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Ironman Coeur d'Alene - TriathlonFull Ironman


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Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
United States
World Triathlon Corporation
72F / 22C
Overcast
Total Time = 14h 48m 2s
Overall Rank = 1680/
Age Group = F45-49
Age Group Rank = 60/
Pre-race routine:

I slept like a baby after having dinner on the deck overlooking the lake. Woke up at 3:30am to hail and heavy rain (we stayed in a house on the far side of East Hayden Lake). Made coffee and ate my usual multigrain english muffin w/PB and honey and a banana and decided to drink a Boost in the car ride to CDA. Grabbed a bottle of water, a G2 to sip, and my Special Needs bags as I headed out the door to the car. My husband and kids dropped me off as close to Transition as possible and I walked over to the Body Markers looking for my best friend, Holly, who had flown in to volunteer and get me through the race weekend. After a few happy tears shared with my personal Body Marker, I made my way through Transition to my bike, loaded up my Aero Bottle and bento box, borrowed a pump to prep my tires, and set up my Garmin. Next, I head on over to drop off my Special Needs bags, stopped by the T1 bags to make sure that my sunglasses were clean, made a pit stop at the Port-a-potties while there were no lines and then started the process of squeezing into my wetsuit. Half-way in the suit, I walked over to my training partner's bike and met her. She had arrived late and was a bit nervous about getting everything done while they announced that Transition was closing "in 2 minutes". We had plenty of time to get her all set and head to the beach. There was a backup of athletes trying to move through the Transition gate closest to the beach walkway but we hadn't exited that way so we were able to stroll directly to the timing mat and onto the beach without the wait.
Event warmup:

Splashed water on the back of my neck (something the swim director had suggested at an Athlete's BBQ on Thursday night) and face and then waited and tried to take it all in. People were nervous but excited and there were lots of smiles and warm wishes exchanged. I remember feeling a wave of relief as I saw the buoys in the water thinking that I'd done that distance multiple times and I could surely handle it again. I felt calm, rested, and ready...until the gun went off.
Swim
  • 1h 28m 15s
  • 4224 yards
  • 02m 05s / 100 yards
Comments:

I've never panicked in a swim like this. I had practiced in this lake for three days prior and was comfortable if not used to the cold. I've trained with swim partners who purposefully put me through the washing machine effect so contact is not new to me. I'm still not sure why I reacted that way but I went through some very scary moments out there and just wanted it over. I concentrated on keeping an arm in front of my face and was very careful to watch for feet (hard to see those covered in booties!). I was only punched hard once in the head and the kind gentleman quickly put his head up and apologized. The very best part of my swim happened as I was coming into the final 200 yards. I turned my head to take a breath and there was my training partner swimming beside me. How in the world does that happen in the chaos of an IM swim? It was the first time that I knew I would be OK.
What would you do differently?:

I took a very aggressive starting line and would move back and away from the buoy line to avoid the intensity of the mass start. However, my goal was to be out of the water in less than 1:30 so the 1:28 was in line with that plan. Ideally, I'd like to be closer to 1:20 - especially in those cold temperatures.
Transition 1
  • 12m 47s
Comments:

My T1 was slower than I expected. My hands were frozen in a "claw" and I could do very little on my own. The swim exit volunteers managed to get my wetsuit zipper down for me as I ran out of the water. I was able to get my goggles off but could not get my caps off of my head with my frozen fingers. The wetsuit strippers were great! They got me to my feet and headed to my T1 bag that a volunteer handed to me as I ran by. I grabbed an open chair on the lighter side of the Women's Changing Tent and a volunteer quickly came over and dumped my bag. She helped me get my caps off (I had triple capped), placed my race belt around my waist while I put on a dry bike jersey over my wet Tri top. My helmet went on like a charm thanks to the magnetic clasp (love my new LAZER helmet!). My socks were difficult to put on but the volunteer managed to get them on. While I put my shoes on, she stuffed my wetsuit in my bag. The final hurdle was putting my full-fingered gloves on. It ate a bunch of time and the volunteer rubbed my hands and blew on my fingers to get the circulation going (love her!) but I almost gave up the gloves. They finally went on enough to get going. I thanked my T1 Angel and took off to find my bike thinking "how am I going to ride a bike with frozen hands and feet?" the whole way.
What would you do differently?:

Handwarmers in my T1 bag? I'm not sure how to deal with that. My core was warm so I'm thinking the triple caps were a good idea (no neoprene cap). I'm still not sure if the booties would have helped. I didn't like the way they felt in my practice swims and my feet didn't seem to get cold in practice but they sure froze up on race morning. #ihatecoldwaterswims
Bike
  • 7h 06m 25s
  • 112 miles
  • 15.76 mile/hr
Comments:

I really enjoyed this bike course. It was super tough but the reward of getting to fly through the crowded town of Coeur D'Alene four times was well worth the effort.
What would you do differently?:

I approached the bike leg very conservatively in order to save my legs for the run. In hindsight, I might have been able to push it a little harder but since this was my first full IM, I wasn't sure what was going to be "too much". I kept my cadence up but wished I had a better cassette set-up. I was running a 12/25 and had plenty of room to play on the climbs but ran out of gears on the descents. I'd also take in more water. I was right on with my nutrition plan other than that.
Transition 2
  • 04m 42s
Comments:

