Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 56)

...And speaking of the Ironman Merchandise tent, I mentioned this long ago and I'll mention it again, start a separate fund for this now if you intend on buying merchandise.  If it's your first Ironman, like happened to me, it's VERY EASY to get drunk on Ironman USA, get swept up in the moment and before you know it your standing at the register in the back of the tent with $300 of merchandise.  VERY EASY.  If you start putting away 20 bucks a week now, you'll have $300 guilt-free dollars to spend.  Between buying shirts for the wife, kiddies, parents, Ironman mug, hat, shirts for yourself, tri-kit or cycling Ironman USA kit ....... and we're not even talking about the Finisher's Stuff!! 

But seriously, if you haven't been to Lake Placid the week of Ironman the ENTIRE TOWN transforms into Ironman USA.  It's amazing.  I'm getting chills RIGHT NOW just thinking about it!! 

We are Thursday to Wednesday folks - we like to skip the hubbub and spend a few days relaxing after everyone is gone. Staying at the Mirror Lake Inn. Then another 1.5 weeks of vacation after that, but not in Lake Placid.

Here is our (likely) pre-race schedule:

Friday 9am: BT meetup for a swim ( WHAT???? IS IT TOO EARLY TO MAKE PLANS????) Pictures, handshakes, hugs, general chit-chat, wet suit donning, etc. 30 minutes in the water, but only about 10 minutes of legit point-to-point swimming. Mostly course recon, sighting, etc.

Friday 10:30ish: immediately following swim, ride out of town to Keene. one hardish 10 minute interval (nothing crazy) should take about 50 minutes. Have the sherpas pick us up at the bottom of the descent, then back to town for lunch.

Saturday early, but not too early: pre-race easy "brick." ride from town out to the run course turn on Riverside Drive, down Riverside Drive a bit and back to town, 30 minutes EASY. Run 15 minutes super easy around the backside of Mirror Lake. Lunch, then go check out the Bears  - drive the course backwards out and back from town to Wilmington.

yes, I have 500 bones set aside for Ironman merchandise. I can't wait to get a finisher's jacket plus everything else to add to my wardrobe. When I was standing in line last year everyone was modeling off their clothes and I was so jealous!

Hi everyone, Bill from Tallahassee, FL here.  I am doing the race this summer and have been "lurking and learning" on this discussion group for sometime.  I have learned quite a bit from reading the posts.  This will be my first IM and as you would expect I am very nervous, excited and full of questions.

My wife and I rented a cabin in Wilmington from the Sunday before the race to the Sunday after the race (making it a vacation as well). The cabin is about 16 miles from LP so any advice regarding what time to arrive race morning?  (I suspect routes into LP may be limited.) 

Thanks for any advice.....I look forward to being more than just a lurking learner.

Hi Bill - can't answer your question about traveling into town on race day - but others that can will chime-in quickly. Just wanted to say welcome aboard, don't be a lurker, and that you could not have chosen a better first IM - you will love it! And 2 weeks in the Adirondacks - now THAT is a vacation!

oh yeah, one other thing:
ARE YOU CRAZY!?!?!?! Where in the heck do you train for hills in Tallahassee??!?!?!?!?

Wednesday to Wednesday for our family.  I'm shipping my bike with Tribike Transport and I think it comes in on Thursday. I would like to ride the Keene descent sometime on Thursday or Friday (since I will not have been on the course prior). It will be fun to meet everyone in person.

Dream Chaser: Holy crap!! I really almost had a heart attack, I swear. I was sitting on the couch reading this, and showed my husband while he's playing NHL hockey on XBOX360. We kind of sat silent and then said, "what are we going to do?"

We're panicked enough because we live in pancake land, northern Illinois, with nothing close to a mountain ANYWHERE close. Haha...so, thank for the scare. I hope you don't jinx it and they actually have to close the roads!! Good one

As far as accommodations: We're driving from northern Illinois, a 14-16 hour drive. So, we'll leave Tuesday before race day and hopefully arrive Thursday. Then we're staying in Saranac Lake--the guy who took our reservations said it's only 10 minutes from LP, but somehow I doubt that.

Debating flying and shipping our bikes...any advice? If we ship our bikes, we won't have them ready available for some last minute spins/rides. What are others doing who are coming from far away?

