ADK - Ironman Lake Placid Post Race Report

Lake Placid Ironman is located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains.  This historic town is home to the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics.  LP is the longest running US Ironman outside of Kona.  This year was the 15^th anniversary of the event.   If you are looking for a scenic, beautiful, challenging, and fun course Ironman Lake Placid should be high on your list. If you are thinking about racing Lake Placid plan early. This event fills in second and accommodations get snapped up quick.

I was able to register late for this race through Endurance Sport Travel. EST supplied a airport transfer, hotel and slot into IMLP. There services made the event seamless and stress free. Special thanks to Randy for taking such good care of us!!

My family was able to make it to the event and cheer me on. It made the world of difference to see my Mom, Aunt Linda, Lilly and Olga many times during the day. They braved a few showers and cool weather on Sunday to be out there. I can't thank them enough for making the trip and being there for it. I love you all so much!




Swim: 1:06:13 - 1:34/100yd

This swim venue is known for having some of the fastest times in the IM circuit. It didn't disappoint me in that aspect. This was my fastest 2.4 mile swim this year. The course has a cable strung along the buoy line making it very easy to swim a straight line. If you are brave enough to batter the beating on the line that is. With the new swim smart initiative we had a very similar race start to IMCDA. However in Lake Placid they sent off the professionals only minutes before the age groupers and slowed the entry of athletes down more. What this meant was way more congestion on the second lap. I had more issues on the second lap than I have in any mass start Ironman I have done. On the final stretch into the finish the group I was swimming around started running up on slower swimmers. This caused a lot of congestion. I decided to swim wide and avoid being kick, punched or swum over. This added a significant amount of time to my second lap. But I did however come out without a bloody noes and less stress.

T1: Be prepared for a long haul to T1. You run from the Mirror Lake to the Oval on carpeted roads. The crowds are fantastic, making it hard to think about the upcoming T1.

Bike: 6:15:37 - 17.9 mph
Data: CLICK HERE

The course in Lake Placid is best suited for smart riders and those who like to climb. It is a two course loop that starts and ends with climbing. The initial climb out of LP is not bad on the first loop but MANY athletes burn themselves within the first few miles. It is so important to follow your race plan, whether that is HR or power on this course. I have always used HR and it served me well in LP. My goal was to sustain a 140 ave HR on the flats to rolling sections and not let my HR go above 160 on the climbs. I followed this to a T on the first loop. Often feeling like I should be going faster and I could not have been happier with that decision. I had energy to increase my effort on the second section of climbing back into town on the second loop because of that. Among all the climbing, descending, and winding roads you are treated to some of the most beautiful views and roads I have been on. Often you have the opportunity to enjoy it because of the slow speeds during the climbs. This is one of my top favorite bike courses. You get treated to the Three Bears that have similar crowds like the Tour de France.  Papa Bear, Baby Bear and Momma Bear.......FUN!!!!

T2: Short and sweet.

Run: 4:43:06 - 10:48 min/mile
Data: CLICK HERE

Ruthless - yep that is the best way to describe this run course. Although tough, it was beautiful and you had a solid 4 miles on each lap with large amounts of crowd support. The out and back section on River Rd was the hardest sections for me. This section didn't have any big climbs more of a steady rolling road. However the crowds are slim and the miles dragged by. I found myself having to fight for every ounce of energy during these sections. My thoughts went to my family, team Triattic, and all the other athletes out there that day. I remind myself how fortunate I am to be able to do these Ironman races and kept my feet moving forward. I am proud to say I never walked outside of water stations, even on the final climb into mile 24 - - that one was tough. The final 1.5 miles is AMAZING. You have made your way back up to LP and you have an out and back section on Mirror Lake Road. The crowd was ragging and you could hear the finish line at the Olympic oval. The inspiration and passion is unmatched. I was in tears the final mile, so proud of my accomplishments and filled with emotion of all the support. The finish line in LP in bar none the best finish I have encountered. I have learned so much about the will and fight to keep pushing. My body feels the effects of these multiple Ironmans the most on the run. It is then I learn the most about what I am capable of.

This journey started with a quest to qualify for Kona. Although I have fallen short at each and every one of my races, I have yet to feel disappointed. I am more and more thankful of this opportunity and experience every day that goes by.

I look back on where I started and still find it amazing I am handling this so well. I hope to be an inspiration to those who think they can't do something. All you need is passion and commitment.

Only one more Ironman to go before I finish this quest!!!

Ironman Lake Placid Race Info

IRONMAN Lake Placid

Sunday, July 28, 2013

6:30 a.m. EST

Lake Placid, NY

 

 

Ironman Lake Placid is my 6th Ironman within the last year. Only two more to go including this one. I am still feeling great and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Bib Number: 465, Female AG 25-29.

Swim: 2.4 miles

The two loop swim takes place in Mirror Lake, a calm, pristine lake right in the heart of Lake Placid.
Age Group athletes will begin entering the water at 6:30 a.m.

Temperature: The water temperature is typically in the high 60s to low 70s.





Bike: 112 miles

This is a  demanding two-loop bike course takes cyclists through the surrounding hills of the Adirondacks, each lap culminating with the 11-mile climb up “the notch” from Wilmington back to the transition area located at the famed speed skating oval.

Total Elevation Gain: 4,804 ft

Forecast for 07/28/13: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

                                                                        Run: 26.2 miles

The two-loop course will challenge athletes with a tour through the city center four times. Runners head past the famed Olympic ski jumps, down to the turnaround on scenic River Road and then back up to the turnaround on the shores of Mirror Lake.

