Endurance Nation | Triathlon Coaching, Ironman Training, Half Ironman, Beginner Triathlon

We appreciate your patience as we update you on our Team’s performance, first with pictures and video (with more on our Facebook page), then with our Race Report Podcast Series, and now with their results and some excerpts from their race reports in our members-only forum.

Some of you have may have been following our Race Tracker on race day, a neat little tool we’ve built that automagically updates itself on race day with our Team splits. The following is an overview of our results with some additional color commentary added! Yeah, Team EN!

TeamEN IMUSA Results:

Trent Prough — 10:36:08; “Although dissapointed only  in my finish time, I realize it is all to circumstances of the day, and my day was not a perfect one, but I did push through and finished one of the greatest endurance events out there and in the top 5% to 7%.  I am very glad I decided to toe the line and do this race.  It taught me so much about how much I miss my family and also how great of human beings this team has and will help an aging old dad come have a little fun at this big game we all play.”

Paul Gaston — 11:40:52

Scott Davis — 11:30:53; Six minute PR!

Sean Begley — 13:07:51

Steve Perkins — 12:12:57; “This race unfolded almost exactly perfectly for me despite an inauspicious accident right before the swim start. I stepped on something (a rock, I think) and cut the outside of my right foot, just below the little toe about 5 minutes before the cannon went off. I didn’t know how bad it was, but I didn’t think about it, I just focused on the race.

Race execution was almost to a T, and the result was a 14 minute Ironman PR, including a PR for the Ironman marathon by 25 minutes. Once again, the 4 Keys point the way to AG success. “

Barbara Pudiak — 15:17:28

Keith Buell — 12:27:31

Dave Halligan — 11:14:38; One hour thirty minute PR! “I was thrilled. I actually was able to run. After all my stops and starts during training, I was able to run the marathon. What a great day, what a great year of training. The journey was complete, and what a tremendous journey it was. The tough parts were hours in the pain cave, winter runs with frozen icicles on my beard, long runs in the 90’s and torrential downpours, and being so shelled after some rides I couldn’t stand up to take a shower. The good parts were those runs that felt effortless, many encounters with deer, fox, turkeys, and hawks, the rides in NH, CA, and my home roads of Essex county all with such beautiful backdrops, and the peaceful open water swims with my sister as the sun was rising.”

Eric Voboril — 12:27:51 “This IM was the race I’d been hoping to have in my previous 2 tries.   At both IMUK and IMAZ, it seems that I had massive nutritional and hydration breakdowns that left me nearly crawling through the run.  This time, I got it dialed in and I was running all the way to the finish.  I have Coach Patrick and Rich to thank, but also the great advice from fellow ENers after my last IM and the staff at Infinit Nutrition.”

Mike Graffeo — 11:53:15, First Timer!

Joe Priore — 11:45:53

Greg Crofford — 11:54:10

Kevin Barr — 12:55:22

Carly Costanza — 14:59:47

Fergus Whelan — 11:38:05

Derek Sumida — 11:19:27; “Thanks to my sister, mother and girlfriend for supporting me and dealing with me all year and week long. Thanks to all the EN peeps from feedback on the forums to all those who were on the course cheering us on. Last thanks to Patrick and Rich you guys are awesome, your knowledge and race experience put me years ahead of where i would be otherwise. You’ve all contributed to making my first IM experience a great one.”

Cary Blanco — 13:30:59, First Timer! “My first Ironman experience was an truly amazing one, I had a smile on my face the whole day. I executed EN style and finished where I wanted to be.”

Dana Sharp — 16:15:31, Mother of one & full-time worker bee in her return to the IM distance! “Congrats to all the EN peeps who participated in IMLP, finisher or not.  It is a super tough course that commands respect and props to all of you for getting out there and doing it! Secondly, thanks to the entire EN family and coaches.  This was one long year and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the forum and the coaches.”

