Ironman CDA Post Race Report - Better Late than Never

IRONMAN COEUR D'ALENE POST RACE REPORT

Pre-race: Arriving in Coeur d'Alene I was immediately in love with the town. It was beautiful, quaint, and had a great downtown with lots of restaurants, shops and bars. We stayed in a rental house about 1.5 miles away from Ironman Village and all the action. The house was great but it was just far enough to have to drive in. My only complaint of the weekend would be the downtown parking. Although free, it is tough to find a spot. When we head back, that's right when, we will try and find a house closer to IM Village so we can walk.

This trip was extra special because we had Charlie's parents Joe and Cindy come with us along with friends Morgan and Deanne Garcia. Having a support crew and a cheering section makes all the difference in IM. The day before the race Charlie, Morgan and myself went to the swim venue to see just how cold this water was going to be. I was all set up with my neoprene cap and long sleeve wetsuit. We got lucky too, Lake Coeur d'Alene was the warmest it has been in years.........62 degrees.

While we were out in the water doing our swim we ran into one of Tallahassee finest athletes, Shannon Coates and her boyfriend Josh. It was fun chatting with them. Josh was there for his first Ironman and Shannon was gunning for one of two Kona slots in our age group. She had a heck of race and ended up in 2nd and guaranteed herself a spot in Kona 2013! Way to go Shannon!

Onto the race.........I was really looking forward to this Ironman.
#1 - - Zero pressure. This was not a race I was trying to prove or do anything special. Having raced IMTX just 5 weeks before my goal for this race was to finish.
#2 - - The BEAUTIFUL course. Having raced IM St. George and been blown away by beauty, I never though any other IM could compare and this rivals IMSG. This was one of the most beautiful venues I have ever seen.

2.4 Mile Swim: 1:09:19, 1:38/100yd
AG: 18
Overall: 516
Gender: 85

This was the first Ironman to feature the new SwimSmart initiative for Ironman, which featured a rolling swim start. At first I was hesitant about the new procedures but after the race and looking back on this swim, it was a very enjoyable stress free swim. They had time corals sectioned off by 15-min windows. Having swam between a 1:04-1:11 in previous Ironman races I lined up near the middle of 1:00-1:15 estimated swim time. It worked out perfectly. I had one of the most comfortable swims to date. No major jostling, kicks to the head or being swum over. Plus Lake Coeur d'Alene was crystal clear and a pleasant temperature. It was neat, you could see to the bottom and you could also see the swimmers bubbles in front of you. A much better swim venue than IMTX!!

T1: 3:39
I finally beat Charlie Johnson in something, T1...boom!

Short and sweet. IMCDA has one of the shortest transition zones I have seen. Upon exciting the water it is maybe a 100yd run to pick up your gear bag and into the tent you go. Weather conditions were perfect for us. Cool but not cold enough to even warrant arm warmers. The sun was out but never got hot. I did however get one of the worst back burns I have ever had. Who would of thought 50-70 degree weather and in Northern Idaho I'd need sunscreen. Lesson learned!


112 Mile Bike: 6:32:05, 17.1 mph
Bike Data: CLICK HERE
AG: 18
Overall: 853
Gender: 133

This is where I lost some ground. But I wasn't concerned. I have become used to the hordes of people that pass me on the bike. This is a two loop bike course. My plan was to be overly cautious on the first loop and see if I could increase my effort on the second loop. After driving the bike route I knew it was going to be a challenging course. It was very challenging but not unbearable. I actually enjoyed the long steady climbs and descending is fun. The road conditions were actually quite good for the majority of the 112 miles which makes a HUGE difference in how you feel. Overall I was pleased with my bike split for this course.

T2: 2:56

26.2 Mile Run: 4:26:58, 10:11/mile
Race Data: CLICK HERE
AG: 20
Overall: 669
Gender: 113

I lost even more ground in my AG but gained places overall and in gender. Will the dreaded miles 18-23 ever get better? My mental strength seems to always give way during this time. This run course made it very easy for me to give in. There is only one big climb you encounter on the run course. It is a hill I was familiar with having seen it two times already on my bike. When you run up the same hill, time doesn't go as quickly. This same hill at mile 19 was a challenge. I could no longer run. I resorted to a 1-min run/1-min walk to the top. Which was more than most were doing around me so that gave me some confidence. During the run portion of Ironman I learn more and more about what is possible and I have yet to come close to my true potential. That is what makes all these races so much fun. It is a physical and mental test each time and the inspirational stories you hear and support I receive at each race brings another reason to keep fighting.

Total Time: 12:14:57

POST RACE: Glacier National Park

Hiking is a GREAT post Ironman recovery workout, and we got plenty of it. The Monday following the race Charlie, Joe and Cindy and I headed over to Whitefish, MT. A small ski town outside of Glacier National Park. On Tuesday we headed into Glacier on the west side and got to hike two different trails. Avalanche Lake and St. Mary Waterfall. Both of these hikes were recommended by fellow triathlete and friend, Jim Harrison. Thanks Jim, GREAT hikes!

Day two we headed to the east side of Glacier to hike to the Grinell Glacier. We were unfortunately too early in the season and the top portion of the hike was still closed due to dangerous snow conditions. The snow drifts were so high you couldn't see the trail or know what you were crossing. The east side of Glacier is so magnificent. We saw tons of wildlife; grizzlies, moose, elk, coyote, bald eagles.......I got a bit nervous about the bears. They do look so snoodly though.

Ironman Couer d'Alene and Glacier National Park, you will see us again!!! Thank you for such an AMAZING experience!