Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 2)

Looks like the weekend of 6/5-6/6 is a big race weekend. I'll be heading up to Wilmington, NY right around the Lake Placid area to do the Wilmington Whiteface 100K MTB race on 6/6. I did the 50K last year. Looking at it as a long training day on the bike and to have some fun. It's a great race.

I did the Farmer's Daughter gravel grinder in Chatham, NY a few weeks ago on the MTB. It was really tough but turned out to be a great training day. Next time I do this ride it will be on a cyclocross bike. MTB was good for the some of the 10 mile off road sections which were muddy and slick due to the rain the night before but I got left behind on the paved and gravel roads. If you like riding the hills this ride is for you. Miles 30 to 50 are a brutal onslaught of unrelenting hills. Other than that it is a very well organized ride. I'd like to go back and do it again in the future.

I had my warm-up races over the last 2 weeks. The 1st was an Oly that turned me into an ice cube as it was 45 degrees and steady rain. I managed to pull out an AG win though so that was a bonus!

then last week I did a HIM that gave me a great idea of where I stand on my fitness. Over the length of the race there was roughly 4300 ft of elevation gain. Several of the climbs on the bike were several miles long and coming from an area that has no hills I was extremely happy with the results. I never felt stressed or out of control and probably could have pushed a little harder but not by much. Total time 5:38, with a 3:01 bike and a 1:57 run.





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Hi all!

I planned on joining a small training camp to do Placid course recon the weekend of June 16th but that was cancelled. Soooo I think I am going to do Syracuse 70.3 on June 19th! My friend and I are thinking of driving to Placid on July 4th weekend to ride the bike course, maybe swim in Mirror Lake.

Who has/is going to Placid to recon before the race?

Have a great big arse training wknd!

I'll be heading there for a few days soon.

I will report back on road conditions and construction zones. I've already researched via NYDOT and another site a little. They are reporting active construction on the last bridge in Keene, just before the left onto 9N. Another bridge repair on 86 near the Cherry Pond area. Also some pavement repairs on 9N in the Ausable area, not sure how extensive yet.

I'm not doing the race, but I grew up in Lake Placid and volunteered for IMLP a few times, so any questions, feel free to shoot them my way!

I was up there this past weekend for the Wilmington Whiteface 100K MTB race and yes there is construction in those areas. Two bridges and only a single lane open on each. I don't see how they get that completed before IMLP race day. I'm guessing those might wind up being no passing zones of some sort. Otherwise I drove the rest of the course and it doesn't look like it's in bad shape. There were a lot of people riding it on Saturday which was a really nice day.

Unfortunately for me Sunday was race day and it rained on and off and heavy at time during the entire MTB race. It did make for an epic training day though. I did ride part of the IMLP bike course on the MTB of course but not much. This race mainly goes up and over Jay Mountain. Over 7K of climbing and descending on wet, greasy, slick, clay/gravel roads was insane. You can reach speeds of 40 to 50 miles an hour on the MTB bike on some of those descents. It was scary to say the least. I was soaking wet the entire day and full of dirt and mud. It was everywhere.

Not a bad day for me I finished 3 minutes off my goal time of 8 hours. Had the weather been better and had I not had so many problems with my saddle bag in the Blueberry Hills trail section on the far end of the out and back in Elisabethtown I would've done much better. I lost a lot of time there trying to keep it from falling down and rubbing on the back tire. I did get that taken care of but lost a lot time in the process.

I will say this is a tough race, it's about 67 miles and over 7K of elevation which made for a great workout. I'll be back to do it again next year hopefully in better weather conditions.

I'm also planning to ride the course. I may go up in the next few weeks to do it.

