SPEAKER_03 0:06

Yeah, Tom. Nice. Yeah. Oh yeah. Let it just go for a bit. I'm taking the jam. The vibe. The vibe. Guess what, everybody? What? Guess what it is today, Jeff, Tom? Season five. Season five. Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_04 0:27

Season five. Good morning. Salutations and greetings. Season five of the Gunks Cast. Yes. Woo! Woo! Little ACDC baby.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

Oh. Wow. That was a great opening. It was, wasn't it? It was a good one. Season five. Season five. Gentlemen. What the hell has been happening for the last week? We didn't think we'd go one. Yep. We're at five. Five. It's pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Some for us. Do you know in that swanky thing that Buzz Sprout sends at the end of the year? Most podcasts fold up after season one. Yep. We're in the top, I think at this point, 35% of all the podcasts in the country.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

We're coming for you, Joe Rogan. Joe Rogan.

SPEAKER_04 1:15

You're going down, Joey Rogan.

SPEAKER_03 1:19

He uh listen, nothing against Joe. He peeked at that show, News Radio. Remember that show News Radio? Yep. Great show. You ever see that show, Jeff? I do remember that show.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

But I also don't listen to his podcast. I've never listened to it.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

Yeah. I mean, I know he has a podcast with millions of listeners and says very controversial stuff.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

He's doing slightly better than us.

SPEAKER_03 1:42

Little bit. A couple million more. Well, we'll take down Rogan. Maybe we'll take that Rich Roll on the way. Let's go let's take them all down. Yeah. You ever listen to Rich Rolls podcast?

SPEAKER_02 1:54

No.

SPEAKER_03 1:54

That's a good one.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

That's a good one. Yeah. He's funny.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Yeah. All right. All right. So, so guys, as we have done in the past, uh, a lot of our kickoff, a lot of our season kickoffs are about a special race. What race is that? The survival of the Schuangong Strathlon.

SPEAKER_03 2:18

The SOS. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Greatest race in the world. It really is. It's here, right? It's upon us in two weeks. 40th year. Wait, is it two weeks from today? Two weeks from today. So all you listeners are turning. I just want to tell you guys something. It's 9.07 in the morning. Where are they going to be at 9.07 in the morning? Well, I can tell you where they're going to be. The pain came up.

SPEAKER_04 2:41

Pain came up.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

That's where they're going to be. The pain's going to be descending on your body right now in two weeks, and you're going to be like, why did I pay for this?

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Some of these people will be climbing at this point on the bike. Well, we're starting to get the city.

SPEAKER_03 2:54

Others will be running. Oh, they'll be running. Yeah, they'll be running. Well, you'll be running or you'll be sitting in bike transition having been yanked because you snapped and you came up.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

We're going to get into all these things, folks.

SPEAKER_03 3:06

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

We're going to get into race logistics. Race logistics. Um, shuttles, timing, and uh cutoff times. Wow. But also, what do you do? What do you do in the SOS? How do you race the SOS?

SPEAKER_03 3:23

The 40th running of the SOS. This is a special year. You know. 40th anniversary. Jeff, are you doing the race this year? No. No. You know, I'm not either. I know. It's lame. No, it's it's okay because listen, people I can't believe you're not doing the 40th year. I'm the know what I say to them? This is what I say. Yeah, guess what? You know what else was cool? The 25th year, the 30th year, and the 35th year. I was there. Where were you? Where were you, buddy? Yeah. Okay. All right. So anyway, I'll I'll be back. You know?

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:55

We still got a PR left in us. Fuck yeah, I do.

SPEAKER_04 3:59

All right. All right.

SPEAKER_03 4:00

Anyway, can you announce our guest? We I listen for the inaugural season five kickoff of the SOS. Yeah. Could we have gone any bigger in our guest? It's pretty big. Very big. We're very excited to announce it.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Okay, listeners, we have the 2025 Women's Champion, second overall, Lydia Brutbin in the house. Welcome to the podcast for the second time.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Thank you. It's been a while.

SPEAKER_03 4:28

It's been a little while. Lydia, welcome. Welcome to the podcast. Season five kickoff. Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

I feel very special.

SPEAKER_03 4:37

Well, when we were putting this together, I'm like, we gotta get the best guest possible.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

I'm glad you said that because I was watching you as we were doing our introduction, and I was wondering if the look on your face was why did I decide to come here this morning?

SPEAKER_03 4:49

But that's kind of Lydia. She's always kind of looking at you like all our guests look like that in the beginning.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

That's true. That's a good point. Everyone's like, wait, I've made a bad decision.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

Is it too late to leave?

SPEAKER_03 5:00

No, it's not. The door's locked upstairs, and Reggie's guarding the door. Reggie's guarding the door. He's sitting in front of the door licking himself.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

He's not you can't. You're gonna get attacked by a miniature dog on the way out.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Um let's get at this, huh? All right. So um so Lydia, you were uh women's champion last year. Second overall, and I think the fastest were you a course course record?

SPEAKER_00 5:29

Well, it wouldn't have been a course record because the course was altered.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Oh, altered course, but you still did it pretty damn fast.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

I I'd like to think so.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

Lyddy, how many years will this be for you?

SPEAKER_00 5:41

This will be year six.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

Oh, six, okay. You're almost a couple digits.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Yeah, last year was five.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Last year was five. Okay, and your first SOS was 2021. And you were 18. 18. First 18-year-old, I think.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Yes, youngest person ever.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

All right. Damn. That's putting us all to shame right now.

SPEAKER_03 6:04

Just sitting here. What were you doing at 18, Jeff? Let's not talk about it. Wearing those crazy pants and you sent me that picture in.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Let's not talk about it. I wasn't doing triathlon. No. Well, no. Not that we're you, sir.

SPEAKER_03 6:17

No, I wasn't. We should have been. We should have been. Actually, when I was 18, I was in uh I was let's see, I was in uh either Hawaii or Fiji by now.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 6:31

I was gone for like a two year old. On your world tour? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Which was cool. Did anyone out there I wonder I wonder if anyone out there saw Glenn on his world tour in 1986? So you listen, we do have some listeners out in those parts.

SPEAKER_03 6:45

You know, sometime not this podcast, I will explain to everybody how I once, I don't know, probably somewhere in the year 87 or 88, don't know when, I boxed a kangaroo. Yep. Yep. We don't have time for that today, folks. Anyway, let's get on with the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Yeah, let's not go down the boxing kangaroo story. This is an SOS podcast.

SPEAKER_03 7:06

Okay, let's talk about it then. So let's talk about it. It's gonna start. Typical start.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

So, folks who are listening today, this is a special cast uh to um to run down all parts of the SOS draft lawn. And we're gonna step through and and get some expert opinion from uh champion Lydia. Yep, we got a six and some some armchair expert opinions from Glenn and I.

SPEAKER_03 7:31

Well, we have a lot to say because we're both on the race committee. Well, we've done the race a couple times. Yep, we've done it how many times have you done the race, Jeff? Seven. Seven times. I've done it 15 times. Lydia's done it six times, or this will be six. So we have a lot of experience here about the SOS. Sure. We're in the know.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Yeah, we know.

SPEAKER_03 7:49

What's up?

SPEAKER_01 7:50

We know.

SPEAKER_03 7:51

Um let's enlighten these folks that don't know.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

All right, so folks, um I have some notes. Wow. I took notes. I prepared. Jeff's got notes. I prepared for today's cast. Folks, I think this is the first time. This is just for the receipt. It is.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

We wrote it on the back of a receipt. Folks. And this guy's in charge of tolls.

SPEAKER_03 8:11

Is that a receipt from that?

SPEAKER_02 8:17

There you go. He's a guy right here.

SPEAKER_03 8:20

Thank you. Know what I do? And I still got to give Jeff my tag number of my uh what the hell, easy pass? So I could go onto the bridge and like give the finger through my windshield, and then Jeff could pull up my tag number and he could see me on the camera giving him the finger.

unknown 8:36

Nice.

SPEAKER_03 8:37

I can't wait. Yeah, I'm sorry. It's gonna be a great use of resources. Yeah, great use of resources.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

Okay. All right. I was just inventing. So, folks, um, you know, we have the pre-race dinner at the fairgrounds, pre-race gathering where we go through a lot of the stuff we're gonna go through today. Yep. And that'll be on Saturday, uh the 29th. Uh, a week from well, yesterday. Yeah. Right? Two weeks from yesterday. Sorry.

SPEAKER_03 9:08

Which the nerves start to come out, that pre-race dinner. You're sitting there and everything's all great. You're like, hey, everybody, I'm doing the SOS. It's great. And everybody's like, oh, good for you. They're all excited, then you get to the pre-raced dinner, and all of a sudden, like you get your packet. You start getting your packet, and you know, you start feeling a little tight and jittery. You're like, holy shit, what did I get my? Here we go.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

That's right. It's real. Tomorrow morning, it's gonna be real. Yeah, um, so this year is a little different, right? We've got some um this week is this year is two weeks earlier than the race is normally held, right? Um uh so we're holding it two weeks earlier, and um there are some differences in the course. Yep. Let's to get it, let's get out of here. There's differences in timing. Yep. Um, so we're starting earlier this year. Usually we kick off the bike at 7 a.m. sharp. 6 30 kickoff. This year will be a 6 30 kickoff. Glenn singing the national anthem uh at 6 27. It's gonna be spectacular. Remember when Roseanne sang the national anthem? Yeah, it's gonna be like that.

