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Make sure you post your race week questions soon!
I know I am leaving to head up there on Friday night (sight seeing on the way with the family).
I hope to be able to answer questions, but it will not be until the evenings. Others may be in the same boat.
I'll be in CDA on Thursday about noon, so if you have any questions, let me know. I did this race 3 years ago, so I kinda know the race/area a little.
FYI, there are some nice movie theaters in town and in hayden. I plan to go to a movie on Saturday 
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not a race week question, but I missed the webinar last night due to a work dinner -- has there been a replay posted?
As to shorts, what did you do your race rehearsal in? IMO, tri shorts with the thinner pad are actually easier on your butt that the thicker cycling pads, if you are in the aero position for hours and hours.
Pen: The aid stations on the bike consist of a long line of great volunteers with their arms extended holding Perform and Water in bottles with screw tops that are ready to go, gels, bonk breakers and bananas. If you can balance bike with left hand and take the hand off with the right (aid stations usually located on right side of road), you don't need to stop. Toss empty bottle before the aid station, take new bottle and keep on riding (start with bottles you don't mind throwing away) - if you haven't done this before, it's not complicated, but you might want to try it a couple times before the race. Once you go through the first aid station you'll get the drill. Be wary of others as you go through the aid station - it can be something like a freeway with merging traffic coming from multiple lanes. If you need to stop to get what you need, be careful entering back into the flow.
Have you swam in your bike shorts with the big pad and then ridden before? That pad will hold a lot of water and stay wet a lot longer than tri shorts, causing more opportunities of chafing. If you really prefer riding in bike shorts, wear swim suit under the wet suit and then change into bike shorts afterwards, but be prepared to struggle getting bike shorts on over cold, clammy skin. I've worked in the transition change tent and watched people try to do this and it's fun to watch.
Pen: 2nd what Al said (Tip of the day:ALWAYS listen to Al, he knows A LOT) I've found changing clothes becomes difficult as you are wet and sweaty and sore from the long bike. But I'd stick with what you did in the RR because it either worked then or it didn't (and then you'd need to adjust).
The aid stations are great. The further into the race you get, the more spread out people get and the easier they are to navigate. I usually try to avoid the first one by having enough on my bike for 2+ hrs.
My biggest concern is the onset of the sniffles this morning...If I develop the full on cold, just point out your major competitors and I'll go stand next to them for a few minutes...
Its better to get the sniffles now, you have plenty of time to get better! Hope you feel better.
thanks for all the tips ya'll - lookin forward to meeting everyone in a couple of days! Pen
Road the "hills" of the bike course today. The uphills looked worse from the car than they felt while on the bike. Have a question for anyone who has done this race before: how do they control the traffic on the Highway 95? They were sweeping the bike lanes today, but those lanes are not very wide and have a rumble strip.
Had strong cross/head winds on the downhill sections that made the bike a little squirrely, then the big rigs speeding by, very close to the line, didn't help. Be careful if you ride this section before race day.
The parking lot referenced in the course talk for race day is no longer there, but there is a multi-tier parking structure at the resort next to the park.
Ironman Village is under construction, the bike racks are up, transition tents are up, looks like something exciting is going to happen this week-end! Hope to see/meet most of you Thursday night at Cricket's.
Pat