Terry Wyatt — 11:33:28

Suzanne Kinsky — 12:56:10, First Timer!  “At the top of Papa Bear I saw Dana’s family in their tie-dye shirts. So fun! They whooped it up and made me feel like a rock star. Then I was thrilled to see Chris G after the turn. Seriously, if I think about the highlights of my race, most of them involve the people I saw along the way. Familiar faces became really, really important on race day.”

David Martin — 15:41:43

Kevin Lanahan — 11:29:45

Grant Stauffer — 12:43:30

Atif Malik — 14:24:20

Jed Vanichkachorn — 11:15:25

Jeremy Dodds — 11:27:55

Tom Campbell — 13:57:42

Mike Allen — 12:08:19

Lou Marrero — 14:15:00

And, of course, we get input from folks who aren’t on the Team but use our plans to achieve their race day best. Here’s a great example!

Hey Rich and Patrick,

The subject covers my main point, but I can expand on it a little bit. I did IMLP this past weekend, had a huge PR, and it’s pretty much all thanks to your training plans. I did Placid in ’08 in the monsoon in 11:35. For ’09 Placid, I got myself a power meter and trained somewhat EN style based on reading Training and Racing with a Power Meter and did it in 10:38. For 2010, I got your OutSeason and then Advanced IM plans and ended up crossing the line in 9:51:00 last Sunday! It was hands down the best race I’ve ever executed.

I came up to Patrick after the 4 Keys talk last Friday, introduced myself and basically said thanks for putting out awesome products at a great value, but I wanted to just say thanks again. There’s no way I would have taken 1:45 off my IM time in 2 years and still been happily married if it wasn’t for Endurance Nation. I’ve had at least 15 people over the past couple of days ask me what the hell I’ve been doing to get so much better so quickly, and I always point them to EN and say it’s the best stuff out there for age group triathletes because I really believe that it is.

Thanks again!
David

Join TeamEN
Would you like to achieve results like this and have a race weekend experience, for you AND your family, like the one we create for our 25-40 athletes at every US Ironman? Join our Team! Our next round of invitations will be sent to our waiting list on August 9th, 2010. Go here to register to receive an invitation.

Popularity: 17% [?]

TeamEN had 30 athletes on the course last weekend. Many of them are eager to tell their stories and we present them here to you in a consolidated blog post. Be sure to check back frequently as this will be updated over the coming weeks!

David Halligan: Coach Patrick interviews Dave about his race experience at Ironman USA 2010. Learn how Dave really upped his game from 2008 and how his day played out across the bike (only a 3 minute positive split) and where he entered a “world of hurt” on the run course!

Dana Sharp: Coach Patrick interviews the inimitable Dana Sharp, returning to her first Ironman after having a baby. Learn how she used the EN plans to manage her training time, and our Four Keys guidance to manage her race day! Very informative and inspirational.

Eric Voboril: Coach Patrick from Endurance Nation interview Eric about his race day experience. Eric set a big new PR and had a really solid day across the board for a self-described “average” athlete. Tune in to hear how he got it done!

Cary Blanco: Coach Patrick digs into Cary’s race story to learn more about how he leveraged the Four Keys to make his first time IM experience so powerful and rewarding!

Suzanne Kinsky: Coach Patrick finds out how Suzanne recovers from a broken elbow only seven weeks out from race day (!!!) to lay down a great first-ever (marathon) and Ironman!

Other Lake Placid Resources
In addition to the growing list of athlete resources above, there were a few other EN moments captured on audio for your listening (and learning) pleasure!

Team EN IMUSA Dinner Overview: Coach Patrick records his welcome message and quick overview of the Ironman USA course as presented to the Team during our annual dinner. More than 80 athletes, family members and friends descended on Nicola’s to connect with one another and prepare for a great weekend. We hope you enjoy this podcast and take it as an example of how commited Endurance Nation is to supporting the Age Group triathlete – from our renown training plans to fun, family-oriented race weekend experiences!

