Book excerpt: Lake Placid, upstate New York: the place where dreams come true for elite athletes for nearly 75 years. Host of the Winter Olympics in 1936 and 1980, and the Ironman Triathlon since 1999, the proud city has witnessed the epic, the unexpected and the truly remarkable. The challenging terrain, the beautiful landscapes, the inviting communities and the continuing support for exceptional athletics made Lake Placid, and its surrounding Adirondack towns, the perfect location for a new Race. I've completed 29 Ironman triathlons overall, and my clear favorite is Lake Placid, where I've competed six times. Each race brought different conditions, unexpected challenges, surprise opportunities, different outcomes, and different lessons. During those years, I qualified for Kona twice, but also struggled to finish on occasion. The lessons learned paved the way to my best Ironman ever, and in this book, they will illustrate everything you need to know about racing in Lake Placid. The experiences are all presented here, from race details and essentials, race experience reports from my races in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007 to detailed training plan and strategy reviews, plus tips for finishing your best Ironman triathlon. Ready to experience Ironman USA Lake Placid? Buckle up, it's quite a ride.