SPEAKER_03 10:20

Yeah, it is. I got a couple special. Don't worry. You know what? I like to think of myself more of like Whitney Houston. I'm gonna be holding the high note. Really, really. I hear it. I can't.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

I'm saving myself for the day. No, no, that's I can't wait to take a lessons.

SPEAKER_02 10:35

I know.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Hold that high note, Glenn. Um, so we'll do um a 630 kickoff for the bike. Yep. And um everything will be adjusted from there, times and cutoffs and whatnot. But talking not times of day, but in terms of duration, right? Um the the bike is the first part of the course, and we're gonna talk about the bike course and get Lydia's opinion in just a moment. Let's talk about it. But before we start, for those who are like, just get to the point, Jeff. The the bike course has a cutoff, what we call a soft cutoff, of 215. Two hours and fifteen minutes, right? Yep. So if you flatted at the bottom of the mountain and you're changing your tire and it took you ten minutes for some reason. Right. First of all, if you're changing your tire, it should take you less than ten minutes. But if it did, we're not gonna we're not gonna pull you, right? We're gonna let you try to catch up. But if you are at 230 and you barely made it to the top, we're gonna reassess your situation and and ask you to consider whether you're gonna go forward. Um so we're gonna take all things into account at the bike transition and uh consider that cutoff of 215. But everyone should know that it's a 215 cutoff.

SPEAKER_03 11:56

If you come huffing up the mountain and you roll in a 2205, and you're like, holy shit, that mountain was way more than I expected, you're getting cut. Glenn's gonna wrestle you to the ground. Yeah. And hold you down. Yep. Yep. And they'll know there's gonna be bike marshals out there, so they'll know. You know, just in case people are out there like, ooh, I I'm just gonna I'm woefully underprepared for this race. But I'm just gonna say I flatted to go forward. Well, there'll be people that know. Yes, we'll know.

SPEAKER_01 12:26

We'll know. Don't get any ideas, folks. So let's let's take a moment then I would do and pivot to um the actual bike course. All right. Can we let Lydia tell me? Yeah, it's a traditional bike course. So, Lydia, why don't you give us a little walkthrough of the bike course from start to the beginning of the climb?

SPEAKER_00 12:44

All right. We start at the fairgrounds and it's a map it's starts in waves. I think there's usually about seven or eight of them. Um so you're not it's not a mass start, you're not going all at once. And you go to Which would be exciting. Which would be exciting, and also not my cup of tea.

unknown 13:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:01

But I'm I'm glad that we start in waves. And we go down Springtown Road, um, which is flat as pancake. Um so you get about seven or eight miles under your belt of perfectly flat, fast riding, and then you turn in Rosendale and you go, you loop around the side of the mountain essentially, and then go down what does that mean, Roderick and Oxen?

SPEAKER_01 13:22

You've got wait, you've got a significant downhill in Rosendale that we should touch upon.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

You have that sharp turn, so you descend down into Rosendale with a almost a hairpin turn.

SPEAKER_01 13:31

It's a hairpin.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

And so what would you suggest when you go down?

SPEAKER_00 13:38

And there will be people there with signs. There will be, I think probably written on the road, slow down. Um, and still every year, I think at least one person wipes out.

SPEAKER_03 13:47

Someone wipes out every year. Someone wipes out. Folks, look. It's gonna be wet. The roads will be a little bit wetter this year because it's earlier. It's gonna be dew on the ground.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Don't be the person that wipes out seven miles into the race and your race is over because we've had people crash and they crash hard. Yeah. We've had bikes broken, we've had rashes from from glutes to to calf uh of road rash. Yeah, exactly. And you're not finishing the race that.

SPEAKER_03 14:13

You know what's a bad way to do the 40th SOS when you lose 40% of the skin on your leg and up your back and arm. That's a bad way to do the SOS because you just had to hit that turn at 23 miles an hour.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Right. You're not winning the race because you went down that hill fast. Yeah. Right, Lydia?

SPEAKER_00 14:29

No.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

Right.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

That isn't that is not the hill to die on.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

How are you winning the race? Are you winning the race on the bike?

SPEAKER_00 14:34

No.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

No, no one wins the race on the bike. Folks, you heard it. No one wins the race on the bike. So take it easy, have a good ride, hammer it, but don't get crazy. Hammer it when it's hammer it when it's appropriate and and get through the bike, right? You want people to get through the bike.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

There's no there's no need to go straight into the woods on that hairpin turn. Which has happened before. Or hit the house. Like Kilmer was telling me about that.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

Yeah. That someone went straight into the woods. They've done it all. Um okay, so we come down, you descend off of Springtown Road into Rosendale, then you take a left onto 213.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

And you come under the trestle. A little bit hilly on two thirteen.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Yeah, rolling hills.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Some rollings.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:23

Right?

SPEAKER_00 15:23

But nothing obscene. No.

SPEAKER_03 15:24

Little rollers. Nothing that should get people upset on the SOS because you're supposed to be in top physical.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

You got a little climb there before you get to Lucas Avenue.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Yeah, but again, nothing crazy.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

Nothing crazy.

SPEAKER_00 15:35

You're you're more worried about dodging potholes than you're worried about the climbs.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Um okay, and then we then you get to what uh they take another left onto Lucas Avenue. Yep. For people who are looking at their Strava links and and watching the course, you take a left onto Lucas, and Lucas is a nice ride. You're rolling, you're flat and rolling, you can really get into a groove there.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

It's a smooth road.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

It's a nice, that's a nice road.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

You can be in your bars the whole time almost. And cars are very just hammer it to bikers, cyclists, so they give you wide berth.

SPEAKER_00 16:09

Very courteous. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 16:11

Come to the end of Lucas, take a left onto 209.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

Wait, Jeff, and then I'm pretty sure Roman. Brandon Roman lives on that road. So should people Brandon's on Lucas? I think so. Could they use the bathroom at his house?

SPEAKER_01 16:24

I think he said yes. Okay. Yeah, you could definitely stop at Brandon's open door policy. Use the bathroom.

SPEAKER_03 16:31

You know, water. I might throw myself in the race at the last minute with like a gut full of apricots and like Roman! Brandon.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

So um, yeah. So then you can you can stop off there, get a slice of pizza, whatever you want, whatever's in the fridge. That's what he said. Whatever in the fridge. Whatever in the fridge. Take a nap. Help you should have a few. Um so then you you you turn on to 209, and that's um it's a busier road, and you are in traffic, uh, wide shoulder, but a busy road. Yes?

SPEAKER_00 17:06

Yeah, not my favorite part of the course.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

It's not a lot of people's favorite, but you take that to the most important part of the ride, which is another left onto 4455, and you start your final five-mile climb.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Five point six.

SPEAKER_03 17:22

Yes, it's older than five.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

It's five point six, folks.

SPEAKER_03 17:25

Which I know because which kind of always know what I love about it is like, because it's the SOS measurements when they measured the course out like 40 years ago. So you're doing the climb and you're actually in the climb, and you're you're like already starting to like feel it. And then you look down on the road and it says five miles.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

It's a sign that you've you've gone up like 200 plus feet, and then there's a sign five miles to Minawask, and you're like, oh.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

Yeah. So, folks, the the course is marked um every year. It's marked on the pavement, it's uh white spray paint, and it'll give you mile markers of of how much farther to go. Yep. Um and so there's not a sign up on visually like straight ahead, it's on the road, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:10

Yeah, I meant the like county sign that has oh the county sign that says there's like a generic sign on the side of the road.

SPEAKER_01 18:19

Yeah. Don't despair.

SPEAKER_03 18:21

Don't despair. This is settle into the climb, folks. You gotta settle in.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

You have to embrace it.

