PTC Teammate recently conquered her first full 140.6 distance race at Ironman Lake Placid. This iconic race destination is actually the first full Ironman distance outside of Kona when Ironman started to expand. The course itself is challenging, with over 7,000 ft. elevation gain over the 112-mile bike and also a hilly run, but the magic of the town and the supporters really does give that extra boost to get to the finish line. Congrats to Brynn on making it through the training process and crossing the finish line in 14 hours 12 minutes!
Post-race, Brynn was able to reflect and share on the experience with us!
How did you get into triathlons?
I did a triathlon when I was 10 years old, then took a long hiatus until my fiancé's cousin asked me to join him for a sprint triathlon two years ago. I fell in love with the training and have been in some form of training ever since.
What was your racing experience with triathlons prior to signing up for IMLP?
I have done 2 sprints, 1 olympic, 1 half Ironman (North Carolina 70.3 in October 2025), and now a full Ironman.
With the many different options for your first full Ironman, why did you pick Lake Placid?
I grew up going to the Adirondacks in Blue Mountain Lake and as an adult have been going to Lake Placid a couple times a year to complete the 46er challenge (hiking the 46 peaks over 4000ft in the Adirondack) and to ski. I knew if I was ever going to do an Ironman, it had to be Lake Placid.
Tell us about some memorable moments or lessons you have learned training for IMLP?
A standout memory was getting to ride in Acadia National Park, climbing to the top of Cadillac Mountain and riding the park roads. It was beautiful, and great training for extended climbs. As for lessons learned: I wish I'd focused more on recovery. I developed hamstring tendonitis during training, which made the last six weeks really challenging and meant a lot of time in PT. Next time, I'd prioritize recovery and stretching to help prevent injuries like that.
Where were your favorite places to train for IMLP, especially finding hills in the Philly area?
I mostly rode the SRT and would do far too many laps around Valley Forge to get in hill training. When I started training I was not as comfortable riding on the road by myself, but next time I am doing a hilly event I would try to mix it up a bit more.
Making the jump to 140.6 and having a few short course races completed, what areas did you know you had to focus more on and what tips/strategies did you pick up to improve?
There were two big areas of focus:
Nutrition: I started working with a dietitian while training for the 70.3, which helped a lot, but I still had a long way to go — not just during workouts, but in my day-to-day eating as well. I'd definitely recommend working with a dietitian, because the caloric needs of Ironman training are honestly kind of insane.
Running: I'd only ever run a half marathon before, so the 70.3 wasn't too intimidating, but the marathon at the end of a full was a different story. I added in a lot more speed work and did tons of bricks to prepare.
Can you describe your nutrition strategy and what you put in the special needs bags for the race?
I've never been great at eating on the bike, so I leaned heavily on high-carb drinks — I used unflavored Skratch/Feed mix with lemon juice added so it tasted like lemonade. I also brought Quaker Big Bars and Go Bars for granola bar options. My goal was to get in 90g of carbs per hour on the bike, since I knew the run would be a challenge. On the run, I started with energy chews, but as expected, my stomach gave out pretty quickly and I switched to cola, grapes, and the occasional handful of pretzels to get through. Not exactly a strategy I'd recommend, but it worked.
For my bike special needs bag, I packed an extra bottle of the high-carb mix, I only wanted to carry two bottles at a time, along with the BioFreeze packets from the kickoff party, which completely saved my hamstring (whether that was physical relief or pure placebo, I'll take it). I also threw in an Uncrustable, though I never ended up eating it. In my run special needs bag, I packed candy and extra energy chews, but I didn't actually stop for anything. I also carried BioFreeze and a HotShot with me just in case.
During a day full of mental challenges, any favorite matras or self-talk you used to keep on pushing through?
I don't have a specific mantra, but I kept reminding myself that the day would be a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Whenever things got tough, I'd tell myself a high was around the corner (or maybe not a high, but just not a low).
Describe the last parts of the race and how you felt when you knew you would finish and what was it like?
Once I knew I was going to finish, even if I had to walk the rest of the way, I felt incredibly proud of myself. This was, without question, the hardest thing I've ever done, and I faced plenty of obstacles along the way that would have made a lot of people quit. Crossing that finish line ranks as one of the top moments of my life.
What tips/advice do you have for someone doing their first Ironman and what tips specific to IMLP?
In general: remember there will be highs and lows, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. For IMLP specifically, train hills, and then train more hills. Try to find long climbs to train on. I noticed a lot of the hills around here are steeper than what's on the course, but much shorter. One of the toughest parts of IMLP was grinding up long hills for miles at a time, and that's hard to replicate without the real thing. Also, not something you can necessarily train for, but be ready for the wind. I faced crazy headwinds and crosswinds the entire bike.
What do you have planned next for this year and next?
Nothing planned for the rest of this year, but next year I'm aiming for a 70.3. Haven't picked one yet, but Maine is a possibility.
Thanks so much for sharing a part of your journey with us and congrats again Brynn!!!