, almost like it did not know where to be. Bike is on way to shop. Then a small bike crash with a biker who turned sideways in front of me and another rider and we crashed right into them. Sucks when your peddle jams right into your bad knee at mile 70. What can ya do? Can not train to crash, just have to work through it.

T2 went good. Off the bike into tent, shoes on, sun block on and off I went. I should have left my hydration belt in my bag. Drinks were warm and nasty. However I trained to run with it and use my drinks so I kept to plan.

The run. Well this is where I know I could have done better. Muscles and mind were great. Inside my body not so much. Remember T1 where I wished I had food and drink even know I thought I was ok. It would have helped me at this time to have that gas in the tank. I had to overcome a few issues with the body mostly stomach issues and the knee pain, but HBDC and I kept moving forward. I finally got things under control for my second loop and was able to finish strong.

I could say I should have done better or I could have done better. Every pitcher wants a pitch back at some point, every quarterback wants a pass back and most goalies would like all goals back, but you have to have a short memory of the issues, learn from them and move forward. I have two half IMs on the way and I will take what I learned last weekend and apply what needs to be applied so I can put a bit better of a race together next time.

Good luck to you all, we are all an Ironman, some for the first time and some multiple times but we all trained and did it. Keep rockin HB’s!!!

I'm curious what other Ironman races might be cool weather temp wise like IMCDA, this was my primary reason for picking CDA, but would like to try another venue if I decide to do IM#2?  Thanks!

I didn't come across this great forum until a couple weeks before the race. Thanks to everyone who posted lots of worthwhile info to help me get geared up for the event.  It was my first IM and the experience blew me away.  The volunteers, spectators, and that little girl cheering everyone out on the run course sure made the day.

At the awards banquet they showed an awesome movie recapping the race, only 9 hours after the last person crossed the line. Wow! I contacted them and they said the movie would not be available!  Uggg.  Was she just yanking my strings? Will they mail out a DVD at some point?  We did capture the movie on our camera but you know the quality is rotten(better than nothing though).

Congrats to all you finishers! And I was sorry to read about the rough times some people had. You are tougher to have fought than to have sat on your couch all these months. Onward ho Ironfolks!

And for those still dwelling on what went wrong with the race, try to focus on what had to go right in order to get to that finish line. MONTHS of training, keeping focused and fueled, and moving your body 140 friggen miles in a single day!  That is a feat that only a tiny sliver of civilization can claim. Relish it! 

Chris

Congratulations to all you Ironman Finishers!!

It was such a great day!

Here is my Race Report

Bonnie! My parents saw you get stopped on the bike course!!  They said that the officials closed the course turned around and within seconds you showed up and were stopped.  They felt so bad for you and said the crowd applauded for you.

The arc for this event went something like this for me. Ran a fall marathon and was in good shape when starting training for CdA in late December. In late January, injured my ankle when I stepped in a hole on a run. Had one ruptured ligament and one partially torn one.  Over the next five months, I went from hoping I could do CdA to thinking it was out of the question to maybe I could do the swim and bike to I could definitely the swim and bike but not run to the final two weeks before the race when I got the clearance to do the marathon portion.  Needless to say, my training was not what I had planned.

I felt ok about swim and bike training since I had done quite a bit of each during rehab.  For the run, the longest run I was able to do in training was 10 miles and my two highest mileage week was 22 miles three weeks out from the race.  Well, it's amazing what your mind will let your body do as I wound up running probably close to 20 miles of the run - slowly and with lots of walk breaks, but running none the less.  No ankle issues at all, just sore quads.

The swim.  Talk about a range of thoughts.  Yes, it was cold, but during the first loop I thought it wasn't as bad as I thought.  Even the full-contact in parts of it weren't as bad as I thought.  At the same time I got frustrated/amused when we all came to a screeching halt at the first turn buoy.  It reminded me of Seattle traffic jams.  I did the first loop in 42 minutes and was pleased with that considering the heavy traffic and contact.  During the second loop I had more open water and felt in a good groove.  I was sure I would have a faster second loop, but then the leg cramps hit.  I alternated from trying to stretch one calf while kicking with the other leg and had to hold off hamstring cramps every time we got to a traffic jam. I could feel myself getting colder and was having a hard time swimming smoothly as my extremities tightened up.  Second loop was 6 minutes slower for a total of 1:30. I was just happy to be out of the water. Ranked 1631 out of the water.

T1 was quite humorous as I laughed at myself.  I turned the corner into the changing tent and was certain 2,000 of the racers were all in there at that moment! Had to find a place just to be able to get my stuff on.  Well, my hands weren't working worth a darn and I couldn't find a volunteer because of mass of people in there so I muddled through as best I could.  Took me a whopping 16 minutes to get through T1.

Bike was totally solid.  I felt good the whole way.  I knew the weather would warm up, but I did put on my arm warmers and a long sleeve shirt because I was so cold coming out of the water.  I was glad I did because I was cold quite a while on the bike.  I wound up taking them off at bike special needs and putting them in there. All of the calf cramps from the swim had me worried they would continue on the bike, but they really loosened up after about 20 miles.  I was very conservative on the first loop, spun up the hills and took speed on the downhills and flats without ever pushing too hard.  Got faster on the second loop as I let myself give it a bit more effort.  I passed a ton of people, which is good for the mind, and I only counted one person who passed me on the second loop and stayed in front of me.  I did have a hot foot problem the last 15 miles that was very painful if I took pressure off the pedals, but if that's as bad as it got, I've got no complaints.  Total bike split was 6:03:14 and ranked 1027 for the bike. Although I must note I stopped twice (one bathroom and one at special needs) so my bike computer was sub-six hours and I was stoked about that.