Total Elevation Gain: 998 ft




Online Tracking available starting at 6:30 a.m. EST @ IRONMAN.


Ironman CDA Post Race Report - Better Late than Never

IRONMAN COEUR D'ALENE POST RACE REPORT

Pre-race: Arriving in Coeur d'Alene I was immediately in love with the town. It was beautiful, quaint, and had a great downtown with lots of restaurants, shops and bars. We stayed in a rental house about 1.5 miles away from Ironman Village and all the action. The house was great but it was just far enough to have to drive in. My only complaint of the weekend would be the downtown parking. Although free, it is tough to find a spot. When we head back, that's right when, we will try and find a house closer to IM Village so we can walk.

This trip was extra special because we had Charlie's parents Joe and Cindy come with us along with friends Morgan and Deanne Garcia. Having a support crew and a cheering section makes all the difference in IM. The day before the race Charlie, Morgan and myself went to the swim venue to see just how cold this water was going to be. I was all set up with my neoprene cap and long sleeve wetsuit. We got lucky too, Lake Coeur d'Alene was the warmest it has been in years.........62 degrees.

While we were out in the water doing our swim we ran into one of Tallahassee finest athletes, Shannon Coates and her boyfriend Josh. It was fun chatting with them. Josh was there for his first Ironman and Shannon was gunning for one of two Kona slots in our age group. She had a heck of race and ended up in 2nd and guaranteed herself a spot in Kona 2013! Way to go Shannon!

Onto the race.........I was really looking forward to this Ironman.
#1 - - Zero pressure. This was not a race I was trying to prove or do anything special. Having raced IMTX just 5 weeks before my goal for this race was to finish.
#2 - - The BEAUTIFUL course. Having raced IM St. George and been blown away by beauty, I never though any other IM could compare and this rivals IMSG. This was one of the most beautiful venues I have ever seen.

2.4 Mile Swim: 1:09:19, 1:38/100yd
AG: 18
Overall: 516
Gender: 85

This was the first Ironman to feature the new SwimSmart initiative for Ironman, which featured a rolling swim start. At first I was hesitant about the new procedures but after the race and looking back on this swim, it was a very enjoyable stress free swim. They had time corals sectioned off by 15-min windows. Having swam between a 1:04-1:11 in previous Ironman races I lined up near the middle of 1:00-1:15 estimated swim time. It worked out perfectly. I had one of the most comfortable swims to date. No major jostling, kicks to the head or being swum over. Plus Lake Coeur d'Alene was crystal clear and a pleasant temperature. It was neat, you could see to the bottom and you could also see the swimmers bubbles in front of you. A much better swim venue than IMTX!!

T1: 3:39
I finally beat Charlie Johnson in something, T1...boom!

Short and sweet. IMCDA has one of the shortest transition zones I have seen. Upon exciting the water it is maybe a 100yd run to pick up your gear bag and into the tent you go. Weather conditions were perfect for us. Cool but not cold enough to even warrant arm warmers. The sun was out but never got hot. I did however get one of the worst back burns I have ever had. Who would of thought 50-70 degree weather and in Northern Idaho I'd need sunscreen. Lesson learned!


112 Mile Bike: 6:32:05, 17.1 mph
Bike Data: CLICK HERE
AG: 18
Overall: 853
Gender: 133

This is where I lost some ground. But I wasn't concerned. I have become used to the hordes of people that pass me on the bike. This is a two loop bike course. My plan was to be overly cautious on the first loop and see if I could increase my effort on the second loop. After driving the bike route I knew it was going to be a challenging course. It was very challenging but not unbearable. I actually enjoyed the long steady climbs and descending is fun. The road conditions were actually quite good for the majority of the 112 miles which makes a HUGE difference in how you feel. Overall I was pleased with my bike split for this course.

T2: 2:56

26.2 Mile Run: 4:26:58, 10:11/mile
Race Data: CLICK HERE
AG: 20
Overall: 669
Gender: 113

I lost even more ground in my AG but gained places overall and in gender. Will the dreaded miles 18-23 ever get better? My mental strength seems to always give way during this time. This run course made it very easy for me to give in. There is only one big climb you encounter on the run course. It is a hill I was familiar with having seen it two times already on my bike. When you run up the same hill, time doesn't go as quickly. This same hill at mile 19 was a challenge. I could no longer run. I resorted to a 1-min run/1-min walk to the top. Which was more than most were doing around me so that gave me some confidence. During the run portion of Ironman I learn more and more about what is possible and I have yet to come close to my true potential. That is what makes all these races so much fun. It is a physical and mental test each time and the inspirational stories you hear and support I receive at each race brings another reason to keep fighting.

Total Time: 12:14:57

POST RACE: Glacier National Park

Hiking is a GREAT post Ironman recovery workout, and we got plenty of it. The Monday following the race Charlie, Joe and Cindy and I headed over to Whitefish, MT. A small ski town outside of Glacier National Park. On Tuesday we headed into Glacier on the west side and got to hike two different trails. Avalanche Lake and St. Mary Waterfall. Both of these hikes were recommended by fellow triathlete and friend, Jim Harrison. Thanks Jim, GREAT hikes!

Day two we headed to the east side of Glacier to hike to the Grinell Glacier. We were unfortunately too early in the season and the top portion of the hike was still closed due to dangerous snow conditions. The snow drifts were so high you couldn't see the trail or know what you were crossing. The east side of Glacier is so magnificent. We saw tons of wildlife; grizzlies, moose, elk, coyote, bald eagles.......I got a bit nervous about the bears. They do look so snoodly though.

Ironman Couer d'Alene and Glacier National Park, you will see us again!!! Thank you for such an AMAZING experience!