Pacific Crest tri or Coeur D'Alene?

I've done the Endurance Duathlon at PacCrest the past two years. The bike is beautiful, but the climb up to Mt. Bachelor is BRUTAL! (It doesn't help that the whole thing takes place at about 6000' elevation).

Full disclosure: I'm what you could politely term a "super-Clydesdale", so you may not find the climb as bad.

The decent from Bachelor is insane. I've clocked myself at 50+ MPH both years.

The run is pretty much dead flat around the resort. Aid stations were "adequate", although they were missing one at mile 1 last year.

The resort area is pretty nice, although a little pricey to stay at. Bend is right nearby, though, and there may be more reasonable lodging there.

Let me know if you have any other questions
Corey

Oregonian here when not in Saigon......Just a warning about Pacific Crest. It was supposed to be my first HIM, three years ago. But due to very cold, rainy weather (which, at the higher elevations, was SNOW on the upper portions of the bike course), the bike course got cut to 29 miles. Temps the day before were mid 40's and the lake was 58 or 59. I went out to do a practice swim and was miserable despite full wetsuit and neoprene cap. (May be okay for some, I have asthma and the cold water seemed to be triggering it.) When I came out I simply could not manage a practice transition in under 20 minutes. I switched to the du as I just lost the motivation to suffer that much when it wasn't going to be a "real" HIM anyway. The whole bike leg was cold, rainy, and windy, it hailed between mile three and four of my run, then the sun came out at 7 miles and I ended the race with all my layers tied around my waist! Of course, any race can have bad weather sometimes, but two things to keep in mind.....

1. The bike course goes up to a pretty high elevation. Technical difficulties and just plain difficulty aside, that means that rain down in the valley can be snow up at the top. And Oregon weather, famously erratic, is even more erratic at high elevation.

2. June isn't always summer (read, dry season) in Oregon. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. You stand a pretty substantial chance of wet weather. Of course, if you're an Oregonian, you know that summer starts on July 5!

I'd only recommend this as a first HIM if you're pretty experienced /confident with the climb/descent on the bike, swimming in COLD water in full wetsuit, and dealing with potentially cold, wet conditions throughout the race. My thinking was that I wanted to do my first HIM purely as a "finish" challenge; I actually wanted a slow course where I wouldn't be tempted to go for a fast time. But I ended up doing the du at Pac Crest, and entering Chelanman (in Eastern Washington in July--you could consider it.) instead and doing that as my first real HIM.

CDA has also had cold weather.......Take your pick!

Good info, thanks... I am looking for one to finish. You make it sound daunting... I will give it some thought. Any idea if/when either one sells out?

Philip

PacCrest is open for quite a while, If I remember. Although they're making a bigger deal about it being the 20th anniversary this year.

I may be overselling the difficulty of the bike. I was pretty badly undertrained last year, plus it was wikid hot, so that may be influencing my memory.
The fast part of the descent is arrow straight as well, so you just have to hunker down, hold on, and hope you don't blow a tire...

Overall, it's a great event, although I fear adding the swim in this year.

I live in the Coeur d'Alene area and for years was a volunteer captain for the full Ironman event. The half IM, which is being held for the first year in 2016, occupies the late June time slot formerly held by the full IM. The full IM is going to be held in August. To my knowledge, Cd'A is the only place that will host both half and full IM events. Think about that. Cd'A Ironman has always been a highlight favorite of the circuit because of the town, the course and the PEOPLE. The volunteers at this event are special. This is a big deal for this town. Whether having to spread that enthusiasm over two events in one year will take it's toll no-one knows. But I bet on the people of Coeur d'Alene.

By the way, after years of being inspired by Ironman athletes and finally having a health reckoning of my own, I am now a beginner triathlete (did my first sprint at age 60 this year) and I am registered to do the Cd'A half Ironman. I'd heartily recommend it.

Water temps in late June in Coeur d'Alene necessitate a wetsuit. One of the reasons that the full IM has been moved to August is the water temps and duration in the water for the 2.4 mile swim. Air temps are usually in the 70s, sometiimes 80s and sometimes 60s. Last year's temps at the full IM event were an aberration...105 degrees for the high temp on race day.

I would imagine this event would sell out as we go into 2016. The full IM has been a quick sellout in many of the 16 years the event has taken place. Hotels / lodging fill up fast also.

Hope this helps.


Edited by HaydenHunter 2015-11-22 7:38 PM