Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon - 9/11/2016

This took a while to post because I had so few pictures of the race.  I didn't want to bore anyone with a wall of text, so I waited until I could break it up with a few images.

This race is the most unique triathlon I have ever done and easily one of the most exclusive in terms of how fast it sells out.  In order to successfully register, you have to wait up until 12:01am on Nov. 1 the year prior and fill in all your info as fast as possible.  This year's race sold out in less than 10 minutes.  The race format is as unique as the race is tough to get into.  The 8 stages are as follows:

1. Bike 30mi
2. Run 4.5mi
3. Swim 1.1mi
4. Run 5.5mi
5. Swim 0.5mi
6. Run 8 mi
7. Swim 0.5mi
8. Run 0.7mi

The race starts just outside of New Paltz, NY which is an area I am familiar with after having done the American Zofingen Duathlon for the past several years.  It is a short drive from Albany so Wife and I drove down in the morning (one of us slept the whole way...but I think I'll forgive her).

Anyway, the times I list below are from my own personal splits, not the race results.  My splits do not include the transitions between disciplines.

Bike: 30mi

The race was a wave bike start and as one of the younger athletes racing, I started in Wave 1 with all the men under 35 and the Open category racers.

  

Minutes before the start.

I wasn't too sure how to ride the 30mi ride considering it was only going to be ~1/4 of the total race time, so I figured I would ride it somewhere between HIM and Oly power/RPE and just see what happens for the rest of the race.

Within a few miles I was in the lead and had put a good gap between the rest of the racers in my wave.  The scenery of the ride was gorgeous and the road conditions were perfect.  I stayed controlled and enjoyed the police escort.

A few miles in and leading the bike

Around mile 15 it started sprinkling and then a few miles later the skies opened up and it poured.  It was raining hard enough that I had trouble seeing the road because of the droplets on my sunglasses, but it was still better than the wind blowing rain into my eyes.  The rain lasted for only 10minutes but then the wind picked up.  Miles 20-25 were straight into the wind.  Power stayed constant and speed dropped precipitously.

Great shot with no one behind me

The first 25mi were fairly flat with a few rollers mixed in, but the last 5mi are straight uphill...1137ft uphill to be exact.  Within 30 seconds a group of 4 guys passed me, all within the draft-zone of each other, so that was a little obnoxious but I didn't see any draft marshals out there so it was a honor code kind of thing.  Luckily one guy yelled at the other two and they started backing off a bit.  I guess some people are only interested in doing the least amount of work.

Dismounting at Transition

 Coming into T1 was interesting because there was no official transition area.  I dismounted at the line and Anna directed me to where she set up my shoes and cap/goggles near the car.  I handed her the bike, slipped on my Saucony Kinvara and grabbed my cap&goggles and took off out to the first run.

Bike Stats:
Time: 1:31:30
Speed: 20mph
Power: 260W
Heart Rate: 165bpm (humid!)


Run #1: 4.5mi

The first run is like a continuation of the last 5mi on the bike, it is a gradual uphill for the first 3mi and then it levels off as you run to the far end of Lake Awosting to begin the first swim.

Run #1 Elevation Profile

I felt reasonably decent after the bike, but it was tough to judge since my legs were tired from the bike and I wasn't used to continuing to run uphill right off the bike.  I peed once so at least I knew I was well hydrated.  I passed a few people on the steep sections when they started walking and finally hit the flats around Lake Awosting and let my legs stretch a bit.  I got around to the west end of the lake and saw the entrance to Swim 1 so I put on my cap while running to save some time at the swim entrance.

Run #1 Stats:
Time: 33:20
Pace: 7:43/mi
Elev Gain: 457ft
Heart Rate: 171bpm


Swim #1: Lake Awosting 1.1mi

End of Swim #1

The first swim was the longest and would be the most challenging.  I hadn't been swimming all that much and it would be the first time of the day to swim with my shoes shoved down the back of my tri shorts.  I had tried this setup in practice with my local club a few times, so I knew I could still swim decently well, but that didn't mean it was going to be easy.

The water temperature was perfect and the swim was relatively uneventful.  I drank some of the water because it was so clear, I suppose I was still risking some illness, but I was thirsty, so whatever.  No vomit, no foul, I suppose.

Swim #1 Stats:
Time: 24:30
Pace: 1:10/100yd *This seems unlikely, I'm not that fast of a swimmer



Run #2: 5.5mi

The second run continued the uphill trend through the halfway point and then it was a long downhill on carriage trails the rest of the way to the second swim.

Run #2 Elevation Profile

Coming out of Lake Awosting I got a cold and chilly since the wind started picking up.  Then my quads cramped ever so slightly, so I doubled down on PowerGel and water and hoped the cramps wouldn't return.

I just heard there were going to be whitecaps...I was not too excited

This is by far the most beautiful section of the course. If I hadn't been racing I would have stopped to take pictures half a dozen times.  If I ever race this course again and this race report makes you think about doing this race, I encourage you to stop and take pictures along this leg...especially if you're in front of me.

