Ronen
Ronen did Lake Placid in 2005, nearly 20 years ago. A lot has happened in his life in those years. His journey back to Ironman was harder with age, family, and work commitments. He had many goals, but one in particular was to not walk the entire marathon. And he didn’t. Yes, he walked at times, but having the opportunity to watch him fight back and Rise Up his last three miles (uphill) and run, made this the sweetest victory.
Here is what he says: “When I started working with Robin on getting back into triathlons two years ago, I told her I was not interested in completing another Ironman. Having raced (walked) Lake Placid in 2005, I felt that I had accomplished it once, and my goal was to get faster at short course races. So naturally, while nursing a broken foot last year, and itching to get back into training, I signed up for Lake Placid 2023. There were many reasons I wanted to race the same course I did many years ago, but most importantly, was having my family there this time around. Overall, I was surprised at how easy Robin made training for Ironman. Granted, there was one month of intense volume, with long bike rides every weekend, but it was very manageable. The progression from olympic to half Ironman was not that onerous. Being part of the Rise Up Racing team was a huge part of my success in completing the Ironman. Once again, I walked a lot of the marathon. But both Josh and Robin were at the middle of the course, running by my side and encouraging me to think in small increments. They stayed with me for a few miles as we ran two light poles and walked two light poles. That’s the definition of teammates and I am grateful for them cheering me on and helping me through the most difficult part of the course.”