During the Adirondack triathlon season we spend more time avoiding athletes then the moose or deer that road signs warn about. My children are trained to look for weaving bicyclists around sharp corners. We have volunteered at the Lake Placid Ironman, passed out water at a Tinman and managed to cheer on a few friends dedicated to finishing the course. Tupper Lake just celebrated its 30th Tinman on June 30 while Lake Placid will host the second oldest Ironman Triathlon in North America on July 22nd. One thing we haven't done is to compete in a triathlon. 

For those wishing to ease such an event, High Peaks Cyclery in Lake Placid does a Monday mini-triathlon for all ages that continues weekly through mid-August. Registration is at Lake Placid's Mirror Lake public beach starting at 5:30 p.m. with the race commencing at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $20 for the first mini-tri and $15 for any subsequent events. Participants swim 400-yards, bike 12-miles and run 3-miles. For those just interested in doing only a segment of the event, relays are accepted. People even show up that night and see if anyone needs a partner to complete a team. The ages range from an "under 12" category to "over 50."

Some people use the Lake Placid mini-tri as a warm-up to a larger event while others use it for a family relay race. Of course, you can always just watch the fun from the sandy Mirror Lake public beach and let little ones play on the nearby playground. 

photos provided by and used with the permission of High Peaks Cyclery

Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time™: