Five Tips for the Ironman Lake Placid Bike Course
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07 Jun Five Tips for the Ironman Lake Placid Bike Course

Posted at 14:25h in by
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Credit: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

We have a number of T Train riders who are getting ready to race Ironman Lake Placid on July 24, 2022. Known as one of the hard bike courses on the Ironman circuit, it’s also one of the most beautiful. I have trained and raced there more times than I can remember and have also led training camps there. Both the climbs and the fast descents on the course mean you’re constantly shifting and that’s part of the fun! Here are a few of my top tips for nailing the bike course.

 

  1. Be careful coming out of T1 because there is a short and fast descent with a sharp left turn at the bottom of the hill.

 

  1. Ride the first loop conservatively! EXTRA conservatively!  It’s easy to go out too hard on this two-loop course, especially over the climb out of town when you have fresh legs, and the adrenaline is running high. This climb often catches people off guard as it’s less talked about than the climbs that begin just past the skip jumps, or even those you’ll encounter on the way back into town at the end of the loop. Don’t worry if people pass you as you ride steady and controlled here as you will likely repass them all on the second loop! You should not feel “heavy legs” at the beginning of this course and if find yourself wondering if you are riding too hard, you probably are.

 

  1. Be sure to ride the big descent down to Keene within your comfort and hug the top tube with your knees both to stay aero and for stability.

 

  1. Execute your nutrition plan and remember to eat before the big descent and on the flat sections so you don’t lose easy speed on the descent trying to consume calories.

 

  1. Stretch out by sitting up to eat every 20 minutes or so (or when your nutrition plan calls for caloric and fluid intake) and you can also stretch out your back every once in a while as well as carry your momentum by getting out of the saddle for 10-20 pedal strokes.

 

Don’t forget to have a look around! The views of the Adirondacks are stunning.

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