Endurance fest
Despite choppy waters, troublesome wind gusts and a new bicycle course filled with steep climbs, Sunday’s fifth Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene went as calmly as could be expected with more than 2,000 participants flinging off wet suits, throwing aside bicycles and darting through city parks.
“It’s actually been pretty uneventful,” said Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Wendy Carpenter as she cheered the first person to transition from the bicycle component to the marathon. “We were worried with the rough waters and the new bicycle course in Hayden, but we haven’t had any problems.”
Not everything went as planned, though. For some, the race ended soon after they touched the water.
For the first time in the Coeur d’Alene competition’s history, officials allowed participants to skip the 2.4-mile swimming portion out of safety concerns because of rough water conditions. They could also opt to turn back after the first lap and still do the 112-mile bike course and 26.2-mile marathon. But it would prevent them from qualifying for October’s world championship in Hawaii.
Joe Anderson, 50, didn’t care. He stood on the sidelines in his wet suit and said he knew his limits. “I went out and could just feel at that point it wasn’t worth it,” the San Francisco-area resident said as he watched the bobbing heads of white-capped swimmers. “I was all pumped up, so it’s a little disappointing, but the swells and currents were just too strong. I’ll save my first Ironman for another day.”
He and 52 others chose to skip the swimming portion. Instead, they started cycling about 9:30 am.
The conditions did not slow the fastest participants, who completed the two laps within their usual time frame, said race director Andy Emberton. They leapt out of the water a little less than an hour after the race began. The first bicyclists completed the course 4½ hours later.
Participants’ frenzied post-swim run from beach to bikes contrasted with the calm demeanor of some prior to the race.
Sarah Sawulski, 33, traveled from San Jose, Calif., for her second Coeur d’Alene Ironman. “I really like to work out, and this is the pinnacle,” she said before the race, looking more relaxed than her camera-toting mother. After two packets of oatmeal, peanut butter and a banana, she was ready.
Eastern Washington University student and Spokane resident Stephanie Marshall, 24, was not so sure. “I hope I don’t die,” she said looking out at the choppy water.
As the gun went off, spectators hugged coffee cups and clung to blankets, the 54-degree weather a far cry from last year’s 97-degree heat.
“It does suck that the weather is so bad,” said volunteer director Donna Wemple. Three thousand five hundred volunteers braved the chill to assist with the event.
So did John Pierce, 58, of Post Falls, who watched his first Ironman from the sidelines because of an injury. “I want to be out there,” he said with a sigh. “It’s such a sight to see them come out of the water on the beach.”
As the temperature crept up, spectators peeled off sweatshirts to reveal “Cheers for Chad” and “Go Daddy” T-shirts. Dan Bresnahan, 52, didn’t have a particular person to cheer for, but he wasn’t planning to leave early.
“I’m hoping to stay late and see who finishes. It’s good drama towards the end,” he said.
Although he lives in Spokane, this was Bresnahan’s first Ironman. He usually attends Spokane’s Hoopfest instead, but this year that national event will take place next week instead of on Ironman weekend.
“Everybody runs downtown, so you can stand here and watch them run by and then watch them run by again,” he said. “And it’s super well organized.”
Despite the expectation of more people, Lost and Found captain Terri Mercer, 42, said the crowd appeared smaller than the those of the previous four years. She pointed out a near-empty mound of grass in a centrally located position for watching bikers transition to running.
“Usually it’s packed. Maybe it’s the cold weather,” she said as the sun drifted back behind a cloud.
San Francisco resident Claire Mollard, 41, tracked her husband’s progress on her laptop via the ironman.com Web site. Although participants’ times are registered at only about six possible spots, Mollard appreciated the opportunity.
“Dad just finished the first loop,” she told her three young children.
At the finish line on Sherman Avenue, hordes of spectators cheered as rock music thumped through speakers. Family and friends embraced the finishers, some needing an extra shoulder for support. Others made a beeline for the food tables.
Nathan Smith, of Corvallis, Ore., chowed down on a piece of pizza after finishing his 12th Ironman and fourth one in Coeur d’Alene.
Eating was “all I wanted to do,” Smith, 34, said. He estimated he burned upward of 10,000 calories during the race.
Spokane resident Jeff Blackwell beamed after finishing his first Ironman in 10 hours and 26 minutes. He gave the course a thumbs-up.
“The swim was tough, but outside of that, the conditions were perfect,” said Blackwell, 49. And he’s ready to sign up for next year. “I’m happy,” Blackwell said. “I’m glad it’s over. But I’m happy.”