IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene 2009 2nd Ironman Race **Rick Thibodeaux ** Age 43 **(video montage: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqmDa1Y6cMo) **** Once again my Ironman journey was made possible by the amazing support of my wife Daina and 4 year old son Zachary. Their sacrifices over the past several months allowing me to train were unbelievable. This is definitely a family commitment and would not have happened without their support, understanding and sacrifice. Unfortunately, Daina and Zach were not able to join me on the trip. It was pretty tough not having them around but they sent cards and support posters with me to hang in my hotel room and I knew they were back home following my race and cheering for me. Being my 2nd Ironman race (1st was IM AZ ’07; 12hrs 05min 08sec), my goal was to again finish the race, hopefully somewhere around the 12 hour mark, but do so by reducing the total hours of training due to family and work commitments. I followed the same training program from my first Ironman race but significantly reduced the mid week bike trainer hours and reduced the duration of some of the long swim workouts. Knowing this was going to be a difficult hilly bike course, I did all of my long (4-6 hour) bike rides in the hills of Chappell Hill and Bastrop, TX, included more weight training and focused a bit more on my run. I arrived in Coeur d’Alene (CdA) on Thursday June 18, checked into my hotel then took care of registration, picked up my bike from TriBike Transport (highly recommended), toured the Ironman Village, did a short training ride and run then grabbed an early dinner at the hotel. I woke up early on Friday morning for a 7:30am practice swim, which really was my first time swimming in these conditions. The wind was blowing and the water was quite choppy and a chilly 65 degrees. It took a while to get a comfortable rhythm but that is the purpose of practice swims. I drove back to Spokane airport to pick up Ed (friend/neighbor) who flew in to support me and also sign up for Ironman CdA 2010. Ed and I attended the Athletes Dinner that evening which really stirred the excitement for race day. Saturday morning consisted of another practice swim and short run while Ed was able to get in a good practice swim (1.2 miles) and a good run along the race course. Ed attended the volunteer meeting while I packed up my transition bags and did a final check of my bike. After being drafted as course “Security”, Ed helped with my bike and transition bags check in. About 5:30pm we headed downtown for an early pasta dinner at Tito’s then back to the hotel to rest and get ready for race day. RACE DAY: Alarm goes off at 4:00am and I am surprised that I actually slept pretty well. Breakfast consisted of a protein shake, coffee, bagel, oatmeal, banana and a bottle of INFINIT (www.infinitnutrition.com). Final check of special needs bags then off to race site to drop off bags, load nutrition on bike (3 bottles of INFINIT) and check tires. After worrying about the weather and possibility of rain for the past 10 days, we were excited to see pretty clear skies and nice cool temperature. Well that was until we got to the race site, felt the wind blowing off of the lake and saw the waves rolling in. Everything went very smoothly with plenty of time before the start with enough time to call family back home and say good morning. Put on wetsuit then headed down to the beach for a warm up swim and the start. SWIM (2.4 miles): 6:45am: Enter the water (a bit cool at 65°) for a swim warm up then a 7am start. I lined up towards the outside right on the beach and admit there were a few nerves due to the rough water. Those nerves did not last long as the gun sounded and 2,100 + athletes begin heading into the water. I let the crazy ones run into the water while I walked in and tried to find some space but realized if I wanted space I would have had to wait about 5 minutes on the beach. It is an amazing scene for the spectators but it’s nothing but arms, legs and feet in the water. It is very crowded, pretty rough (kicked a few times in the head) and very choppy. It stayed pretty crowded going out into the swells then got extremely crowded at the first turn buoy. The short swim to the next turn buoy was crowded and rough as the swells were hitting us from the side and again very crowded at the next turn buoy. After the turn, I went a little wide and found clean water for the much easier swim back to shore. Exited the water in 38 minutes and heard Ed yelling my name. Crossed the timing mat, gave Ed a wave then back in the water for the second loop. Not as crowded going out on second loop until the turn buoy but still very choppy, rough water. I went wider on second turn buoy which was much better and stayed wide for the clean swim into the finish. I tried to stay relaxed and smooth and feel the swells to avoid drinking half of the lake. Swim time was 3min 55sec slower than my previous IM swim but I was very pleased to be out of the water under 1:20:00. SWIM TIME: 1:19:08 (1022/2153 Overall; 188/347 Age Group) 
