Whew! This year's SOS was truly a test of survival - mind over matter, sheer stubborn tenacity, athletic spirit, and finding out what's best in human nature. [How's that for hyperbole?] (For those of you who aren't familiar with the race, the Survival of the Shawangunks is an 8-stage triathlon in New Paltz NY; I did it for the first time last year.) I could not have made it through the day without all of the help that I received along the way from the dedicated race volunteers, the other athletes, and as always my incredible partner Evelyn.

[stage 1: 30 mile bike] It was a lot warmer at the bike start than last year, which seemed like a good sign for the rest of the day. I was feeling good, but my 5-mile splits were a bit slower than I had wanted, and for some reason I my hands and feet were cold even though I was working hard and taking in nutrients. Well, not to worry - I figured I'd get cooking once I hit the first run.

[stage 2: 4.5 mile run] I got through transition and started running up the trail to the first swim.... I was feeling ok at first, but as time went on I was starting to feel tired and kind of lousy. Uh oh! I didn't remember this run being so long last year - was I falling apart already?

[stage 3: 1.1 mile swim] I finally got to the first run/swim transition at Lake Awosting, and making myself get into that water was really difficult! I was really grateful that I had been able to borrow a neoprene cap; that cap probably saved my race by keeping my head warm even when my hands and feet were turning numb. I had no sense of how fast I was swimming, only that I was all alone for a long while - and then suddenly caught up to a bunch of people, and was so glad to see them! We all clambered out of the water, and volunteers started giving us hot tea and blankets and pretzels and encouragement - it was like coming out of an isolation tank and into a tickertape parade! I was shivering so hard that my cup of tea was sloshing back and forth - and I noticed a woman near me actually pouring her tea on her legs to warm them up! That was my introduction to Kathleen, who was doing the race for the first time; we started the second run together and stuck together for the rest of the day, keeping each other going all the way to the finish.

[stage 4: 5.5 mile run] We started the second run slow but steady, walking on the hills and enjoying the view ... I had started the race with a list of split times in my head (wanting to beat last year's 6:37 finish), but by the time I got done with the first swim I knew I was so far gone from that list that I just threw it away and focused on getting through the race rather than on meeting a time goal . (That didn't keep me from mumbling about it for a while longer, for which I hope Kathleen will forgive me!) We were having trouble warming up, and it occurred to me that the air temperature was much much colder than last year, in the low 70's - perfect cross country running weather, but not so much if you're soaking wet!

[stage 5: 0.5 mile swim] We made our way to the start of the second swim at Lake Minnewaska, and I remembered that last year the head swim official told us all that if we could make it across that lake we'd be sure to finish the race. That stuck in my head like a mantra and pushed me into the water even when I didn't really feel like getting in there! Kathleen was having a harder time - she let out a big scream as she got in the water! I also knew that Evelyn was on the other side of that lake, so that helped me get across - but once I got out of the water I was so cold that I could barely wave to her! Kathleen came out of the water soon after me, and we huddled up under blankets and drank some more tea, then agreed that we had better get moving - that may have been one of the toughest moments of the whole day - so close and yet so far!

[stage 6: 8 mile run] We started running with chattering teeth and goosebumps. The penultimate run is the longest, but it's also my favorite part of the course, which did help some ... 2 miles in we stopped at an aid station where we met Jeanne, who joined us for the rest of the run. The three of us chatted and kept each others' spirits up, and we got a lot of thumbs up from the volunteers who congratulated us for our teamwork. We ran through some seriously gorgeous scenery, past waterfalls and rock climbers and sudden vistas of the Hudson River Valley, and reminded ourselves that we were lucky to be part of a really tiny group of people who were able to be out there doing this race (140 started, 135 finished). We walked up Godzilla Hill, ducked into the woods and there was the last swim across Lake Mohonk!

[stage 7: 0.5 mile swim] We all just waded into the water with our shoes on (we had been taking them off before and stuffing them into our clothes - my shorts were full of gravel at the end of the race!) and started swimming. I felt like I was swimming slower than I had all day (although looking at my split times I think it was probably the same pace as the second swim) and I kept telling myself "Just get to the other side and you don't have to swim again today!" The water was warmer than in the previous swims, so that was great! Just before I reached the bank a fish swam right under my nose and startled me half to death - if I hadn't been so tired I would have started laughing. I clambered up the rocks and was greeted by volunteers with towels - last year I had sort of shrugged off the towels and started right for the finish, but this year I was really grateful that they were there! I knew that Jeanne was ahead of me and making the climb to the finish line - she was after a PR, and we were all eager for her to get it (she did, by 10 minutes). Kathleen came out of the water a little behind me, and we took off for the summit together.

[stage 8: 0.7 mile run/climb] The last stage is very short, but really steep! It also felt a lot longer than last year! We hauled ourselves upslope, turned a corner and there was the Survivor Line! Kathleen said "Let's run!" so we started running pell-mell for the last 100 yards and crossed the finish line together. It may have been one of the hardest finish lines to reach, but it was truly amazing for being shared.

Epilogue: I was starving at the end of the race (well, no wonder) but ended up suffering from my "usual" long-distance stomach rebellion and was pretty darned sick on the way home. Evelyn definitely earned extra-super spouse points for dealing with me in my pathetic state! My long-course retirement is definitely and officially official (although we all know I'll still be on the lookout for a way to deal with my tender tummy so I can get back out there some day).

Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon
New Paltz, NY
September 10, 2006
bike 30 miles, run 4.5 miles, swim 1.1 miles, run 5.5 miles, swim 0.5 miles, run 8 miles, swim 0.5 miles, run 0.7 miles