Couer d'Alene 70.3 - Race Notes
My first Ironman branded middle distance race was an all around success. I ran it in 5 hours 32 minutes and that's right around where I wanted to be. One thing to note, however, was that the swim was extremely shortened due to weather conditions. More on that later.
Pre-race Preparation
My first race that required travel was an overall success. I felt prepared and did not feel like I was missing something. Traveling for triathlon is stressful. Traveling for triathlon with a lot of family was another level. All things considered, though, it went really smoothly.
Note: I'd like to sort out sleeping the night before a race. I could not turn my brain off and ended up with only an hour or two of sleep. I was excited and anxious but that needs to be resolved.
The morning routine went quite smoothly. I was very happy with getting in some stretching and the exercises in for my shin splints. I got food and water in as I was hoping and quietly got my leg ready to go.
Transition Setup
This was really my first race outside of California and all of my races had transition set up in a parking lot. The main issue being the road tears up your feet. At Coeur d'Alene, transition was in the grass! It's a small thing that I really enjoyed and appreciated.
Outside of the ground, set up went smooth. It was great to connect with the other athletes and seeing their tips/tricks. One thing I learned was setting up my running gear in a trash bag. It's kind of obvious but after the swim transition gets soaked. This little tip helps keep my shoes dry making for a more comfortable run.
Swim
It was announced pre-race that the swim would be shortened. The reason for this was the wind was creating choppy waters. Having swam in choppy water ocean waters I thought this was silly. Fortunately I'm not making the decisions because I was getting tossed out there and the decision to shorten the swim was the right one. I was so dizzy at the end of the swim I had to pause for a second for the world to level out.
Regardless of the chop my swim was good. My pace was 1:25 and that would've translated nicely if the swim was the full course.
Learning
I'm going to increase my volume for the swim. It's an advantage I need considering my run is my weakness. The tricky thing with swim is that it's such a small percentage of the overall race. Also, it takes a lot to move the needle. Meaning, If I drop by pace from 1:25 to 1:15 I'm really only gaining 4.5 minutes. I think for overall fitness though, getting my pace lower will strengthen the rest of my race. In another words, knowing I could hold 1:15 but instead cruising at 1:20 would set me up for a fast bike and a 'hold on to your butts" run.
Bike
I was most curious about my bike fitness leading into the race. I was most consistent with it throughout training and I thought I could do well. Trying to gauge a course without ever riding it hard. You have to parse through Reddit responses to get an idea but you can never trust strangers on the internet.
Being out of the water so early made the course very enjoyable. I was out with the fast people and that felt good. The course heads out east along the lake a few miles before making it's way back through transition and then south along the length of the lake. I felt if that first part I could be out and back in an hour or less I'd be in good shape to go sub 3 hrs. I know I was moving but I couldn't believe my eyes when I was at 40 mins passing through town.
There wasn't much climbing in that first part, though. The climbing came shortly after crossing the bridge. Online most people said the climbs weren't too bad. They were right. Not too steep and not long. The headwind, however, that was punishing.
Once I hit the turn around it was like being launched into outer space. All the climbing we did and now the tailwind it made for a quick ride back to transition. At one point I hit 41 mph and I wasn't even pedaling OR in aero.
Nutrition
I consumed a 30g of gels every 25 minutes. I felt great energy wise. As for hydration, it was difficult to finish the 32 oz per hour I had planned. It wasn't hot yet and I need it. I don't know if that hurt me for the wrong but I couldn't consume anymore, honestly.
Learning
The Metron hydration system and straw in the cockpit was nice. I wasn't sure how that would work out but it was perfect. I had a bottle on the seat post and in the rear. I only consumed the 700ml up front and like 3/4 of a bottle. Like I said, it wasn't hot.
The rear cage possibly needs to be replaced. I had a rubber band holding the bottle down but that actually pushed the bottle down through the cage to the point it was rubbing against the tire. Thankfully another athlete alerted me to it and I eventually learned I had burned a hole through the bottle!!
I might need a smaller tri suit. Mine was flapping in the wind a bit. Not bad but worth noting. These things are expensive so it's hard to get the sizing right. Also, I think I want sleeves.
I think I need more volume at threshold. Not a ton. Just need more time in it to acclimate more. I felt like there were times I could do more but since the work out locked in on Zwift, I didn't have a choice.
Run
Sigh. Upon returning from the bike, dismounting and heading to the racks my hamstring tightened up! Just a rock hard ball. I took a minute, with my bike in hand, and stretch that fucker out. The more I moved the more it tightened. Finally after getting to the rack I hung my bike and went through everything I needed. I had to pee on the bike so I made a quick pit stop but shuffling off on to the run.
For about 3 miles I would shuffle, walk stretch, and repeat. I was so frustrated! The whole time leading up to the race I was worried about my shins (which were totally fine!) and here my hammies were not responding. After a few miles I was able to find a pace that worked. My pace ranged from 9:00/mi to 11:00/mi. I walked through every aid station to get in as much as I could. I can't say for sure but I think the salty chips helped.
Near the end of the second loop, I ran with a guy. We chatted a bit and it was really nice to distract myself from the pain. I'll have to remember this in the future. The people with hoses out there 👊🏽🎉 thank you! It helped so much.
Learning
Take your time when things like cramps occur. It's more important to be comfortable than fast at times. At least at this stage.
Try salt pills in some workouts to help with cramping. It was recommended to me but since I didn't train with them I thought it was best to hold off.
When the shin splints popped up it was the right move to stop running. I had enough stored up that I was able to endure. I didn't go as fast as I wanted but I was able to finish with a decent time.
I need to prioritize both flexibility and strength. I'm so allergic to it but it would be of such help to me at the end of a race like this.
Diet. Losing a few pounds would take some pressure off. Not sure what to do here.
For a hilly course I need to get my ass out to Honey Springs Rd to do some climbs and then run off that
Conclusion
The race was a success. I learned a bunch and had a great experience. I look forward to racing new courses and in different cities. I think had the swim been the full 1.2 miles I would've been under 30 minutes. And I also think I can run 30-40 minutes faster. Of course that's similar to saying "if we just scored more runs we would've won the game". I need to get out there and prove it and I'm so excited to do that.