SPEAKER_03 18:27

Embrace it.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

Let the pain just come to you and just grind. And grind. That's right. Grind up the hill. Um, it's a long climb, it's a beautiful climb. You get out of the out of the woods there for a moment, and you you can look to the left. There's this big long stretch, about a tenth of a mile, and you look to the left and you can see the cat skills and the whole valley, and it's great. It's beautiful. It's a screw, it's a great spot. It's a cool ride.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

You can get into your bars there.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

You can get actually it almost it doesn't level out, but it's not as steep, and you can kind of hammer a little bit there if you've got the energy. But remember, you have the entire day ahead of you after the bike. So let's not get too crazy on the bike. Yeah, don't get crazy.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

Don't listen to me.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Um, well, you're talking to the champ, so you know, champs might want to hammer a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 19:15

Just so we know, what Lydia's advice is dispensing. You know what, if you're like a 630 person out there, you might not want to drop in your arrow bars and just start hammering. Right, right. You're not going five hours tomorrow or on next new race day. On race day, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:32

Um, you know, I'll just to tell a quick story about the climb. Um there was a year for many years, usually I'm like, I start a minute before Glen because of our age groups. What are you saying, Jeff? I'm saying you're older. You know, older. You're an old man. Okay. Older than me anyway. That's all that counts.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

And so um, but uh there's been years where I've gotten to the climb and you know, I'm always trying to stay ahead of you. And I remember one year I turned around and like I could I could see you. There's a spot in the ray in the in the climb where I could turn around and see people farther back. Yep. And you're not doing any many turns. And I saw you back there. And Glenn was like, I swear to like the this the this remember Friday the 13th, like Jason, that sound, that stalking sound, that was in my head. I'm a stalker. And every time I turned around, Glenn was like a little bit closer, and I was like, oh my god, he's gonna catch me.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

You know, Jeff, that's my move. And I could, and just the other day, Borden told me, he's like, you know what? He's like, Masters, he's like, I try so hard to like lose you when we're doing like a 400 or whatever sets of 400, and I come off the wall, there's Glenn. And like fucking, they're inching closer and closer. Like, fucking get rid of this guy. Like, that's how I roll.

SPEAKER_01 20:56

But anyway, yeah. So, anyway, Glenn was stalking that year. He's a stalker.

SPEAKER_03 21:02

Um everybody knows I didn't kill anybody.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

No, yeah, no, you didn't pass me either. Not that year.

SPEAKER_03 21:11

All right, let's get on with that.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

Okay. Um, so we do the ride, um, you're coming up, uh, final parts of the climb, Lydia. Where what are you thinking as you are approaching what's your mindset as you're what should be if you're talking to racers, right, and you're not speaking necessarily speak maybe from both the lead, but also from general, how would you tell people to to finish this ride and enter the next portion of the race?

SPEAKER_00 21:43

This is when the race starts. The race starts once you get off the bike.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

Um, that's always my mindset. Honestly, I think the race doesn't even technically start until Castle Point. But the whole time you're riding and the whole time you're getting ready to start that first run. I'm preparing myself, like, okay, that was uncomfortable. Now it's time to be in pain.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

I know the whole final mile or two miles of the climb, I'm telling myself, don't get excited. Don't blast your legs right now. Because also the final mile is the steepest part of that climb. So once you hit Jenny Lane, that trailhead on the left side, that's almost exactly one mile from a wasing parking lot T1.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:35

Um so the whole time I'm I'm doing the climb, I'm thinking, where the fuck is Jenny Lane?

unknown 22:40

Where is it?

SPEAKER_00 22:41

I know it's here somewhere. And then once you hit it, um, I usually am trying to settle and calm myself before I go into T1. Um most of the race, I'm always so excited on race A. I just want to go. I'm chomping at the bit. So a lot of it is me calming myself down so I don't fly and die. But I that would be my advice to everyone is um don't get excited. Wait until you get off the bike to get excited, and then ease your foot off the the brake a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 23:11

So you enter bike transition, you see Glenn and I. Which we'll be there. It'll be a hoopla there. We'll be there.

SPEAKER_00 23:19

It's always a hoopla.

SPEAKER_03 23:20

Yeah, last year was maybe a little too much of a hoopla. We won't get too into it.

SPEAKER_01 23:23

We'll be doing our shtick and and guiding folks to their uh bikes, their bike transition.

SPEAKER_03 23:30

As amped up as we'll be. Yeah. We won't be the most amped up person there. No.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Not by a mile.

SPEAKER_03 23:37

No. No.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

So we're trying to keep you, we're we're trying to guide folks and get you to where you need to go. There'll be plenty of volunteers that'll help you find your um where your bike transition actually is.

SPEAKER_03 23:54

A lot of them, hopefully about 20 kids.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

And um we have it all mapped out. We know where you need to go by number.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

Which is important, by the way, because you are not the one setting up your transition area, so you have no idea where your stuff is. Every year you're going blind. I have no every year I'm like, I have no idea where my bike is. So I'm completely putting my faith in the volunteers to guide me to my bike.

SPEAKER_03 24:16

Which is that's a significant that's a good point. For me, the bike was always stressful. Not that I thoroughly enjoy the bike and did pretty well, but I like getting off the bike because it's the only thing that could really take you out of the race that's not your own ability. Like something could happen. Yeah. So I was as happy to get off the bike. Now you're just like, okay, now it's on me. It's not like a flat or a mechanical.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

So we get off the bike, you're guided to um people will be yelling your bike number, we'll announce it as you come in, and you'll you'll be running towards the bike transition. You'll hear uh volunteers yelling your bike number or your bib number, rather. You run to them and you transition. You leave your stuff, right? Let's talk about bags for a minute. I'm gonna go to my notes, my prolific notes here on a scrap piece of receipt paper. It's not, it's not. Um basically, um the the there's two bags uh for this race, right? You've got a blue bag, which is your swim run bike finish transition bag, and in that bag is where you're gonna put your run-swim gear. Correct. Okay. Um Lydia, what would you say is what should be the focus for what goes in the blue bag? Are people packing sweatshirts and snacks and and you know, all accoutrements for for the bike is what stays with you for the rest of the day.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

That's right. So you better pack light.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Pack light. What's essential to go in that bag?

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Shoes, I should hope, and goggles and your cap. And that's about it. That's it.

SPEAKER_03 26:04

That's really all you need. No good luck, charms. We don't well, I guess you could if you want.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

There is a race of rabbit's foot. There is an aid station right there. Yeah. So if you you're free to pack whatever you want, but minimal is the key.

SPEAKER_00 26:21

The lighter the better. You don't need a wet, some people pack wetsuits. I would not advise that. It's one more thing to carry. But anything that goes in that bag is gonna stay with you for the next four.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Can we just disparage wetsuits wearers?

SPEAKER_01 26:36

No, we don't want to disparage anyone.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

No, disparaging. But discouraging.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

But folks who are listening, if you feel this will be a warmer year because we're not two weeks later. And it will be warmer. It's going to be warmer.

SPEAKER_00 26:48

It'll be a lot warmer.

SPEAKER_03 26:49

Yep. The water usually sinks about eight to ten degrees in that week. In that two weeks. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:53

Yeah. The nights get really cold. It's not happening this year. But if you feel the need to have a run-swim wetsuit or a wetsuit, traditional wetsuit, just be in keep in mind that uh you have to figure you should have hopefully figured out a way that you're going to wear slash carry that wetsuit for the rest of the race. Probably just put it on a transition and run with it. Um you you could. You could try all kinds of things and you might overheat, but if you need a wetsuit, we're not disparaging you, pack it in your run swim bag, the blue bag, and figure out a way to carry it for the rest of the race. Right.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

Which to be clear is 18. You have to carry it for 18 miles of running. I just want to stress that.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

Point seven. It's a lot. Um, it's a lot to do. And I um none of us here are wetsuit folks. So we've always done it, wear no wetsuit. And uh, but but to be fair, we're also all swimmers. Yep. And so we don't feel that we need the extra buoyancy of a wetsuit. And this year particular, I don't think cold water is going to be an issue.

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Well, and there's some lesser races that really encourage wetsuits. And like they're all nice and fancy for you, and you roll into a set transition and you whatever. Yeah. I don't want to mention those places.

SPEAKER_01 28:17

Yeah, let's not talk about that.

SPEAKER_00 28:18

That's not SOS.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

Uh nope. Not SOS. So um, okay, so your blue bag is your run, swim, bike finish bag, and everything in there, you're going to finish your bike, pick up your blue bag, which will be there waiting for you at your bike transition. You're gonna change, leave all your bike stuff with your bike, that'll go back into your blue bag and go with your bike back to the fairgrounds. Um, there's also a red bag, and your red bag is your finisher bag. That's things you feel you might need post-race.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

That's where you pack heavy. I'm putting everything in there. That's where you pack heavy.

SPEAKER_03 28:58

Let's just hit on that. You pack heavy. Typically, the race is in September. Yep. So, like I finished you know, sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks. I mean, while it certainly could happen again this year, it's probably not as likely as typical three weeks later, two weeks later.

SPEAKER_01 29:16

That's true. And I've also finished in years where I didn't need any of that stuff because it was warm and beautiful day, and I just kept I put on my finisher shirt and shorts, and I wore flip-flops.

SPEAKER_03 29:26

I don't think you'll need like a skull cap. There's plenty of times I'm wearing like a skull cap, you're freezing up at Skytop. Might not be that way this year.

SPEAKER_01 29:32

It can be windy. So, um, like Lydia said, pack what you think you might need. Put a sweatshirt in there, put a fleece in there, put some socks, pressure socks, maybe a bunch of jam. Change out some shoes, some flip-flops or other shoes you might want to wear, get your race shoes off, and that will be up at Epit Skytop waiting for you. Now, now, in the unlikely case that you don't finish and you still need uh your finisher bag, um, we typically advise don't put your car keys in your finisher bag because if you don't finish, we're gonna transport you directly to the fairgrounds.