Awesome - you are going to be all set - I did the Mountain Madness preview ride the same weekend as well - it honestly makes the LP seem like a piece of cake. I assume you are doing MM in May? I think it is a perfectly timed and reasonable tune-up race for LP. We ride all the time in the North Georgia Mountains - keep an eye on the Georgia board (it is very active) and you will see folks posting "gap rides" all the time. Sluggo312 in this group is also from Georgia and will be riding the gaps a good bit as well in preparation for IMLP (right, Sluggo????).

FWIW I rode the Mountain Madness preview ride in 3:07 riding time, and that was really hustling. Average power was 193 and average HR was 161bpm. Ran 4 miles afterward, was not a lot of fun. For Lake Placid last year I rode 5:48 riding time at an average power of 185 and HR of 148bpm. Ran every step of the marathon afterward, and it was a blast! The MUCH lower temps and humidity you can expect at LP compared to Tallahassee in the summer will be a godsend - I am pretty sure that was the biggest reason I was able to keep my HR so low (for me anyway) at LP.

Oh no way, I thought I was the only one that found what looks like a hole in the wall place!  haha awesome.  I started the lodging hunt a tad late...and didn't want to be out an arm and a leg for hotel fees so settled on this place.

Will be staying Thursday to Tues, arriving early thurs morning.

Im relieve to know this!
I still havent heard anything from Patrick Mcrann.
Im in need of a room mate, are you staying at marriott?
Let me know if your looking for one.

Im there wednesday to wednesday staying down in Keene.  Cottage with hot tub etc etc is probably what I need post race!

Im there wednesday to wednesday staying down in Keene.  Cottage with hot tub etc etc is probably what I need post race!

Its not far...maybe 10 miles between towns. Someone else asked about the logistics of getting into and out of the town on race morning. Last year I volunteered and they had 4-5 parking areas set up on the outside of Lake Placid ( at least 1 from every direction) and shuttle buses that ran you right to the Olympic oval where the bike transition area is. It was a piece of cake... i dont think I ever waited more than 5 min for a bus, and even with traffic it was maybe a 5-10 min ride into town. Best thing about the buses was it was stress free...didnt have to worry about traffic...side streets that were open all week closed race morning etc.

I am glad to hear that about the MM preview ride in comparison with the LP course, that is really why I picked that race for my 1/2 IM(following the Fink plan).  I am not in your league speed/fitness wise, the course took me over 4 hours to complete, but I was being very conservative because I wasn't sure about how I would handle the climbs. I also had to stop and have someone take my picture at the Fort Mountain turnaround to prove I made it up the mountain  Regardless, not sure I will be much faster in the race. 

Sorry for the scare.  Hope you had a hearty laugh afterwards!!  I did the same thing to last years group but pranked that the construction was on the northbound of the course so the course was being changed to a double out & back and we'd have to climb the Keene descent 4 times!! 

Saranac is actually about eight or nine minutes away from Lake Placid if you catch all the lights right on 86.  I'm staying on Saranac Ave at the edge of Lake Placid - which is a 4 min drive from Main St.  I like being close, but still being far enough away.  In 2010 we stayed at the Northwoods which is right smack-dab in the middle of Main Street and all the craziness.  It was a lot of fun and exciting being right in the action of town, but I find I prefer the more relaxing vibe of the suburbs on Race Week.

we are all staying thurs-tues at the northpole resort. see you all in lake placid.

Dream Chaser - 2012-04-03 7:01 AM So for all you folks who celebrate Easter on Sunday - are you trying to figure out how to squeeze ALL your training in before Sunday?  We have the kiddies do an easter egg hunt in the morning and then my family is coming over my house, so yeah, no training Sunday.  And have to get the house ready for Easter and get all my training in.  Fun times

The Tallahassee tri-season opens this Saturday with the Red Hills Sprint Triathlon (pretty popular race in my neck of the woods) so that shoots down the long bike.  We have family coming over for Easter dinner so I plan to be up very early for long slow run. 

BTW...your April fools joke sucked me in completely.

Hey Bill-

I lived in Lake City for a couple years so I know how touch it is to find hills. Then again I was 280lbs and not even thinking about this sport.

you will get some good info on here, especially from the vets.

lurk all ya want but ask questions, as you can see no one is shy