Four Keys of Ironman Execution, Ironman USA Version: Coach Patrick delivers the Ironman USA version of our Four Keys of Ironman Execution Talk, live at Ironman Lake Placid in July 2010. Patrick discusses the Four Keys, the guidance used by thousands of successful Ironman finishers, and then describes their application, in detail, to the IMUSA course.

Like what you hear? Think you could benefit from the resources, community and support of Endurance Nation? Interested in joining our team of 400+ Ironman and Half Ironman athletes? Go here!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Derek Sumida smiled all day long during his first IM, finishing in 11:19!

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The following is a quick recap from IMUSA by Coach Patrick. A full report will come later this week, as well as podcast interviews and more photos. For now you can see our pictures online via SmugMug and learn more about the weekend by cruising our Facebook page. If you like the vibe and want to be a part of Team EN, please sign up for our Waitlist — next opening in mid-August!

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The 2010 edition of Ironman Lake Placid went off pretty much without a hitch. Weather reports all week suggested that it would be wet and pretty ugly. But the day actually turned out to be a pretty good day for racing. Still cool in the mornings with a couple quick showers, but the race kicked off under overcast skies with all reports pointing to a rough and pretty fast swim. People said it was brutal in the water. While the additional 800 people didn’t appear to show up so much in the photographs, they were definitely felt by the athletes in the water.

Out on the bike, it definitely was a tale of two races, Lake Placid being cool with some wind and moisture, while down lower in Keene, Wilmington and Jay it was warm to hot. And, I think that combination of cool and hot really wreaked havoc with a lot of folks. Not to mention the variable pacing issues that many middle of the pack cyclists faced as the course was quite full of athletes. All in all, the strong bikers still went fast…including a 5:07 from the eventual female winner. I was able to ride the course backwards and see many of the EN folks, some twice. Very cool.

Entering the run, it was still somewhat overcast. When the sun did come through it was hot, but for the most part it was cool. The wind did pick up continuously throughout the day, and as a result, some of the runners did face some pretty significant headwinds. Again, the temperatures did fluctuate and if you were unlucky enough to mess up your bike nutrition, you definitely suffered on the run. But, overall, for the team, it was a great race. I alternated hanging out with the Team at the EN tent and spending time at Mile 18 before I rolled into the finish line to start catching athletes.

We had people all across the board setting anything from an hour and a half personal bests to not setting a personal best but still having a great race. One of the great things about Ironman is that each day is unique and while you don’t always get what you wanted, sometimes you get something that’s even more rewarding. I think it’s safe to say our athletes experienced that across the board.

Here are a few post-race video interviews from our YouTube Channel:

Another giant thank you to all the EN athletes and families who made race week and race day so special. A shout out to the athletes who stopped to tell me that our Four Keys of Ironman execution really worked for them. All of you have earned some time off…so take it! We’ll still be here when you get back; take the time to write up your race report and process what did / didn’t work for you so you can be better next time!

Until then, be safe out there and see you on the roads!

Coach Patrick

Popularity: 16% [?]

This year we have thirty Team EN athletes toeing the line at Ironman Lake Placid! Including family members, we’ll have well over 100 folks in town to spread the EN vibe!

They are a hearty, interesting bunch, as their bios below reveal. There truly is nothing typical about an Ironman or the people who choose to participate. Learn more about the Team and the unique individuals who make up our Lake Placid crew below. You can also track them online on race day using our Team Tracking Sheet here: View the Sheet.

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Suzanne Kinsky: I currently live in Silver Spring, MD where I work in the HIV prevention field. As a Rochester, NY native, I consider myself an honorary member of the Western NY sleeper cell. I started open water swimming in the Adirondack lakes when I was 15, so racing Placid for my first Ironman was an obvious choice. When I started doing triathlons in 1999 my dad would often join me on the run leg as a bandit. At the time it was equally humiliating and touching. He’ll be on site in Lake Placid but I don’t think he’s planning to jump into the marathon..

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Steve Perkins: I’ve been competing in triathlon for 7 years, and have done Ironman Wisconsin twice (2004, 2007) with a personal best of 12:27 in 2004. I’m an endurance sport junkie, and would love to do Ironman every year, but in the interests of family harmony, this will be my last full Ironman for several years.

