The Lake Placid Ironman triathlon takes place on Sunday, July 20 in Lake Placid, New York. Lake Placid has become one of the most popular and challenging locations for Ironman racing in North America. The course is spectacular and difficult. The 2.4-mile swim takes place in Mirror Lake, a calm lake right in the heart of Lake Placid. The swim is a “mass start,” where all participants start at the same time. The water temperature is expected to be in the high 60s to low 70s. Wetsuits are strongly encouraged. There are actually scuba divers in the water to supervise and for safety. After coming out of the water in hopefully 1 hour and 20 minutes and catching my balance, I will then have the "strippers" (people who pull off wetsuits) peel off my wetsuit and will jog a 1/4-mile to the transition area in the Olympic circle where my bike awaits. I will probably have a Cliff bar and down some Accelerade before hopping on the bike and praying for no flat tires. After the transition, I will tackle the 112-mile bike ride through the challenging Adirondack Mountains. The topography of the ride is the toughest of all US Ironman competitions. I hope to finish this in less than 7 hours, which is a long time to be on a bike seat that's just way too small. It is a two-loop course with lots of hills. I will keep a bagel with peanut butter on the bike to eat and I will be drinking some form of liquid nutrition. It's like one big healthy shake to replace all of those calories I will be burning on the ride. After the last down hill turn, I will be back in the Olympic circle again and transition to the run. The 26.2 mile run, and yes that is a marathon distance, will go through beautiful tree-lined scenery, along the lake and up and down rolling hills. Having completed a half Ironman, I know that the word run is used loosely. It's commonly referred to as more of the Ironman shuffle. On the course, we will pass the Olympic ski jumps twice on our way back to the Olympic circle and finish line. This is the same circle that Eric Heiden won his 5 gold medals in the 1980 winter games. It's also next door to the ice rink where the USA beat the Soviets during the same Olympic games, now referred to as the "Miracle on Ice". If all goes as planned, I hope to complete the run in less than 5 hours. Crossing the finish line will be fulfilling a lifetime goal. When I saw it last year, it was overwhelming. The competitive athletes finish in under 10 hours, but what is amazing to watch is the mere mortals who cross the finish line at night in the cold after 16 hours. Competitors are encouraged to cross the finish line with friends and family. I am looking forward to crossing that line with my family and in honor of all those who have been affected by Leukemia or Lymphoma. Please help me fund the cure. Please see link to official Lake Placid Ironman website: http://www.ironman.com/events/ironman/lakeplacid