Let’s just say…what a week at Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2021!

Tuesday, June 22nd (5 days until Ironman Coeur d’Alene)

 

(Written by Kathleen!)

We arrived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Tuesday afternoon before the Ironman race and we’re so glad we did. Originally we were scheduled to arrive late Wednesday night but Delta rescheduled our flight and of course, at first we were a little perturbed with the changes but in hindsight it worked out perfectly.

Why? It just did.

When we arrived we were a bit in transition, we couldn’t get into our Airbnb until Wednesday at 4 pm so we had to do the best we could with meals, finding options that were tasty but also healthy and that provided a good balance. I think we did a good job between Asian cuisine, buddha bowls, protein waffles, smoothies, acai bowls, and more.

Tuesday afternoon Joe (an athlete we were staying with all week) and Don fit in a shakeout run to move and stretch the legs and body.

Wednesday, June 23rd (4 days until Ironman Coeur d’Alene)

 

Wednesday was our first full day in Coeur d’Alene. We had breakfast at the hotel, Don and Joe did a training run and I hit the hotel gym which I have to say was pretty legit.

We packed up and Joe and Don dropped me off at a local coffee shop so I could put together a menu and grocery list for the week and they went and drove the course to get a feel for what Sunday would look like. When I was putting together my grocery list I used the “theme” night strategy to help me come up with ideas. Sometimes it can be much more difficult to come up with ideas and get creative when you’re away from home and you don’t have all your cooking condiments.

So I came up with Taco night, Pasta night, Pizza Party night and lastly I needed to come up with a pre-race dinner. This really helped me to start thinking about what I would need for each meal and it made creating a grocery list much easier. All I needed to do was fill in the blanks for breakfast and snacks.

When thinking about the week I knew it would be important to focus on tasty (and fun) food that would encourage Don and Joe to eat, but I also wanted to focus on a few other things. It was important that there were plenty of carbohydrates in the meals and snacks they ate. I wanted to mimic how we eat at home as much as possible. I also wanted to be mindful of decreasing fiber and fat as we got closer to race day.

I made sure to have what we needed for dinners but I also had foods on hand like frozen waffles, avocados, bananas and berries, homemade potato salad, pickles, olives, dried fruit, potato chips, pretzels, fig bars, bread from the local bakery, tortilla chips and salsa, roasted veggie and orzo salad and so on.

But what about the protein? This is the most often asked question…right?

We made sure to sprinkle in things like veggie burgers, plant-based yogurts, Ripple pea milk, chia/hemp/flax seeds, nuts, peanut butter, beans (only earlier in the week) oatmeal, Dave’s Killer Bread, tofu, Picky Bar oatmeal, and Picky Bar pancakes and more.

Thursday, June 24th (3 days until Ironman Coeur d’Alene)

 

Thursday started off…let’s just say a little (or a lot) rocky!

Joe and Don met another athlete Brad down at the lake for a practice swim around 9-9:30 am. It was windy that morning, about 9 miles/hour and the lake had a pretty good chop going. Don was feeling ready, he was all smiles, he had his wetsuit on and he was ready to jump in and that’s what he did.

But as he made his way back to shore I knew something was off. He was a good bit behind Joe and Brad and as he got closer and closer to shore he was swimming way off course from where we were standing, it was almost like he was disoriented. When he got out of the water the first thing I said was “are you okay?” He seemed a bit shocked at how rough the water was and said “oh my gosh, it’s like a washing machine out there”. He went out again and again, he was slow, fighting the chop, swallowing water, unaware of his surroundings and again he swam way off course but this time out into the lake versus into shore.

To say the least, this was very unexpected. Not only did Don gas himself on that swim, but his mind was also depleted with swirling thoughts of what in the world just happened. This particular morning seemed to set the tone for the rest of the week and it was concerning to say the least. But the days must go on as planned so Don ate an early lunch and headed down to TriBike Transport to pick up his bike and then he was off with Brad for a quick ride and run.

That afternoon Don checked in.

By evening time Don seemed very tired and when I checked in with him and asked if he was feeling okay he really couldn’t answer that question and that’s how the rest of the week went. It was concerning to see Don’s affect flat and just kind of spacey, he was quiet and there just wasn’t much excitement. I tried to hide my concern, I tried to give him space and leave him alone to be with his thoughts, to just figure things out.

Friday, June 25th (2 days until Ironman Coeur d’Alene)

 

Early Friday morning came and Don and Brad headed down to the water around 6 am to get a better feel for what they could expect race morning. It seemed that the pattern was a more calm lake earlier than later and race day was starting at 5:35 am. Thankfully he had a much better swim, there was less wind and the water was more calm. He swallowed a lot less water and he was sighting better. This was really more representative of what race morning would look like and it helped boost his confidence.