T1: The wetsuit peeler was great and the run through transition was a lot of fun with the huge crowd cheering everyone on. Found my transition bag quickly and proceeded through T1 where everything went smoothly. I spent a little longer in T1 than I had planned but I made the decision to change into dry clothes for the bike and to make a stop in the restroom before heading out on the bike. Both were smart decisions as well as deciding to go without arm warmers as I was very comfortable heading out on the bike. A huge thanks to the volunteer for the assistance in T1. T1 Time: 7:35 **** **** Bike (112 miles): Heading out on the bike, I have the biggest smile on my face and I’m feeling fresh. I was now on my bike and this is where I am most comfortable so I said let’s have some fun and enjoy the ride. First loop (56 miles) went amazingly well with my effort and heart rate under control and finishing under 3 hours. I was surprised at the difficulty of the hills since everything advertised about the course states “rolling hills”. I live in Houston and I certainly do not consider those hills “rolling”. They were challenging and I knew they were going to hurt on the second loop. The descents were certainly fun, hitting speeds over 40mph but I was very cautious on the winding descents. Second loop started out great then reached special needs where I picked up three new cold bottles of INFINIT and a turkey sandwich which I had in a small cooler in my special needs bag. It probably took less than a minute for the volunteer to get my bag and get my bottles loaded then I was on the road again enjoying my sandwich. Heading out of town, the fan and volunteer support was amazing. People out along the course partying, cheering, cooking out, dressed in costumes, ringing bells, megaphones, etc. These people were out there all day long and seemed to be having a blast. Saw many of them on both loops of the bike course then saw some of them on the run course. As usual, I hit my low spot around mile 80 which of course was right in the middle of the challenging hills. This is where the mental game began and I just told myself to focus and fight through it as I knew I would feel better around mile 95 or so. Sure enough, as I made the turnaround near mile 95, I started feeling a little better and realized I needed to ride strong the rest of the way if I wanted to break 6 hours. It was starting to get cooler as the clouds were rolling in and I was just hoping to get off the bike before the rain started. I dialed back the nutrition during the last hour as I was feeling full and did not want to feel bloated on the run. The ride back into town was fun as I was feeling better and riding strong. Getting back into town, the energy level picked up and things started getting exciting. I checked my time and realized I was going to make it. I pulled into the bike finishing chute, handed my bike to a volunteer and jogged into T2. Bike time was 30 seconds faster than my IM AZ time. I guess the hills in CdA and the 35+mph winds in AZ equaled out. **BIKE TIME: 5:57:12 (18.8mph) ** **** 
**** **** **** **** **** T2: T2 went smoothly as a volunteer handed me my bag and another volunteer assisted me in the tent. Quick change of shorts and shoes, another quick restroom stop and out onto the run course at 7hrs 31min. T2 TIME: 6:46 **** RUN (26.2 miles): The run is always difficult for me. I knew it was going to be tough and really wanted to be able to maintain a steady run pace throughout with short walking breaks at the aid stations. Legs felt great coming out of transition and the crowds were amazing. I had to force myself to watch my pace as it was very easy to take off too fast with all of the excitement. At this point I realized I had a chance to beat my AZ time and also break the 12 hour mark but it was going to take a very good run from me. I carried a concentrated formula of INFINIT in a small flask but decided to use only water for the first 2 miles to make sure my stomach was ok for the run. Starting at mile 3 I would add a small squirt of INFINIT concentrate in a cup of water at the aid stations and that was pretty much it for my nutrition for the first 13 miles of the run. I was pleased with my pace and planned to run as long as possible with only very short walking breaks at the aid stations to sip water/INFINIT. My first real walking break was on the hill at the turnaround which was around the 7 mile mark but I was still feeling pretty good. Finishing up the first loop, the crowds were amazing, and Ed was there cheering me on. At this point, I knew I was going to make it; it was just a matter of how long the second loop would take. The weather was getting worse, more clouds, cooler temps (probably in the low 50’s at this point), strong winds and a slight drizzle. Much of the run course is exposed along the lakefront which on a sunny day would be beautiful but at this point was pretty miserable with the gusting winds and rain. Now on the second loop, my hands were frozen and my forearms were sore from the cold (this was something new to me). My body still felt good but I was now walking the aid stations. For the second loop, I switched to water, cola, warm chicken broth and a few pretzels. Somewhere around the 20 mile mark I realized that I was really going to have a tough time holding a pace to make it under 12 hours. I was a little disappointed but still very pumped to be doing this well and feeling as well as I was. Even though I was cold and aching I was having a blast, enjoying the crowds and looking forward to the final stretch. Somewhere near the last aid station, I could smell steaks grilling and realized how hungry I was. I was a little light-headed at the last aid station (I think because my head was so cold) so I grabbed a few cookies, shoved those down the worked my way up the hill to Sherman Ave. for the home stretch and thinking as soon as I finish this race I’m going out for a steak and a beer. People were cheering and telling me one more left turn then it’s 7 blocks downhill to the finish. When I made the turn on Sherman, I had the biggest smile on my face and started picking up the pace. I still have no idea how I was able to run the pace I did for those seven blocks but I was so pumped, hearing the crowds, the music, the announcer calling everyone’s name and seeing