Ironman Coeur d'Alene : Official Thread (Page 6)

Sort of.  I do most of my training by myself as I usually travel during the week.  There is a group with Houston racing that's doing it.  I did a ride with them 2 weeks ago, but I don't know any of them.  I also met someone on an organized ride last month that said there's a group of about 10 that are doing it, but I haven't had a chance to contact her.

Since I usually travel Mon-Thurs I'm not really plugged in to the tri community in Houston.  I'm always looking for a compatible training partner though.

Uh oh, now it's under 100. I was out sick for 2 weeks, so am still kind of in recovery mode, back to base and basics.  Quite a bit of trainer time, but hopefully the weather will be warming soon so will be able to get out on the road. Swim pretty much sucks, my big goal here is to make the cutoff. Run is coming along, on today's 9mi, we had rain,snow,wind, sometimes all at the same time.  Challenging....

Adam - I usually train by myself as well. I've been doing the ConocoPhillis rides for the MS150 but when that's over I thought I would look for other people to ride with that might be going to CDA. I'll check the Houston Racing forum.

In the past I have ridden with a 12-27 cassette and plan on doing the same this year.  I spent a lot of time in the 27 but more because I was trying to save my legs and spin up the hills. 

If you ride a lot of real hills then I would not worry about riding with an 11-25.  If you call a highway overpass a hill, then maybe you should plan on bringing a bike with a triple up front. 

I'm riding with a 27 right now, but I think I might go down to at least a 25 by race day.  I'm doing a lot of hills, and the 27 ring doesn't get used much. 

How many days now?

"If you call a highway overpass a hill, then maybe you should plan on bringing a bike with a triple up front"

I usually don't take a whole lot of things seriously but the above quote kind of got me thinking.  Were you serious in making that statement?  Reason being I live in an area (South Louisiana) where even overpasses are hard to find.  Is it that hilly at CDA?  I've asked a few locals who have done the race in the past if I should indeed be riding my roadbike with a triple and they said I'd be fine on the tri bike.  Just trying to get different perspectives.  Thanks for the info.

Trav

Yes I was serious, there are hill on the IMCDA bike course (and run course) and some people would be better off on a bike with a triple.

I do not know you so I can not tell you what to do.  In general I would say that a trained IM athlete should not have problems riding a tri bike at CDA.  If you trust your local friends and they know how you ride then you should be ok with a tri bike.

See you in June.

If you have the right gears on your tri bike you do not need to ride a road bike.  I would say the road vs tri bike argument is based on how "technical" the course is.  CDA is hilly but they are generally straight lines up and down so it is not technical as far as having to turn a lot.  You just need a strategy for dealing with the climbs and the real "fun" false flats at the top of many of those climbs. 

CDA isn't riding in the Alps but it is far from flat.

Ok, thanks for the response guys.  Sorry If my question came across as being a smart , it honestly was not intended that way.

I'll train on both bikes and make a decision as it gets closer.

Trav

It did not come across that way at all, it was a very valid question.

I personally was very offended! What a smarty pants!!!

June 21 is 3 months away! 

If I can get my butt out on the bike for a little ride this afternoon, I'll have ridden/run/swam a little over 2200 miles since August 1, 2008 which is the same as driving from Peoria to Coeur D'Alene.  Tomorrow's long ride starts the 2000 mile return trip (we planned to go out through Denver and Salt Lake City). 

Wow... I was dreading the 40's I'm going to ride in tomorrow morning.  This is Texas, I don't handle cold well.  Your northerners amaze me.

summergirl - 2009-03-29 10:00 AM The Carolinas have been one big rain cloud this week.... wet city, but we finally have sun today.... I'm heading out now! Not going to get my 100 mi ride in this week but I hope to within the next 10 days at most.

I think those clouds left the Carolinas and came down to Tennesee.  We've been drenched for a few days now and it looks like my 3.5 hour brick session is going to be on the trainer.  If it were just some rain then I'd still head out, but at 40 degrees and heavy winds...I don't think so.

Enjoy the sun for me!

I should already know this, but how are the roads on the CDA course?  Smooth, asphalt, chip & seal?

Hey, welcome aboard.

As for no hills, we have loads around here, feel free to take a few!

Smooth (in spots), asphalt (I've heard of it), chip & seal (lots of it).  I have never had an issue with the IMCDA roads.  There is a lot of chip-seal on the course but on race day you can ride in the car wheel tracks so it really is not the same as riding 112 miles on a chip-seal shoulder.  My biggest concern is the condition of the north loop after the winter.  In the past there have been lot of pot holes but they always get fixed by race day.  We have had more snow than usual this year so I still have not riden this section yet this year.  More snow last night, so I might not be able to ride it this weekend.