Ironman Coeur d'Alene : Official Thread (Page 3)

Careful.  That D3 description is the old bike course.

I was looking for a post I wrote a few years ago that included a bunch of links to different references of the new course but I haven't found it yet.  I did run across a post of T's that I'm sure he won't mind me reposting...

The New IMCDA Hills

I did a lot of thinking on my ride yesterday about if the new IMCDA bike course is harder than the old one.  I still do not know.  I think that there are more hills on the new course but they are not as big as the old hills.

(I am calling a hill anything that I rode in the small chain ring for over 1 minute) 

The old course had around 10 hills per loop.  The first big hill on Upriver Road was a 10 minute hill (first 6 minutes hard then last 4 minutes not as steep).  The second big hill on Riverview Drive was a hard 5 minute hill.  All of the other hills were in the 1 to 2 minute range.  One problem with the old course was that most of the downhills were followed by a short uphill or tight turn that robbed you of carrying any speed.

The new course has around 18 hills per loop, but only 2 are really bad.  The first big hill is on English Point Road as you climb up to Lancaster Road.  This is a 6 minute hill but only the first 3 minutes are real bad.  The start of this hill is similar to the old Riverview hill but then the last 3 minutes flattens is similar to the top of the old Upriver hill.  The second bad hill is on Hayden Lake Road, this is a 3 minute hill.  You start the hill coming out of a real nice downhill.  What makes this hill hard is the last minute is steeper than the first two minutes.  The remaining 16 hills are probable an even split between 1 minute and 2 minute hills.  There are only two down hills that have bad turns at the bottom so for the most part you can maintain some of your downhill speed.  One of these downhill turns is very ugly, more technical than anything on the old course, at least one person will end there race on this corner.  It is on English Point Road, downhill curve, 180 degrees, decreasing radius, no banking.  Check this corner out carefully before the race and take it slow.

Overall I think that this course will be slower than the old course.  My guess is that the average time loss will be around 20 to 30 minutes (or about 1 mph off of your average speed).  Again I’m not sure if the new course is harder but it is slower. 

After riding it on race day I would change my time loss estimate to around 15 to 20 minutes.  None of the hills are real heart thumpers, I was able to keep my HR under 155 on all the hills and averaged 133 for both loops.  However, this course will punish you on the run if you get stupid on the bike.

I would add the first 20-25 miles of the course are relatively flat as it takes you through CDA and gradually uphill towards Hayden, where the hills start.  Generally you are feeling pretty good about yourself and your average speed when you get to Hayden.  That feeling can lead you to think you are having a "great day".  The hills last about 15 miles with nothing really too terribly long but some steeper parts towards the tops and false flats; one hill after another.  Because "you are having a great day" you see a fairly short hill so you don't down shift as much as you should (hammer) and then all of a sudden you are on a false flat and struggling to get to the top - you just cooked your legs.  That opportunuty presents itself about 20 times.  You'll see on the course profile the big section after the hills back into town is a slight downhill so you think you'll hit it a little harder to regain that great average speed you had when you first arrived at Hayden.  Problem with that is there is going to be a headwind during that section so if you do hammer a little you start the 2nd lap  with an ok average speed but your race is already done.   

It changed for 2007's race.

Here is a thread on the bike course from 2008.  It even includes a video of the course.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=116246&posts=6&mid=1423499&highlight=&highlightmode=1&action=search#M1423499