Triathletes Getting Ready For Sunday

COEUR D’ALENE — Ironman Coeur d’Alene is three days away and athletes from all around the world are getting physically and mentally prepared to swim, bike and run across Kootenai County this Sunday.

“First Ironman … nervous, very nervous,” Scott Crutchfield of Beaumont, Texas said Thursday.

Crutchfield’s journey to this weekend’s Ironman competition was long and painful. He started getting ready for the competition “officially” nine months ago with all day training, early mornings and late nights.

“Things start hurting that I didn’t even know existed before they started hurting,” he said.

Sunday’s race will be the payoff for more experienced triathletes like Heather Gollnick.

“It’s such a sense of accomplishment to cross that line and I’ve crossed it first five times but I’ve also crossed it in the night,” she said.

Heather has completed at least 30 Ironmans but is only keeping track of the five Ironmans so far where she crossed the finish line first.

For other triathletes like Tom Wilcox his goal is just to cross the finish line.

“Figured it would be a good thing to do when I turned 50 so we’ll see,” Wilcox said.

Everyone from the most experienced to the novices are talking about one thing as they prepare for Sunday: Lake Coeur d’Alene’s chilly temperatures.

“People like us that swim in 70 degree water. Its gonna be like electric shock,” Tom Wilcox said.

Wilcox is used to 70 degrees but right now the water is only 54 degrees.

“I’m not worried about dying or anything,” triathlete Ed Bomber said. “But I’m pretty concerned about it.”