Well, my season is over. I made it through my last big race, albeit a little tired, but setting another PR* by 28 minutes.

BIKE (30mi) 1:52:17 (2,516 ft gain)

R1 (4.5mi) 52:34       S1 (1.1mi) 33:38

R2 (5.5mi) 1:10:28    S2 (.5mi) 18:48 (long transition before crossing timing mat)

R3 (8mi) 1:41:18       S3 (.5mi) 14:19

R4 (.7mi) 7:16 (300 ft. gain)

TOTAL 6:52:05* the transitions are built into each run or swim segment

 You tube link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JpdpOBXeBE if that doesn’t work, please look under username “GerryPallor”

This race is one of our local gems. This is an unusual triathlon. Many teammates have heard me talk about it, the Survival of the Shawangunks http://www.ulster.net/~sosnyta/index.html is the link. It consists of: 30 mile bike (last 5 miles gain 1000 feet, 4.5 mile run, 1.1 mile swim, 5.5. mile run, .5 mile swim, 8 mile run, .5 mile swim, .7 mile run (300 ft gain). It is the only USTA sanctioned race that starts with the bike leg AND the best part is you have to carry everything with you after you get off the bike. For photos please go to http://www.printroom.com/ghome.asp?domain_name=scottschaffrick you will get the idea. You should check this race out and put it on your calendar for next year, it sells out quickly! FYI, Chris Gebhardt now a pro triathlete used to come here and dominate the race, just ask him how hard it is, but how beautiful too. As someone else said, there is no “shlock” on this course. (shlock = boring miles with no scenery).

As I said, I had a PR race. I had 3 goals. Bike under 2 hours, total race under 7 hours and not be last in my AG. (which is tough when there are only 7 of you!) I rode really well, but since this race has 30 miles of biking and 19 miles of challenging trail running, I never go hard on the bike. The Trek rode really well and I was happy climbing in it. I was going to swap out my cassette for a bigger one, but I’m glad I kept the 12-25. It was unusually hot this year. The norm for the race is starting temps in the 50s with the high around 75. Well, we started at 75 and went up to almost 90! It was really hot out there. The water temp is always, always cold and a real problem. This year the lakes were balmy, 70 and 72 were the first two swims. They were so refreshing you didn’t want to get out and run!

I got off the bike and was feeling pretty good. My “crew” Mary, (you have to have someone volunteer to take your bike) was great and she had everything laid out for my transition with extra water and gels. I made a quick change and grabbed my cap, goggles and Point03 suit. I was off on the first 4.5 mile run which is all uphill. It even has a special hill in it called Cardiac Hill. That thing is a wall! My legs took a long time to figure out what they were supposed to do, I finally felt good about 3 miles into this run.

I got to the first lake and now was the time to put on the Point03 swimskin. I pulled it on, and had practiced this in advance: I took my shoes off and put the heel of one in my crotch area and the other one sort of next to it and zipped the skin up around me.* (I’m sure Tim, Ben and John from BlueSeventy are quite interested in some photos of this…I will try to get them) Just so you all understand, the typical way people do the shoes while swimming is to put one in the front of your shorts in the crotch and one in the back in the butt area. The Point03 skin wouldn’t stretch for me to do that, but this way worked well.

I had record setting swims (for me!) I couldn’t believe my watch when I got out of the water each time. Thanks to Melanie who helped me at camp. I caught up to my hubby, who was in the wave before me. I passed him in the water and thought he would draft off me for the swim, but when I got out of the water he was nowhere to be found.

The runs got slower and slower. I guess it was just late season fatigue or just that I hadn’t been running at all since IM Lake Placid, well nothing long distance anyway.

After the second swim in Lake Minnewaska there is a very steep, quad killing downhill that is like almost a mile, which always sets my IT bands off. Oh man, I hit the bottom of that and was in some severe pain. I had to stop and stretch a couple of times. That is when I got passed! Grrr. I hate getting passed. This is the longest run of the race. But after this downhill, its all flat until the end.

So on this last run I had just had it! I was about 5 miles into it and I stopped to walk, I then got really mad at myself for giving up and looked up to see the chick who had passed me earlier was walking. I started to run to go and get her. I never walked for the rest of the race. I didn’t catch her, but I kept going. That was motivation enough for me.

Then I got to swim in Lake Mohonk, where the Mohonk Mountain House resort sits. They shot the movie “Road to Wellville here. You can see how beautiful the resort and lake is in the photo. the second photo shows the end of the swim and the rocks you have to climb out on.

The reason I love this race is I know a lot of people on the course racing and a lot of the volunteers. That makes is so much fun and helps when you are all alone in the middle of the woods on a trail.

I scampered up the final run segment and had a lot of cheers and congrats on the way up from

everyone coming down. I finished at SKY TOP or Smiley Tower as it is also called to a lot of cheers and the announcer, “Jeanne Roth, you are a SURVIVOR!” I changed and waited for the rest of my friends and the hubby to finish. Then we were off to the world’s best post race food! Oh man, that is another reason to do this race, the FOOD! We finish at Mohonk Mountain house a beautiful resort (very high end) that makes some great food.

All in all it was a great day. Some low points, but I overcame them and finished with a smile. The best part is I will do it next year, and try to place in my AG. Gotta keep aiming higher and higher!

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful season, I wish all of you the best in the off season. We are going hiking next weekend. I can’t wait!