2012 Triple Ultra
Ultra 1: Shawangunk Double
Preface:
This is the seventh in a series of Entries journaling Shane Eversfield’s 2012
Triple Ultra endeavor – 3 multi-day multisport events in 5 weeks. To read this journal from Entry 1, go here.
Shane
is a Total
Immersion Master Coach, author of “Zendurance, A
Spiritual Fitness Guide for Endurance Athletes”, and founder of Zendurance Cycling.
Introduction:
Ah,
the Shawangunk Double, my dream for
the past 3 years...
This
whole thing actually started over ten
years ago, when I was living in Kona. I
was reading a triathlon magazine that featured notable races around the
world. One of those was a race called
“Survival of the Shawangunks” (SOS).
This crazy race is held in a wilderness area near the Catskill Mountains
of New York State.
After
a 30-mile bike, participants romp though the Minnewaska and Mohonk Forest Preserves
– running from one lake to the next, and swimming the length of each lake. It goes like this:
bike-run-swim-run-swim-run-swim-run.
And
here’s the catch: Once off the bike, you
need to keep your run and swim gear with you until the finish.
Sitting
there on the porch of my coffee farm, I thought “Someday, this is a race I have to do.” I remember doing long run/swim/run “volley”
workouts in South Kona just to imagine what it
must be like. Little did I know...
Fast
Forward to New Paltz , NY
Many
years later, association with Total Immersion Swim brought me to live and work
in New Paltz, hometown of SOS, and headquarters for TI. Well, New Paltz is also hometown to American Zofingen Duathlon (AZ) – the toughest
duathlon in North America . I did AZ Long Course in 2009 (5M run/84M
bike/15M run). Holy s#*%! It isn’t the distance that makes AZ tough –
it’s the terrain.
American
Zofingen Long Course Duathlon
The
run course is a 5 mile trail loop in the Mohonk Preserve. Each loop includes over 500 feet of elevation
gain. The uphills are steep and somewhat
rocky, but the downhills are smooth carriage trails. (Long Course includes a total of 4 loops of
this run.)
The
bike course is a 28-mile road loop that climbs up and down the Shawangunk Ridge
twice per loop. Each loop includes some
2,800 feet of elevation gain, with some short 14% grades. (Long Course includes 3 loops of this
course.)
After
completing the Long Course for the first time, I remarked to Race Director John
McGovern, “This is one honest
race.” There’s no slacking here! No wonder people who actually race this thing claim it’s tougher than
Lake Placid Ironman. Every year, even in
the best conditions, there are plenty of DNF’s for all three distances. Many first-timers have no idea what they have
bitten off. (The slogan on the back of
the shirt one year: “It’s always good to
finish something you were stupid enough to start in the first place.” How true.)
AZ is
one of those races that has a lingering energy – a feeling (beyond the pain)
that lingers for days afterwards. This
is due in large part to the incredible landscape of the race. SOS is in the same area – the same enchanting
landscape.
Survival
of the Shawangunks
I
finally got into SOS in 2010 for the first time. (The field is limited to 150 – since it
traverses wilderness.) SOS specifics:
30-mile bike, 4.5-mile run, 1.1-mile swim, 5.5-mile run, 0.5-mile swim, 8-mile
run, 0.5 mile swim, 0.7 mile run. Keep
in mind, this is all point-to-point.
As
soon as I gained entry to SOS, I had this wild idea – to do AZ (self-supported)
and then the actual SOS race on consecutive
days. After all, they are both
world-class “adventure” races, in the same place. Everyone thought I was crazy – including John
(AZ race director) and the most accomplished local athletes. Granted, I had never even been on the SOS
course. So my idea for the Shawangunk
Double was borne partially out of naivety, but mostly out of a reverence for
the beautiful landscape.
Shawangunk
Double Phase One - 2010
Since
I had never been on the SOS course, I decided it might be a good idea to attend
the pre-race meeting. That ruled out AZ
the day before – I would not finish in time to make it back for the
meeting. Plus, I was agonizing over the
whole shoe strategy for SOS. (Remember,
you have to swim with your shoes.)
