IMCdA Pre-Race Preparation

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the companies listed in this post. Brand/product names are provided for strictly informational purposes. 

The days leading up to an Ironman are very busy. With proper preparation and a strong support system, it can be a fun and stress-free experience.

I planned every detail of the trip with comfort in mind.

Air travel makes me cranky so the BF and I road-tripped from San Jose to Coeur d’Alene. By driving, I didn’t have to worry about bike transport, baggage restrictions, or flight delays. We split the 17 hour drive up over two days and spent a night in Bend, OR. The drive would’ve been a bit shorter if I wasn’t trying so hard to stay hydrated. I needed to use the bathroom every hundred miles 🙂

Instead of staying at a hotel in Coeur d’Alene, we rented a house from airbnb. This turned out to be a great decision. I had a fully stocked kitchen to prepare meals and didn’t have to deal with carrying my gear from a parking lot to a hotel room.  The house was about 4 miles from the Ironman Village; close enough to be convenient yet far enough to be removed from the commotion.

My favorite Coeur d’Alene landmark

Being an Ironman rookie, I was very fortunate to have a teammate, Amy, with me that had completed IMCdA in the past. She guided me through everything on race weekend.  Friday, we met up early for a practice swim and shakeout run before getting in line for packet pickup. My to-do list for the day was complete by 10:30 and I had the rest of the day to relax back at the house.

Preparing for takeoff!

Saturday morning, Amy and I rode our bikes on the run course before meeting up with our coach to drive the bike course. Then we checked in our bikes and gear bags and waited for the race to start the next day.

Bidding farewell to the White Knight

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You may have noticed that I love to make lists of everything. Here’s the breakdown of what I packed in my gear/special needs bags for the race. My goal was to be comfortable as possible so I did a full change in T1 and I packed my bags for a variety of contingencies.

Double-bag everything, especially if rain is possible the night before the race.

The volunteer helping me in the changing tent gave me a good piece of advice that I’ll use for my next Ironman.   Sprinkle powder inside all your clothes before packing them in your bike gear bag.  This will make it easier to put on tight clothes when your skin is wet.

Bike Gear Bag

• Towel
• Baby powder
• Sunscreen for face(Coola SPF 30)
• Chamois cream (DZ Nuts Bliss)
• Sports bra (Lululemon Stuff Your Bra II)
• Tri top (Betty Designs World Champion Tri Top)
• Tri shorts (Betty Designs World Champion Tri Short)
• Arm warmers (Pearl Izumi Infinity Shrug)
• Socks (Balega Ultra Light No Show)
• BIke shoes (Louis Garneau Tri-300)
• Aero helmet (Giro Advantage 2)
• Sunglasses (Smith Optics Pivlock V90 Max)
• Electrolyte powder packets (Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix)
• 2 Picky Bars (Smooth Caffeinator), cut into eighths
• Potatoes (boiled and salted, in Ziplock bags)
• Extra contact lenses
• Important phone numbers sealed in Ziploc bag
• Hand sanitizer
• Thermal jersey (Castelli Transparente) *didn’t use
• Wind/rain jacket (Castelli Leggera)  *didn’t use

Bike Special Needs

• 2 tubes
• 2 CO2 cartridges
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• 2 Picky Bars (Smooth Caffeinator), cut into eighths
• Potatoes (boiled and salted, in Ziplock bags)
• Electrolyte powder packets (Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix)

Run Gear Bag

• Anti-chafe for my feet (Body Glide)
• Socks (Injinji Run 2.0 lightweight no-show)
• Shoes (Hoka One One Stinson Tarmac)
• Visor (Betty Designs Signature Visor 2)
• Hydration belt (Fuel Belt Revenge 2-Bottle)
• Race belt with bib number
• Long-sleeved shirt (Oiselle Flyte Long Sleeve)
• 2 Picky Bars (Smooth Caffeinator), cut into eighths
• Electrolyte powder packets (Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix)
• Extra pair of contact lenses *didn’t use

Run Special Needs

• Headlamp
• Plantain chips
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich  *didn’t use