I’m signed up for IMCDA and for once in my life would love to finish before the sun goes down. I did IMF in just over 13 hours in 03. Anyone know how long after the race start the sun sets in Coeur d’ Alene on June 26, 2005?
Snoopy to Woodstock: “Triathlon? Sure…I completed a triathlon just yesterday. I ate a doughnut, a pizza and a hot fudge sundae.”
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/aa_pap.pl
Sunset in Coeur d’Alene on June 26, 2005 will be at 8:49 PM.
Thanks Vitus. Don’t you live there? I grew up in Post Falls and still have family there (I’m in Tennessee now). Do you known if there are going to be any changes to the swim so it’s not such a rough start?
I haven’t heard anything about a change to the swim, but I really haven’t been following it that closely.
Where in Post Falls did you grow up? And why would you leave here to live in Tennessee? 
I live in CdA and I’ve heard nothing of a change to the swim but I have heard rumors of a change to the bike course that would run it to the North towards Hayden Lake instead of West to the Washington border like it did this year.
ronco
Ah…a change in the bike course. Thats something that catches my attention. Is the profile still similar?
Why live in Tennessee? Three words: Coeur D’Alene winters. Seriously, it was 70 here today. Though I do miss the clear waters of the lake up there, and the running around Tubbs Hill. I lived below the golf course of Royal Highlands.
If the bike course changes to heading towards Hayden, will that be fewer hills or more? It’s been a while since I lived there (1980) and don’t really remember the layout.
I just remember hearing that the swim was really rough last year. “A bar fight in the water” is what some called it. IMF had a huge swim start but there was more room than what I imagine CDA would have. Still…I can’t wait.
If the bike course changes to heading towards Hayden, will that be fewer hills or more?
Fewer, probably. There aren’t many hills up that way, really.
That course change, if true, really doesn’t work for me- won’t be able to watch the race from my driveway with a cold one. Nuts.
Finish in 13:40 or less any you should be good.
Dave
My wife finished last year in 13:52 and she crossed the line just as the sun was going down! I would say based on living :30 from the finish line if you finish in 13 you’ll finish in the light!
Good luck! If you have any other questions about the course let me know. My wife & I both finished IMCDA in 2004.
Hmmm…bike course change? I have done my research and am ready to go for 2005.
If indeed this new route comes to fruition - and as you say less hills - but does it knock out one or both of the major climbs?
How can we find out if this is true? or is it just too early?
LC,
Being from Northern Cal I wouldn’t call it major but the hill in front of Vitus’ house was steep. A woman in front of me couldn’t push the gear on that one and just fell over. If your from Florida than you could call them major.
Dave
Thanks for the info guys. Another question: I know Hoopfest happens the same weekend in Spokane. Has anyone had trouble getting flights in and out during the week previous to the race and after the race? I haven’t booked mine yet and was hoping availability would still be good.
You won’t have a problem.
Last year we went through Southwest air and booked in Jan with no probs.
Southwest is the way to go if you can - cheap, flexible and bikes are only? 40$ each way.
Just find a nice skinny, healthy quiet person to sit next to (no preassigned seats).
Larry, this is alittle off topic but how “technica” was the ride? I’ve seen alot of posts which says that the bike leg was quite technical with steep turns etc.
Thanks.
Vitus: I did CDA in 2003 and enjoyed the race and the town/surroundings. Stayed in a hotel in town last time. Do you have a recommendation regarding lodging. Wouldn’t mind renting a house/condo. It is difficult to judge from the web site links what areas to look in and which properties are good. Any help would be appreciated, my wife will also be racing.
I don’t know where you are in TN, but Southwest flies non-stop from Nashville to Seattle, so that driving option might make sense. I don’t know about Spokane, but I flew to Boise on SW once from Nashville and it was a bear. Change planes in Phoenix, stop in Salt Lake and finally into Boise.
I came in at 13:48 and it was still daylight. Sun was just dipping behind the hills, and I narrowly avoided getting glow-sticked.
I loved this course, and the only welcome change to this course would be shifting the swim further west down the beach, and changing it to a counter-clockwise swim. Starting us in that narrow channel, and with the lookie-loos in the boat encroaching on the left was a major hassle. I’ve never taken/given as much abuse in a swim.
Don’t change the bike. Just don’t . It was a great ride, and not too demanding.
Pack riding technical skills. There are a couple (4 or 5 at least) 90 degree downhill turns on two lane roads. After the first lap people are more spread out. The out-and-back poses group riding challenges especially if you want to avoid drafting penalties. I believe a difficulty of reversing the swim course would be that you’d likely be swimming into the sun. No fun in a crowded field. One thing to remember on the crowded swim start is that its ok to swim inside the line markers on the right as long as you make it outside the corner bouys. Not much you can do about the narrow beach. The first bouy was stretched out this year to help people spread out but its anchored in some very deep water and not much more accomadation possible.
** Do you have a recommendation regarding lodging. Wouldn’t mind renting a house/condo. It is difficult to judge from the web site links what areas to look in and which properties are good.**
Well, nobody’s taken me up on my offer of lodging at Casa Vitus yet.
If you’re going to get a motel, make reservations now. I was talking to a motel owner the other night, and she said she’s already more than half booked for that week.
You also might want to contact the CdA Chamber of Commerce. I think they run a homesteading program, but I don’t know much about it.
As for what areas to look in, I wouldn’t be renting any vacation homes on the south end of the lake. You want to stick with the towns north and west of Coeur d’Alene- say Hayden at the northmost, and maybe Liberty Lake at the westmost.