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How (& where) in the world does a commercial airline pilot have the time and ability to train for an Ironman triathlon? Good question!
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10 years after volunteering at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI, Shannon Harlow became an “ironman” and crossed the finish line at Ironman Lake Placid with a smile on his face.

Running a marathon is EPIC!

Anyone can do it, but there are a lot of common mistakes that can easily be avoided in order to keep you healthy, maximize results and complete the race in a time you will be proud of.

Here are the top 3 marathon mistakes we often see.

IRONMAN Lake Placid 2024:

30 athletes affiliated with RTA started the race.

13 were RTA coached athletes. 

-All of our coached athletes made it to the start line 

-Unfortunately Team RTA had 5 add’l affiliated athletes who we were NOT coached by us and did NOT start the race

-12 of the 13 Finished.  

-5 were first time Ironman finishers (all of our first timers finished!)

-7 were multiple IM finishers (4 earned PR’s!)

The 1 athlete that didn't finish, made it to mile 13 of the run before enduring a fractured pelvis and getting pulled.

Of the 12 that finished, 8 EXCEEDED their on paper, *pre race written time goal.

-4 min faster
-6 min faster
-8 min faster
-9 min faster
-40 min faster
-46 min faster
-1:10 min faster
-1:17 min faster

*We establish a pre race predicted TARGET finish time including TARGET times for ALL splits …including transition, for all of our coached athletes. With those splits we establish an execution strategy including pacing & nutrition.


The 3 athletes that were slower than their goal time:

-1 was within 15 min 
-1 was within 25 minutes.
-The third athlete endured a medical on the run.  

In a situation where he would normally have been pulled off the course, one of his RTA teammates who was also racing, helped flag down EMS and get him cleared . He proceeded to walk and finish his mission—still finishing only 1:05 minutes past his goal time.

Of the 8 athletes that exceeded their target, 4 of the 8 FINISHED WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF THEIR ON PAPER WRITTEN TIME GOAL.  


Those are some pretty precise race predictions. 10 minutes...of a possible 17 hour day.

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CONGRATS again to EVERYONE who raced!!!

​Karyn Lewis is a wife, working mom with kids and has been doing triathlons since 2009 before taking some time off. She also has a great attitude and an infectious smile. We love her! After stepping away from triathlon for a few years, she decided to get back into the sport and challenge herself to go further than she ever had.

Check out this webinar Coach Chris Kaplanis presented on behalf of IRONMAN®. 

Learn what it takes to be successful for long course triathlons (IRONMAN 70.3® & IRONMAN® triathlons).

​If you're doing a Half or Full IRONMAN next year OR if you want to do one in the future, you're not going to want to miss this.

​Our Team App (Group Spot) is where we will make announcements, post discounts, list events and other club happenings. 

​It's also how YOU will be able to connect and communicate with other club members. ​
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It is a 1 stop shop.

Below we will show you step by step how to set notifications so you do not miss out on anything.

Team Discounts and other great RTA Tri  Club resources can be accessed via the Team App.
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​If you are not on the Team App, please refer to the "Welcome Email" you received when you first joined our group. If you still need help, feel free to contact Coach Chris.

This is a story about a true "Ironman." One who displays all of the qualities mentioned above and MANY more.

​The "journey" highlighted below belongs to Drew Cruz. It summarizes his long and patient journey to achieve his dream: qualify for and become an Ironman World Championship finisher. 

We hope you find this inspirational and informative.

Triathlon training camps are incredibly valuable for triathletes of all levels. They are often a priceless piece of the puzzle as athletes work to become prepared for their key race(s).

However, not all camps are created equal.

Below we will examine what you can expect at a triathlon training camp, the differences between camps and other factors to consider when deciding which one you should attend.