SOS should be on your Tri Bucket List

Yes every triathlete that has done at least a half Ironman should have SOS on their bucket list, it is one of the most beautiful races that will ever torture you for 5 plus hours.  It took me just over 6 this year 6:01 to be exact.  I would have broke 6 as was my goal if not for the crimpling cramps in the last lake with about 50 yards to go.  But this is a race of experience & if you do it once you will want to do it every year & try to improve your time which I did by over 18 minutes from last year.  The race starts with a 30 mile bike, the 1st 25 mile are fairly flat with some up & downs & a hairy S turn at mile 10, every year someone crashes.  At mile 25 you turn onto rt 45/55 & climb over 1000 ft for the last 5 miles to Minnewaska park where your crew waits for you takes your bike & sets your transition.  Thank you to Jimmy Balmer who was a great crew this year.  The whole race is point to point.  From this point you have to carry all your stuff you will need to get to the Survivor line.  My plan of stuffing my shoes in the back of my shorts worked well & had no issues with me feet.  So after you get off the bike you run 4.6 miles on a lose gravel trail up Cardiac hill (aptly named) to lake Awosting for a 1.1 mile swim across the lake.  This year thanks to some warm early September weather the lake was fairly warm about 70 degrees, which starts with a 3ft. plunge off a rock into 7ft. water.  This year the cramps waited till about the half way point & were not as debilitating as last year but they did slow me down again, so again I had to swim more toward the shore & stop a few times to stand on a rock & work out my leg cramps.  So after a 38 plus minute 1st swim I finally got to the 5.5 mile trail run to lake Minnewaska for a 1/2 mile swim across that lake.  The 2nd run feels much better & is less hilly & I was able to take 4 minutes off last years time.  My 2nd swim was much better & didn't experience any cramping. Getting out of Minnewaska is not easy as you have to climb several rock steps where I did cramp.  The next run is a greuling 8 mile lose gravel fire road run to Lake Mohonk.  It is mostly flat until mile 6 where you hit Godzilla hill, then when that finally flattens out you quickly hit the son of Godzilla.  There is plenty support with aide stations every 2 miles.  The last 1/4 mile is gorgeous single track that opens up to the majestic Mohonk Mountain House & lake Mohonk.  The toughest part of this swim was climbing over the split rail fence to get into the lake.  I wasn't quite as worried about cramping during the last swim this year, that was a mistake as this was my worst  swim of  the 3 as I cramped with only 50 or so yards to go as I lost the chance of breaking 6 hours.  Now as you climb out of Lake Mohonk & it is a 5 ft rock climb all that is left is the 7/10th of a mile 400 ft. climb up to Smiley Tower & the Survivor line.  They do give a separate award for the fastest run up to the tower.    Registration is this than a week away on Halloween night at midnight.  So stay up, eat all your kids candy & register for SOS 2015.  Don't forget to register for IMathlete prior or the race will sell out before you complete both registrations. http://sostriathlon.com/information/