Ironman Coeur d'Alene - The Report (LONG)
NOTE: Picture heavy, because we all love pictures!! (They are probably the same ones from my Ghost-Twitterer, but I haven't gone back and checked) And really long. But so is an Ironman. ;)
As most of you know, this was my third consecutive Ironman Coeur d'Alene. In 2008, I suffered tummy issues and hip problems, but went on to finish in around 16 hours. The water was about 56 degrees, but the weather turned out to be decent. I was a zombie afterward. In 2009, I wanted to just improve on the previous year, and had a really good time. The water was right around 60, it was windy, and the rain came in in the afternoon. I finished in 15:25. In 2010, I continued my goal of wanting to finish in the daylight (around 14:30). Mother nature had other plans.
I have had a terrible work schedule for the last 6 months. It didn't matter in the first couple of months of training, because it's all building. I would swim when I could, but not get all the swims in. I would do more than the minimum bike, and the maximum prescribed run. April rolled around and I continued with the bike and did well running, but not so much swimming. I began to notice a very different level of fitness - training for Ironman was different than last year, and completely different than the year before. I acquired an "it's just what we do" mentality. We Just Train. We Just Swim. We Just Ride. We Just Run. We Are Iron. ;) I tried not to take it for granted, but I really had a feeling I could execute on a plan and succeed even if I did not make a major improvement from last year - but I wanted to improve as much as possible, especially on the run. I wanted to run at least 20 miles, and really thought I could. Again, Mother nature.....
You check in to the (Sunday) Ironman on Thursday or Friday. I had planned on a Last Chance Wetsuit Excursion, to re-examine and talk to vendors about sizing, but I didn't actually get to that until Saturday (I knew I could wear my other suit, worst case). I just checked in and went back to work. You get strapped with a wristband that you can't take off until you're done (and you are sad to part with, disturbingly). You get a chip strap, a sling bag, your numbers, bags, and chip. Friday, I stayed clear of Ironman-land, but was sure to eat early and get to bed early.
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Saturday, I got up early, prepped all of my stuff, and bagged it up. You basically get a set of stickers and bag your stuff, generally except your nutrition, though I opted to include everything I could other than my bike bottles. Despite making a list and checking it twice like Santa, I forgot my towel. I had tested and planned on wearing my Zoot Ultra tri shorts and top with Zoot tri bra underneath (and my HRM). On top of that, I planned on wearing my She Loves Hills jersey and pirate arm warmers. I fuel with hammer gels, endurolytes (though I did not get to test them extensively so I am not right on the dosing for heat), and Accelerade on the bike, and just gels on the run (with gatorade if it's warm).
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We went down to Ironman-land before the US v. Ghana game went into extra time, so I missed the end. ;) Had to be there by 3pm. I could have gone down earlier, but by then there's a certain amount of "6 months of training is more affected negatively at this point than positively by rash decisions" that comes into play. I dropped off Lucy and my two bags, and wished them all well.
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After that, I asked people about wetsuits, where the extra sizing was, etc, and ended up with a 2XU size medium mid-range suit. It fits much better than my blue seventy but not as well as my Zoot Fuzion. Took a swim in it in the lake, it was windy and choppy, but not as bad as last year. I got dinner fixins (smoked salmon pesto tortellini) and went home and ate early, then went to bed around 8. I didn't actually fall asleep at 8, but I know from experience that I should at least TRY to go to bed early and sleep as much as I can. A 4:30 wake-up actually means I wake up at 3... 3:30.... 3:45.... 4.... 4:05.... :p
I ate a Luna bar and banana for breakfast round 1, and lots of water. I have trouble eating the morning of a race. I know I didn't input enough calories, but my nervous stomach always gets the best of me and I just can't put in more food than I do 5 or 6 days of 7. We headed down and missed the 5:30AM traffic cutoff, but it wasn't a huge deal. I find I'd rather not wait around for 90 minutes anyway. My husband parked the car while I dropped off my towel and bike bottles. I met up with 2 others of my Iron Crew and got body marked, and we hung out for a bit. I had another banana and more water. I had to pee, but held off for the ceremonial wetsuit adornment and water entrance. ;) At this point, we knew it would be warm - I was standing around in my tri top and comfortable, not freezing.
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After that, I put on more sunblock (more on this later), my wetsuit, and the required slathering of bodyglide on the neck. I made my way down to the swim entrance. It's always so hard to find the entrance, the beach is long and narrow so you actually start far away from the buoy line unless you're uber-competitive and get down there early. There's only a couple of mats and not enough volunteers to point you the right way. That'd have to be one of my ONLY complaints.
If you've never seen an Ironman mass swim start, it's... an adventure. A cannon goes off and so do 2500 people. I usually hang back and let everyone fight over the entrance, then swim over them. The water was about 60 or so, warm, and it wasn't hardly windy. The first loop I swam over a lot of people. The second loop things always even out and you have more room. Sighting was good, until we turned into the sun, and NOBODY could see buoys - there were people holding conversations and not swimming. I just followed feet until I could see them. On the return of the first loop, despite my lack of swim training, I knew I would finish unless something went wrong. It's Just What We Do. Then I got a big cramp in my calf, which has never happened to me before. Weird? Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. You get out of the water and back in after the first loop. The wind had picked up so it was more choppy, but nowhere NEAR last year or even Saturday.