Friday was scheduled to be a rest day so he didn’t do any other workouts and just took this opportunity to really rest and take care of himself with a nap, the Normatec boots, hydration and nourishment.

As the day went on again, Don was “off” and I asked again if he was okay and this time he said he almost felt like he had a bit of heat exhaustion but that’s about all he could muster up for an answer. He was still unable to verbalize a lot of how he was feeling. He did say he just literally totally felt wiped out on Thursday and even into Friday.

Friday night was a FUN night. We had a pizza party at our condo which gave us an opportunity to meet some new athletes. We got to meet Lisa who we’ll room with in St. George, Utah for the 70.3 World Championships and we got to meet three athletes in our Plant Powered Athlete group…Jeannie, Renie and Mike. It is so fun to actually put a face with a name and hear about their triathlon journey.

This is what we LOVE!

As we went into Friday evening I could hear a little scratch in Don’s voice and by Saturday morning he had a sore throat and a cough. For the first part of the day my mind was filled with thoughts…is he going to be okay on race day, can he race without feeling 100%, what if something happens to him during the race, is he going to wake up worse Sunday morning?

So many thoughts and not one answer!

Saturday, June 26th (One More Sleep Before Race Day)

 

A lot of my thoughts were supported by the severe weather conditions that were expected on Sunday and Don’s actions and affect during the week…it just wasn’t Don.

We faced another hiccup this morning… Don didn’t realize until this morning that his aero bars and handlebars on his bike were down about 2.5 inches and we had to get the bike checked in by 1 pm that day. 

Something or someone put a lot of pressure on the front of the bars!

With the time crunch, he considered not getting them fixed, but for peace of mind we needed to at least try.

There was a local Trek shop just minutes from our condo that opened at 10 am so he did his final bike and run prep and was at the Trek shop by 10:05. They were able to loosen up the bolts and move the bars back to the correct position and he was back at our Airbnb by 10:30 am to get ready for the bike check-in.

Remember his last full ironman race was Ironman Chattanooga 2019, where he came in 3rd place in his age group even after crashing on his bike at mile 85. 

“Two things you are in total control of in your life: your attitude and your effort” ~unknown

He opted out of the swim today since he swam on Friday. In the afternoon he and Joe checked their bikes and then Don indulged in some self care with the Normatec boots and a nap. His main concern was just making sure to conserve energy and make sure he was resting enough.

Halfway through Saturday, I had let some of my concerning thoughts go but we both still had some lingering concerns.

For example, earlier in the day Don said to me “I have no doubt I’ll be able to perform tomorrow” and then that evening he said to me “I’m a little concerned on how my energy levels will be tomorrow”. We were in that limbo stage.

This is something that will always be a work in progress for me…learning to trust that all will be okay especially when Don’s not 100%. As a spouse/partner/loved one the last thing you want to see is your athlete suffering but in the end we know that’s part of triathlon.

In-between ALL the craziness of the week Don worked to keep up on his hydration and nutrition. With all the hustle and bustle that an Ironman race brings it can be easy to forget some of the most basic things…fueling!

It’s important to make sure you’re fitting in time for meals and snacks during race week and really nourishing and fueling your athlete body for race day.

Before and after dinner Don worked on visualizing his race, he used his race day script to help him visualize his perfect race, how he wanted to feel on race day and each leg of the race but he also visualized where he might have difficulties and how he would handle those difficulties. Remember this part of triathlon…it helps set your mindset.

The last thing we did Saturday evening was eat a pre-race meal of grilled salmon, white rice, and sweet potato and we were in bed by 8 pm, ready for our 3 am wake-up call…

Sunday, June 27th – IT’S RACE DAY!!!

 

 

(Written by Don!)

RACE MORNING:

 

I felt…okay. My throat was definitely still sore and even hurt a little and I didn’t feel 100% but I also felt ready for whatever the day would bring. Joe, Kelly (the other athletes we stayed with) and I dropped off our special needs bike and run bags and headed to transition.

Transition setup went smoothly. Since they didn’t have changing tents we had to set everything up at our bikes…old school style.

I was able to find Kathleen to take a few photos, we hugged and I said I’d see her on the other side of transition. It was time to put on the wetsuit and head to the swim start.

I didn’t realize spectators were going to be allowed so close to the athletes and the swim start. It would have been nice to walk with Kathleen but unfortunately, once I was out of transition I never was able to find her. It was kind of funny because once we spoke about the morning come to find out we both looked high and low for each other, standing on walls and picnic tables but never were able to find one another before I got in the water. 

