COEUR d'ALENE - In his first year as a professional, Brian Hadley was even better than he expected.

"Last year, I think I told the paper it was my best race,' the Coeur d'Alene resident and fourth-place finisher at Sunday's Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene said. "But this has to be one of the best days of my life."

Hadley trumped last year's finish by a long shot Sunday, clocking 9 hours 2 minutes and 44 seconds in his seventh Ironman race. That bettered 2010's 18th place finish by 14 positions.

"I really felt good all day, I really felt good all week," Hadley said, after he crossed the finish line on Sherman Avenue under 70-degree afternoon temperatures, and as throngs of helpers, media, fans, and well-wishers greeted him. "I don't know, it was a lot of fun."

Was that the best race of his life?

"Yeah," he said, beating last year's time by around 22 minutes. "By far."

While Hadley clocked his best time in his seventh Ironman race (sixth in Coeur d'Alene), Dixie Ziegler was the fastest local female to cross the finish line in only her third time registered for the race.

"I feel awesome," the Post Falls woman said, after finishing in 12 hours, eight minutes and nine seconds, and taking in congratulations from her friends and family.

A broken collarbone kept her from finishing the race last year.

This year, that was a thing of the past, as Ziegler knocked off the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.

"And she's a grandmother," said Ziegler's daughter, Maurissa, at the finish line.

The secret, Ziegler said, was pacing herself.

"I wanted to keep my energy up," she said. "I'm just sore. Energy wise I'm fine, but my toes are sore, my quads are sore."

For Hadley, jumping from 18th to fourth place doesn't mean he's going to gun for the top spot next year, what would be his second go-round as pro. Even though his time did exceed his expectations.

"Now it's like, I need to keep to doing it. I need a coach. Put that in the paper, I need a coach," Hadley said. "But I think I need a year off."