IM CDA 2011 Race Updates
Hi Everyone,
After taking last year off to race CDA, I am back to working the race and will be in my usual spot of overseeing transition. (You'll have lots of EN mojo when you guys get through T1 and T2 this year!! And extra care taken for your gear bags!) 
Anyway, we had our first race captains meeting at the end of January and I wanted to get a couple of race updates to the team early. Once the race specific forums are up, I'll start posting any CDA news there, but until then...here it goes!
- As of now, the bike course is going to stay the same. They still have to get the permits signed by the city of Hayden, but this year the bike course should still be the same. Our race director is considering changing the bike course in future years, but since the permit signing has been taking so long, there isn't time anymore to switch the bike course, so for 2011 it will be the same.
- The run course IS changing though. The race website doesn't have updated maps, but the course is going to change. Ultimately, the majority of the run is the same, but when you exit transition, you are going to take an immediate left - no more mile-ish out and back on Dike Road Path. So instead, at the old turn around (about a third or so of the way up Bennett Bay Hill on CDA Lake Drive) the course is extended. This means that you will have to go completely up and over Bennett Bay Hill and the turn around is now about a third of the way down the hill on the other side (where you would go for the bike course turn around) at the A-Frame. Run special needs now moves to the CDA Public Library parking lot - so there might be a little change in those blocks you run to get to your second loop of the run (8th-Mullan Ave-9th-Sherman Ave-7th-Lakeside Ave is how it currently is to get to loop two).
- Special needs bag drop has moved too, and will now be at the intersection of Lakeside and NW Blvd (the intersection at the Chamber of Commerce, near the park entrance by transition), so that should make it easier for dropping bags, then getting body marked at Independence Point (the grassy knoll where the 4keys talk has been) and checking gear bags/bike race morning.
Our next round of captains meetings isn't until the end of March, so I'll pass along other updates then. If you have any questions/concerns, let me know.
Hope everyone is having a great OS so far!!
Comments
Thanks for the heads-up Carly. Even if the message is a downer; the shade along the Dike road on the run was one of the best parts of the race. Also now there will be less distance for those great crowds along the walk by the lake. Running the hill will now be mandatory for me, I fear; it used to be short enough to walk and not lose significant time, but now walk vs run will mean minutes, not seconds. OTOH, since I can fly downhill, it may be a net gain. Sounds like the turn around will be down near the spot where the bike aid station starts.
Wow. Thanks for the update. Will be indeed a little tougher with the hill up and over, but oh well. Keep the intel coming!
Time to start dialing it in!