SPEAKER_03 30:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

And your finisher bag is up at the sky top with your car keys. With your car keys. So we we've always figured it out. We send messages, we've got walkie-talkies with the race crew, and we will we communicate it, and that bag does get down to the fairgrounds, but it's not immediate. So if you're transported and want to get in your car, you're gonna be waiting an hour to get your bag. So keep that in mind and plan accordingly.

SPEAKER_03 30:39

Can I just digress on a little whit of a car keys story? Sure, it's true, so I'm gonna say it.

SPEAKER_01 30:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 30:45

First time I did Iron Man, they were like really making a fuss about uh your car keys. Who's got your car keys? And I was like, my wife, like, are you sure? Because if you're here by yourself, you gotta give us your car keys. And they had a special bag for the keys to go in this whole thing.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

Wait, is this the year where I dropped your car keys in Mirror Lake?

SPEAKER_03 31:04

No, different year. And uh they were making a big fuss about it, and I was like, what the hell? You guys were gonna steal my car? And basically, some guy that was there was doing like whatever, like his tenth iron man. He's like, No, you know why they want your keys? Because if you die in the lake, they want to be able to move your car.

SPEAKER_04 31:22

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 31:23

I was like, that's that's what they said to me. Wow. I was like, okay. All right, all right. Anyway, that's a good story.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

With that having been said, that is not an issue here. Um okay. Um all right, so that's the story on the finisher backs. Um, keep keep that in mind. Yeah, yeah. Um, all that communication will be shared uh ahead of the race if you haven't had it already, um by uh the race director. Yep. Um so we are finished with the bike and you're off on the first run. So Lydia, give us a rundown of the first run.

SPEAKER_00 32:04

Okay. The first run is typically four and a half miles. You're going down, or I should say up, lower Awasting carriage road, which is a relatively gradual uphill until you get to Cardiac Hill.

SPEAKER_03 32:22

Why do they call it Cardiac Hill?

SPEAKER_00 32:24

Because you want to die.

SPEAKER_03 32:26

Oh your heart's beating so fast.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

Your heart feels like it's going to explode. Uh, which is about a half mile, unbelievably steep uphill. Yeah, it's crazy. That takes you up to Lake Awasting.

SPEAKER_03 32:39

Um this is where Jeff has his e-bike hid in the woods. Freaking segue.

SPEAKER_00 32:46

It's honestly easier in my experience to run up that hill than it is to bike up it. It's that steep.

SPEAKER_03 32:52

Yeah, I agree. Biking up it sucks.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

It's terrible.

SPEAKER_03 32:54

Yeah, we biked up it the other day.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

Yeah. Glenn and I. It was it was a slow crawl. It was not fast. Um, so you climb cardiac. Um, some people run it, but you know, the people walking it are sometimes just in in line with the people running it.

SPEAKER_05 33:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

Um, no shame in walking cardiac. Again, you've got a long day ahead of you. People do jog it. Um, it's a tough climb. Yeah. Um, no joke.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

It's the steepest climb you'll run all day.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

It's kind of gonna get your heart up if you're walking it.

SPEAKER_01 33:25

Yeah, it will. Cardiac Hill. Okay, so at this point, um, for this year, we reach the top of Cardiac and you are yards away from your dozens of yards away from a wasting lake. You come around a corner, kind of uh a left-hand curve, and you are at the base of a wasting lake.

SPEAKER_03 33:47

Um this year, a beautiful body of water, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 33:51

It's it's an amazing body of water. You're gonna swim the length of a wasting, and it is gonna be a glorious moment in the race. And this is one of my favorite parts of the race, which is the getting into a wasting. Getting into a wasting, taking a couple of like breaststroke um motions and settling in is is I would always advise people to do that. Um give yourself a moment, take it all in. It's a great swim. And uh that's the time where I say, don't race, just be in the moment, be in the lake, and then 30 seconds, 10 seconds, whatever it is, and then you can start hammering the swim.

SPEAKER_03 34:36

Jeff, I get in and I hammer right from the get-go. No, you do not. Zero. I dive off that rock, and like there's been times like an Olympic swimmer. I've come racing into that rock, the inn, cap is on, goggles are on, people are like doing shit. They're like, I run across that mat, bam. I was diving once. It's like launch myself out there, the people running the mat were like, yo, take it easy, bam. I hit the water, never looked back. Came out 26 minutes later.

SPEAKER_01 35:03

Bam! 26 minutes.

SPEAKER_03 35:05

2611, my best time, baby. Uh I mean, granted, I came in 6'20 in the overall, but that's a good point you made about approaching a wasting.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

And in fact, approaching all the swims. All the swims. Get your cap on. As you approach a swim, you can see the lakes every time. You know it's coming. Um, it's a good time to take a moment, pull your swim cap out of your shorts, get your swim cap on, get your goggles situated, and it's just one less thing you have to deal with when you're about to jump in the lake. Um, as we talk about lake swim mechanics, let's talk shoes.

SPEAKER_00 35:44

The question is What are we doing with our shoes?

SPEAKER_01 35:46

Everyone wants to know. In fact, there was a post on the SOS Facebook page last night or this morning about all the different ways people do their shoes, so you should check out the website. Um, there's a lot of videos about what folks have done.

SPEAKER_03 36:00

Very personal decision.

SPEAKER_01 36:02

It's a big decision. It's a it's it's a uh I wouldn't say a point of contention, but a point of varying opinions. So, Lydia, what is your choice of now it depends. You wear a kit, right?

SPEAKER_00 36:15

I do wear a kit.

SPEAKER_01 36:16

Okay, so what are you doing with your shoes?

SPEAKER_00 36:17

Well, I've tried something different every single year. Wow. I've not found something I love. I think that's part of the nature of me wearing it.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

You've tried it five different ways.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

I've tried five different ways.

SPEAKER_01 36:29

How are there five different ways? Gotta be creative. Okay. So one of them must have been not you must have carried them outside somehow.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

No, I've never carried them outside because the first year I volunteered at the race, I saw the man who had lost a shoe. Oh. And that kind of traumatized me a little bit. Okay. So I've been resigned to keeping my shoes inside my kit.

SPEAKER_03 36:54

Nothing makes me happier than when someone has some scheme to tow their shoes behind them and they pour out water dry and then boom, the shoes are floating in the lake.

SPEAKER_00 37:05

It's freaking out. Never works. Just don't try it.

SPEAKER_01 37:09

So I'll say that one of my faves is and everyone's got to do your thing. You know, if you have it in your head that this is the way you need to do it, um, to keep your shoes dry, just keep in mind that you've got between your listening of this podcast and race day to try racing with wet shoes. It's not that bad.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

It's really not that bad.

SPEAKER_01 37:31

And if you haven't, you need to start right now. Because it's there's a good likelihood your shoes are gonna get wet. Even if they're in the dry bag. Now, there's people who do the dry bag and the shoes are dry, but over the course of the day, I'm gonna guess those shoes are wet by the time they get to the top of uh Skytop. Yep. So um so what is it you do with your in your kit? What do you do? Like what'd you do last year? You won the race.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

And this this will be the thing that I do this year as well. Okay. I put them on the backs of my thighs.

SPEAKER_03 38:02

Which is a pretty common pretty typical um setup.

SPEAKER_00 38:06

I'm not really sure how it took me until last year to try that one. But if you flatten them down as much as possible, you stick them up the back of your kit legs. Yep. Um by the time Mo Honk rolled around, I think I was delirious enough that I wasn't shoving them up there enough. And they started to kind of come loose the more I kicked. So But also, whose legs are really doing that much at that point anyway? I was just dragging them behind me.

SPEAKER_01 38:32

Yeah, I don't even kick in a wasting, so I don't know what you're talking about kicking in any part of this race, but anyway, slash figure out where your shoes are gonna go.

SPEAKER_03 38:39

Front of the legs, back of the legs, chest, back.

SPEAKER_01 38:43

If you're wearing a kit, you can unzip it, put them in the front, zip it up as much as you can.

SPEAKER_00 38:48

Which I don't recommend.

unknown 38:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 38:49

I don't recommend either.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

You will take on water down the front of your suit.

SPEAKER_03 38:53

And people get these Rod the Run swimsuits, which were popular, right? Yep for a few years. Maybe they still are. And they stick them in their chest, they try to zip up. It doesn't go bam, the zipper blue. And they're like, what are the people we know involved? Several people like, I don't know what to do, my zipper blue. And I'm like, dude, you you're like halfway up with rot.

SPEAKER_01 39:13

Just keep racing. Yeah. Um okay. I'll say that for me, yeah. Um, I found the quickest, the fastest transition for me is um I remember hearing about the back of the leg thing, and I was always that that seemed to take longer than to you know, grab your shoe. I leave my socks on, just FYI. I swim with the socks on. I don't and if you're gonna swim with socks or if you're gonna wear socks, I would suggest leaving them on. I started doing that like probably year eight or nine. Everyone's gotta come up with your own way. That's mine. Um, because putting on wet socks when in in the dirt is annoying. Yep. Um, and it it it's just a waste of time. Yep. For me. Yep. You know, I'm I'm battling 86th place here, Glenn.