I
wanted to use the Vibram 5-Fingers (V5F’s), since I could swim in them, and
running in them wet did not cause blisters.
But the trails were a little tough on my feet – the original V5F’s
offered no real barrier between my feet and the chunky gravel of the carriage
trails. All the veterans I talked to
about this strategy were skeptical.
For
2010, I elected to do four loops of
the American Zofingen bike course two
days before my first SOS. The four loops
total 112 miles and constitute a bike race held concurrently with the AZ
Duathlons (all now held in May.) It’s
called the “Iron TT”.
Two
days later after the AZ Iron TT, I did my first SOS. I wore the V5F’s for my first SOS, and I was happy I did – even if it forced me to
run slower. I enjoyed the seamless
transitions and the task of being very mindful about every single footstep for
the entire 18.7 miles of runniing. I
felt every step – the terrain permeated my body.
SOS
became my very favorite race. The energy
of the beautiful Shawangunk Ridge stayed with me for days. I was happy that I did not hurry through the
course.
Three
days later, I ran six loops of the AZ
run course (30 miles), and I promised myself I would do the Shawangunk Double
in 2011. As for that sequence in 2010 –
the AZ Iron TT, SOS, then the 6 AZ run loops – I had an alibi for those who
questioned my sanity. It was peak
training for the Virginia Double Iron, 5 weeks later.
Phase
Two – 2011 – Almost, But Not Quite
2011
brought Hurricane Irene, which significantly re-arranged some of the landscape
that SOS traverses. For the next few
weeks, no one knew the fate of the race.
Then, the weekend before the race, the area got hit by a second storm that brought even more
flooding to surrounding valleys. The
first 6 miles of the SOS bike course was under 6 or more feet of water.
Undeterred,
the before SOS, I went out and did the complete AZ Long Course. Bob Posey accompanied me for much of the
day. We elected to do the course as a
run/bike/run/bike/run/bike/run, instead of the traditional run/bike-bike-bike/run-run-run.
The
SOS course however was severely abbreviated:
30-mile bike, 11-mile run, 0.5-mile swim, 0.7-mile run.
I did both of these courses in the V5F’s. However, due to the modifications to the SOS
course, my dream had fallen short. I had
not done the full Shawangunk Double. It
would have to wait another year. (For a
full recap on the 2011 version, go
here.)
2012 –
The Real Deal: Day 1
Saturday
08 September, I arrived at the Springfarm Trail Head – staging grounds for AZ –
at 5:40 am. It was still dark, with an overcast
sky. I set up my bike, organized my
nutrition and got ready for my first run.
I
still had a big question of
uncertainty looming over me: How will this toe I broke 10 days ago,
running on this same course in the V5F’s, respond to running? I had not run a step since I finished that
run (Wednesday, 29 August). For this
Shawangunk Double attempt, I opted for a pair of New Balance Trail Minimus,
instead of the V5F’s – but had never run a step in them before. Could I rack up 20 miles today – and still
get up tomorrow to run another 18+ miles – in
the V5F’s?
At
6:06 am, I set out – still very little light – ready to embrace the
uncertainties. I walked, I shuffled, I
plodded. My toe fussed a little, but
seemed to be a cooperative citizen. The
darkness forced me to keep it very slow. Everything seemed to fall into place. I finished the first run loop and returned to
the parking lot. Bob Posey – my AZ
cohort again this year – had his bike set-up and was ready to roll. One small glitch though – he had locked his
keys in his van.
We set
out for Bike Loop 1, having faith that the key thing would get resolved. Halfway through the first bike, the sky to
the west was close to black with clouds that engulfed some of the Catskill Mountain
We
returned to the parking lot after Loop 1, and
talked to the gate attendant who called a ranger to look into opening Bob’s
van. Given that Bob was dealing with
some tendonitis in his ankle and running was questionable for him, and given
that the weather might get ugly later, and that Bob couldn’t get into his van anyway,
we took off for Bike Loop 2.
The
weather held OK for us. We returned to
re-fuel. The ranger was unable to open
Bob’s van, but a locksmith was available.
Bob stayed behind, and I left for Bike Loop 3. After Bob got into his van, he rode the course
backwards until we met up, and then turned around.