the finishing chute up ahead. This is what we dream about during all of the training and I was loving every second of it. Several fist pumps and yells then I enter the finishing chute where I see and hear Ed yelling. I swing by, give him a high five and head down the chute hearing Rick Thibodeaux……You are an Ironman!!! **Run time: 4:36:05 (10:33/mile) (6min 12sec faster than IM AZ run) ** 
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FINISH TIME: 12:06:45 (736th Overall, Top 34%) (146th Age Group, Top 40%) **** **** **** **** **** Post Race: After congratulations from Ed and a call home to Daina and Zach I grabbed a few pieces of hot pizza and sat in the massage tent to warm up. I got a quick massage then headed over to transition where Ed was kind enough to pick up my transition bags and drop off my bike at TriBike Transport while I tried to stay warm in a changing tent. Went back to the hotel for a long hot bath then Ed and I went to Outback Steakhouse for that steak and beer. Even though I missed going under 12 hours and was 1 minute 37 seconds behind my IM AZ time, it was still a great day. My training plan had me prepared, my nutrition plan worked well and my body held up throughout the day. IRONMAN is a journey and definitely much more than a race. Once again, it was an amazing journey and one heck of a race day!!! Now it’s time for a little R&R then back at it for another shot at Ironman Arizona on November 22, 2009. Special thanks to: Daina, Zach, my parents, family & friends for the support, encouragement and sacrifice. Ed Latouf: for being there and supporting me. Felipe Bastos: (www.felipe-bastos.com) for a perfect training and race plan Ken Thurlow-Bike Lane, Houston, TX: taking care of my bike needs. Michael Folan (www.infinitnutrition.com) for a fabulous product and great nutrition tips TriBike Transport: Hassle-free bike shipping. Slowtwitch.com: Loads of information from all of the postings. Thanks everyone for all of the great info. Volunteers/Fans: Thousands of amazing volunteer/fans who helped make it a great event. Truly amazing.
Now that’s a solid race report! Great work Rick! Good luck at IMAZ!
Thanks. It took a while to get it posted but I was finally able to find some time to get it done while on a business trip this week. Enjoyed your report and appreciate all of the family issues, especially in those conditions. It is certainly easier getting around and focusing on the race without the family but I would much prefer having them with me at the race. Looking forward to them joining me in AZ. Thanks again and best of luck to you.
I hope you don’t take this as a slight, because it certainly isn’t meant to be, but I find your race report much more inspiring than those lucky guys and gals that have to “take it easy on the bike and limit power to 300 watts” or I had to make sure I kept the pace to around 7 min miles". Someone who has a family and kids, has a great race, while admitting to some down periods of the race is very motivational to me. I have yet to complete a 1/2IM (first one in three weeks), but my goal is to do IMMOO next year. The prospect of riding that course and then running a marathon is extremely daunting. To hear race reports and to know that there are others out there like me helps a lot. Kudos to a great race and race report!
Twack26, stay motivated, the reality is that there are more people finishing around 13 hours than there are anything else. The number of people on this forum that are “Fast” by most of our measure are the exception not the rule. They are all truely gifted and hard working athletes and deserve all the success in the world, but they are the minority in the field. As HTXhib stated so perfectly, Ironman is a journey more than it is a race, for most of us 
Enjoy the journey, it’s a blast!!!
Firstly, congratulations on a great race! Sounds like you had a top day. Thanks for such an interesting race report too. Enjoy 2010!! I’m gearing up for IMC in Aug and am off to Germany tomorrow to support my boyfriend in Frankfurt which should give me a good taste of what the day will be like. Well done again.
Harriet
This is the reason for posting my race report. Just an average guy trying to manage work and family and enjoying the Ironman experience. I truly enjoy reading race reports from elites and fast people on here. I am always amazed and always try to find something that might help me out in my training/races. I also enjoy reading reports from MOP’ers, first timers, etc. and find these reports very helpful in understanding what I may go through on race day. So the fact that my report is able to help you or anyone else makes it worth the effort of putting it together. Thanks for reading and best of luck in your 1/2 IM and enjoy your Ironman journey. Be sure to post a report so others can experience your day, learn from it and possibly gain the motivation to take on their next challenge whether it is a sprint, olympic, 1/2 IM, IM or anything else in life.
Congrats Rick - it was great seeing you out on the course!
What is on tap for 2010? Some of us are thinking about braving AZ again…hoping November brings far different results than April.
Kathleen,
I read your race report last night. Great report, truly enjoyed it. Great seeing you out on the course and congrats on your race. Nothing on the agenda in 2010. My wife is still trying to figure out how I was able to convince her to let me do 2 IM races in one year. Will probably make the trip to CdA 2010 to watch and cheer for a few friends. Let me know if you guys plan another happy hour. I was out of town on business and couldn’t make the last one.
If my first Ironman goes like this then I will consider myself lucky. Great race report.