Looking for some feedback, suggestions, etc on what to do post race in the greater N.E. area. I'm coming from FL with my two sons (11&15 yrs) and fiancé. Were flying into Boston and renting a car and heading on up to LP. Rented a cabin about 30 minutes away and will be staying until Tues. morning. We're not flying back home until 8/2 from Boston and looking to explore. No hiking though for obvious reasons. I thought about NYC, but bringing a car into the city for a night or two sounds sucky, but wouldn't rule it out if not too big a hassle. They're into theme parks, water, fishing and fun stuff ( typical teenage boy stuff). Me, I'm open, but would like to explore some regional cuisine, go figure.

I know this is an endless question, but thought I'd ask for opinions, don't have to be super detailed, just a few words/places, etc.

Almost here y'all, peak training in full effect, which means, lost sleep, endless appetites and lots of laundry, ha ha.

Thank in advance,

Tom

I just signed up for Syracuse 70.3!

Hey TallyTom: if you and the fam have not been to NYC that would be worth the drive. Lots of sightseeing (Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, Empire State Building, Museums, ball game, Times Sq...) and fantastic restaurants. I can give you more deets if you go.
Near Boston, Cape Cod is fantastic. More relaxing than sightseeing.
I live in Philly, if you want to make that drive I have lots of recommendations here.

I am not familiar with things to do around Placid. The husband and I are visiting Montreal after the race, before we are back to reality!

I agree cape cod and New York would be great options! I have found that it is easier to either park outside of the city and grab a train or maybe just go just into the city and jump on subway. This was what we did on our last trip going over the Washington bridge and parking with-in the 1st 2 blocks and headed for the subway and the city opens up to you. Cape Cod is great and relatively close to Boston so can be somewhat combined. When we went to New England we also stopped at the Six Flags in Massachusetts and had a good time, the water park was probably the better part of the park though.

NurseHeather: have a great day in Syracuse...that is going to be a fun race!

Ninagaski: curious if you had input on being able to travel the course during the race. We are camping at the North Pole Resorts, part of my "support" staff will go to Lake Placid for the entire day, but the older ones would prefer to wait until later in the day to go into Lake Placid. Is that an option? So far from what I can see everything is basically on shutdown and if you wanted to get through it is a 2 hour detour or something if he sort.

My training load is building and along with it the stress of getting everything in. We are going on vacations next week and even though Monday thru Friday I have ample time, the weekend (when the long bikes are scheduled) is booked for travel. I'm nervous that I will not be able to squeeze everything into the 5 days available! At least I will be on a beach for a week!

and I am envious of everyone that can pre-ride the course, this will be invaluable come race day!

Edited by mambos 2016-06-09 10:46 AM

Things to do in Placid area: Rent variety of boats for paddling, sailing or water skiing/tubing on Lake Placid or Saranac Lake. Olympic venues from 1980 - miracle on ice arena, Bob sledge run on wheels, ski jumps etc. Bike rentals and down hill riding on Whiteface. Memorial Highway drive to top of Whiteface. Au Sable Chasm
with short hikes, tubing and rafting. Wilmington Fume for cliff jumping into swimming hole. John Brown's farm and family grave. Fly fishing in Au Sable River. Great golf and of course - hiking and rock climbing. 1950 style roadside attraction called Santa Workshop. 2 hour drive to Lake George for amusement and water parks and other tourist type attractions. Fort Ticongeroga historic site on way to Lake George.
NYC is great but a five to six hour drive from Placid and another drive back to Boston. Boston Area is also loaded with history: Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill , Old North Church, USS Constitution, Walden Pond, others, plus close to Salem (Witchcraft Trials) and Gloucester (Fishing/Perfect Storm).

Thanks for suggestions everyone. Heather, good luck w Syracuse and may stop in Philly for a night, just not sure where to stay. Cliche, but I got to eat some cheese steak.

We're getting there everyone, fatigue and Summer heat in FL is kicking my tail.

Im sure y'all got the email, but the event guide has been posted.

Matt don't worry or stress too much about missing days due to the vacation. Do the best you can to get your workouts in on the days you can. You've been putting in the work and getting it done. Missing a little time even now is not going to affect the bigger picture.

