No argument. There are many ways to sabotage your race ... or being kinda unprepared (we have all been there) ... and all of them increase the likelihood of cramping. Cramping in Minnewaska is in my experience actually much less likely to happen than coming out of Awosting or Mohonk.
And yet, most people who didn't make one of the two mistakes noted above ... will be able to run their cramps off rather quickly.
As for wetsuits ... as I mentioned in another thread ... there are some options. Agreed ... no shame.
Distance Boy wrote:
I would respectfully venture that cramps DO NOT "go away after a minute... for pretty much everyone..." I assume we discussing leg cramps. I can still recollect several swimmers huddling on the shore on Minny from midpoint on in one of the colder race of 1980's. And spectacle of cramped out athletes in Minny swim-out transition is pretty common. I seen athletes spending more than a several minutes trying to alleviate cramping there or hobbling along the trail toward the first outlooks.
I would also venture that both water temps and physiological effort/fitness preparations are guilty parties to cramping in Minny. If you sprint last 5 miles on the bike and push your run 1, if not honest with your fitness abilities, cramping (defined as contractual endurance limit of muscle fiber) will manifest itself. I am certain that some people might mistake your observations (based on N=1 or slightly large sample set) for absolute truth. The reality is that every individual participant in this survival race might have very different experience. So it is better for every newbie to consider various scenarios instead of going with the wishful hopes. My advice will be to take it easy on the bike and first run to minimize "mechanical" reasons for cramping on a swim, periodically flex lower leg/ankle joints (dorsiflexion) while swimming, play with stroke rate to periodically (if needed) bring inner core temps up, and be prepared to swim "towing" cramped leg or two.
And if you own a wetsuit or similar swimming thermal protection and acquainted with cramping, of course you should use it. No shame here. Your personal safety is critical. With 20+ SOS races in my race resume, I learned not to proselytize about "purity" of this event... after all, long time ago, there were no "buffets" on a course. Whatever will get you to the finish (with some level of suffering) is the point!