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Another Miracle On Ice - Or Mayhem on Course at IRONMAN Lake Placid?
IM Lake Placid preview, dew point danger, and pre/probiotics for you!
Matthew Sharpe
July 18, 2025
Good morning everyone,
I don’t always recommend it, but ever once and awhile you have to bust out a “hero workout.”
This type of session can be anything that is pretty audacious - but in the realm of achievable. And for myself yesterday, that was a run workout featuring 10×1km with 60 seconds recovery between each interval.
It’s a workout I’ll do very sparingly. But it often serves as a sort of fitness vibe check. And based on how it went, the vibes are good!
I was able to hit my goal pace of under 3:10/km (5:06/mile) - and without digging a pre-race grave!
Do we need to do workouts like this all the time? Definitely not! But sometimes its fun to hit the gas a little harder!
In today’s edition:
🏒 Another Miracle on Ice - or mayhem on course at IRONMAN Lake Placid?
🌡️ What does the Dew Point mean for your training?
🦠 And how pre and probiotics can help keep you on top of your game!
-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor
Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.
ONE BIG THING
Another Miracle On Ice - Or Mayhem on Course at IRONMAN Lake Placid?
IRONMAN
What is it: This weekend sees the IRONMAN Pro Series touch down in Lake Placid.
IRONMAN Lake Placid, one of the brand’s longest-running and most storied events, sees many Pro Series athletes desperate to boost their scores in the final non-World Championship full distance event.
Women’s race
Last year’s winner, Danielle Lewis (USA), will be looking to repeat. But she’ll have stiff competition!
Jackie Hering (USA), second to Lewis last year brings Pro Series winning-form having taken the W in Cairns just over a month ago.
Solvieg Lovseth (NOR), who made one of the most impressive full-distance debuts we’ve ever seen finishing third in Hamburg will certainly NOT be under the radar this time!
Other podium threats include:
Marta Sanchez (ESP) - 2nd at IRONMAN South Africa
Holly Lawrence (GBR) - First-ever full distance, recent top 6 performances in T100 San Francisco and Vancouver.
Lisa Perterer (AUT) - 3rd at IRONMAN Texas
Lotte Wilms (NED) - 3rd at IRONMAN Cairns. Fingers crossed her watch connects to GPS quickly!
Men’s race
The men’s race sees a rematch between last year’s winner, Trevor Foley (USA), and second place, Matthew Marquardt (USA). Marquardt should once again be leading the race from the gun, and after his absolutely insane comeback in Cairns…
Can anyone actually stop him?
If someone does, it’ll be Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN). The recent runner-up at the IRONMAN European Championships has shown he is in world class form. Especially given how he absolutely torched the field on the bike.
Placid is hilly, and we could see him ride (and run) to the top step.
Leon Chevalier (FRA), second last weekend in Swansea, and fourth last year in Kona could be an outside winner. Same with Matt Hanson (USA), who has made it known few can touch his 2:38 run pedigree!
And all eyes will be on Jason West (USA), making his full distance debut. He might be one of the few athletes on the planet who can outrun Hanson.
If he’s within striking distance on the run, it could be a win on debut!
Pro Series Shakeup
In the women’s race, Jackie Hering (USA) could jump into the Pro Series lead with a win!
Maja Stage Nielsen (DEN), 5th overall in last year’s Pro Series, will need to score well in this race if she wants to replicate 2024’s results!
In the men’s race, Chevalier, Hanson, and Høgenhaug could have the opportunity to jump inot the Pro Series lead with a podium finish.
Marquardt, who is missing a score, also has the chance to take the Pro Series lead with a win!
Braden Currie (NZ), and Bradley Weiss (ZAF), both in the top ten of last year’s Pro Series, will be hoping for a modern “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid. A misfire from either of them could mean no Nice, and no generous year-end bonus!
Watch live
IRONMAN Lake Placid - Sunday, July 20, 2025 - starts at 6:18 a.m. EDT (6:23 a.m. for the women pros).
