Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread

even though the weather didn't cooperate I had a pretty decent day.  The swim was Ok, slow as normal!  the bike I wound up getting in just shy of 80 miles for a 19.7 mph avearge and followed it up with a 6 mile run.  Legs were ok during the run, but that's about it nothing special but probably an effort I could hold for at least half the race . The worst part of the day was the constant drizzle coming down, I think the temp may have hit 50 but barely so by the time the bike was done I was completely soaked and my toes were frozen!  All in all a good day.

as as for bike nutrition I have gone to almost all liquid using infinit.  I fill a bottle with roughly 6 scoops (900 calories) and aim to get it through it every 3 hours.  For race distance I will have 2 bottles totaling 1800 calories and then add in a few solids, which recently have been cereal bars around 100 calories each.  My goal will be to get over 2100 calories on the bike and maybe a bit more if my stomach can handle it.

Hi everyone.  This will be my 4th Ironman (LP '11, Kentucky '12, Tremblant '14).  

The first time I signed up for LP in '10 I had a DNS, due to knee tendonitis from cycling.  Second time I signed up for LP I finished and it's my current PR.  Third time I did LP '12 was a DNF, I didn't make it out of Transition 2 due to dehydration.  

I can help answer some questions based off my experience and add to the thread.  As far as outfit changing, I like to wear one outfit.  Most people do.  However many people do change their tops, or bottoms, or both.  It's really up to you.  Men and women have separate private change tents.  Many people also put extra layers or rain gear in their special needs bags, so during the Bike or Run they can change socks, tops, etc.   Usually it's a good idea to have extra socks and maybe an extra rain top.  * Just know that whatever you put in your special needs bag, you might never see again if you don't access it during the race.  

Lots of people posted about the Bike on this thread, and I concur - it's mostly "about the bike".  The swim is just a warm up.  About the LP Bike course, and road bike vs. tt bike -- either is fine.  But keep in mind approx. 38 miles of each loop of the course is flat!  That's 76 out of 112 miles is flat, plus the descent mileage = a lot of time you can be in Aero.  In a nutshell you have the climbs to the Keene descent (in the very beginning), then a long flat out & back,  then one decent climb, followed by flat, and then a long false flat climb -- used to be called "the notch"climb -- that culminates w/ the 3 Bear hills.  After the Bears it's a flat loop around to Mirror Lake and a downhill outta down back to the climb to Keene.  So simply put, there are only 3 areas of climbing that you ride twice.  This helps break the ride up for me mentally.

The Run similarly is a lot of flat and rollers.  Out of town is all downhill, and then you make a left on River Rd and it's constant rollers; no real hills. After the River Rd out & back you climb back into town (only 2 steep short climbs you can power-walk) and then it's a pancake flat out & back next to the lake -- which has wicked great crowd support, btw!!  And then 2nd loop is just a rinse and repeat.  

Both Bike and Run is super non-technical straight-forward with very little turns and fantastic opportunities to build up a comfortable momentum and just carry it through from aid station to aid station.  

Ironman Lake Placid is IRONMAN USA!!  They shut down main street and the whole town almost, and it's just a Rockin' fun time!!  Looking forward to it.  

59 days!!

Anyone have any races coming up to help prep for LP?  

I'm doing "the Revolution" (Oly Sat & Half distance Sun) Rev3 Quassy next weekend.