A volunteer took my helmet and bike shoes while I put on my running shoes and pulled off my bike jersey. She turned my race number around while I grabbed my visor that I had wrapped up with a ziplock bag filled with extra salt tabs and a tiny body glide tube and my Garmin strap. I put the strap on my wrist on my way to the port-o-potty and shoved the ziplock in my race belt pocket. That's more like it!
What would you do differently?:

I need to figure out how to use the multisport mode on my Garmin. I screw this up in every race and end up with wonky data. Better yet, maybe I'll race without the darned thing.
Run
  • 5h 55m 53s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 13m 35s  min/mile
Comments:

I enjoyed the run. It was absolutely gorgeous running along the lake and the crowds cheering along the sections through town were amazing. Just beyond mile 6 I ran by my training partner running the opposite direction. She was cheering for me but was struggling. I kept running a few more yards until I remembered that I had a virtual pharmacy stuffed in my Spi Belt pocket. I hoped something in there would help her so I stopped and waited for her to catch up. She was able to get a couple of TUMS into her system and it seemed to help a little. We ran in-between aid stations and walked to get in fluids and calories. After the turn around in town, we started walking the hills and aid stations. Eventually, all we could manage was a fast walk but we were together and that helped me stay focused and kept my spirits high. I just couldn't believe that we were going to finish together. After training for so long together, we were able to share our race day and push each other to run those last few blocks through town and cross that finish line. I'm so very grateful for that.
What would you do differently?:

It wasn't the run I expected. It was the run I was given. I'm thankful for that...just the way it was.
Post race
Warm down:

My finish line catcher must have been pretty sure I was going to be OK because he walked me to where they handed out medals, hats and shirts and disappeared. I grabbed a bottle of water and ran over to my family waiting off to the side behind the barrier. Hugs all around. My husband told me he was proud of me, something he says often but so special to hear that night. Then I walked over to take a finisher photo...decided not to wait 40 minutes for a massage...and picked up two slices of cheese pizza that was hard to get down. Finding my family and best friend/Super Sherpa took some time but catching up with them on the sidewalk was sweet. Getting up off the sidewalk to go home was not so sweet (ouch!).

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Just my inexperience held me back, I think. I decided to take the race conservatively since it was my first. I was super prepared with over 9 full centuries and a bunch of 80+ rides, a full marathon (Big Sur) and several 22+ mile runs, and a ton of Open Water Swimming in my race training. My Coach got me to the start line feeling very prepared with a solid race plan.

Event comments:

I love this course and venue! The people of Coeur D'Alene are beyond friendly and supportive and the setting is gorgeous. The swim here is no joke. The cold water temperatures combined with the aggressive nature of this particular mass start makes for a brutal swim. The bike course is not technical but it is challenging with some serious climbs...6% Mica Grade? Twice?! Feeling like a Rock Star pedaling through the crowded streets of CDA makes up for the burning quads on the climbs. The run course is just beautiful and a lot of fun. People all along the way were cheering...even late into the night. Finally, the final few blocks of Sherman Avenue are unbelievable! I smiled the whole way. Hearing Mike Reilly say, "Paige Mark of Marietta Georgia, You are an IronMan!" was just icing on the cake. It made all of those o'dark thirty training wake-ups worth it. I set a goal, worked really hard to prepare, and made it happen. That's what it's all about. I'm in awe of the other athletes who toed the line with me...each of them with their own story to tell. My race day ended up being less about the Swim/Bike/Run and more about the people around me - both on the course and on the sidelines. It was a very good day.

On a side note, the day after the race I was given the extra treat of hearing my 16 year old daughter say that she wanted to try her first Sprint in August. Guess that means I have some more training to do this summer because I wouldn't miss racing with her for the world!




Last updated: 2011-09-16 12:00 AM
Swimming
01:28:15 | 4224 yards | 02m 05s / 100yards
Age Group: 54/
Overall: 1560/
Performance: Below average
42:34 first lap/45:41 second lap (weird because I took the first lap WAY wide and felt the second to be faster)
Suit: Orca full sleeved
Course: 2-loop
Start type: Run Plus: Shot
Water temp: 57F / 14C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Below average Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Below average Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 12:47
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
07:06:25 | 112 miles | 15.76 mile/hr
Age Group: 53/
Overall: 1589/
Performance: Average
It seems the timing mat for the second loop was malfunctioning...no data.
Wind: Some
Course: 2-Loop with some serious climbs and a few very fun downhill sections.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 04:42
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
05:55:53 | 26.2 miles | 13m 35s  min/mile
Age Group: 60/
Overall: 1680/
Performance:
I was much more on pace (11:42/11:30) for the first two run splits.
Course: Fairly flat except for the one hill at Higgens Point (that is run twice...climbing up both sides). The surface was good (even some soft surface on the path along the lake for a bit) except for the canter of the road at the big hill. Aid Stations were spread fairly evenly and the volunteers were wonderful! Loved running through town and the surrounding neighborhoods except that I wanted to stop and join the party at the apartment building we passed four times...they were having a good time!
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %?
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2012-06-29 10:56 AM

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Subject: Ironman Coeur d'Alene


2012-06-29 10:59 AM
in reply to: #4286747

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Subject: RE: Ironman Coeur d'Alene
Congratulations on a great day, Ironman!!!
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