I am an attorney from Denver, Colorado. I work at a large healthcare/medical device company in Boulder that builds electrosurgical and tumor ablation devices. Chances are that if you’ve ever had surgery, one of our devices was used on you. I handle products liability and patent litigation as well as patent prosecution and licensing transaction. I’ve been married to the same terrific woman (Laura) for 10 1/2 years, and we have fraternal twin boys, age 3 1/2.

One interesting fact about me… I am also a twin (identical), and my brother, Dan, will also be competing at Lake Placid, and will be my guest at the team dinner on Friday night. Good luck to the team! See you in Lake Placid.

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Joe Priore, 34 (should be in M35-39 group because I turn 35 in November), from Amherst, NY (suburb of Buffalo). 3rd IM (USA’04, Canada’05, then took long IM break because I have 2 little girls, Mariana,4.5 and Giada, 2.5 yrs old – wife and Mariana will be up for race)
Basically looking to right all the wrongs from the 1st 2 IM’s, nail EN race execution.

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Kevin Walter (not racing this year but 7 IMUSA’s under his belt!): I am not racing this weekend, but have done 8 Ironman races from 2004-2009 with 7 consecutive IM-Lake Placid finishes. Next IM will likely be Regensburg in 2011. Looking forward to cheering and taking lots of pictures as this will be the first Ironman I’ve ever been at where I wasn’t racing! Accompanied by my lovely wife, Ellie who is a marathoner (work on her for Marathon Nation!) and children Sara (9) and Emily (6). By day I am a neurosurgeon at the University of Rochester.

Picture is before the start of IMLP last year with Ellie.

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Kevin Barr: Hey Team EN Haus, my name is Kevin Barr and am based out of The Woodlands, Texas. Happily married to my wife Amy and have three amazing kids, Lauren 7, Luke 5, and Logan 3. I have been with the EN Team for a couple years now and I call this place home. Ironman Lake Placid will be my second Ironman, as I did the Hawaii Ironman the past October in Kona. Our house is crazy with ironmans this year. I have Placid and Florida on the books, and my wife Amy is doing Hawaii and Cozumel! No such thing as a quiet household. Mix that in with a couple ironkid races, and we call this place Team Barr. Very excited to see everyone up in Lake Placid!

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Jed S. Vanichkachorn: Look forward to seeing you on Thursday night. Will be there with friends and their daughter. I believe that you met Sam at Couer D Alene last year. This will be IM number 5 for me but have been trying to juggle my orthopaedic practice, training, and schooling on the weekends for a MBA. Using IM USA as training for my repeat attempt at Cozumel this year since it owes me some karma from last year. Hope to represent EN nation well though as I have remained injury free this year!

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Eric Voboril: IMLP 2010 will be Eric’s 3rd Ironman race and 2nd with Endurance Nation. He started triathlonizing for 4 years, although he was running and cycling a lot before that. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Eric has no kids, but he does have an accordion and a mandolin that he plays with. He’s a little disappointed that synchronized swimming has done nothing to make him a faster swimmer (he’s not joking about synchronized swimming: www.fluidmovement.org).

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Jeremy Dodds, Age 41. Currently from Skaneateles, New York (Finger Lakes region) but I grew up near Boston. My wife, Kristin, and I have two daughters: Morgan is 9 and Lauren is 6. I am a school administrator who focuses on reforming poorly performing high schools. I have been a runner and a biker all of my adult life and then some. I was a Category 2 bike racer at one time and my PR for an open marathon is 3:02:30. I did my first triathlon in 2001 and have been doing multi-sport races since then. I was a member of Team USA for duathlon from 2007 to 2009. In 2007 in Richmond, Virginia, I won the Long Course 35-39 AG Duathlon World Championship and I placed 4th in 2008 when it was in Belgium. I am sponsored by Hammer Nutrition. Swimming has always been difficult for me so I hope to survive the swim, have a good bike, and then have a strong run. I joined EN in the spring and this will be my first IM. Good luck to everyone!

