we looked at this as the location is very nice and I love the US WTC races but its at the same time we are planning wedding stuff so have had to look later in the year, good luck with entry Ste.
Thanks to “The Pirates” for continued inspiration.
My first Ironman without the trusty Pirates, I wanted to experience an Ironman in USA and Coeur d Alene was closest to where family live in Seattle, so CDA it was.
I rolled up in CDA on Thursday, expecting Idaho to be full of flat fields full of potatoes. WRONG. Big hills, big trees looking more like an alpine scene.
The lake looked beautiful but quite windy putting a lot of chop on water, which must change before Sunday!
Got registered for race tipped toes in water, it was bloody freezing, decided to leave swim until Friday allowing water temperature to rise 10 degrees( one can hope).
Nice bike Thursday evening round lake so felt quite settled.
On to Friday, I really wanted to swim in lake to find how I felt in water.
Locals said water temp was around 12 to 13 C or 55 in f.
I needed to find out if I needed to buy some additional neoprene boots and hat.
Water was very choppy and first five minutes in felt very cool, but after a while seemed to get used to it and probably swam about 1000 metres very slow going with conditions but felt that I could cope come race day with no additional neoprene purchases required.
I then spent rest of Friday and Saturday faffing around and eating in the time honored Pirate tradition.
The last supper on Saturday teatime consisted of chicken and pasta soup, salmon with rice and veg and a side order of a jacket potato, that took care of any short fall in carbohydrate intake. Had a few photos with my awesome support crew and went to bed around 8pm, laid in bed till 9pm eating a bit of ice cream, set alarm for 03.50 and crashed out.
Around 11pm I thought fridge was about to blow up. Becky looked in corridor and found hotel fire alarm going off. Oh knackers, some twit has thought it would be a jolly wheeze to get everyone up 2 hours after they went to bed.
Fire engine and police roll up had to check all rooms, but no sign of fire.
We later find out from hotel staff that a smoke alarm had gone off in one of the bedrooms, they phoned down to that room and asked if they were smoking, guests said no. It turns out they were smoking wacky backy and the police arrested the dopey smokers!! And so to bed again at midnight!!
Soon alarm was going of, coffee and grub taken on board, down to lake at 5.30am.
Loaded drink and other nutrition on to bike, pumped tyres etc,out of transition at 6.20.
Saw the Pros off and 6.25 and then all 2700 of us whilst standing in the shallows peed ourselves in the vain hope of raising lake temperature by 10 degrees.
We then realized it was hopeless, so we all stood there shitting ourselves( this time only metorphpically)
I was really quite nervous about swim, last 3 IM swim times have been between 1.05 and 1.09, but realized this one was going to longer, the wind was not too bad at start but still not expecting to be much quicker than 1.15.
Music was really ramping up atmosphere and heart really pounding, at long last gun went off. I was about 10 rows back and saw first 2 rows go in sprinting to get clear water. No turning back now, I knew I had to get my head down and swim, bugger the water felt cold. I was right in the middle of the scrum, maybe first 600 metres , complete wrestling match, just as I was about to get completely fed up with whole triathlon malarkey, I found a little bit of clear water about 2 foot wide and 6 foot long, I swam in this box for rest of first lap, water feeling cool but I was in a happy place.
Second lap wind had got up, putting some waves on lake again, got in another wrestling match round some of bouys but nothing like first 600 metres, got kicked in the nuts by some swimming at 90 degrees to rest of field.
Down last leg feely ready for bike, got out looked at clock.111. Result.
Comments
For a slot, I either need to speed up by 3 hours plus, or be same speed in 25 years time.
Enties are open now. $575 entry fee, bloody expensive.
Entered!!
The $575 entry fee cost me $614, how does that work?
I was going to take my chances with the online entry, im guessing it would be quicker than queuing?
