COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho – On Sunday, three local residents conquered the Coeur d’Alene Ironman, a grueling triathlon encompassing a 2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride and culminating with a 26.2-mile marathon.

Despite the challenge, the individuals rose to the occasion, with Ali Bronsdon finishing first in the 25-29 year-old female bracket, Deanna McElwee placing 39th in the 35-39 year-old women’s division, and David Lake coming in 34th among 50-54 year-old men.

“It was a dream day,” said Bronsdon, reflecting on her win. Although it was Bronsdon’s first full-length Ironman, she says that an intense 18-week training regimen had her primed for race day success.

“There was a lot of buildup,” said Bronsdon, who had signed up for the event last August.

On Sunday, however, “everything fell into place,” she says. “It was hard and it was a long day, but I knew what was coming.”

Bronsdon knew what to expect thanks to Matt Seeley, also of Polson. A highly-decorated triathlon champion and former Ironman standout himself, Seeley helped the Polson contingent of triathletes train and told Bronsdon, “Trust the training and don’t be afraid to race.”

And race she did, traversing the course in a blistering 10:25:34.

A few months beforehand, Bronsdon had completed a half-Ironman in Washington state and enjoyed similar results.

“That was a good confidence booster,” said Bronsdon.

The test-run also helped her identify areas of importance – such as mid-race nutrition.

“The key is nutrition,” said Bronsdon, who during the biking segment of the race choked down two electrolyte-rich bottles of a drink not-so-affectionately called “sludge.”

“It was a lot of sludge,” she said with a laugh.

While sludge was vital to fueling her championship run, Bronsdon explained that consuming all that liquid makes it tough to settle into a good rhythm for running.

“The run was the hardest,” she said. “I was a little panicked because I (felt) people catching me.”

But none of her peers caught her before the finish line, and Bronsdon now has a first-place trophy commemorating her latest athletic accomplishment.

Bronsdon’s strong performance qualified her to participate in the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii in October. She accepted the invitation on Monday.

In Hawaii, Bronsdon will be moving up an age bracket, and speculates that facing a new field of competitors will bring new challenges.

“I think as the age groups get higher, it gets more competitive,” she said.

McElwee, 38, can attest to the stiff competition in older age groups.

Another first-time Ironman competitor, McElwee had a blast.

“It was awesome. It was as fun as 13 hours of consistent exercise can be,” she said.

Like Bronsdon, McElwee, too, benefitted from training with Matt Seeley. But despite her preparedness, the crowd was another factor that aided her performance on Sunday.

“The crowd that was out was so fabulous. They are so enthusiastic - whether they know you or not they make you feel really great.”

Ultimately, though, the camaraderie among the Polson runners is what made the experience special.

“It was fun to share the journey with both (Bronsdon and Lake),” said McElwee. “All the training that Matt (Seeley) put us through was worth it and I felt really good.”