SPEAKER_03 40:05

Dude, 86 to 89, it's a shave every second.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

We're talking the same language. But anyway, um, one in front, one in back. Okay. Right? That's a popular heels down, laces in, both sides. One in front, one in back.

SPEAKER_03 40:21

But Jeff, you gotta realize when you go to the dinner afterwards, you take the shoe out of your front.

SPEAKER_01 40:26

Oh, that's the problem.

SPEAKER_03 40:28

I leave them in. I've left them in all day before. Create a buzz. You create a buzz of the dinner. It's kind of awkward.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

Lydia, we're sorry. We're just very immature. Um can't help ourselves. One in front, one in back. I feel like that's quick. But um, you know what? Try different things. If you're listening to this podcast and you haven't decided, uh, today is the day to make that decision.

SPEAKER_03 40:54

Stick with it. Stick with it. I have a shoe in the front, both my front leg, uh soles out, right? Like to the opening of the shoe down against my leg with the toes pointing up. And I know other race winners like to make fun of that way, but guess what? You're not here today, buddy. And I was taught that by Art Stockin, who's a legendary swim coach, infamous, infamous who's done the SOS, you know, before he passed away as amazing human. He's like, This is what you do. That's what I do.

SPEAKER_01 41:29

Okay, so you're swimming in a wasting. You're in a wasting. Um the course this year uh will be modified. Uh the the the run to a wasting and the swim in a wasting um will be modified and announced well before the race. Um, but the bottom line, regardless of the modification, it's not it's not huge. And um the the point to focus on for this year is that you are swimming in a wasting. So what do you do in a waste? One point one miles you'll be swimming. That's right. You're swimming the f the the full length of a wasting lake. Yep. Um so uh do you have any advice for the swim in a wasing lake?

SPEAKER_00 42:15

That's my favorite swim.

SPEAKER_01 42:16

Me too.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

Yeah, I love it. I work at Minawasca State Park and Lake Awasting is very dear to me. It's a long swim, it's over double the length of the other, both of the other swims. So pace yourself. Um, especially most triathletes, the swim is not their favorite part. It is my favorite part, it's probably your guys' favorite part.

SPEAKER_01 42:39

100% for sure.

SPEAKER_00 42:40

But most people don't feel that way and are just looking to survive the Awasing swim. So slow down, like Glenn said, enjoy it. It's so beautiful out there. Take a moment to pop up in the middle of the lake. Also make sure you're going in the right direction. It's this is not a race like an Iron Man race where there's neon yellow buoys charting your course. It is kind of easy to it's easy to get off track and not necessarily swim in the straightest of lines. So take the time to make sure you know where you're going. It's more worth it to lose ten seconds every once in a while to make sure you're swimming in the right direction as opposed to putting your head down and then winding up on a wasting beach somehow.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

That having been said, we do have a line of um kayakers. Hayakers, masters, folks on paddle boards that line the entire length of the lake. So you will be if you it's unlikely that you would pass that line of people without someone getting your attention and paddling over to you and saying you're way off course.

SPEAKER_00 43:46

They will take good care of you.

SPEAKER_01 43:47

Yeah. Yeah. And let's just say for the folks that are concerned, if you are swimming and you cramp up, you can please paddle over, swim over, get yourself to a kayak or Or a paddle board, hang on, talk to the volunteer. They're going to encourage you. Your cramp will go away. Um give it a moment and give it a moment and then swim on. But they will not propel you forward. Um, that's the big that's the that's the whole deal. Uh, but you will be able to hang out, hold on, catch a breath, get the cramp out, and keep swimming. And that's encouraged if you need it.

SPEAKER_03 44:24

And these are swimmers out there. Local masters program is going to be out there with a dozen to 16 kayaks, so they're all swimmers. Yep. They will take care of you. They know what to do. Probably look at you with disdain that you're like dying already and you're a quarter mile in.

SPEAKER_01 44:38

I'd like to stop and just chat because I know them all.

SPEAKER_03 44:41

I know. I like to stop. Stop and they're like, Jeff, well, you you need to go. I've stopped to talk to Ed. Yeah. Yeah. Hey Ed. Ed Stoner, record holder. Record holder.

SPEAKER_01 44:51

Boston Lake. 1851. Is that what it is? 18 something. Almost 19, but damn, that's fast. Yep. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 44:58

Coming for it. Nice. So bad. You heard it.

SPEAKER_03 45:03

Down goes Ed.

SPEAKER_00 45:04

You heard it here first.

SPEAKER_03 45:05

Take it. What was your time last year, Lydia? Well, they've been previous when it's a traditional.

SPEAKER_00 45:09

I think 22 or 21.

SPEAKER_03 45:10

Yeah, it's it's a it's a pretty sick time.

SPEAKER_00 45:13

Thank you. Last year I I gave Jonathan a wave. Yeah. Jonathan Surns, who does coordinates the kayaking.

SPEAKER_01 45:20

Yeah. So take a moment and and talk to the volunteers. They're they've been there a long time.

SPEAKER_00 45:25

Almost all of them have done it for multiple years. Yep. Yep. They are not rookies.

SPEAKER_03 45:29

They're not they're not newbies out there. While there are some newbies, they're fledgling SOSers, but most of the people out there are SOS competitors.

SPEAKER_01 45:36

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So you get through a Wasting, no cramping, you get out, and you're starting your um your second run.

SPEAKER_00 45:46

The climb to Castle Point.

SPEAKER_01 45:47

The climb to Castle Point. Also great run.

SPEAKER_00 45:49

Beautiful climb. I love that run.

SPEAKER_01 45:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:51

Probably the most beautiful run out of the three.

SPEAKER_01 45:54

I love the run. There's a couple of vistas where you will come out and see where you just came from on the right hand side.

SPEAKER_00 46:00

Which is so cool. You can see the swimmers in a line going across Lake Awasa.

SPEAKER_03 46:04

Which is great when you're like halfway up the Castle Point and you look out and you see people just starting their swim, and you're like, oh, that son of a gun did not pass to me.

SPEAKER_01 46:13

That's right. Um so you wind up to Castle Point at the top. It's a good climb.

SPEAKER_03 46:18

It's a great climb. And it's not super steep.

SPEAKER_01 46:21

It's not super steep, um, but you're steadily uphill, and you get to the top, it flattens out for a moment. There's an A station. You can get some aid, you can get some water, some food. Um, and then you wind yourself down to um.

SPEAKER_03 46:37

I can't let that run go without telling everybody, which we brought up before on the podcast. That's the at the spot you and I became buddies. Yeah. Jeff was hurt, I was hurt, I wasn't hurt, I was hurting. And Jeff and I became buddies. We limped our way into awasca. Anyway, and the rest is history. Here we are, season survivor the podcast. Drama friendship, right?

SPEAKER_00 46:57

Right. The best kinds of friendship.

SPEAKER_01 46:59

Um so uh so you come down from Castle Point, and uh that's another moment that I like to tell people. You know, if you've looked at the website and you've heard the videos, you've you've heard of the Schwangunk moment. Yep, it's a good moment. And the founder, our friend, our Davis family. The Don. The Don. Truly the Don. Truly the Don in every way. And Don came up with this idea of like, you know, Don was an animal. He's the Don. He he raced this course, he created this course, but he did it hard. Yeah, he did. And and even though he did it hard, and there was relentless focus on hammering, even Don would take a moment and just appreciate where we were, what we were doing, and the views that we had available to us on this amazing race.

SPEAKER_03 47:48

And he is truly the Don. People are like, how are these committee meetings work? I'm like, You ever watch Godfather? I'm like, there's the Don, there's the underboss, there's a consigliere, there's capos. We're Jeff, we're capos. Yep. Yeah, you know, and luckily we've not been called in yet. Not yet. Called in as bad. Not yet. Putting your jewelry in the top drawer.

SPEAKER_01 48:07

I've got a couple cone calls. I'm like, this is the day. But it wasn't. It wasn't. Yep, we're earners. So um, okay, so you get to the cop top of Castle Point, right around that aid station is a moment to just take a moment, appreciate where you are. What do you think? What do you do at the top of Castle Point?

SPEAKER_00 48:25

Uh, I stuff my face with food. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 48:28

Do you take stuff? Do you take stuff to carry with you?

SPEAKER_00 48:30

I do. I take stuff to go. Um as I'm loading up, I usually take that moment to look around and take in the view. I love Castle Point when I am training on my own and biking, running, hiking, whatever. I love to go to Castle Point. It's probably my favorite spot in the park. Um, and it hasn't been ruined for me by SOS, which is really nice because at that point you're usually already in the pain cave.

SPEAKER_01 48:56

That is a good pain cave spot.