Go Pirates
Bloody live update was behind all day Meldy... his swim time didnt show until like 2 hrs later
Well done Foggy 13:51 looking forward to race report
RC - IM have said they had serious problems with their live feed yesterday. no change there then!!
Good work Foggy
Excellent, Foggy! I hear the bike course was pretty tough.
Ironmandead is still living up to its reputation.
IRONMAN COEUR D ALENE 2011
Thank you family, friends and training partners.
Thanks to “The Pirates” for continued inspiration.
My first Ironman without the trusty Pirates, I wanted to experience an Ironman in USA and Coeur d Alene was closest to where family live in Seattle, so CDA it was.
I rolled up in CDA on Thursday, expecting Idaho to be full of flat fields full of potatoes. WRONG. Big hills, big trees looking more like an alpine scene.
The lake looked beautiful but quite windy putting a lot of chop on water, which must change before Sunday!
Got registered for race tipped toes in water, it was bloody freezing, decided to leave swim until Friday allowing water temperature to rise 10 degrees( one can hope).
Nice bike Thursday evening round lake so felt quite settled.
On to Friday, I really wanted to swim in lake to find how I felt in water.
Locals said water temp was around 12 to 13 C or 55 in f.
I needed to find out if I needed to buy some additional neoprene boots and hat.
Water was very choppy and first five minutes in felt very cool, but after a while seemed to get used to it and probably swam about 1000 metres very slow going with conditions but felt that I could cope come race day with no additional neoprene purchases required.
I then spent rest of Friday and Saturday faffing around and eating in the time honored Pirate tradition.
The last supper on Saturday teatime consisted of chicken and pasta soup, salmon with rice and veg and a side order of a jacket potato, that took care of any short fall in carbohydrate intake. Had a few photos with my awesome support crew and went to bed around 8pm, laid in bed till 9pm eating a bit of ice cream, set alarm for 03.50 and crashed out.
Around 11pm I thought fridge was about to blow up. Becky looked in corridor and found hotel fire alarm going off. Oh knackers, some twit has thought it would be a jolly wheeze to get everyone up 2 hours after they went to bed.
Fire engine and police roll up had to check all rooms, but no sign of fire.
We later find out from hotel staff that a smoke alarm had gone off in one of the bedrooms, they phoned down to that room and asked if they were smoking, guests said no. It turns out they were smoking wacky backy and the police arrested the dopey smokers!! And so to bed again at midnight!!
Soon alarm was going of, coffee and grub taken on board, down to lake at 5.30am.
Loaded drink and other nutrition on to bike, pumped tyres etc,out of transition at 6.20.
Saw the Pros off and 6.25 and then all 2700 of us whilst standing in the shallows peed ourselves in the vain hope of raising lake temperature by 10 degrees.
We then realized it was hopeless, so we all stood there shitting ourselves( this time only metorphpically)
I was really quite nervous about swim, last 3 IM swim times have been between 1.05 and 1.09, but realized this one was going to longer, the wind was not too bad at start but still not expecting to be much quicker than 1.15.
Music was really ramping up atmosphere and heart really pounding, at long last gun went off. I was about 10 rows back and saw first 2 rows go in sprinting to get clear water. No turning back now, I knew I had to get my head down and swim, bugger the water felt cold. I was right in the middle of the scrum, maybe first 600 metres , complete wrestling match, just as I was about to get completely fed up with whole triathlon malarkey, I found a little bit of clear water about 2 foot wide and 6 foot long, I swam in this box for rest of first lap, water feeling cool but I was in a happy place.
Second lap wind had got up, putting some waves on lake again, got in another wrestling match round some of bouys but nothing like first 600 metres, got kicked in the nuts by some swimming at 90 degrees to rest of field.
Down last leg feely ready for bike, got out looked at clock.111. Result.
Saw my awesome support crew. 1 down 2 to go.
Looking at Pro results show over half pro field swimming over an hour, so my 1.11 was no disaster.
swim start video
Pirate support at 1 minute onwards