US/Canada - Watch live on Outside TV
Global - proseries.ironman.com
FAVORITES
🌡️ Dew Point Danger: It’s not just the heat - humidity and dew point can wreck your summer workouts! But what is the dew point, how does it affect your training, and what can you do to overcome it? Find out here! [Flee Feet]
💪 Champions Challenge: Kristian Blummenfelt is in. Are you? Join the Champions Challenge and get insights from World Champions, advanced biomarker/DNA testing, and access to a world-leading AI model. Spots are limited, so join now! [Maxiom]*
🦠 Gut check: Full disclosure, we didn’t really know the difference between pre and probiotics - until reading this article - and now we know how they help athletes train, recover, and stay healthy! [Training-Conditioning]
🧠 Overtraining Overhyped? You’ve heard the warnings, but are athletes really overtraining? Or is something else going on? This deep dive separates fact from fiction and explains what might actually be holding you back. [Sci-Fit]
⚔️ Triathlon battle: What happens when a YouTuber takes on The Crossfit World Champion in a triathlon? Hilarity, humility, and everything in between! [ButteryBros]
🔙 QL TLC: Your Quadratus Lumborum (QL) muscle is crucial for stabilizing your back - helping you optimize power production on the bike! So give it the love it deserves with this foam rolling self release technique! [Paul Martin Osteopath]
Paid partnership
REEL TIME
“I have to do this!” 💀😂
QUICK NEWS
Triathlon leads: In a huge win for the sport, it’s been announced that Triathlon will award the first medals of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles! [World Triathlon]
Rest in peace: Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Dr. Peter Sultan. The 54 year-old renowned Orthopedic surgeon tragically passed away while competing in a local triathlon. [People]
T100 London calling: T100 looks to be another smashing day of racing as the talent-filled Pro start lists have been revealed. And they’ll be joined by multiple Olympic swimming champion, Adam Peaty, who will be competing in the age group Olympic distance. [TRI247]
New Chief: Jason Rizzi has been named the USA Triathlon Foundation’s Chief Development Officer. He will be tasked with driving the organization’s fundraising efforts ahead of the 2028 Olympics. [Sports Travel Magazine]
Bethel’s best: Racer’s competed in Bethel, Alaska’s first-ever triathlon. But due to space constraints, the athletes competed it backwards! [KYUK]
Renewed partnership: MAIF has renewed its partnership with the French Federation of Triathletes. The partnership aims to advance existing initiatives to promote a more eco-responsible, accessible, and environmentally friendly triathlon. [Coverager]
Tri doctors: Olympic medalists Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee recently received honorary doctorates from Leeds Beckett University! [BBC]
YOU SAID
Are Tempo subscribers interested in the T100 at the Olympics? Overwhelmingly so!
Reader: More exposure of the sport the better! We have remember that all sports are susceptible to becoming extinct so we need keep triathlon strong.
Reader: Love the idea of adding an additional event to the Olympic menu, but a long distance triathlon is a big nut to crack. In today's world, TV watchers are attracted to quick hit excitement, what does 3.5hrs(ish) of racing look like to the non-multisport enthusiast, where the number of eyeballs tell the story of success. But, as an avid fan of the sport, let's hope it happens!
Reader: I think long course non-draft triathlon would be great in the Olympics, whether it's a 100k race or some other distance. I also think it would be really interesting to have an "overall" podium, where athletes earn points from their short-, long-, and mixed-team relay positions/times, similar to how gymnastics has both the individual medal events as well as the overall and team overall.
Reader: Too boring to watch - especially for non-triathletes
Reader: I would be very excited to watch a 100km triathlon in the Olympics but I fear that more federation involvement would just ruin it. And the best athletes would leave for Ironman.
Reader: Yes! Make non-draft legal racing popular! I know people like watching the peloton and bike crashes because it’s exciting but it’s not safe for athletes. I think the T100 format makes a no -draft legal tri exciting to watch.
Reader: Even with loops, it’s not spectator friendly for non- fans.
Reader: As long as they use the term “T100ization.”
Tempo: It’s the only way it’ll work! 😂
Reader: Getting more triathlon into the Olympics is a great thing, as it helps legitimize us as a sport. Why not bring in the spring distance too?
Reader: We only made the sport draft legal to get into the olympics, lets move back to non drafting from standard distance up, and this brings the bike breakaway back into play.
Reader: It's too long. Most people get bored watching Standard distance.
Reader: Not only that, but they should have an Ironman distance, and a mixed team draft legal, long course format where everyone starts at the same time (not a relay)! Triathlon is the quintessential Olympic sport. We just need more of it! Give it to me!!
Reader: Too long. Too boring.
Reader: I love watching triathlon and adding a T100 would be added excitement for me. Plus, I like that T100 in Olympics would be non drafting. Exciting to see who would qualify and who would do well. Lionel in the Olympics? Oh man, that would make for some good Lionel content.
Reader: Olympic distance is for the Olympics. Anything else is a marketing money spinner.
WEEKEND RACES
IRONMAN 70.3 Ecuador
Fernando Toldi (BRA) and Elizabeth Bravo (ECU) wear the #1’s for this race!
LATEST EDITIONS
T100 to the Olympics? Plus: Five bike hacks you need to know!
Hot to go at WTCS Hamburg, and are you getting enough fiber?
A sure-thing, and surprise, at Challenge Roth. Plus: Sodium salvation!
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