89 Days to Ultraman Mexico. Lake Placid Ironman

Ironman Lake Placid complete again!

I set personal bests in all three disciplines, the overall course, and the total distance. I’m proud to have pulled it off.

The swim didn’t feel smooth. I lost my cap at the end of the first lap. My long hair brought in an extra layer of chaos blocking my goggles and getting in my mouth. I still managed a PR. Getting out of the water I was sure It was my slowest swim yet and that thought would fester through transition and the first 20 miles on the bike. I skipped the wetsuit pullers because I was frustrated with my time, but they’re invaluable. The time itself isn’t critical, but the stress of trying to remove the suit alone isn’t worth it.

The bike portion was intense. Rain started shortly after the swim and persisted through much of the course. Cold, wet conditions made the hilly early miles particularly brutal. I felt off. I was still focused on my swim performance. My expectations for the day were clouding my attention. I wanted a PR for every section and the belief that I had already missed the goal was all I could think about. As the climbs continued the physical stimulus brought me back to the present. I knew I couldn’t force the thoughts away so I let themselves burn off with the heat of effort.

The first 20 miles of the bike included heavy rainfall, especially on the biggest downhill of the course. I took it about 10mph slower for safety. The rain came and went, returning in full force on the second descent. This time, I went for it, tucking into aero and bombing the hill. Speed made the rain feel like small hail, puddles splashed up from under the bike, and vibrations rattled through every part of the frame. I was calm and collected. I finished the bike in just over seven hours.

Then came the marathon. My goal was to finish in 5 hours, though I wasn’t sure I could. I had been running more miles recently, but only one run exceeded ten miles. I treated this as preparation for day three of Ultraman: 7 hours, 7,000 feet of vertical over 112 miles seemed an acceptable simulation for the first half of a double marathon. My target pace was a steady sub 12:00min per mile. The plan was to hold this pace as long as I could then switch to a run walk cycle and see if I could finish in 5 hours or less. As the hours wore on my pace held strong. I went on to run the entire course even the uphill sections. This was gave me a massive boost of confidence.

I finished the course just after sundown and that gave me my next Ironman goal. Finish the course with the sun shining. I hope to race Lake Placid every year. Having it for my first Ironman make it a special course. I love the hills, the trees, and of course the run finish.