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Saw the time - 1:38. I was surprised, I did not expect to improve here. Had I got more swim training, I think I could best 1:30 easily. On to the bike - in transition, I was a little disoriented but the volunteers were of course helpful trying to figure out what came first. They ask questions that you kind of answer and mostly set your stuff out and offer you advice like "put on your pants before your shoes." ;) Packed my gels into my jersey, did not put on arm warmers (another sign of the warmth to come). I had put on sunblock before the wetsuit and I am pretty sure someone slathered some on me here, too.
The bike course is hilly, and there are windy sections, but since I am local I train on parts of the course and in the wind very regularly. I have not trained in the heat very regularly. I know those of you from hotter climates are thinking "80s? that's pleasant!" but we've had only a few days over 70 and this is one of the first well over 80. Most of our spring/training time has been in the 50s and 60s with clouds. The sun and temperature were a surprise. It was at about mile 30 that I realised the best plan was to be conservative (I think this is the point at which I went pee, too). I went up the hills super easy at a super low heart rate (humorously low) and kept the heart rate consistent on flats. I knew what I saved here I would spend on the run, because it was so hot, and I could not afford to dehydrate early. I had a feeling from my training that this would be the case - that my cycling fitness was at a point where it was not about making the distance, but how hard I make the distance. The bike course is also 2 loops, which is cool because you get to pass through the populated near-transition area 4 times. Energizing. Then a little lonely. I passed a lot of people, which is always encouraging. Bike wranglers take your bike from you so you just head to transition, where another helpful person takes your stuff out and again teaches you how to get dressed. Some people COMPLETELY undress each time, but I am too lazy for that and just took off my extra PI shorts and changed my socks. I put on my Five Fingers and sunglasses, and had them slather me with sunblock.
So, on to the run.... this was rough. I would find out not long after this what part of my problem was, as I began to see the sunburn on my arms emerge. It was very red. You can see my first mile was on target and felt AWESOME, then I hit the sun, and switched to run/walk. I ran until I felt too hot to run, then walked. I took off my jersey at mile 4 and carried it - by then it was soaked from ice, sponges, and water that I had poured at every station. At that point, I had them slather MORE sunblock on me. This run/walk continued for about 10 miles, then the sun started to go down, and holy cow did that make a difference. I was able to run entire miles and just walk aid stations. You start your second loop at mile 14, which is the point where I was able to put my jersey back on and not feel like walking furnace woman.
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The sun was still hot, and the sunburn was more evident, which is why my running miles got down to 12+ minute miles. Sigh.... all that running focus spent on a hot day. I was disappointed, but honestly I felt so good everywhere else that I knew in better conditions I would have ROCKED it, at least to the point where you can't really rock it, you just kind of pebble it. My feet were tired at mile 20 (always are), and at mile 23-24 the mere flexing of my quads hurt the sunburn on my legs - an awesome sensation. I pulled my pant legs up as best I could, but ended up doing a fair amount of walking at this point (as you can see). I got my stupid glowing band at mile 25. Dang! So close to finishing without the glowing band. ;)
The finish is downhill and because of the nice weather there were a LOT of people there. It was pretty awesome. I saw a couple of people from work and my Iron Crew. I actually got tears in my eyes rounding the corner - you may only experience your first Ironman once, but every single Ironman is a victory for a different reason. For me, I think this one was about turning the page permanently from the person I used to be - unhealthy, overweight, and unhappy. The first year I had it in my head it was a fluke - anyone could train for an Ironman. The second year was about proving I really could do it. This year was about proving that I was this person. I may not win, but I have the fitness, and it really is Just What We Do. It's honestly really difficult not to flash back to your running steps, your first triathlon, the years that have passed, all of the training you've done, all of the people supporting you... and it is an emotional moment. As I got closer to the finish line, I wanted to be smiling, not crying, so I sucked it up, pumped some fists and high fived everyone in the bleachers that I could. And guess what..... "Nicole Pauls of Liberty Lake, Washington.......... you are an Ironman!!!!" :D It makes me smile and tear up at the same time. They escort you through the finish chute and ask if you are okay about 20 times, you pick your t-shirt (WOMENS SIZES NOW HOORAY), get your medal, they take off your chip, take your finisher picture, and point you to the food, medical tent, and massage.
Sadly, I do not have a finish line picture yet as everyone was a little busy. ;) But here's a couple post finish-line pictures of me and my husband and his awesome sign (and my pizza plate), and my close friend's daughter who knows me as Auntie Colby. She insisted on being held as soon as she saw me, and then bit off part of each one of my chips. Privilege of being almost 2. Mile 140.7 - food and hugs.
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I didn't take a picture of the hat and t-shirt, I'll have to do that. Here's the medal, and my unofficial medal - a very red bike sunburn on my thighs (that you can feel through my Zoot tights and my pants) and arms (which everyone cringes when they see and matches the aero position nicely).
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Finish time was 15:12. I feel really good today - I can feel where the cramp on the swim was, but no ankle/calf pain otherwise, just the expected stiffness. I enjoyed the best sleep followed by the best breakfast and the best shower ever. Went down today and got a finisher's polo shirt and got one of the bike jerseys for my Italy trip in the fall. Not to mention a couple of beer coozies for my Iron team. Recovery so far has been tights, one of those vibrating massagers, and not sitting around all day.
I will be back in 2011 (barring anything unforeseen) to avenge my daylight finish. Honestly, my stretch goal is sub-14. I am pretty confident I can shave up to 30 off the bike and 60 off the run, depending on conditions. I can probably shave another 10 off my swim, too. Yes, I know how crazy that sounds. I would settle for anything around 14:30.