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Dave Halligan: 41 years old, two great kids, Aidan, 7 and Julia, 4. Married to a tremendously wonderful woman, Caroline who encourages and supports my endurance lifestyle and truly is my best friend.
First IM was Lake Placid in 2008. First OW swim was the Thurs before the race, my bike was a road bike with clip on aero bars, no power meter, and I did not train with pace.
Regardless, I followed the plan and finished with a smile on my face and officially became an Ironman.
2 years later, I have a few more OW swims under my belt, some more experience on the bike, training with power, a pretty decent TT bike setup, and all run training has been using pace. I’ve added some experience and bling, but none of it will matter on Sunday unless I stick to the plan and execute a good race.
I’m hoping my calves, hip, and glute behave on Sunday as they’ve all given me a hard time this year and have interrupted my run training way too much for my liking.
Racing on Sunday will be a celebration of the journey I’ve been on pursuing this endurance lifestyle and reaping all the benefits it has to offer.
I hope to become an Ironman for a second time, finishing again with a smile on my face.

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Dana Sharp, 31, Fairport, New York. Married to Douglas with beautiful, soon-to-be 2 year old, Abigail. Also residents of the house: Barney, Brittany Spaniel and Bailey, Yellow Lab. Second year with EN, first IM with EN, although 2nd go round with the LP course. The first IMLP in 2007 was all about the insurmountable challenge. This time it is about completing the insurmountable challenge while being a full time working mom. This one is about celebrating life, fitness and family…and showing my daughter that ANYTHING is possible!!!!!

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Terry Wyatt: Athlete bib #1770, from the Bluegrass State. IMUSA will be my third IM in as many years (IMLOU, IMWIS). I am a middle school band director in Florence, KY and have a lovely wife-Louanna & 15yo daughter-Claire. They (along with in-laws) will be joining me this year in Lake Placid. Our home base is the KOA on Whiteface & we plan to station the fan club/cowbells up that climb out of Wilmington. Thanks to coaches RnP for making my weakest link (bike) much stronger and my run much smarter this year. Good Luck to all of EN -USA this weekend!!!

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Derek Sumida: I was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii. Currently living in New York City where i work as a physical therapist. I have been participating in triathlons since 2007. Past race distances have been a mix of olympic and HIM races. IMLP 2010 will be my first full ironman.

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Barbara Pudiak: This is my first Ironman and I am very excited. It has become a family event. I think my husband Steve, of 33 years, and 21 year old son, Dylan are more excited than I am. Lake Placid is like a comfortable old friend to us. We have been going there for 15 years since Dylan is a cross country ski racer. This Ironman is a very personal challenge also. November 2009 I was diagnosised with Breast Cancer. Three surgeries later, I am cancer free. It was the commitment to doing this Ironman event that I focused on to help get me and my family through that difficult time.

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Carly Costanza, first IM at Lake Placid this year. I have trained (and lived) in 3 different areas of California in training for this race (Orange County, Palm Springs and San Jose). I also rode in Salt Lake City, UT, Lake Placid and my hometown Rochester, NY. I currently live in Boston, MA, where I plan to stay for awhile.

I have competed in 2 marathons, including Boston in 2005. I have done a few sprint triathlons and my first 1/2 IM was last year.

Goals for race day are to enjoy the experience and have fun.

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Mike Allen: 43yo, racing as44. I live on Nantucket Island, Nantucket Native (which is a dying breed) been doing Triathlon for 3 years, this is my 2nd IM 13:20 in IMKY last year, I got into tri b/c of health issues doc wanted me on BP and Cholesterol pills, happy to say lost 55 lbs to date and no meds at all!!!! Just a lot of hard work. Looking to race smart, patient and steady at IMLP, Perfect world goal would be sub 11 but anything in the 11 hr range would put me on top of the world!!!
Thanks again for all of your help in getting me here and I look forward to seeing you in LP and a very long relationship. Can’t wait to kick Halligan’s ass at the 2011 TOC!!!! Rest up P…you have and unfinished business in Cali!!!

