Home > Fit City > Archives > 2009 > June > 16 > Entry
Austin triathletes head to Ironman Coeur d’Alene
Austin’s going to take over Ironman Coeur d’Alene this weekend!
Nearly 60 athletes from Austin T3 Triathlon Training Team — plus 30 or so other athletes from the Austin are — are headed to Idaho for the daunting June 21 race, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.
Why’s it so popular with the locals? Probably because they can train during cooler weather and avoid long rides and runs in the dead of summer here as they prepare.
In recent years, T3 founder and head coach Maurice Culley has brought 30 or more of his athletes to Ironman Arizona in April. That race was dropped from the calendar, so athletes looked to the next Ironman on the schedule — Coeur d’Alene in June.
“We can train through the winter here and 100-mile bike rides and long runs are not that big of deal,” Culley says.
The Ironman craze in general is growing, he says, and the triathlons are selling out more quickly. “It’s the thing to do now — cross Ironman off the list and maintain your health and fitness lifestyle,” he says.
The biggest misconception about Ironman triathlons is that only elite athletes can do them. “Everyone thinks an Ironman athlete is a robot, type A person who works out twice a day to do it. When we meet with athletes, we say ‘Don’t think you have to put on Super Hero outfit to do this thing.”
Culley says T3 has trained all levels of athletes to finish an Ironman. Someone who has completed a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon just needs to add a few more days of training each week. “We try to get people to train four to six times a week instead of three to five times,” he says. “It’s a bigger commitment, but it’s not just for the super fit. If you do the right training you’re going to be just fine.”
The youngest Austin T3 participant at Ironman Coeur D’Alene is Jesse Popovich, 20; the oldest is Jerry Fleming, 60. The fastest athlete in the T3 group should cross the finish line in about 8 hours and 45 minutes; some of the rookies will likely finish in 15 or 16 hours. The cutoff is 17 hours.
Culley says he expects most — if not all — of the T3 athletes to finish. “In the last two years, we’ve had 100 percent first-timer finish rate,” he says. That’s higher than the average Ironman completion rate. Between 8 and 18 percent of athletes who start an Ironman drop out before finishing, he says.
Athletes pay $525 a person to enter Ironman Coeur d’Alene. T3 training costs $150 a month, and it’s a six-month training program.
It’ll be Erin Whalen’s first Ironman. “I can’t imagine doing all this crazy training mid-summer and fall,” the Austin athlete says. “Granted, I had quite a few times in January and February when I was biking on Loop 360, freezing, crying, getting blown around, doubting myself and thinking I was insane … I’m banking that making it through rides like those will give me extra strength — both physical and mental — come race day.”
The race starts at 7 a.m. Sunday. Some 2,200 athletes from around the world have registered. Air temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s and the water will be about 60 degrees.
Austin T3 plans to Twitter athlete progress during the race at @AustinT3. A celebratory happy hour is planned after the athletes return to Austin next week.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment Categories: Triathlon
Comments
Click here to report comment abuse.
By MikeW
June 16, 2009 12:29 PM | Link to this
Disclaimer: I’m a competitive long distance runner (marathons and trails). I’ve never completed an IM, 1/2 IM, Olympic, Sprint or even a “kiddie triathlon” (if there even is such a thing). The biggest reason for it, is I don’t care for the time it takes to train for them, the cost involved and the time sacrifices needed. I have also never met Maurice, and I understand that mis-quotes can occur in written articles.
I’ll get to my point… I have many friends that train for full IMs in town, and I have to say that training for a full, is a little bit more than what he/this article makes it out to be. I think the line “We try to get people to train four to six times a week instead of three to five times” should read “”We try to get people to train four to six DAYS a week instead of three to five DAYS” . Every single IM training friend I have (about a dozen of them) trains 6 days a week, sometimes 7. Not only that, every single one talks about almost every day being a two-a-day. (AM, Lunch, and/or PM combos.) 5,6,even 7or 8 hour Saturday or Sunday training sessions are not exaggerations.
I agree that IM’s are not only for the Elite anymore; case in point, just watch NBC’s yearly coverage of Kona World Championship every year and you’ll be more than inspired by the doctors, soldiers, stay-at-home mom’s, students, marketing managers etc., that are out there doing the same thing as the pros.
I’m not commenting on this article with the sole reason of exposing the huge fallacies in the article, but it’s more about shedding appropriate light and give appropriate credit to my friends, all Austinites, and other “mere mortals” that will be toe-ing the line at IM CdA, Lake Placid, Arizona, Kona, and other IM’s this year.
The amount of time, effort, and energy they all put in to accomplish this huge feat needs to be recognized and applauded. As far as I’m concerned, knowing the sacrifices and energy they put in to their 6 month long training, they are nothing short of Super Heroes.
By Mark
June 16, 2009 1:28 PM | Link to this
And yes, it’s a sweeping generalization, but once you’ve done your first IM race, if you go on to do the 2nd there are only 4-types of amateur Ironman, those that are single, those that want to be single, those that will be single and those whose partner has an extreme hobby…
By Pam LeBlanc
June 16, 2009 1:38 PM | Link to this
Mike, I wasn’t trying to make training for an IM sound easy by any means! It’s all relative — training six times a week, if those sessions are intense, is a lot. And certainly one of those sessions is a long ride or run on the weekend. I think Maurice is simply saying that with proper training, a person who is fit enough to tackle a sprint or Olympic distance tri can tackle an IM too. You don’t have to be Super Man. Pam
By Linhardt
June 17, 2009 8:52 AM | Link to this
Coeur d’Alene will be my 5th IM start.
I am 15+ years married, but with no kids, which definitely makes a difference. I go to work early and train before she gets home. I also train mornings on weekends or when she is busy with other activities.
Like all other hobbies it should not interfere with your marriage/family if you manage it correctly.
By Karen
June 17, 2009 11:08 AM | Link to this
Yes I agree with Marks breakdown on the relationship status of IM athletes. Make sure your significant other has a busy hobby or is really understanding. As far as the training, I agree Mike, the training is intense and should be with the stamina and endurance IM demands. Super Man no, but a committed athlete with some training time on their plate , Yes.