Heather good luck in Syracuse. I've done that race twice and it is a pretty good prep race for IMLP. Swim is not bad in Jamesville reservoir but can be a little weedy the first few 100 meters at the start and finish. The bike is very hilly at the start probably the first 12 miles or so. Pace easy there, it will even out and you finish up the bike mostly going downhill which is pretty nice. The run is very tough, it's two out and backs and you finish the out with two very long and hills back to back. You get the benefit of heading down the hills though on the way back. They seem to change the run every year but it's always pretty tough. Have fun and be safe.

We're in the midst of the peak training now but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The taper will be here before we know it. I'm sure you're all as tired as I am from all the hours of training already and many more to still come.

Guys (where my Placid ladies at??) Happy Friday! I always get amp'd for the weekend bc I heart the long stuff! I really enjoy checking in on this thread so thanks for keeping it alive.

Matt: Enjoy your vacation, where ya going? I wound not worry about getting it all it, enjoy your beach and family time, I call it forced recovery! Get in what you can. We stress out bodies enough through training, so keep the mind light.

TallyTom: I travel with my husband and our sweet old dog a lot and really like Airbnb, no horror stories, yet. You can get good deals, I recommend staying in Center City (this is where I live and you can walk everywhere) or Old City by the Liberty Bell/Historical attractions. If you are in Philly, you have to get your Cheezesteak from Blackbird Pizza. Trust me on this one.

Tony: Thanks for the Syracuse recon. I was reading some race reports and thought the run might be rough. My plan is to keep IM pace (whatever that means, I am a first timer so I could be way off with pace) and practice my nutrition plan.

I know training is really get ramped up and I wanted to add take rest days if you feel like you are burning out. I had some fierce fatigue, appetite changes, sleep troubles and was so irritable 2 weeks ago. I took 2 days in a row off, just practiced Bikram and I have been back to myself. This is one persons opinion.

Happy Training.

Just got to Lake Placid after three days of driving. Put bike back together and road Keene to Au Sable Folks to Wilimington loop. Roads are packed with riders. Road conditions not too bad except form 86/9N intersection to Au Sable. Had to ride shoulder so road itself will be better. Rest of 9N in good shape and so is 86 climb into Wilmington. Talked with LPIM rider who did 73 and drop into Keene, he stated road was not in bad shape and had no issues. Will ride complete route next week after Lake Placid half marathon on Sunday. Three bridges have on going construction with two along 86 into Placid and 73 near Keene. All three bridges are single lane with traffic lights. This will probably not be an issue for racers but will make re routing of car traffic more difficult during race day. People are swimming. Weather ranges from 40s in AM to high 50s PM with moderate rain.

Just got to Lake Placid after three days of driving. Put bike back together and road Keene to Au Sable Folks to Wilimington loop. Roads are packed with riders. Road conditions not too bad except from 86/9N intersection to Au Sable. Had to ride shoulder so road itself will be better. Rest of 9N in good shape and so is 86 climb into Wilmington. Talked with LPIM rider who did 73 and drop into Keene, he stated road was not in bad shape and had no issues. Will ride complete route next week after Lake Placid half marathon on Sunday. Three bridges have on going construction with two along 86 into Placid and 73 near Keene. All three bridges are single lane with traffic lights. This will probably not be an issue for racers but will make re routing of car traffic more difficult during race day. People are swimming. Weather ranges from 40s in AM to high 50s PM with moderate rain.

Just got back from a training trip to Lake Placid. Rode the course a few times and the roads are in pretty good condition. The out & back to Ausable Forks is the worst, lots of patching so it's bumpy at times. Otherwise no complaints with the road surface. As mentioned in previous posts there is some construction in progress, the bridge just before Keene on 73 and another on the climb back into Lake Placid where River Rd joins 86.

