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Runnin' Down a Dream...

Created: Thursday, 03 July 2014 08:01

Last Updated: Thursday, 10 July 2014 07:50

Thursday, 10 July 2014 00:10

{jcomments on}ED. Do you know Eric Engel? He's a triathlete from Wisconsin who relocated to Minnesota in the last year. He placed 3rd at Liberty Half last month.

By Eric Engel (ironmandiary.com)

Ironman Coeur D'Alene Race Report - Wow. Where do I begin. I’ve had a dream for the past 6 years of one day qualifying for the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, HI. This past weekend at IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene, I took the next step on my way to fulfilling this long-awaited dream. With a time of 9:36:43, I finished first in the Men’s 25-29 Age group and qualified for the IRONMAN World Championships this October.....

Pre-Race: The alarm went off at 3:30am on race morning. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal, 2 bananas and some orange juice. I got to transition around 4:30am and immediately took my bike to get my tires inflated,105 psi in the front and 110 in the back. Next, I checked on my gear bags and mapped out where my bags were in relation to the different entrances and exits of the transition area. The set-up of this race was a brand new experience for me. I’ve gotten used to the luxury of using the Monona Terrace in Madison, WI for my past 3 IRONMAN races. For the next hour we sat near the swim start and watched the waves crashing on the shore from the strong winds. I knew the swim was going to be tough under these conditions. The water temp had also dropped to 61 degrees overnight. The pros started at 6am and we were set to start at 6:40. I did a quick 5-10 minute warm-up in the lake to get used to the temperatures and the waves. My nerves and anxiety were on high alert as we positioned into our starting corrals for the swim. I lined up in the 60 minutes and Under corral. 3 minutes to go. The lined us up at the start line, there was a quiet calm before the race as all the competitors around me were mentally preparing for their race. READ MORE