Three
loops of the bike complete, and the weather was holding. We embarked for an loop of the run
course. My toe was still a very
cooperative citizen! At the conclusion
of that (my second) run loop, Bob was ready to head back home. Concerned for daylight – with still two more
loops of the run to go – I did not pause long.
Just as I embarked on my third run loop, Betsy drove in. I waved, blew her a kiss, and trotted on.
Fifteen
minutes later the weather... well, lets just say it got a little “theatrical”. The forecast had been for high winds and
possible hail. In a matter of minutes,
the winds got wild and it started to rain, as the temperature dropped. I was on the west facing slope, as the system
moved in from the west. I had a front
row seat in this theater. The trees were
moving from their bases – it seemed as if the mountain itself was moving.
Yet, I
was calm and still within. My intention
throughout this Triple Ultra endeavor is to just focus on executing the next
stroke, the next stride perfectly.
Efficiency, grace and harmony.
Zendurance. I stayed with that
inner calm, knowing that once the cold front had moved in and the temperature
had dropped, the winds would quiet. But
I was definitely wet and cold in my lightweight t-shirt as the rain came down
hard. I ran to stay warm. It was the fastest run loop of the day – in
spite of running through streams of water cascading down some of the trails.
When I
got back to the parking lot, Betsy was so relieved to see me! I told her that this was the best run loop I
have ever done on this course (and I’ve done probably 40 or more.) I had one more to go – and it was 6:05. I was just going to eek this out in time.
I put
on a jacket, and a hat, mixed my last bottle of HEED and headed out at 6:10. I felt alive, calm and confident. I warmed up quickly and had to unzip the
jacket. As I ran the last loop, I found
three trees that had fallen across parts of the trail from the winds. And finally...
As I
emerged from the darkening woods into the meadow near the pavilion, the entire
sky was crimson red! Everything was
glowing – including Betsy and I! Yeah,
my time for the course was a dismal 13:25, but I completed it with nine of my
toes intact. At least I would make the
starting line of SOS in less than 12 hours.
As we
packed up, Betsy’s mom called to tell us the power had gone out. “This
is just like last year, when it was out for 4 days! I get to go back and prepare for SOS in the
garage, with the car headlights!” I
had to prepare my other bike, unpack and repack clothes, organize transition
and finish line bags, and prepare fuel for the bike. As I completed these tasks – around 10:00 –
the power came back on!
I had
a yogurt, a rice cake with almond butter and raisins, and laid down about
11:15. 4:30 am would come soon enough!
2012 –
The Real Deal: Day 2
As I
anticipated, I slept very little, but was able to relax my body enough to be
prepared for Day 2 – my beloved SOS – and this time, the real course, with all 3 swims, all 5 runs! Yes!
The
weather was cold and foggy, but the sky was clear. It was mystical.
We
start the bike in waves – from youngest to oldest (a nice way of saying fastest
to slowest). I was in the second to the
last wave. Since this was Day 2, my
actual start had occurred 25 hours ago. I
had absolutely zero pre-race
anxiety. I was”pre-fatigued”, relaxed
and ready. When our wave started, I was
left behind in the fog, gently spinning the pedals to loosen up my legs.
While
I use my road bike for AZ, I use my time trial bike for SOS. It’s not that I am looking for speed; it’s
just that the pedaling biomechanics is different, so my legs feel less
fatigued. They started to feel pretty good
– as I got passed by a few of the last wave athletes. I figured I might end up being the course
sweeper!
As we
got around to the 1,100-foot climb up to Minnewaska, the fog had completely
burned off and the day was glorious!! I
kept my climb low-intensity. We had
plenty of running to do, and I now had 114 miles of cycling and 20 well-earned
miles of running in my legs already. I
passed a few folks on the bike, so I knew I was not the course sweeper after
all.
In
transition, I donned my wetsuit (cut-off above the knees) and the V5F’s. I ambled out of transition patiently waiting
for my legs to figure out what the hell was going on. The first section was downhill on pavement –
I wasn’t about to pound it in the V5F’s.
