Relaxed and Ready

I have had a fantastic week here in Coeur d’Alene and have met many fantastic people. There are more bloggers here than I have ever seen at any race and I won’t even attempt a roll-call because I will miss someone and I just don’t want to do that to any of these great souls.

Ironman Coeur d’Alene will be my fifth iron distance race and I am still surprised to find that these are my people, the ultra-endurance community. While this community of people has distinct flavors, the ultrarunners, ultracyclists and iron-distance triathletes that I have met are all a bit different in temperament and style but they all share the common thread of commitment. You simply do not cross the finish line in any of these events without serious commitment that begins well before the event and whether you are first or last it does not diminish that simple fact of commitment. I salute you all and thank you again for welcoming me warmly into your fold.

So, as far as my own race goes my plan is to go as hard as I can for as long as I can until I can’t go any more. This doesn’t mean I don’t have a plan, I do, it just means that I am going to be racing closer to the upper ends of my iron-distance abilities than normal.

I know that it is pretty much impossible to predict such things but I really want to land in the top 10 of Clydesdales over 40 and for IMCdA that seems to mean a time of about 12:45. Here is the lay of the land. There are 8 Clydes over 40 racing tomorrow who have already placed top 10 and an Ironman and seven of them placed top 10 here at IMCdA. Assuming they all have good races that appears to leave me to contend for slots 7, 8, 9 or 10 because if I am really on I think that two of these guys are possibly within striking distance.

Here is my fiercest competition and their past times.

2008 Clydes who have placed top 10
1. CdA 2004 10:02:23 NUGENT, TERRY LONETREE, CO

2. CdA 2003 11:29:25 MERRITT, JAY L. BOISE, ID

3. CdA 2007 11:51:54 BRYAN, JEFF STATELINE, NV
CdA 2006 11:51:17
CdA 2005 11:47:23
CdA 2004 11:39:19
CdA 2003 12:17:42

4. CdA 2007 12:18:15 BURKHARDT, SCOTT POST FALLS, ID
CdA 2006 12:51:08

5. CdA 2007 12:25:33 PHILLIPS, RICHARD SPOKANE, WA

6. CdA 2007 12:44:08 BELKER, ERIC FRENCHTOWN, MT
CdA 2006 12:41:26
CdA 2005 12:10:07

7. CdA 2006 12:48:53 WYBORNEY, MARK VERADALE, WA

8. IMAZ 2008 11:18:55 BEHLER, MIKE SANTA ROSA CA
IMAZ 2007 11:19:04

I’m guessing Mike B. will land higher than 8th if he has a good race but he doesn’t have a time for CdA so the proven guys get the top slots.

Here are the times of past 9th and 10th place finishers at IMCdA.

2003 Clydes over 40
9. 12:51:34
10. 13:02:40

2004 Clydes over 40
9. 12:05:51
10. 12:08:27

2005 Clydes over 40
9. 12:32:36
10. 12:32:47

2006 Clydes over 40
9. 13:08:42
10. 13:10:37

2007 Clydes over 40
9. 12:44:08
10. 12:44:46

I don’t want to take anything away from all the other Clydes over 40 that will be on the course Sunday, there are 64 of us, and there are a lot of hopes and dreams out there, a lot of fight and courage and like me, a lot of dark horses hoping for a place in the sun.

Fortitudine vincimus my friends, I’m off to the races!

Bib #1064