Vineman vs. IM Coeur d alene

I've done CDA and was signed up for Vineman but had to back out due to having foot surgery.  My husband has done both and I did spectate for Vineman so here's what I can say.

The Vineman run is definitely much hillier than CDA- always going up or down.  CDA has some hills but from what I remember, there was only one really steep one at the turn around.  The rest of the run wasn't bad at all.

Since we did IM CDA in 2010 on the old bike course, my husband thought the Vineman bike was tougher.  Mostly on the 2nd lap and Chalk Hill.  I don't know how the Vineman bike now compares to the new CDA bike course. 

The Vineman swim is much easier than CDA.  Since they have wave starts, there's way less contact than IM CDA has.  And it's in a river- you don't have to sight much at all (the river is very narrow)making it a faster swim.  Part of the swim is against the current but probably 3/4's of it is with the current.  So with the current and not having to sight as much you will be able to clip off a faster swim at Vineman for sure.

For Vineman being an independent race, from the spectator stand point, I thought it was well organized and well supported.  Definitely an A+ race.  And the destination was just awesome- wine tasing in Napa and Sonoma after the race, plus a few days in SF- you can't beat that.  Plus the 3 for 2 registration fee makes Vineman very appealing- you don't have to cough up as much money as you would for IM CDA.

We loved the town of CDA- the race was very welcomed by locals and well supported. But since we are from NC we loved Vineman and our trip to CA.

I think the biggest difference with the 2 are if you want to get that "IronMan" branded experience or do a great race that doesn't have as much hype?  I'd say for anyone looking for an independent race, hands down I'd recommend Vineman as my first choice.

I haven't done either although I live in Spokane which is close to CDA. I am signed up for CDA 2013.  The swim is mass start and there are a fair amount of collisions in the beginning.  The water is typically cold <60 degrees F.  So if you aren't wanting to swim in something like that than I can say do a different race.

The new bike course is hilly as well and from what I saw this last year times were slower for the pros than on the old course. I do know as well that there are more no passing zones on the new course which could be the reason the pros times were slower.  

The run course is fun as you get to see people 4 times I believe and the finish down Sherman is awesome. You turn the corner and for 1/4-1/2 mile you can see that finish line while going downhill. So that can be an incentive there.  

yes the the fan base in CDA is great.  People are nice out there.  Not sure on Vineman but at CDA you can get in and swim in the water before the race. I was swimming in it this year around Memorial day and it was cold. By the tuesday following this years race I was back in the water and it was very manageable in temps at that point.  

if you do choose to do CDA, you can look into staying in Spokane vs CDA. I am staying at my house that night and driving out there that morning. it takes about an hour from where I live.  I feel that I am up anyways so I can either eat and drink while sitting 2 minutes from the venue or eat and drink while driving out there.  

Nice finisher pic there Dallas   CDA ... I Don't think the no passing zones were that much of a time crunch. maybe a couple of minutes but you are flying downhill at about 45 MPH at that time so how much faster can you go. Most folks seemed to ignor them anyway if there was real slow rider. I believe the course was just much harder.

Never did Vineman, but I will be back to Coeur D Alene in 2014...I loved it.

I have done Vineman (3rd IM) but not CdA.  Here are my thoughts:

1.  The water at Vineman is delightful.  Nice temperature, clear water, stones on the bottom of the river.  However, the swim, though a wave start, is very congested because the river is narrow and shallow.  I actually ran into a dude's calves because he was WALKING in front of me.  I am a strong swimmer and did not enjoy the swim as much as I had hoped because of the congestion.  My goggles fogged, so this was a contributor to my discomfort.  If I had been able to see, I might have been able to avoid the other swimmers better.

2.  If you are used to riding hills, the bike at Vineman is not hard.  I would say that it is easier the IM Louisville and IM Wisconsin.  There are continuous rollers, but only Chalk Hill is hard enough to spike your HR.  No standing was required to climb at any point on the bike.  HOWEVER, (and this is a big however) the roads are very, very bumpy and visibility is difficult because of the dappled shade from the trees lining the course.  There were times when I was gripping my bars as if my life depended on it and praying that I did not hit a big bump because I could not see the road at all.  This was very stressful for me.  If you have the chance to ride the course and famliarize yourself with the smoother lines ahead of time, this may not be as big an issue for you.

3.  The poster above is right about the run.  It is hard.  I run hilly routes all of the time because our area is hilly, but I was surprised by the hills on this course.  If it is still hot when you start your run, I would advise walking up the hills, because the exposed nature of the course makes it easy to overheat.  That said, once the sun started going down, it cooled off significantly, and was easier to run and this hills didn't seem as bad.

The race organization was very good, the expo was nice, and I liked the towns of Santa Rosa (where we stayed) and Windsor (where the race finished) a lot.   However, because of the congested swim and the rough bike course, I might think twice before returning.  With both CdA and Vineman, you need to factor and plan for the weather.  It was 55 degrees at the start of Vineman and got into the high 80s (at least) during the day and I think it is similar at CdA.

I've never done CdA but I'll speak for the Vineman as well. It's a great race and I would highly recommend it. The run course is definitely difficult and hot when you first start. I was dumping ice down my jersey at every aid station (~ every mile) and it would be completely melted by the next station.

However the volunteer support and the scenery and the general vibe is wonderful. The temperature when you start the bike is chilly. I bought some $2 knee socks from Target, cut out the toes and wore them as arm warmers for the first 20 miles and that was perfect.

We stayed in Healdsburg and it was a perfect little getaway.

I've done IMCdA (this year on the new course) and Barb's Race, which is held on the Vineman course on the same day as the Vineman full.  The CdA bike course is significantly more hilly than Vineman - much longer climbs and much more climbing overall.  The CdA course is mostly on a highway and the pavement was much nicer.  The road quality sucks on a lot of the Vineman course - lots of cracks and potholes.

However, the Vineman run is constant rolling hills, where CdA is flat except for a couple of hills.  Also, Vineman has potential to be very hot. 

The Vineman swim is rather crowded, even with the wave starts.  However, it is nothing compared to the insane washing machine of the CdA swim.  Also, water temp at Vineman is probably going to be around 70, CdA in the high 50s.

Anyway, I think they are both great races.  You can't go wrong.  One thing you might also want to consider is cost - not only registration, but travel.