Cour d'Lene Advice
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brittda posted 1 year ago.
temps are typically low 90's hi 80's that time of year--no humidity pretty dry with a relatively flat bike course. As for spectator , I have heard it is good, and parking is sucky near the start of any IM really. Check out the course map on the web. I will be doing CDA as my IM next year (IMC this year)
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mdittfurth posted 1 year ago.
Thanks for the input...was the water a little cold? Waves?
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wesmeyer11 posted 1 year ago.
I did it last year, doing it again this year, and just got back from riding the NEW bike course.
The bike course isn't bad. The new one is harder - I don't care what anyone says - it's physically harder because there are more rolling hills and you are required to decelerate into corners, accelerate up hills and shift more often. More than once you will come off a hill in the big cookie and then straight to small cookie. Mentally it is easier than the other course (if you haven't done IM, you will learn what I mean by this) as there is more scenery. None of the hills are bad, its just not as fast as the old course and harder to get a rhytem going because of all the small hills.
The temp are supposed to be in the upper 70's, but history has shown that's not the case. Last year was 95 as the high - people were dying, it was ugly. Still, not humid, just hot, so it is doable.
The water is generally smooth as the winds come up in the early afternoon. However, CDA is prone to random storms rolling in and out and as such you can get a little wind at any time and chop the lake up with slight current as well. Example, I swam on sunday morning and it was choppy with a current - I had never seen it like this before, but that is how it was.
CDA is a great first timer course and if you are afraid / don't like hills, this is a good one.
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Riverbrady posted 1 year ago.
I'm doing it this year...will try to get something up regarding the race sometime between finish and registration in the morning for ya
...this is, or course, providing the place I'm staying has an internet connection, or there's an open coffee shop.
"Care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, expect more than others think is possible."
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mdittfurth posted 1 year ago.
Great input! -- thanks !
the NEW bike course...the swim and all.
Yes, I am afraid; being my first one. but I live in central Texas where we have some hills. The conservation and appropriate allocation of energy and effort; getting that right, is a major concern.
I have the 2005 video of CDA and it looks like fairly smooth pavement with a minimum of potholes and such on the bike course.
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1312 days
brittda posted 1 year ago.
well an IM is an IM-- it is no cake walke either way. there are pros and cons to hils vs flat. Remember, what goes up, must go down since you finish where you start in many cases. Flat means constant spinning-- I would rather have some hills for variety, but then we have LOTS here to train on.
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Riverbrady posted 1 year ago.
Where abouts in central Texas? In Austin here.
"Care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, expect more than others think is possible."
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Riverbrady posted 1 year ago.
nifty, thanks for the info :)
What type of road surface were you riding on? Was it the smoothed chip seal that I've heard people mention and that's common to the northwest?
"Care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, expect more than others think is possible."
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wesmeyer11 posted 1 year ago.
No expert in paving or the terms here, but I can tell you roughly what it is like. The first 20-25 miles are on smooth and the last 5 or so on smooth. Therefore, the other 25 is on what I would describe as rough, but not too bad, pavement. They are country roads, so I imagine they aren't paved too often.
I looked on the forum at the report for this event.
Any one else done this one that can give me some more pointers or feedback on this event? I am considering throwing my hat in the ring for 08.
How spectator friendly is it? How congested is the parking. Did they have the wetsuit strippers? Is it hot? humid on the run? Traffic control on the bike..hills, etc. Training plans?
I would appreciate any input on the event that might help me firm up my decision or make the experience a good one.
It would be my first IM.