I had an awesome day Sunday at Ironman Coeur d’Alene! I truly enjoyed my experience… and for many reasons. This is long… get comfortable!

CDA is just gorgeous. Derek did this race last year so I was familiar with the course, but didn’t really appreciate it until I was the one doing it! Everyone was so worried about the water temp, but it was great. Thurs. the water was COLD… initial shock. We were told it was 53. By Sat. it felt so much different and by race day – 59.5 degrees! I wore a Polartec surf top under my wetsuit as was recommended by my coach. I also wore swim socks and neoprene cap. Came out of first loop of swim in 35 minutes. Awesome! During the first loop, it was your normal fight for your life swim… got kicked in the ear and my goggles were also kicked back and I had to stop and readjust. No biggie. Got out of water in 1:12. I took 10 minutes off! Holy crap – I took 10 minutes off! This was a huge boost.

T1… I entered the tent and had a volunteer assist me. Sat down, looked up and it was Sister Madonna Buder. OH MY GOD! I jumped up and hugged her! I told her it was incredible to meet her and mentioned this was great karma. She gave me a huge hug and I swear she blessed me!

I rolled out of T1 and was just about to mount when I noticed my spare bag that was strapped under my saddle, was dangling. The velcro must have gotten wet the night before (it poured) and came loose. So I fussed with it for a minute (or however long) and was on my way.

Bike… We drove the course, so I had a good idea what to expect. Around mile 10 I felt the beanie I had on under my helmet and gloves I was wearing were too much (hot) and knew they had to come off. Got the gloves off, but knew I would have to stop to take off the beanie. So around mile 25, I stopped and took care of that. As soon as I started riding again, something was off. There was a weird rattle noise that I had not heard before and I felt like I lost a lot of power. As I was making a hard right turn at mile 26, I was skidding (shit!) and carefully stopped. Yup, front flat. Got out my pit stop and went to it. Seconds later, a guy from tech support ran over and asked if i needed help. I told him I was fine, but he ran back for a floor pump and made sure I was good to go. I felt really good on the bike. I tried to back off when I was pushing too hard knowing the race doesn’t really kick into gear until mile 80 or 90. So if I was pushing a little, I would back off to an easier gear. I was so in the moment…How do I feel? What do I need? Am I going too hard? Do I need more calories? Salt tab? I stopped a total of 4 times (including the flat) on the bike; 1 – Take off beanie 2 – Flat tire 3 – Pee 4 – Special needs. I think my nutrition was right on for the bike. I only ate 1/2 a banana and took one bite of a Powerbar – that was the only solid food I took in during the race. The rest of my calories came from Gatorade with carbo pro and gel. I think my total ride time on my bike computer was 6:08. But the results say 6:24… so all those stops add up quickly.

T2… In and out, stopped to pee and get more sunscreen on before starting the run. I ran the entire run with the exception of walking the aid stations. The run course is also 2 loops and one part of the run course there is a long hill. I walked up this hill both times knowing that my HR would be off the charts and I needed to keep it low! I also did not wear my HR strap for the race because I lost it somehow the day before at the swim. ??? I was worried about not having this to gage my race, but in the end I knew I could go off perceived exertion.

Nutrition on the run was a mixture of gel, sips of water, Gatorade, Coke and ice cubes to quench the dryness in my mouth. Ladies… the pocket located in cleavage alley on any SkirtSports TriTop is key. Great storage for gels, etc… but this is where I kept my ice cubes, it was perfect! I also stopped 2 times on the run to pee, so I guess I was hydrated! I peed 4 times total during the entire race.

Last turn in to finish is a 6 block downhill stretch. I really pushed here knowing the end was near. The crowd support and everyone cheering – “Go Michele” was incredible! I felt like a superstar and that I won the race – seriously!!! I PR’d my Ironman time by 1 hour! Unbelievable!!!

Finish time: 12:23:51

I felt decent after the race – no medical tent necessary. My husband had a great race too and finished 11:21. My sis did awesome. This was her first Ironman and finished in 13:39. We all had PR’s! I cannot tell you how incredible it is to not only do an Ironman, but also with your sister and husband and see them on the course… it’s really special.

I have to also say, my race day attire was perfect! Not only was I super comfortable, no one else was wearing it and Sully hooked up my logos and it looked awesome! (www.winskinsprinting.com) My family could see me coming and the crowd loved it…I received comments all day, especially, “GO PINK!!!” I have to give a shout out to SkirtSports (www.skirtsports.com) and Zoot (www.zootsports.com) for making the best gear around.

I’m sore as to be expected…Nothing major and zero blisters. Day after the race, got a massage, went to a brewery, took a boat tour of Lake Coeur d’Alene and had a great dinner with my family. I was on the go all day.

My experience in CDA was incredible and way beyond words. I am truly blessed for the family and friends I have. During the race, I spent a fair amount of time with Danny Baker from San Francisco. We chatted back and forth on the bike and run. He made me smile and laugh and I enjoyed and appreciated his company and encouragement throughout the day. I hope I provided the same support for him. BIG thanks to my family for making the trek to CDA… Mom, Dad, John, Jan & Larry and Brian. We will be back in 09’. If you drink the koolaid in CDA, you will register! Lastly, Phaedra… you are the best (and loudest) cheerleader and I look forward to cheering you on next year at your first Ironman in CDA!