Ironman Coeur d'Alene - Thursday 6/23/11
For the second year in a row, I trained for and completed an Ironman distance triathlon! As you may know, this means a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 full marathon run. This time, my goal was Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
It's been a rough training year for me. I've had a few setbacks including a shoulder injury that almost sidelined me, and the sudden loss of my father, which really took a toll on me and my family. I went into this race knowing that I was not 100%, but I knew I had enough training, tools, and determination to complete my mission.
I flew in to Spokane, Washington on Thursday and collected my rental car, which was a brand new Jeep SUV with 6 miles on it. I cruised into Idaho and drove directly to the Ironman Expo at City Park, where many athletes were now gathering. I wandered down to the lake and was instantly impressed by the beauty of the area. Endless greenery surrounds the expansive lake in every direction. The water was a bit choppy, and groups of clouds hovered overhead, but every angle was still a postcard shot.
As I entered the open-air temporary village, I noticed many lean, serious Ironpeople pushing around bikes that easily cost two months salary. At this point I knew that I was part of the big show. My objectives were simple: Shop for M-Dot shwag, check in for the race, and pick up my bike and gear bag from Tri Bike Transport.
I spent way too much time in the Ironman store, grabbing everything in my size that I could get my hands on. I weeded out a bunch of stuff and ended up with a fair amount of shwag. Next stop was registration, where I filled out a waiver and was shuffled from table to table, picking up various pieces of the puzzle along the way: swim cap, race number stickers, bib, timing chip, transition bags, event wristband, and more. There were not a lot of people in line at this time, so I was in and out of that tent. I made my way to claim my bike at TBT, and the line was ridiculously long. After at least 45 minutes, I made it to the front, hunted down Nacho Lover and my gear bag, threw it all in my Jeep and proceeded to the hotel.
I took a detour and scoped out the Italian restaurant that I would be dining at on the eve of the race. I stopped at Safeway for some rations, then finally made it to the Holiday Inn Express where they had a dining area with everything I just bought. D'oh! They also were giving out goodie bags to the athletes that were checking in, which was a nice touch. Oh and there was a dog working the front desk. I asked him what he was doing there and he said he needed to earn a few bones for the weekend. Must be an Idaho thing.
I didn't do much for the rest of the afternoon except unpack and get my gear in order. I laid out everything I needed, and prepped my bike by bolting on parts that I removed for shipping. I grabbed a chicken wrap for dinner down the street and then retired to my room for the evening.
It's been a rough training year for me. I've had a few setbacks including a shoulder injury that almost sidelined me, and the sudden loss of my father, which really took a toll on me and my family. I went into this race knowing that I was not 100%, but I knew I had enough training, tools, and determination to complete my mission.
I flew in to Spokane, Washington on Thursday and collected my rental car, which was a brand new Jeep SUV with 6 miles on it. I cruised into Idaho and drove directly to the Ironman Expo at City Park, where many athletes were now gathering. I wandered down to the lake and was instantly impressed by the beauty of the area. Endless greenery surrounds the expansive lake in every direction. The water was a bit choppy, and groups of clouds hovered overhead, but every angle was still a postcard shot.
As I entered the open-air temporary village, I noticed many lean, serious Ironpeople pushing around bikes that easily cost two months salary. At this point I knew that I was part of the big show. My objectives were simple: Shop for M-Dot shwag, check in for the race, and pick up my bike and gear bag from Tri Bike Transport.
I spent way too much time in the Ironman store, grabbing everything in my size that I could get my hands on. I weeded out a bunch of stuff and ended up with a fair amount of shwag. Next stop was registration, where I filled out a waiver and was shuffled from table to table, picking up various pieces of the puzzle along the way: swim cap, race number stickers, bib, timing chip, transition bags, event wristband, and more. There were not a lot of people in line at this time, so I was in and out of that tent. I made my way to claim my bike at TBT, and the line was ridiculously long. After at least 45 minutes, I made it to the front, hunted down Nacho Lover and my gear bag, threw it all in my Jeep and proceeded to the hotel.
I took a detour and scoped out the Italian restaurant that I would be dining at on the eve of the race. I stopped at Safeway for some rations, then finally made it to the Holiday Inn Express where they had a dining area with everything I just bought. D'oh! They also were giving out goodie bags to the athletes that were checking in, which was a nice touch. Oh and there was a dog working the front desk. I asked him what he was doing there and he said he needed to earn a few bones for the weekend. Must be an Idaho thing.
I didn't do much for the rest of the afternoon except unpack and get my gear in order. I laid out everything I needed, and prepped my bike by bolting on parts that I removed for shipping. I grabbed a chicken wrap for dinner down the street and then retired to my room for the evening.
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