Ironman #6 Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2009

So, I just finished watching NBC's coverage of the 2008 Kona race & it inspired me to find my CDA notes and update my blog! Better late than never.

The beginning of 2009 brought a big life change for me, as I started working full time at a start up in April. My previous five ironmans were all trained for while I was a full time stay at home mom. Challenging, yes, but since my husband also races it was totally doable (there was no need to explain why I have to go for a 6hr bike ride - we would hire a sitter & go together). My volume would peak at around 28hrs, easy weeks were 18hrs. In the months leading up to CDA my peak volume fell to 16hrs with my easy weeks at 10hrs. I had a very difficult time making the transition & during the period where I usually lose weight, I was gaining it. Plus, I had already qualified for Kona (IMCDA was my back up qualifier) so motivation was pretty low. I honestly would've pulled out of the race in February if a couple of friends weren't signed up to do the race with us. I knew that I would have to prove myself at work before I could get away with taking run or swim breaks during the work day. The CEO didn't want to hire me specifically because I train and race for Ironmans, so there was no wiggle room there at all (not to mention there's no shower at work!).

As a result, I went into this Ironman with really low expectations & hoped that quality over quantity would be enough to get me over the finish line in a respectable time. There's nothing quite like being on the start line of an Ironman when you're not prepared. Previously, I could stand on the start line with raw confidence knowing that I had done everything possible to prepare. This time, I was scared. Wouldn't you know, just 30 minutes before the gun is supposed to go off, the forearm of my wetsuit rips wide open. There was a good 6 inch gaping hole. As luck would have it, Keish Doi was standing nearby (he is crazier than I, regulary doing at least 6 ironmans per year) and he had some kind of adhesive tape in his morning bag. I should've wrapped my whole forearm in it, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get out of my wetsuit post swim. So, I settled on just taping the seams so the wrist wouldn't split open, and the rip wouldn't continue up over my bicep. CDA is a beach start which is fine when the start line just contains estrogen, but testosterone is a whole nother story. I'm surprised I wasn't trampled to death (or at least that no one was) and as usual had to contend with crazed racers that have completely forgotten that they are doing an ironman & have taken off like it's a sprintman. The water at CDA sucks. It's clearer than Tempe, but that's not saying much. It was cold (like Tempe) and extremely choppy. I was bottle necked the entire swim. Everyone was swimming different directions and I rarely was able to spot a buoy when lifting my head up to see where I was going. There are multiple inconsiderate idiots racing their speed boats at the top of the swim loop making sizeable waves, at one point I started to get sea sick. All the while, my left arm weighs at least 10 pounds more than my right (from my wetsuit hole filling up with each stroke) which I'm sure did some nasty things to my form. At the beach run turn around (the swim is two loops with a run on the beach inbetween) I unfortunately looked at my watch - :35. Not good. In my 5 previous Ironmans my total swim time had always been between 1:02 and 1:03. Ugh. The last thing I wanted to do was dive back in for another loop. The second loop wasn't much better than the first. Usually the swim is enjoyable for me, but not today.

2.4 miles Swim Time: 1:10:45, 11/126 age group

It was cloudy and cold - the high for the day was only 55 degrees. For those of you that know me - this is not good for me. I get could very easily and have a very difficult time warming my muscles up in the cold. They just don't want to go. In transition I decided to wear arm warmers, gloves, and wool socks. It was a good move. I never really felt cold on the bike, but I certainly wasn't warm either. Do note, don't hesitate to put arm warmers in your transition bag at an Ironman. Trying to put them on yourself over wet skin is near impossible, but they're pretty darn easy to put on when you've got your own personal volunteer helping you (especially if that person knows what they are & how to put them on). They were on in a flash & I clip clopped my way to the bike.

Transition 1: 5:31

The first part of the CDA loop is flat, and the wind is at your back (although it really wasn't windy at all). I enjoyed riding out to the hills & got to see the lead male pro heading back into town led by the police & they were towing a huge digital clock with the acruing race time right in front of him. That gave me a little adrenaline boost that lasted until the hilly section. Stuart, Mike, and I had driven the race course a couple of days prior, but I was soooo tired that I couldn't stay awake during the car ride. I am notorious for falling asleep in the car. I only remembered short flashes of terrain & was unpleasantly surprised to find around 30 hills on the loop - short hills, but steep ones. Ones that made me glad that I had the 27 cassette on my rear wheel. On the first pass in the hills I had the pleasure of watching a fellow age grouper get cited a red card for drafting - go officials! Other than that one big train of cheaters, I didn't see much drafting on the course. I was pretty drained after the first round of hills and briefly contemplated taking a wrong turn & heading back to the house we were renting. It was never really a serious thought - only because I didn't have the keys on me. Fortunately, the second loop felt easier than the first. I finally warmed up a bit & now I knew what to expect in the hilly section. I finally got to see my first (and only) butterfly at mile 90 of the bike. Butterflies are my cheerleaders & they usually appear when I need them most. However, I the better my race finish time, the more butterflies I see. Shortly after this siting, I saw Mike heading out to the last of the hills (I was coming in). He was having a rougher day than I - it didn't look like he'd be passing me today. He was in the zone & didn't hear me screaming (this sort of cluelessness is generally my role & took me by surprise). Over the last 10 miles of the bike it began to drizzle & so I was focused on finishing the bike before it started to rain more. The final stretch is pretty easy and beat the heck out of my usual long ride training course (which ends with a four mile 800 foot climb).