At the
conclusion of Run 1, I was thrilled to get in the water. The cool water of Awosting Lake Awosting
Lake
I
didn’t want the swim to end – save for the few leg cramps I experienced. This is always the issue with SOS – by the
time we swim for the third time (in Mohonk Lake
In the
first swim, my legs had now
accumulated 24.5 miles of running over 2 days.
“What’s gonna happen on the final
swim?” The transition into Run 2
went well. That’s the great thing about
the V5F’s – just get in and swim, just get out and run.
I was
a bit chilled (even with the wetsuit), and the sun felt so good. I kept the suit zipped up. The second run of SOS is the most
enchanting. Most of it is along the
ridge top, with beautiful views and (this year) gorgeous morning light. The 5.5 miles went by quickly.
At Minnewaska Lake
The
beginning of this run proceeds down a steep paved road. I took it reeeaaal easy on this. Once I was back on the carriage trails, I
found my rhythm and ran gracefully. I
felt strong and composed – every step brought strength. There was no whiney inner voice saying “When is this going to end? Can we walk for a bit?” I warmed up and peeled down the top of my
wetsuit. The 8 miles glided by
effortlessly.
Emerging
from the woods for the final swim across Mohonk Lake
The
swim exit from Mohonk can be a real comedy – you have to clamber up the rocks
on to the trail, and then run 7-tenths of a mile up a steep trail to the base
of the tower. People get to the swim
exit and find that their legs just will not respond – a temporary
paralysis. Amazingly, I felt none of this. I climbed out, passed a fellow athlete
sitting to put his shoes back on, and began trotting up the trail.
Two
minutes into this final run, that same guy lurches past me. I see “55” on his calf – my age group. I assess his zombie-like running form. “No way
I’m gonna let this happen!” I ran
past him and scooted up that hill to
the Survivor Line. My SOS time: 7:41:03
Once
across the finish line, medal around my neck, I climbed the steps to the top of
the tower. This is the real finish line. I stood in the glorious sunlight, in my
cut-off wetsuit, sopping wet 5-Fingers, swim cap, goggles and running visor and
soaked it in.
Ah, Sweet
Success!
I had
finally completed the Shawangunk Double.
Combined time: A little over 21 hours.
And
the bonus this year: Due to trail
damage from Hurricane Irene in 2011, this year’s first run had a detour that lengthened it by 4-tenths of a
mile. I did slightly more than the Shawangunk Double!
I
savored the afterglow of the experience and shared that with Betsy, and Susie,
who served as my bike/run transition aide.
We enjoyed great food at the Survivor Line Party. I circulated around and talked to so many of
my triathlon “o’hana”.
Then, as
I was making the rounds, much to my amazement, I hear Alex Sherwood, our
spirited MC, say “And from Ithaca , NY
So
Much Gratitude!
Dream
or not, I gotta thank Don Davis, my fellow mystic
athlete and the visionary race director behind SOS, as well as his lovely wife
Darleen. My beloving companion Betsy Laughlin for
always supporting my endeavors, even
when they cross over into lunacy. To
Terry and Alice Laughlin for being our loving family and providing us with a
home when we are in New Paltz (which is often). John McGovern, visionary and Race Director of
AZ. Bob Posey, who once again made the trip
from Great Barrington, MA to accompany me for much of the self-supported
AZ. Susie Morrison, my SOS support crew
this year.
Sponsors:
Hammer Nutrition: For superior
training and racing fuels and supplements.
2XU: For superior triathlon training and racing apparel,
wetsuits and compression wear.
Kurt Kinetic: For the best stationary
bike training stand – the Rock and Roll!
Bicycle Depot, New Paltz , NY
Finger Lakes Running and
Triathlon Company: Also for most
excellent service and support.
Island Health and Fitness: Providing me with a great pool facility for
training and teaching.
Next Year?
Hmmm....
Maybe I will actually train for SOS
and race it. (Since AZ is by far the
harder of the two, I have focused my training on that.)
...Or
I could go for the Shawangunk Triple: AZ Long Course Duathlon, SOS, and then AZ
Iron TT – in three consecutive days.
Whaddya think?
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