Run #2 Stats:

Time: 43:05
Pace: 7:40/mi
Heart Rate: 166bpm

Swim #2: Lake Minnewaska 0.5mi

Swim #2 entrance

Swim #2 exit - my face says it all

Again, to save some time I put my goggles and cap on before getting to the transition into Lake 2.  A volunteer right before the lake warned of whitecaps due to the wind.  I mentally prepared for a tough swim and I was not disappointed.  Luckily, this swim leg has a rope that ties buoys together from start to finish.  I stayed next to the rope in order to swim straight and motored through the choppy water.  I was happy to see the end of the swim.

Wife's picture from the cheering section

Swim #2 Stats:

Time: 14:05

Pace: 1:20/100yd

Run #3: 8.0mi

The longest run of the day comes at the hardest part of the race.  3hrs into the day and it starts out with a steep downhill on the only section of road the entire day.  Needless to say, after running 10mi on trails and carriage roads, the transition to road is hard enough but add in the steep downhill and it makes the first half mile a miserable quad-crushing experience.

Suns out guns out.

I passed two people in the transition to Run #3 so I knew I was moving up in the overall standings, probably in the Top 5 but I wasn't sure.

I knew there were only two aid stations along this run leg so I fueled up well at each one.  Gel, water, gatorade, and coke.  The section of trail runs right along some of the best rock climbing in the catskills so the trail was crowded with climbers which offered some good distraction from mile 4.5-6.5 of this run.

The sun started coming out and it got a little warm and muggy on the trails.  The only reasonable option in this case is to expose as much skin as possible.  Enter the bro top.

This run also features the toughest climb of the day, the venerable Godzilla Climb - 0.7mi, 343ft climbing, 9% avg grade.  This wonderful little climb shows up at mile 7 of the 8mi run leg.  I walked and ran up this as best as I could but I was in survival mode at this point.  Knowing I only had about 20 minutes left in the race, I was simply hoping to not get passed by anyone.

Run #3 Stats:
Time: 1:01:55
Pace: 7:53/mi
Heart Rate: 168bpm

Swim #3: Mohonk Lake 0.5mi

Upon the entrance to the last swim leg, which is known to be slightly short of 0.5mi, I was mentally and physically exhausted.  I must have been holding my arms weirdly during the previous 8mi run because my left bicep cramped right as I entered the water.  Fortunately, I stretched it out and it didn't come back the rest of the swim.  Regardless, that was an interesting place for a cramp to show up this late in a race.

Mohonk Mountain House.  Photo courtesy of chictraveler.com

This is another part of the race that is worth taking in the views.  You swim right up to the Mohonk Mountain House which sits up on a cliff high above the water.  The Mohonk Mountain House is a ritzy hotel where the upper echelons of society stay.  Well, that may not be true, but it's either rich people or people that are willing to spend $800+/night on a hotel room and meals, which is not how I normally stay in hotels.


Either way, the swim was uneventful and enjoyable as I reached the rock climb to exit the water.  Yes, that's right, a few large rocks to climb up in order to put your shoes back on.  The volunteers were great and asked me my name and then cheered loudly as I started my way up the climb to the Skytop Tower.

Swim #3 Stats:
Time: 10:31
Pace: 1:10/100yd *This seems unlikely, I'm not that fast of a swimmer

Run/Climb #4: 0.7mi

This last section was a steep steep climb up to the Skytop Memorial Tower.  My watch only had 0.5mi in total distance, but with a total climb of 282ft, for an average grade of 11%!!!!!

This was mostly a walk/hike up to the last 100m where you could run to the finish.  I hit the line after five and half minutes of being slightly annoyed that this was the last part of the race, which probably has more to do with overall exhaustion and dehydration than the actual venue or the course.  I came across the line in 4th place overall for a total time of 4:49:46, about 15min behind the winner.

Finishing shot.  4th Overall

1st in M25-29

Overall, the race was a great experience. I performed well, the course was beautiful and challenging, and it was a unique race that I'll always remember.  The post-race food was the best I've ever had.  It was prepared by the Mohonk Mountain House kitchen and was a buffet of spare ribs, clams, mac&cheese, burgers, chicken, Italian sausages, ice cream, pie, cake, and free Budweiser sponsored by one of the local bars. It was spectacular and delicious.  The buffet location was gorgeous too in the outdoor ice-rink with a huge fireplace and a good view of the lake.

Trying to capture the beauty of the area but my ugly face got in the way

However, I doubt I'll ever do this race again.  It is just a little bit too expensive for what it was ($475 plus fees and tickets for Wife's dinner).  Additionally, there were no instructions or directions to help spectators get from the expansive parking lot at the Mohonk Mountain House to the Skytop Tower.  So, unfortunately, Wife missed me finish by almost 15minutes.  This seems like a really easy thing for the race organizers to fix and I have contacted them about it, so I hope it changes in the subsequent races to benefit future racers and spectators.