It was a cold training session, most mornings were about 42 when we were starting out. The descent was cold! & windy. Luckily I was done with biking by Saturday, when the rain started, so I only had to run in the rain. I've done the descent in the rain a couple of times before, didn't need to do that again. Swimming was great! loved getting out on the water each day.

I really felt for everyone running the marathon yesterday. The day started warm at 53 and steadily dropped as the morning progressed. & then started raining again...

Hope everyones training is going well!

Edited by cdkayak 2016-06-13 12:38 PM

Cdkayak, did we meet at the half marathon sign up? I was with my daughter and you were with your two children? If so, you are the person I referenced in my last post on route 73's condition.

Did the IM loop today and they started paving the last drop into Keene past Cascade Lake. That will make the section a lot safer and fast. Weather now in the low 70s and the sun is out.

Rummy
Wasn't me, I did my long run on Saturday. Sunday was a final swim and travel home. Hope you had a good run on Sunday and beat most of the rain.

Are you still up there and getting to enjoy the improved weather? What a difference from last week.

Was just finishing the run when the rain started. In Lake Plcid Area until early August. I have a cabin in Jay and need the hill training coming from Florida. It's going to get hot up here, some forecasts have it in the low 90's. Will hopefully warm up Mirror Lake a little.

Nice place to hang out for a while. Enjoy the training! I'd love to have had the opportunity to spend more time up there.

T-minus 5 weeks and counting until IMLP, how is everyone holding up?

I've been able to put together some consistently good training weeks with plenty of volume. I think 3 more weeks of high volume then I'll head into the taper. I still need to get a weekend in there where I can get up to LP to ride the course. It's looking like it may be that last weekend before the taper. I don't really want to head up there for the July 4th weekend. Hope everyone's training is going well and I envy you guys who've been able to get up there to ride the bike course and train on the course.

Heather how did you make out at Syracuse? I had friends up there doing the race and I heard it was a hot day. I hope you made out well.

Hey Tony, thanks for asking about Syracuse! It is a well run race, very challenging, but had the best most helpful volunteers I've ever encountered at a 70.3. It was not my pr but I was able to practice IM pacing, nutrition and got dem hillz in! Plus I ended up having 2 friends also doing the race so it was nice to see friendly faces.

Holy heck was it hot on the run. My swim wave did not start until after 8AM and my second loop on the run was rough. But I have come such a long way as far has handling tough run conditions. I use to really fall apart in the heat, but I started doing Bikram regularly for over a year and I read up on what people do to keep cool and stay hydrated. I am fair skinned so I always make time to have the sunscreen sprayers reapply. I take Hammer Endurolytes, pound fluids at the aid stations, put ice under my hat and down my tri top. It really helps.

How do you guys carry your salt on the run? I had mine in a baggie and put them in my tri top pocket in T2 but they got damp and I could not use them towards the end. I had that beginning feeling of cramping.

Looks like I can not get to Placid for a recon ride until July 4th weekend either. How crazy is it going to be? That is really our last chance before taper.

We only have a few more hard weeks, hang in there! Get your sleep and nutrition on point.

Congrats Heather on finishing in Syracuse. That is a pretty tough course. I've done it 2013 and 2014 and it was hot both times. I think in 2013 I finished in a thunderstorm. I was just praying I would not get hit by lightning. They wound up pulling folks off the course and ended the race early that year.

The run is tough and unshaded so great job getting it done there especially with the heat. I hope you had the benefit of the nice neighbors out there hosing you guys down with water going up and down those two back to back big hills on the out back. I remember those as not being much fun at all.

For the salt tabs I don't personally use them but I've seen folks carry them in those plastic tube like containers. I think you might have better success with something like that.

As far as the taper goes I'm only giving myself two weeks. I think three is a bit much so yeah I may actually be looking at riding the course the weekend of 7/9 and 7/10. Yikes! But I do want to ride it before race day and it would be a good way to end the training and head into the taper.

x2 on getting your rest and taking care of your nutrition. The light is at the end of the tunnel I can see it, barely.