SPEAKER_00 48:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:59

Usually I will say that let's talk about cramping. We didn't talk cramping in a masting. After the bike and after the run, then you go, you know, horizontal, you're in the water for a while. Some people cramp pretty significantly. But get out and keep moving. Yep. Just don't languish.

SPEAKER_03 49:17

Even if you have to do the Frankenstein walk, because you're all seized.

SPEAKER_01 49:20

I've done the the thriller walk, the Frankenstein walk. Look like a zombie. I've done it all. And by the time it's it's before you get to the top of Castle Point, your cramps will be gone. Even though you think this is the worst cramping I've ever experienced in my life. It's never gonna go away. This is my life now. It'll be gone before you get to the top. And when you get to the top, get some food, get some water, get some salt if you've cramped.

SPEAKER_03 49:46

Yeah, but get some salt and keep on moving. Yeah, I agree. And stuff your face. You heard it from the champ. Which this year has we've got stinger products. There's a wide assortment of stinger products. You know what? Maybe be careful. Don't maybe not. This is just me. I don't know. Some everybody does their own thing. Maybe not get on the caffeine train right away. You know, there'll be there'll be caffeine products there, like different gels and stuff. I mean, I stay away from the caffeine until a bit later in the race, but yeah, everybody does their own thing. But there'll be a lot of food there. Partake liberally. Yep.

unknown 50:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 50:23

Plenty of food at all the eight stations. Uh, there's gonna be plenty of food. Don't don't feel like you need to be shy. Um, all right, so we wind our way down, we come around the back side of Minawaska, and now we are approaching Minawaska Lake. You're coming downhill, you see the lake on your left. Put your cap on, folks. The whole way. You come down off Calsa Point, you take a hard right, and the lake is there on your left-hand side. It'll stay on your left till you are coming down the final stretch. It's right in front of you. That's the point in time. You start getting your cap on, get your goggles situated. Um, you cross the mat and you have a moment to you're gonna walk into the lake. This is not a diving in lake. You're gonna walk in about, I don't know, 50 paces, maybe 20 paces, and then it's about three feet deep, and you can do a shallow dive and start your swim.

SPEAKER_00 51:18

Yeah. It those are slippery rocks getting into Menawasca, so I always have to be pretty careful getting in there.

SPEAKER_01 51:24

Yep. You want to kind of tiptoe your way in?

SPEAKER_00 51:27

I honestly get in and sit down.

SPEAKER_01 51:29

Yeah?

SPEAKER_00 51:30

Yeah. I get right in and I don't even try and walk on the rocks. I sit down and then I put my shoes in my suit. Interesting. Okay. Because then also you can rinse the gravel off of them before you put them in your suit.

SPEAKER_05 51:40

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 51:41

Um, and then I just flip over and start swimming. Because to me, my swimming is faster than me trying to walk on the rocks all carefully because they're also covered in algae, so they're extremely slippery, and I have fallen on my butt before, which is really embarrassing.

SPEAKER_03 51:54

Dude, I hit that lake and I start high stepping through the water like Walter Payton going down through the end zone, and I bam, I hit that lake and I am gone. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:04

Right down the cables, baby. So Awast, uh not Awasting. Um, so Awasting's got the line of you've got the shore on your one side, and you've got the um the line of kayaks and paddle borders. Minawasca actually will have a cable from beginning to end on your right hand side. You'll swim on the left of the cable, keep the cable on your right, and follow it all the way down. Now, you you will also have kayakers and paddle boarders on the other side. Yeah. So you'll swim right down the middle of those two, straight to the end. What do you what were you gonna say?

SPEAKER_03 52:39

I was just gonna hit on the fact that MDSA cable won't be out of the water yet. So just make people aware of that. Okay. They're not gonna be in the water swimming, the Minawasca Distance Swimming Association, until the race is over.

SPEAKER_01 52:52

So, folks, um we have an organization called Minawasca Distance Swimming Association, MDSA, and there is a group, uh many SOSers. If you did the boot camp, you you swam here. Um, there is a 200-yard rope supported by buoys that floats in the water. And um at this moment, I'm not sure where the cable will be in juxtaposition to that rope. Um, it won't be in your way. We'll either be in alignment with it or just next to it. Either be in alignment or next to it. And and you'll have you'll there'll be people in the water guiding you, and uh there'll be some buoys that that support your your swim direction. So don't despair and don't worry about it. Um but be aware that there's another um we'll call it obstacle in the way, uh, or in the water. So um you're gonna swim straight down the lake. You're gonna follow the cable, shoot the cable, and um watch the kayakers, depending on which way you breathe. Shoot the lake and which I hope you guys half mile swim.

SPEAKER_03 54:01

Both your right and left side.

SPEAKER_01 54:02

It's a full half-mile swim. And when you reach the end, it's a great aid station. It's a great spot because this is where spectators come to watch. There is like a almost like an amphitheater with the rocks that are there that people sit on. It's one of my favorite spots. People are standing around. It's the most cheering you'll see in the race. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 54:24

Wall of sound when you get out of here.

SPEAKER_01 54:26

It's an amazing. Yeah, there's people up on the top cheering you. And in fact, as a spectator, you know, we've been there, and when you, you know, you get to know people's stroke if you're a swimmer, right? We swim together. So I can see Lydia, and I'm like, that's Lydia across the lake. I don't even know who it is. Yep. You know, you can identify certain people and be like, that's who that is, and that's who that is. So um as they come out, it's a big exciting moment. There's kids, there's people, there's cowbells, there's all kinds of stuff.

SPEAKER_03 54:53

It's really the first time in the race after you leave the bike transition where it's not like you're approaching civilization again, but you're in the woods by yourself when you're running to a washing, you're in a washing, you're running to Castle Point. You don't see a lot of people, yeah, other than the aid station and some people. Maybe another racer. Other racer. But when you get to Minawaska, bam, there are hundreds of people.

SPEAKER_01 55:14

It's great. Um, what's your favorite part of that part of the race?

SPEAKER_00 55:21

Overall, total, that's like when you're in a in Minawaska.

SPEAKER_01 55:25

What do you like best about Minawaska? What what advice do you have for Minawaska?

SPEAKER_00 55:29

I love the mini out area largely because I I always know the volunteers there. That's the first time, like you said, where you're in civilization again. There's there's people there, like, and you feel bolstered. It is weird because when I get out and there's that wall of people up, like literally up the cliffside, I don't hear any of it. My friend came to watch one year and she said, Lydia was the weirdest thing you got out, and we were people were screaming in your face, like five feet away from you screaming, and I could tell you didn't hear any of it. But you get out, you get your your food, your gels, and then you have to climb this like terrible set of steps.

SPEAKER_03 56:06

Which has trees growing in the house.

SPEAKER_00 56:08

It is so hazardous. And I I think last year or the year before, I think Art Boico had like It was the year before. Oh, yeah, he was going up the stairs, and it's just it's not a great spot, but it's so fun and exciting to get out there and like clamber up the steps and and be on your way, and people are screaming at you the whole time. It's it's surreal. That's probably the most like surreal most of the things.

SPEAKER_03 56:28

It's like slow motion, you don't hear anything, you're running up the stairs, you see faces, you're like, go like slow motion. You don't know where you are. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 56:39

But it can be overwhelming in that spot. So I guess if I had to give advice to people, especially people who have never done the race, never been there, aren't don't know what to expect. People are gonna it's gonna be loud, it's gonna be overwhelming. There's gonna be multiple volunteers trying to give you things. Know what you want to take and just call it out and someone will give it to you.

SPEAKER_03 56:58

They do a heck of a job there.

SPEAKER_00 57:00

The Carol family in there. That's why I love getting out there because every year the Carols are there.

SPEAKER_01 57:04

And you know, that's a good point. So you get out of a place like a Wasting, I'm sorry, uh Minawasca, and there's gonna be pretzels, there's gonna be gels, there's gonna be salt. And it the the volunt there there are several volunteers at this particular aid station. And if you're just like like Lydia, you'll just say, I've been there when you came out last year, and you're just like salt, and someone handed you salt, pretzels, someone handed you pretzels. So it's it's not obnoxious. Don't just call out what you need. Everyone's like there to serve you and give you what you need as a racer because this is a pivotal moment in the race. You've just come out, it's a deep water exit. Yeah, keep that in mind. It's not easy. So you have to there'll be someone standing there, Fred. Fred to pull you. And and Fred will uh guide you out of the lake. He will be there yelling at you in a friendly way. Fred is a crucial member of the race committee, and and especially in a wasing. He will Minawaska. Sorry, Minawaska. Um, he will make sure you get out safely, um, climb the rock, he'll tell you. And there's I have a fun story where I knew Fred, I got up to the rock, and he was like, Jeff, uh you know, I don't know what he was saying, but I was kind of like, whatever, dude, I know how to get out. And I went to stand up and I took a step back, yeah, as if there was something there, and I dropped like 10 feet in the water. And I came back up, and he was like, Hey, what's up, Jeff? Because it's deep, and I just sunk, you know. You step backward, and I was like, Nope, there's nothing there, and I just let myself go and sank down and popped back up and got out of the water.

