Might as well get them off my chest now while the race is still 6 weeks away. Here are my top 5 fears for Ironman Coeur d’Alene – my first Ironman!
Asia’s Top 5 Ironman Fears
1. I won’t make the bike cutoff because it’s so hilly, and I’m a slow swimmer. (10:30 hours swim + bike cutoff.)
2. I will cramp up during the swim and/or get hypothermia if the lake is too cold. (It was rumoured to be 51 degrees one year.)
3. I will get a flat tire on the bike course. (I’ve never changed one on my own.)
4. I will have a weird bike problem that I cannot fix. (I’m not a bike mechanic.)
5. I will have stomach problems. (Diarrhea, and/or puking.)
What will I do to alleviate these fears?
1. Bike faster and incorporate speed work during my final long rides.
2. Continue to practice open water swimming, and drink pickle juice before the swim to prevent my cramping.
3. Practice changing my tires (front AND back).
4. Pray.
5. Continue to practice my race day nutrition and hydration. Worst case scenario, I’ll just bike/run through the pain!
I’m typically a very optimistic person, but everyone has their inner doubts and fears. Hopefully if I can come to terms with them, I will be a stronger athlete on race day!
The lake had just started warming up by Ironman last year. According to the United States Geological Survey it was at 55 degrees for Ironman last year. (As measured at the mouth of the Spokane River, but temp can be a little different between that and City Beach) We had a really cold Spring in 2011. On the bright side, Lake CdA’s temperature has already tipped over 50 degrees a few days this year, we’re more than a month out, and we’re having a much warmer Spring. So I suspect the water will be somewhat warmer than it was last year. 🙂
For reference, these were the lake temperatures for Ironman for the past three years:
2011: June 26 – 55.0
2010: June 27 – 61.3
2009: June 28 – 64.4
I keep track of the daily temperatures measured at about 7:00p each day here: http://lovecda.com/content/lake-coeur-dalene-water-levels-temperature
Thanks for the helpful info! I’m keeping that site handy. I practiced swimming in the ocean when it was in the 50s, so I hope I’ll be OK with the lake temp no matter what happens. I’m happy to hear it could be warmer than last year!
i’m with you on 3 & 4. i think we just have to accept that they could happen and be ready to do what we can. some things on race day are just out of our control. as we get closer i may have to write a similar post – i like that you not only identify the fears, but also what you can do to deal with them. i’m sure you’re gonna do great!
IMCDA I completed in 2010. My first. My goal was to finish in 16:59 and upright. I did. The swim was 61 degrees, I did not think it was cold. I did have a cold water swim cap and I think that helped, but no booties. My swim time was 1:30. I also thought my bike time would be 8.5 hours, but it was only 7.5. The hills were not THAT bad. I train in the San Francisco bay area and it can be hilly, but I am a slow bike rider and I was surprised that I finished under 8. I only ran the first 10 miles than walk the last 16. I finished in 16:20. I was thrilled. CDA is very beautiful, my family and I loved it. Now, two years later training for IMA in November.