President’s Message

Message from Patrick Mickler (President) 2/2/2024

2023 has passed, and we had a great year of races, rides, swims, runs, and firsts! And it was amazing to be a part of everything serving as your president. 

One of the biggest things that happened was the announcement of Ironman Louisville 70.3! With this announcement, we saw an influx of past members, who had retired, semi-retired, etc. come back into the sport, and we welcomed them back with open arms and great excitement. 

We have so much to look forward to in 2024. We have our yearly Season Kick Off party on Saturday February 10th. At the party you can pick up your 2024 LS Club T-shirt and water bottle and enter in for the raffle. After the party, the shirts and bottles will be located at one of our great sponsors, Swags, at the Westport Rd. Location. 

Once the weather gets a little warmer, and the days get a little longer, we will start our outdoor rides. We will have rides every weekend, and when available, hill sessions on both the Indiana and KY side to help build strength. The rides will be a no drop ride and any pace is welcome as well as non-members. Also, if you are new to cycling, especially in groups, we highly recommend signing up for the Louisville Bicycle Club’s intro into Cycling courses. They will begin in April, and you can find information on their Facebook page or website. 

Our twice a month Open Water Swims (OWS) will begin in May, held on a Sunday, at Deam Lake in Indiana and run through September. You have to be a member due to insurance and State permit. We will have structured swims, with sighting buoys, and turn buoys. This is a great opportunity to learn how to open water swim and site, in a safe environment with kayak support. We require all participants to wear a Landshark swim cap (we provide this and so we can see you) and use a swim buoy. We have 10 of these on hand if you need to borrow. This was the main reason I joined all those years ago. Side note, we will usually have a bike and or a run after as well. 

Our weekend runs up through the KDF mini/Marathon will coincide with our amazing sponsors Norton Sports Health and KORT. Then we will transition to our own runs, with some trail runs to spice things up! Again, all paces, distances, and non-members welcomed!

There are so many other exciting things like the Shelbyville Tri series, IM Chattanooga 70.3, Tri Louisville, IM Muncie 70.3, the return of the Norton Cool Kids Tri (yes, the full thing is back with more to come), of course IM Louisville 70.3, and a new local race, the Wildman Triathlon Experience. 

Looking towards IM Lou, we are hoping to reserve an area at the finish for our members and family/friends to congregate, celebrate and witness our amazing members cross that finish. Also, for this inaugural year, we are hosting my twin’s club, the Austin Tri Club, for their destination race. We will have runs, swims, rides, and events the week leading up to the race. We will also have a special table for the Ironman Foundation Banquet (ticket purchase is necessary) the Friday before the race, as well as an all Tri Club get together the Thursday before the race. More to come on all the events leading up to IM Lou 70.3

Okay, I have basically taken a full Word Doc page, so I will just end with this: I am so grateful and proud to serve as your 2024 Landshark President. I look forward to being part of this amazing group of people and friends! Now, Let’s do some Epic Shit!