In T2, I intentionally sat for a few minutes just to let my foot return to normal.  That sure did feel good.  Fumbled through getting my stuff ready in 10 minutes and headed out.

Just after starting the run, I saw my family and stopped to chat for a couple of minutes.  GREAT to see them because it took my mind off the run for a few minutes. As I left them and started to run, I was surprised how good I felt.  My plan coming in was to walk each aid station for a minute or two, run to the next one, then repeat that process for as long as I could.  That plan worked well for several miles before my legs started to hurt and I began walking longer periods at the aid stations. By the 12th mile, I figured my running was done and I'd have to walk the rest.  I was not fond of this idea since running is usually my strong point and I hated moving that slowly.  At the same time, I knew I would finish if I just kept moving.  It was all a mental challenge at that point.  By the time I had walked the entire 12th mile, my legs were aching very badly and I knew I would have to do something different because this just wouldn't work.  So I tried to run again, but more slowly.  I found a pace slow enough that actually felt better than walking so I tried that for a while.  I was able to hold that the rest of the way as I returned to the original plan of walking the aid stations and running to the next one only this time I started walking less at them. As I downed chicken broth along the way - man, that really hit the spot - I felt better and better.  By the time I had four miles left, I thought I had a shot at breaking 13 hours so I pushed the pace a bit, relatively, of course.  I got a good groove going and came up short of breaking 13 hours, but ran a good strong last four miles and I was thrilled.  The last 6.7 mile run split was actually my second fastest of the day and it's always nice to finish feeling strong rather than struggling to get there. Total run was 5:02:29 and ranked 1100.

As everybody says, the run down Sherman was fantastic. Great stretch of road, great crowd, and getting there just before the sun went down set a marvelous scene.  I remember somebody saying that whole stretch becomes a blur so I made a point of paying attention and I remember it all vividly, including the wonderful, "You are an ironman" announcement.  Total race was 13:02:24.  I was literally thrilled just to be able to finish and do it relatively uneventfully considering my road to getting there. 

Some of my take-aways from this:

- CdA is a wonderful venue.  Super scenic and tremendous support from the people.

- The people were utterly fantastic.  Every volunteer I encountered was very helpful and was clearly putting the racers first in everything they did.  I loved seeing so many kids out there on the course watching and helping at the aid stations. Way to go! 

- As others have mentioned, the young girl with the microphone on the run course was awesome.  Seriously, she sounded like a professional.  That's the next Mike Reilly, right there.

- I got good pictures! This NEVER happens in events for me, but this time they took several that I'll probably actually order.

- Despite the weather and the crowd being near perfect, I didn't sign up for CdA again and I don't think I'll be back. The time of the year for the race makes it too dodgy for training here in the northwest and they've got to do something about that swim.  Besides being cold, that's just too many people to fit into a two-loop course. 

- I also don't care for the format of having two long loops on the bike and run.  That's just mentally a drag to finish the first long loop and know you have to do it all again.  I'd like to see what it's like to have a course with one loop on the bike (like Canada) or more but shorter loops (like Arizona).

I never got my training for this to a point where I felt burned out so I've immediately starting thinking about continuing my training and getting back to my sense of normal for the run.  I'll be back for another IM at some point because I'd like to see what I can do with normal training.  I sure wish AZ wasn't sold out because I'd jump at that one, but maybe next year.

Finally, I'm normally a solitary trainer and didn't know what to expect from this group.  I figured I would just read the posts, but you all sucked me in.  You have been a wonderful group of people supporting each other with tips, encouragement, and humor.  It's been a pleasure to be here and I'll be sure to pay it forward and participate in the next race thread, whatever that may be.

"I figured I would just read the posts, but you all sucked me in.  You have been a wonderful group of people supporting each other with tips, encouragement, and humor.  It's been a pleasure to be here and I'll be sure to pay it forward and participate in the next race thread, whatever that may be."

I feel the same way Brad. And great race report etc.

Something just reminded me about something that bugged me. I am down with the national anthem, but the prayer? At the athlete dinner, we had to pray in Jesus name. I am not anti-christian at all. In fact I celebrate diversity. However, with all the diverse backgrounds i think they needed a non-denominational prayer if any. It isn't right for the non-Christians in a secular event. Look, I know we are all feeling vulnerable and wanting some spiritual support, but I still think we should not be exclusionary when it comes to the whole event. There....I said it.

Potential huge can of worms with this topic, but I agree.  These M-dot Ironman races are truly international.  If they are going to do a prayer at all, it needs to be non-denominational. Yes, the race is in the United States which is a predominantly Christian country, and yes, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" as the expression goes, but I still think you have to step back a bit in an international event when people are gathering from so many different cultures.   

Too funny.  I remember noting your statement from race day about this being your one and only full ironman and I thought, well, let's just wait and see how long that lasts.  Apparently, not very long!  Good for you though.  The early-season, cold water, hilly courses seem to suit you so why not go for it.  Good luck!

Oh yes, this was the statement I was talking about ...

Ha!! Awesome!!! I went into last year as a purely "one and done" Ironman wannabe. A girfriend with whom I train (who doesn't race IMs) said all along I was full of it. She was right. Now I don't say I'm done, but I am done for now. Back to the regularly scheduled family programming for awhile, maxing out with marathons and HIMs. I'm sure there is another/more IMs in my future, but not next year.

I haven't signed up, but will get to training for it one of these days. Having a lot more time to decide whether to do it or not (on account of it never selling out last year) certainly is nice.