SPEAKER_03 58:40

But great of lifeguards had to go on and save Jeff at the SOS.

SPEAKER_01 58:44

So that's someday I'm taking him in with me.

SPEAKER_00 58:47

That's the deepest spot of the lake, also. Where the out is is the 100 feet deep part of Minawasca. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 58:54

So love it. So you uh but but it's not a hard exit. You just have to you just have to pay attention. You climb up onto the rock. Um put your shoes back on the rock's underwater, so it's kind of an easy exit. Yeah, um, but there's nothing behind you. If you step backwards, you're going in, you're going in again. Um, so you climb out, shout out for what you need. If you if you want to take a moment and go peruse, uh it's a big flat landing, you have space to get out and and go to the eight-station table. Um, and then you have to climb some set of like stairs, for lack of a better term, that are natural stairs in the rocks that that you climb out, and everyone will be cheering for you and yelling and and cheering.

SPEAKER_03 59:35

Let's talk about the big elephant in the river at this point. What's gonna happen? What else could happen at the end of that lake?

SPEAKER_01 59:43

Okay, so um Minnesca is the next cutoff time. And it's a hard cutoff. This is a hard cutoff. Our friend Fred will be assessing you as you get out of the lake. You are free at any point in the race, by the way, to just say I'm my day's done. My day's done. Glenn, what do you what's your saying about races?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:07

Listen, there's the race you can do, there's the race you want to do, and there's the race that you're gonna do. That's right. And like sometimes you get the race you want, sometimes you get the race that you can do, and sometimes you get the race that you're gonna do, and that doesn't mean it's gonna be good. Right. So my wife and I, Melissa, we're gonna be there on the cutoff at the top. Yep. So listen, let's just be clear about this. I love all the racers, I really do. You're going, you've had the courage to sign up and attempt an amazing race, and you're challenging yourself physically and emotionally and mentally. It's gonna be an amazing experience. But you m like it could happen that you get pulled by me, and it doesn't mean we think any less of you. It's just the way it's gonna be. You know what? Some of you are gonna be grateful, some of you might be upset. No crying. It's just the way it is. It's just the way it is. I'll have hot beverages for you or cold beverages, blankets, whatever you need. We will take care of you, we will make you feel as pleasant as possible, but some of you could get cut off, and that's just how that's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:21

So the the the cutoff for minnows is getting out at by five and a half hours from a race start. Based on your start, you've got five and a half hours to get out of um Minawaska and continue. There's another cutoff, and we'll talk about that in a moment, but the cutoff from Minawaska is five and a half hours. So um, these are hard cutoff folks, and we do this for safety and we do this for logistics. And um that's the way the race goes. That's the way it's gonna go. Race day, we ask that you are aware of this, and you know, don't fight us. We're doing it for the best of for yourself and the other racers, and it's just how the race is gonna go that day. Um I wouldn't worry about it, it's a long time, and all of you are gonna do great. Um, but if you get too many and you're just feeling like you've got nothing left, you can um you can bail. So um let's uh let's move on. Okay, so Lydia the next part is a big part of the race. You've got an eight-mile run.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:35

It's a beast.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:36

It's a beast. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:38

If you ever wanted an Uber, it's this spot, folks.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:41

There's no Ubers. Um so what do you um any kind of advice for that eight-mile stretch?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:49

Oh yes. Um, you start by going down almost a full mile of incredibly steep pavement. Um, and that for me is the most unexpected like pain that I always receive in the race is actually going down that mile on the road and slamming your quads. And that's I always get like a little crampy going into um the traps part of the run because you've you've pounded your leg muscles for a pretty steep portion of that race.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:20

Is that a is that a mile downhill?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:22

It's almost a mile.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:23

And then you turn onto a Wasting Falls carriage road and it's more downhill.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:28

It's another downhill.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:29

Yeah, it's quite a bit of downhill and it's sneaky because you're like, oh great, finally a downhill. Um, and then your legs are like, whoa, wait.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:39

Um so I really I try to be cautious on that part because you don't realize the toll that that might take on your legs until you hit like a flat portion, you're like, oh my god, what happened? Yeah. Um so just being cautious, opening it up in that part, but not too much. And then that also for me is the most mentally challenging portion of the race. That portion between Awasing Falls and Trapsbridge is you're almost guaranteed to be alone at that point. Um every year that portion for me.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:12

Well, when you're in the front, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:14

Oh but anybody, even if you're out there in front of your place, it's pretty isolated. Yeah, it stretches out.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:21

It's spread out at that point quite a bit. Um, and that for me is always the part where I start thinking about what if I walked. Just walk. That would be really nice. That would feel really good to walk.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:33

And you have to fight your brain at that point.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:37

You're like, oh my god. How is there still like four miles left?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:42

So, real quick, so you're running this eight mile portion of the race to uh the next swim. But there it is broken up. Uh one suggestion is to break it up into two mile segments because you're gonna run two miles and you're gonna hit the Lions Road aid station.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:00

The most hype aid station.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:02

Hyped aid station, some of the most fantastic volunteers. They're so excited to see you. And just they are there, they are going to make you feel like you can finish any race, even if it was starting over at that point.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:15

This is where you might want to, if you haven't yet, this is where you got to get into the caffeine.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:19

And there will be caffeine at that aid station. I believe that's where the Coca-Cola, the flat Coca-Cola is starts to be available. Yep. Um, and all the rest of the uh aid station aid stuff you need to continue, take stuff for the road. You've got another two-mile segment, which is slightly downhill.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:37

Slightly down and then slightly up.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:38

And then slightly up to trap what we call Traps Bridge. Traps Bridge, another aid station, then last cutoff for the race. Okay. That's six fifteen, folks. You've got to be at Traps Bridge in six hours and fifteen minutes. Um, you will be pulled from the course if you're not there in six hours and fifteen minutes. That's a hard, hard cutoff. Um and uh, you know, if you're not there, if you're 10 minutes behind, I'm sorry, but you know, the rest of the day, the rest of the race for safety and for logistics has to move on. Um, that's a hard cutoff. So keep that in mind and um get there. Now, um at that aid station, you've got another two miles until and and that for me two and change. That for me, that we'll be running on what's called undercliff. And I always, once I cross Traps Bridge, I'm usually good till then the demons are starting to wake up and I hit undercliff, and that's when I'm like it's a wicked run. I'm like, by myself, maybe there's one or two other people, and my mind is just walk. Lots of climbers, lots of cyclists.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:50

Lots of climbers looking at you like, what the heck is this guy doing?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:53

What are you doing? What's wrong with you? Um, but it's and that's when you know it's like 11 o'clock, the sun is out, you're getting a little sunshine, it's a little get starts to get a little hot.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:04

Uh so you're in the blazing sun, running down under cliff, the climbers are looking at you with disdain that you're doing something so you know pedestrian as like a as like a triathlonizer in their $3,000 Patagonia stuff, pretending they're homeless but living in their sprinter van. Oops, did I just say that out loud or was that a thought?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:24

That's that's the next old man cast after this one.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:26

All right. Anyway, that's a wicked run. It's filled with lots of pain, lots of squirrels in the head. It's 2.3-ish miles, maybe, to lie to yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:36

And then you hit Rhododendron Bridge.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:40

Which is right before Godzilla. Godzilla. Now, I'm sure if you're running this and racing this, you've you've heard the term not only Cardiac Hill, but also Godzilla. Godzilla's your next giant climb. And your last.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:56

No, not even your last.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:58

Not your last. No. It's a it's you know, I like I don't mind Godzilla. I'm walking at this point. I'm I'm not walking, walking Godzilla, making good time, but Godzilla is a sustained climb.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:09

It's much longer than cardiac.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:13

Yeah. Um, it flattens out for a moment, then it goes back uphill.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:16

It's not as pleasant as Castle Point. It's truly, it's just the worst.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:20

Yeah, but by this point, though, as you're coming up the top of Godzilla, you're gonna be hearing sky top booming, right? Whoever's in the microphone up there, and you'll you'll see some hoopla when you start coming, you know, towards the lake. So like now people are like willing you on.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:37

So you've got these two mile segments where you then you get to finally you've crossed Traps Bridge, um, you made the cutoff, you're continuing your at Rhododendon Bridge, um, you're gonna turn right and then a quick left and start ascending Godzilla. Um, Godzilla is the climb uh just before you mohawk swim. All right? Yep. Um you're gonna come up Godzilla, you're gonna make your way to the top, you're gonna turn left onto a little single track, which is some Rudy um rolling up and down for about, I don't know, fifty feet through the woods, and then you descend a small hill into your final swim. Beautiful swim in Mohawk Lake, lined with kayakers, steep down, be careful getting down.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:28

You're sliding down the side of the trail.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:30

Yeah, you just sort of slide down.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:32

I usually sit at that point.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:34

Get your shoes off as you get into the lake. That one couple steps, and you can you can shallow dive right in and start swimming.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:42

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:42

Um, it's your final swim. You'll see some nice big fish in that lake.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:46

