S. O. S.
Survival of the Shawangunks
- Last minute registration (5 weeks before race date) while not having a qualifying time.
- Haven't run any serious hills since running this same race in 2019.
- +15 lbs.
- No sherpa needed (new this year - bus ride provided from Mohonk to Fairgrounds, where post-race food & awards were held).
- Traveled alone and camped at race site.
Headspace: I’ve never
expected my friends to have any interest in this race; it’s too… fringe, I
think. But then again, maybe I don’t
understand people’s motivations in the least.
F-book and
text message conversations within my triclub presented what I thought was real interest in
Ironman Alaska, registration opening on Aug 16 for the 2022 race. But when it came down to it, I alone pulled
the registration trigger.
This touches upon a space
deep inside where I am truly confused regarding the intentions of others, namely those who state they will show up somewhere
at a set time and place (or register for an event), but then flake (or back out).
In college I attributed this to sorority girls being unreliable; but now
with people whose friendships I value…, what is my lesson? My work-around has been to only plan for things I’d
be content doing alone. But if happiness
is only real when shared, where does that leave me?
Bike
- Warmer day (maybe 60°F in the morning), similar kit, with calf sleeves hoping to hold off the strain from Timberman that I assumed would reappear.
- The waves were re-adjusted, with the oldest men now rolling out ahead of the older women. This combined with my new age group, had me in wave 6 of 7.
- > 10% drop in FTP and ego kept fully in check, came to 10-11 min slower this year.
- Mental soundtrack: Everloving by Moby, Society by Eddie Vedder.
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| 30 mi bike from Ulster County Fairgrounds to the lower Awosting parking lot. |
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| The last 5 miles of the bike course climb ~1100 ft. |
Run 1 (to Awosting)
- Transition area was more formally organized this year, with bike parking like Rev3 used to have it (eg at Quassy) and even a stool for each competitor.
- Shortie wetsuit worn throughout race; applied trislide to groin of suit to ease friction from rubbing of the neoprene. Figured compression & warmth to muscles would be nice, but suit was difficult to run uphill in.
- Lots of gnats or whatever swarming my face, don't remember that last time, am guessing bugs are due to warmer temps this year? NTS, should have put bug spray in transition bag.
- Net pace 15:05/mi, was 12-13 min slower than last time.
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| 4.5 mi run from bike-in to Lake Awosting. |
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| Note the steep elevation change at "Cardiac Hill". |
Swim 1 (Awosting)
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| 1.1 mi swim, in which the exit is not visible until you get around a slight granite outcropping. |
- I put my visor and bottle in my sports bra like last time, but this was less comfortable under the pressure of the wetsuit. By the end of the day my sternum would feel bruised.
- Water was cool, but temp not too bad. I tried to hold a line farther from the shore since this is what the people passing me last time were doing, and this made for a nice sight line of kayaks.
- Felt like I was making good progress, and veered a bit toward shore when I saw 2 kayaks at the edge, mistaking them for the exit, I guess. Once closer to shore I think I stopped making forward progress and I got a bit discouraged. I checked the weather before I traveled and saw wind would be picking up once off the bike. I wonder if this is where the impact is really felt, maybe the wind pushes the water toward the shore and then when closer to it, you get hit by the return wave.
- I paused to get my bearings, talking with the kayaker who'd come along side me. Knowing I was nearly last on course, I was thinking they might pull me since I wasn't making any forward progress. He assured me that I was making progress and didn't have much farther to go.
- I felt better than last time - definitely warmer with the wetsuit on, cramping less, able to stand and walk out without issue. But I still didn't kick usefully, being afraid the extra drag from my shoes would lead to cramping.
- Result: >8 min faster than last time, and I left this space:
1) At peace that I'd met my race goal - I exited the swim not hypothermic and my head was definitely in a better place;
2) Concluding there are still things about this particular swim that I have not yet solved; and
3) Surprised to hear there were still 2 people in the water behind me. I never saw them, or any other racer on the course from here out.
Run 2 (to Minnewaska)
- I enjoyed the smell of pine in the air but did not care for the bugs that re-found me. This was made better by the bug spray I was able to use at the Castle point aid station.
- Definitely warmer and less windy through here than in 2019.
- Net pace, 13:50/mi, was 6-7 min slower than last time.
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| 5.7 mi run from Awosting to Minnewaska. |
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| The peak is Castle Point. |
Swim 2 (Minnewaska)
- The water was lovely and I swam a straighter trajectory than in 2019, both of which kept me in good spirits throughout.
- Last portion had suspended silt or something that found its way straight to my sineuses.
- Experienced some cramping in my left leg as I climbed out.
- Result, almost 1 min faster than before.
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| 0.5 mi swim with a clear view of the exit as well as a rope marking the entire route. |
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| Lake Minnewaska with one small buoy visible. Water temp was 69°F this year. |
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| 'Lake Minne', zoomed toward swim exit. |
Run 3 (to Mohonk)
- Felt ok for the first half of this run, but then started to fade.
- It was getting hotter (predicted to be 82°F) and the tenacious bugs were pestering me again. Another blast of bug spray and now pouring water on myself at the aid stations to cool down.
- There was some kind of unmarked tree limb work occuring above the Undercliff Trail, and people shouted to me to go back and around. Uhm, no. From the urgency in their voices and the sound of crashing limbs above me, it seems I was lucky to not get hit.
- By the time I made it to the last aid station, I actually asked them to just shoot me. Fatigue had fully set in leading me to walk most of Godzilla.
- By the end of this run I could hear the cheers from the finish line that I was till >30 min from reaching.
- Net pace, 14:46/mi, was 14-15 min slower than before.
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| 8 mi run from Minnewaska to Mohonk. |
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| The climb starting just before mile 7 is known as "Godzilla". |
Swim 3 (Mohonk)
- Despite the physical and mental fatigue at this point, I was once again lost in wonder during this swim. Such a magical spot.
- This year there was a buoy placed right near the climb out point, which made sighting much easier.
- I still had to negotiate some cramping during the exit, but the task was also simpler this time knowing I'd done it before.
- Result was 1-2 min faster than last time.
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| The last swim is also ~0.5 mi long. |
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| View of Mohonk Lake and the resort. |
Run 4 (to Skytop)
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| The last run segment. |
- I started out with a shuffle-jog up this but quickly gave up and walked. Just too tired.
- Fewer people up here this time, which makes sense given I was a later finisher than before.
- Net pace, 26:35/mi, was almost 5 min slower than last time.
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| This last litte 0.4 mi stretch up to Skytop is particularly nasty, with a staircase positioned at that inflection point. |
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| This is what the finish line looks like. Seems you need to be a sub 7 h finisher to get a photo here though. |
- As before, no photographer.
- And this time no finisher's towel either b/c they miscounted and didn't bring enough up. Good thing I had my own in my finish line bag, so I didn't have to get completely naked in public to change out of my wet gear. (I got my towel later, back at base camp).
- My overall time was ~38 min slower this year, but my state of mind was much better.
Post race
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| View from Skytop. |