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Atif Malik: I live in Milford, CT. Racing at age 31. This will be my 1st ironman. I have done a couple of 1/2 IM and 2 marthons before.
Back to triathlons after 1 year off because of injury (have a lot of hardware in my arm). Hope to have good race in lake placid, and finish the marathon with a smile on my face.

p.s the doc who operated on my elblow is racing IM LP also, I hope to pick him up as road kill after mile 18

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David Martin (Docmartin) – I have been with EN for the last 1 1/2 years. My first IM was with EN, and even with my own screwups, I managed to finish strong at LP last year. I am married with two children (10 and 13) and with my schedule I cannot train the 30+ hours/week that my tribuddies do. They have commented that I am faster than last year (we’ll see), but that is accomplished with relatively very little training time (compared to them). I am still amazed that I can go the IM distance, and feel OK the next day. Last year in LP on Monday morning, it seemed like I was the only one in town that wasn’t limping around. I am looking forward to LP this year, and I feel I should easily beat last year’s time with execution alone.

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Tracy Wood: I am really just so happy to get to the line! Ironman Lake Placid will be my third Ironman.The other two were Florida in 2002 and Coeur D’Alene in 2008. I am making a come back after a string of injuries began in fall of 2008 while training for Philadelphia marathon. I had to miss all races planned for last year. It has been a rocky road leading up to Lake Placid. My goal is to finish, enjoy the day and celebrate being able to do a sport I love. I am sure the experience of my other two Ironman races as well as my prior ultramarathons will come in handy. Grateful to be part of Endurance Nation, and have learned a ton! good luck to me fellow team mates.

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Cary Blanco 44 Atlantic Beach, NY
Marketing / Media / Artist Relations for Samson / Hartke / Zoom

Endurance nation member since November 2009. I’ve been competing in triathlons for three years. I’ve previously done a few sprint, Olympic and 70.3 distance events, Lake Placid will be my first Ironman. My goals are to enjoy the day, see my Endurance Nation and Runner’s Edge teammates on the course and send them positive vibes, finish the event with a smile on my face, and see my friends and family at the finish line. Bonus goal: party like a rockstar Monday night

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Lou Marrero from Montville, NJ, bib number 1892. This will be my first Ironman.  Celebrating my 49 birthday today.  I will be at the meet the team on friday morning and looking forward to meeting everyone!!

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My name is Fergus Whelan and I’m from Dublin Ireland where I live with my wife (Carol) and 2 children (Cuan – boy, 6) and (Tuathla -girl, 4). I am a civil engineer specialising in the construction of wind farms. I’ve been involved in triathlon for a loooooong time (first race 1986) but still consider myself a novice. This is my third time doing Placid and am I hoping for better weather than my last visit here in 2008. Training has gone well this year although I am feeling tired now. Roll on race day!

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Mike Graffeo: This will be my first shot at doing a full Ironman. I’ve been doing tri’s for 5 years, and have completed 2 marathons. Goals on the day are to 1) finish, 2) run the marathon, and 3) break my open marathon PR. My wife, 2 kids, father, sister, and brother-in-law will all be supporting me, and my cousin is also racing. The kids’ fun run is every bit as exciting to me as race day itself, because I get to be a spectator for my kids!

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Having raced the course 5 times, with a PR of 10:01, and conducted 6 camps in Lake Placid, Patrick knows IMUSA inside and out. These are his tips for you:

Is there really a cable under the water for the swim?
Absolutely. Experience across hundreds of athletes has shown that IMUSA will most likely be your fastest possible IM swim. With everyone in a ridiculously calm lake, little stands in your way. The couse is a bit narrow, however, meaning the out/back is longer than you might expect, and the no-holds-barred swim turns are expected.

