Ironman Lake Placid was my first Ironman. I couldn’t have asked for a better Ironman race. The course was beautiful, and unlike previous years, the day turned out to be dry. If you decide to do Ironman Lake Placid you’ll have to bring a variety of clothes for your transition bags because you never know what you might get. When you travel to a mountainous region, good weather is something you can never depend on, as seen in previous years.During the pre-race activities, you’ll get a first-hand look at what organized pandemonium is. At first you might think you’ll get lost in the crowd, but with all the great race supporters, you’ll get where you need to be.
The swim course was amazing. Mirror Lake is a small lake and I thought it might be a tough swim being so small. The key to surviving is to find a lane and stick to it. Usually this means staying to the outside. Only if you are a strong swimmer would you want to swim the inside lane. By the time you’re on the second lap the field is spread out enough that you will be able to find a good pace.
The bike course is as hilly as advertised but it’s not as bad as the profile makes it look. The key here is to pace yourself during the first 30 km. You don’t want to go hard, even if you feel good. There are parts of the course that you need to deal with cautiously, especially the screaming hill down to Keene. Going downhill at 60 km/h with a crosswind is something you don’t want to take lightly. Overall the bike course was amazing and the crowds you encountered throughout the course made it well worth the exhausting ride.
The run has some hills, some real quad killers at times. The aid stations were great and the volunteers were always ready when you came through an aid station. The crowds of people really helped keep you motivated and it seemed that during the run you were never alone. If it wasn’t the supporters it was other athletes giving you the extra moral support that you needed to go that little bit further.
I would recommend Ironman Lake Placid to anyone doing their first, second or even tenth Ironman. I plan on going back someday since this race is well situated for anyone living in the eastern side of the country. It’s a great race to take the family and spend some extra time after enjoying all that Lake Placid has to offer. The people of Lake Placid are very welcoming and are great race supporters.