I did a very short swim warmup and then positioned myself at the beginning of the 1:00 – 1:10 group. I wasn’t sure I could swim that fast but I wanted to get in the water as soon as possible since I knew it was going to be a very long and hot day. 

IRONMAN COEUR d’ALENE SWIM

 

1:14:37 / 1:56 per 100 meters; 2-loop course

The horn blew and I started out! First thing I did was to find fresh water to swim in…meaning not a lot of people around me, the second thing I did was to start tracking the buoys to swim as straight as possible. The water felt pretty smooth race morning, it was clean and clear and probably in the low 70s. At this point I was focused on my form and made sure I was finishing each stroke. 

As I swam I just tried to stay focused within myself and race MY race. 

Before I knew it I was on my second loop. This time it was a lot more crowded and that meant there was more chop on the water. When I was about halfway through the second loop, I literally felt like the whole field was passing me. I felt slow and I could feel my form becoming a little sloppy but I pressed on to the finish and exited the water at 1:14. 

I never saw Kathleen when I finished my swim but she saw me as I exited the water and ran up the shoot into transition.

 

TRANSITION #1: 1:19

 

I worked my way to my bike, struggling to get my wetsuit off my arms. Finally, I decided to just take a few seconds, sat down on the ground and got that wetsuit off! Let me tell you, it will be nice if/when they bring wetsuit strippers back. 

I looked up and saw Kathleen watching from the fence line while I put my bike shoes and helmet on and by the time I was at the bike exit Kathleen was there cheering me on.

IRONMAN COEUR d’ALENE BIKE

 

5:46 / 19.37 mph; 2-loop course

The Coeur d’Alene bike course is one of the prettiest courses I have raced. It’s 2 loops and it has beautiful scenery along Lake Coeur d’Alene before you head out on highway 95 for a 25 – 30 mile out and back with some very long climbs and nice descents.

I knew it was going to get hot out and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t over-exerting myself. The first loop was all about just getting a feel for the course and the hills. 

It took me about 40 minutes into the bike but I finally caught up to Brad, one of my coaches from Charleston who was racing. We rode almost the entire course together (draft legal of course), just like we did in our long training rides together back in Charleston. It was great motivation to be able to push each other especially in those times when each of us needed it…when the suffering started to strike.

Some of the high moments on the bike were going out of town and coming back into town. Our condo was right on the bike course and that meant I got to see Kathleen, her parents, and Kelly’s husband Patrick multiple times. Each time I rode by they were right there at the road with tambourines and cowbells cheering me on. 

It’s times like these that really help with the low moments…you remember that you’re not the only one out there. There are others out there waiting and waiting and waiting to just see you for a moment so they can root for you and cheer for you to not only have a great race but to help boost your motivation to just finish your race. 

So what about my nutrition for the bike? I had 3 bottles on the bike. Two bottles had one yellow Gatorade, 2 scoops of Carbo Pro and 2 mini scoops of Base Salt and my 3rd bottle had water with 2 scoops of Carbo Pro and 2 mini scoops of Base Salt. I also had a ziplock bag with cut up Picky Bars that I carried in my bento box and I had a small 6 oz flask with one GU dissolved in water that I took right after the halfway point. 

I did have a special needs bag for the bike. With the conditions the way they were, I knew I would want to have my nutrition on the second loop instead of solely relying on what was on the course. I had 3 bottles of the same exact mixture plus more Picky Bars. The stop was well worth my time and the volunteers did a great job helping me get everything I needed.

As I started the second loop I realized I forgot to grab the other small flask of GU. Damn!  The thought of that bothered me for a little bit but I finally realized it wouldn’t ruin my day. 

This loop I could feel the heat starting to rise. If you look at the graph below you can see how the temperature spiked around 3.5 hours into the ride. The maximum temperature was 109 degrees. This was no joke.

I knew I needed to manage my body temperature as the day went on. This was important…it was key in getting me to the finish line.

At almost every aid station I grabbed a cold bottle of water and poured it over my neck, arms and on my bike shorts. This seemed to really make a difference for me, I could feel how it cooled my body. 

As I approached the turnaround, I saw that I had a little over 20 miles left on the bike. At this point my goal was to stay focused, stay cool with water and stop taking in solid food (Picky Bars). I went straight to liquid nutrition to curb any GI issues that could happen on the run. 

The next hour seemed to go by pretty fast and before I knew it I was rolling into transition.

TRANSITION #2: 6:05

 

I racked my bike and prepared for the run. I made sure I had what I needed, especially my cooling towel and my nutrition. On my way out of transition I made 2 stops…one was to go to the bathroom, a good sign that I was hydrated going into the run. 

As I exited transition I saw Kathleen waving at me at the first right hand turn. I was so happy to see her, I made my second stop to give her a hug and kiss then I was on my way. 