What is the hardest part of the bike course?
While the entire bike is by no means easy, athletes can take some comfort in knowing that the course is consistent. You are generally doing one thing at a time for a relatively long time, either climbing, descending, or riding the flats. Without a doubt the key to nailing the bike is properly riding the hills of the section that runs from Jay to Wilmington. On the first lap this is approximately Mile 26 to Mile 32. This section is often under-estimated–or overlooked–by competitors. Everyone knows about the climb out of town, the long descent to Keene, the out and back, and of course the climb back into Lake Placid from Wilmington…but they forget this critical section from Upper Jay to Wilmington. Did you know there are three distinct climbs on this section, with the first one lasting anywhere from 6-10 minutes…ouch! This section is hard because most athletes don’t pay attention to it, ride too hard and pay for it dearly later in the day.

What Can My Family Do on Race Day?
Lake Placid is a great place to spectate, especially if the weather holds. Next to the swim start, athletes pass by twice on the bike and four times on the run. We recommend that families commit to either a full day of spectating with short trips into town for food – OR — take the first half of the day while the race is out on the bike (after the swim, of course) to do a hike / picnic / break / etc, then commit to being down on the course from 1pm on until your finish. Whichever they decide, help them out during race week by pointing out all the possibilities and available amenities.

What is the Temperature Like on Race Day?
Temps for Ironman Lake Placid are highly variable, as it’s nestled in the mountains. Past years have seen lots of rain and colder temps, so it’s best to pack everything just in case. In general the first hour of your day on the bike will be cool, then warming up as your race progresses. Athletes should put some warmer clothing into their special needs bags on the run just in case.

What’s Your Top Swim Tip?
The swim start will be tough simply because it’s so crowded. And with the cable underwater, everyone has an easy target with no real «secret» advantage to lining up on an angle, etc. If you are looking for a solid time, get into the mix and seed yourself about 2′ faster than your expected time. If you want to avoid the scrum as much as possible, just hang to the back by the beach and give everyone else a head start.

What’s the Biggest Mistake I Could Make?
The two biggest mistakes we see on the Lake Placid course are both related to overconfidence. On the bike, folks will simply hammer the first few climbs out of town en route to the descent, spending the first 30- to 45′ of their race riding too hot…and they are done. It’s too tempting to simplify the course as consisting of (1) a descent (2) flats (3) and out and back and, (4) the climb to town. On the run, athletes leaving Transition and running downhill through the hyped crowds often thinking they are putting time into the bank. There is no such bank for the IM run and your deposit will not only not be honored, it will cost you heavily in the last few miles of your marathon.

How can I nail the IMUSA Bike?
The Lake Placid course rewards patience and discipline. We recommend that athletes keep it in their “easy” gear through mile 40, or the end of the Out and Back. With your focus then on a great 72-mile ride, you can do your best to stay smooth and consistent up the rolling hills into town. Making the last hour of your ride back into town the strongest of your day.

How can I nail the IMUSA Run?
Run very easy for the first 6 miles, especially downhill. Fight the urge your legs have to fly and focus instead on nutrition and conserving energy. Once you make the turn on River Road, you have a net uphill return to town, including two very steep hills. Focus on running a solid middle 20k/13.1 miles, then you can sort out the rest once you have under 10k to go.

Additional Resources

IMUSA Overview Podcast!
Additional guidance from Patrick

Race 101
Learn how to race Ironman! Give us 8 lessons and we’ll save you years of wasted races and registration fees!

Four Keys Pre-Race Talk
Patrick McCrann will be on hand to coach the nearly 30 TeamEN athletes racing IMUSA and to deliver his Four Keys of Ironman Execution Pre-Race Talk to the public.  Meet Friday, 9:45am, at the K-Swiss booth and we’ll walk to the swim start on the grassy knoll by the footbridge for the actual talk. All talk attendees will receive a free copy of the Four Keys DVD, a $37 value!

Join Endurance Nation
Membership is by invitation-only. Join our waiting list to receive an invitation to join the Team as space becomes available.

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