Boat, you'll see buoys, there's kayakers out there. You know, first you're gonna kind of like aimish towards the boat docky, and then it's gonna start veering to the right, follow the buoys.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:57

It's very different from the other two swims, I will say. Both in terms of what the lake is like, the water is completely different. Yeah. There's critters in there, which I don't love.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:09

Notice I've glossed over the critters you might encounter at Awasting. I don't want to get anybody upstairs. We didn't talk about that one.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:14

There's no critters in Lake Awasting. It's a dead lake.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:19

Big beavers in there. Beaver house. Anyway, let's just gloss over it and let's get the beaver attacks that have happened in the Catskill. Different mountains. I won't mention the beaver attacks. Um, there's critters, there's big fish, but it's a beautiful body of water. It is a beautiful hotel. You're gonna breathtaking views of this gorgeous hotel, and there's people cheering, and you're gonna swim across a lake and climb up a nice, steep, rocky outcrop. Cross the last mat.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:49

Cross the last mat, get shoes on, and start that final climb. Now, it's a brutal, it's a brutal end to the race, but it's fantastic. Um, some people run it. I've never been able to. I I try to speed walk it, but if that's speed walking, then I run some of it. I don't even know. Um, but you know, you walk, you make your way up. You put there's some railings along the climb, and you I pull myself up.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:14

Pulling myself up those railings.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:16

Pull yourself up the railings.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:17

I'm crying. There's snot running down my face. There's people who are bleeding. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:23

I was there for that when you came up the hill, and you're like, ah, and the blood's in her. And I'm like, I'm a grown man. I think I sharted my pants. She came up, she's screaming like in her face is blood. Like, wow.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:34

Yeah, it was it's gnarly. Every year it's gnarly. Yeah, it's terrible. That's the worst part. That is the worst part of the race. Until you get you climb the little steps to Skytop and then it's a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:45

Final climb, and then it's flat. And you turn a hard right and you do that. And that's when you need to pull it all together, folks.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:52

Yeah, because it's a photo op.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:54

Wipe the blood off your face.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:55

Wipe the blood off your face, smile, zip your tri-suit, doesn't matter if you're in pain. Hold your hair.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:01

You're gonna be smiling because not off your face. You're gonna have had an amazing day. Yeah. And you're about to finish. Yeah. Whether it's your first SOS or your tenth. And it's gonna be you are amazing. Survivor.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:17

And you're gonna hear the feeling ever. So it's great, you know. What's amazing about that whole last climb? It's the first time you see other people not affiliated with the race necessarily. There's hotel guests and there's day guests, so they're out for like a leisurely walk after they've had a nice breakfast, and you can just look at their faces as you're like running up with like snot and blood on your face.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:37

They'll be cheering you on.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:40

And um get the sky top. Get the sky top, and um you cross the finish line. You'll hear that, you know, you'll hear you are a survivor. Um, there'll be all kinds of, there'll be a final eight station. There's gonna be water, there's gonna be cookies and no soup this year. No soup. There's not gonna be soup, but there will be no soup for you. No soup for you. Um, there's all kinds of food there. There'll be watermelon and peanut butter and sandwiches and stuff like that. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:09

Um soup is all you know, August, and you know, it might be 90 degrees. Yeah. Last thing you want to do is hammering down soup. You're gonna be you're gonna be dying. You want to get an ice bath.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:20

So the last thing, last logistics thing is to note is that um both down to the fairgrounds to the dinner and um up to the uh finish line, there will be a shuttle from the fairgrounds. So um for the folks that want to see the finish and want to focus on the finish, um, the suggestion from the race committee is see the start, see your athlete start, go get a cup of coffee, have a morning, and make your way back to the fairgrounds, get on a shuttle, make your way up to the uh sky top finish line, and watch your uh athlete finish the race. Yep. That's your that's your easiest day. That's your easiest day. Your emotions you've got kids, just focus on getting to the finish line. That's the part you want to see your racer finish and be there for them. So shuttles from the fairgrounds going all morning. Um I believe they start at uh nine o'clock. Um Mohawk shuttles start at the end of the house. And they're running. And they run, I think there's two or three shuttles that just do a continuous loop. So if if one isn't there or it's parked there, it'll be leaving shortly. Um they just run on a loop.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:37

You should wait like 20 minutes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:39

15 minutes. Yeah, don't push it till don't push it to the end.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:42

Yeah, because if you're gonna try to go to the if you're gonna try to go to the bike transition, which we don't advise you to do, right? You know, and then you're gonna drive back to the fairgrounds and then get on a shuttle and get dropped off. So the shuttle drops you off, you've got to walk about 25 minutes to the finish.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:58

Yeah, you might not see your racer. People are not you're not gonna be allowed into the park to see the park, won't be open for the bike finish, and you won't be allowed in. Um, so your best option is to take the shuttle um up to the finish line. Um if you need to see Minawasca, the park will be open at nine. You can enter, pay to pay to come in, but you have to haul ass to get over to um Mohonk, which is only accessible by the shuttle. Um and you have to go down to the fairgrounds, wait for the shuttle, get back up to the mountain. So if you um are concerned about time, about walking up that final hill, if you've got people that need extra time, um skip mini and make your way up leisurely to the finish line and enjoy the day. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:49

And what a day it is. Go to the fairgrounds, some food, drink, different beverages, award ceremony, there's some tents set up, purchase liberally. You might not do the SOS again, so know what I suggest? You get the credit card out and you buy as much swag as you possibly can. T shirts, towels, look at this hat. Some there's some nice uh jerseys this year. Jerseys this year, this beautiful hat I'm wearing right now. Look at this thing. That's a sick hat. You know, and then it's got the mohawk map underneath it, and it's got the mileage on the back. The hat is off the hook. So you buy the hat, buy the Christmas ornaments, buy the wine glasses, buy the tchotki, set it up in your house. You might not do it again, folks. Yeah. Or you will. But also, or you will probably will. Yeah, but that's okay. You still have a lot of shit. Probably will. I have so much SOS stuff around my house.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:38

So before we wrap this up completely, after the pushing swag. Yeah. Okay. Which we all love. That's why we do this. It's for the swag. It's for the swag, folks. Lydia. You're the returning champ, and no pressure.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:55

No.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:55

Um, are you excited?

SPEAKER_00 1:16:57

I am.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:58

Um, how are you feeling?

SPEAKER_00 1:16:59

I'm also shitting my pants.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:01

Just like right now?

SPEAKER_00 1:17:02

Yeah, as we speak.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:03

You and Tom together. We might have some wipes upstairs. Um and Reggie. And Reggie's already shat all over the place.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:11

Um, so um, you know, we've been swimming all summer. Um we see that your workouts on on Strava. I think you're gonna have a great race day. How how are you how are you feeling?

SPEAKER_00 1:17:25

I'm feeling ready.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:26

Yeah? Yeah. Good. What advice do you have for other for anyone else as we depart? What's your what's your what would you tell people that come to you and say this is my first or this is my fifth? I'm nervous, or or I don't think I've trained enough. No one's thinking they've trained enough, right? Uh but but that having been said, what what parting advice would you give to people that are gonna listen to this before they do their SOS and they want to hear from Lydia? Because you're kind of famous right now, because I've heard I've talked to people who are like, you know, oh, I saw Lydia. I saw Lydia on a workout.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:08

That's so cool. Before we close with Lydia giving us some advice or giving the racer some advice, could I give some should I should probably give Lydia some unsolicited advice? You Lydia needs your advice? I'm gonna give her some advice. Okay. Are you ready for this? I'm ready. All right, Lydia, as your first room coach, right? I will say my advice to you is run with a grateful heart, have fun, and believe in yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:33

That's excellent advice.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:34

Okay. I think that goes for everybody.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:36

That's beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:37

Very well said.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:38

So, Lydia, now give your advice.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:40

My advice is to lean into it. Yes. All of it. The good and the most painful, ugly, bloody, snotty, disgusting parts of it. You just have to embrace it. Like it's it's such a hard thing that you've signed up to do. And it's also so much fun. Even when it's so painful and awful, and you are questioning every life decision you made that led you to that point, you just have to lean into it because you're already in it. You're you're miles deep in the woods wanting to walk and and sit and take off your shoes and crawl to sky top. Like you just have to lean into the good and the bad. And and the good is so good that the you forget about the bad parts as soon as you're done. You're like, ah, that was great. I'm gonna do it again next year. That happens every year. I I'm running and I'm like, God, I'm never doing this again. And then I I finish and I cross the line, and I'm like, all right. Next year. Where's the sign up? I'm ready. I'm gonna put my $800 down right now.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:45

I love it. Yeah, yeah. That's good advice. All right. Um, well, thanks for coming and doing this with us today.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:53

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:54

And um good luck, race day. We're gonna be there. We'll be we'll be shouting for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:59

You'll see me out there. Okay, probably crying.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:02

Jeff Tom, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:03

Thank you, gentlemen. Great song, great podcast. Thank you, Lydia.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:11

These bagpipes.