IRONMAN COEUR d’ALENE RUN

 

3:45 / 8:37 pace; 3-loop course 

As I made the right hand turn for the long out and back I could really feel the heat. My main goal was to stay focused on getting from aid station to aid station without stopping. Just keep running, no matter the pace.

As I made my way back into town, I think around mile 15 or 16, I noticed that my left groin area started to fire off like it was going to cramp up on me. So, I decided I would slow my pace down a little more inbetween aid stations. And at the next few aid stations I made sure to grab coke and even a little red bull.

As I approached the third loop area I saw Kathleen and her parents and tons of other spectators cheering athletes on. It gave me the boost I needed to see everyone out on the course.

The…last…loop…the…third…loop. This is where it was getting really hard. Fatigue, heat and exhaustion were starting to come into play. I found myself lingering at the aid stations a little longer and I was working harder to keep my left groin from getting worse. I just kept telling myself “you’re almost there, just keep moving,…just keep moving.” 

The conditions were so tough…the day was extremely hot and most athletes were walking when I was coming back from the turnaround with 4 miles left to go. I have to give a shoutout to all the athletes who toughed it out on race day.

At this point my focus was on 2 things… just keep moving and stay cool.

At one point the phrase “YOU ARE A MACHINE” kept popping into my mind. So I kept repeating that phrase over and over again those last few miles.

The next thing I remember is seeing the markings on the sidewalk. An arrow pointing straight ahead that read “LAP” and another arrow to the left that read “FINISH”. 

YESSSSSSSS!!!

I looped around, took a left onto Sherman Avenue and there it was…I could see the finishing shoot about two blocks away. 

I remember it actually feeling kind of weird because Sherman Avenue is a wide road and with all the spectators on the sidewalks it looked totally empty. I was the only athlete…no one else was around. 

As I approached the red carpet I saw Kathleen and her parents and I just tried to take it all in. 

I crossed the finish with such a great feeling of accomplishment but I was also quite happy to stop and be DONE!

I took a few steps to the nearest chair, sat down, drank water, and rested for a few minutes before I took my finisher’s photo and hugged Kathleen. 

Final Thoughts

 

This was one of the tougher races I’ve experienced due to the 100+ heat almost the entire day, but I feel I managed the course the best possible way to have a solid finish.

Even though I feel SO PROUD of the race I had and even qualified for Kona a second time it was interesting to hear Kathleen say a couple of days later “this is your first Ironman race where you haven’t made it to the podium.” I had to think about it for a minute and then I was like…”oh yeah, it is.” This race was not about getting on the podium, qualifying for Kona or pushing my body to the absolute brink. 

It was about doing what I love. Being around other like-minded athletes and competing for the same goal. To hear those words from Mike Reilly “You Are An IRONMAN”!

What worked…

 

My nutrition plan, including my special needs bags, supported my athletic efforts well and I did a good job of taking my nutrition consistently throughout the day. 

I was very focused on using EVERY aid station to my advantage on the run. I walked the aid stations so I could take in nutrition, whether that be Gatorade, Coke, Red Bull, water and/or ice. I’d grab ice to cool my body throughout the entire run. This also gave my body a chance for a quick rest before I started running again.

I stayed focused and didn’t let the mental demons derail me. At times it was just about the smallest goals…making it to each and every aid station. I also didn’t let any pressures of power, pace or times change the way I raced. I stayed consistent and this got me a solid finish.

When I look back…

 

I may have been able to be more strategic on the bike, pushing harder on some areas of the bike course versus staying consistent the entire way.

And on the run…I probably could have decreased the number of aid stations I stopped at, especially on that 3rd loop and especially those last few miles to make a podium finish. I seemed to linger more and more but at the time it felt okay to do just that.

There’s always a woulda, coulda, shoulda with every race, right?

I want to mention that out of the 2085 triathletes who started the race only 1535 completed the full Ironman distance. That’s close to a 27% DNF rate. This proves how tough the conditions were here in Coeur d’Alene. 

The volunteers were amazing! They stood out there all day cheering and keeping athletes fueled and hydrated to the best of their ability.

And lastly, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to you for following along and cheering me on during this epic adventure and I especially want to thank Kathleen for keeping me fueled and fed so I could compete to the best of my ability. 

On to the next race…70.3 Worlds at St.George, Utah in September!

 

Ironman Coeur d’Alene Race Day Stats: 

Swim – 1:14 / 1:56 per 100 meters

T1 – 1:19

Bike – 5:46 / 19.37 mph

T2 – 6:05

Run – 3:45 / 8:37 pace

 

Total time – 10:58:11

8th in age group 

3rd in age group on the run

2nd time Kona qualifier 

Total Calories Burned: 6,805