112 miles Bike Time: 6:13:05, 19/126 age group

I left my shoes on the bike & ran in my socks which got nice and wet by the time I reached the change tent. I made a quick stop in the loo, decided to keep my arm warmers and gloves on, and took off.

Transition 2: 3:29

Ah, the run in the cold and rain. It makes me shiver just remembering it. Due to my lack of training, my legs were fried at the start of the run. They warmed up after the first mile (I could feel my feet again!) and then I started to have other problems that I could do absolutely nothing about. A month prior, I had held off my period by taking the pill and had an amazing century ride where I kicked Mike's ass. This was an experiment, so it worked so well for the century, why not do it again for the Ironman? Running in an Ironman has different affects on the body than just biking a century (as one might expect) and things didn't turn out so well for me. Let the cramping begin, shades of Wisconsin '07. One porto stop confirmed the problem & I wisely knew I was doomed. I was reduced to a slow jog and on many occasions was forced to a walk due to uterine cramping. The only thing that got me jogging again was the fact that it was frickin' cold. If I had kept walking there would have been a real good chance that I would've ended up with hypothermia. This is the only race I've ever wanted chicken broth, and wouldn't you know, it was cold. They couldn't keep it warm enough. Cold chicken broth is not good. I began craving the sports beans I had put in my special needs bags. I've never used my special needs bags in the past, but I really wanted those beans! Cruelly, you have to run by special needs at mile 13 and you can't get your goods until around mile 15. I stopped and walked and ate my sports beans - they were the nectar of the gods. It was the happiest I had been all day. On my way back out to the lake I saw Mike & he looked really chipper & in good spirits (this time he saw me). When I reached the lake, there was a boat full of drunk people blasting the Rocky theme & shouting incessantly. I managed a thumb's up towards their general direction & got rewarded with more shouting :) As I was nearing the final run turn around, I saw Stewart walking - he was a couple of miles in front of me. I could try and catch him. It seemed like EVERYONE else in the race was running. And fast. I am used to doing really hot races where people blow up on the run, there's carnage everywhere, and if you happen to be walking you've got lots of company. Not the case on this day. I was able to catch up with Stewart as he was NOT a happy camper. An old injury that he thought was all better was acting up . He couldn't run at all. I walked with him for awhile, and was glad to have the company. Then I started to get really cold & had to part ways. The rest of the "run" was pretty darn miserable. Again, the only reason my head demons didn't win the walking war was because of the cold. More than once during the race I muttered that I was "never coming back here again". Everyone says how beautiful the run course is, but I couldn't care less. It seemed liked the roads winded endlessly back to the finish line. WIth a few miles to go there was a yard full of drunk people screaming out everyone's name & occupation (I guess someone printed out the race roster). They were making up stupid rhymes with peoples names and I found myself wanting to join them & ditch the race. They were having a LOT more fun than I was. Alas, I wasn't seriously considering quitting, after all I only had two miles to go. The last mile is always a blast. No matter how shattered you've been mentally and physically during the previous miles of the race, there is an unmatched adrenaline boost when you hit mile marker 25. It's always my fastest mile. I was really impressed with the amount of people lining the streets - it was raining after all. There was a ton of support all the way to the line which I crossed with with relief.

26.2 mi Run TIme: 5:05:06, 71/126 age group

TOTAL TIME: 12:37:54, 30/126 age group

This is the only ironman I haven't landed in the med tent for (or should've landed in the med tent). I'm sure because I wasn't able to push my limits with the cramps and the rain also helped pull allergens out of the air. I missed Stewart's finish & it took a couple of hours to find him. Mike was walking most of the marathon, so it was a long wait in the cold and rain to see him finish. He's decided that this is the last Ironman he'll be doing out of shape. The end result was that I have a ton of work to do before Hawaii. Somehow, I need to be more consistent with my training. Plus, I'll make sure my other issue wouldn't be an issue again. Why is it that in all the training books I have & in all the magazine articles I've read no one ever mentions a woman's cycle related to performance (Oh right, most of them are written by men & no one cares about women's sports). It is such a huge performance issue for me, and I've got to think it is for other women as well. I've read one article in Triathlete and the conclusion was that good performances have been turned in any time during a woman's cycle and it doesn't matter. This is so wrong. How much better could those performances have been if the timing had been ideal? We've got to contend with blood loss, cramping, hormonal changes, body temperature changes, etc. Someone needs to get on this, I'm tired of experimenting with myself! If you are a man (and you haven't stopped reading this) consider yourself lucky.

I'm very excited about Hawaii, and in retrospect, I might give CDA another chance in the future :)