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 Swim
Comments: While on the boat, I talked to several people from the under 30 age groups. We all had similar feelings about the race and being on the boat. We were all ready to jump and get this thing started. I saw a kid with a Swim For Smiles tri suit on and found out he was from Chapel Hill and was only 16 years old. We took two laps around Alcatraz Island, and Andy Potts, Leanda Cave, Bevin Dotchery, and the other pros emerged from their holding room, ready to kill it. After the National Anthem, the pros dove in and the mass age group chaos followed. The swim start is designed to be in waves, with the pros going first, followed by the challenged athletes, then the under 30 age groups, then the over 30 crowd. With pros of this caliber standing around for everyone to ooh and ahh over, this didn't happen. There was a mass push toward the side of the boat, and there were several people not in my age group who exited the boat ahead of me. It didn't really matter since the timing chips were on the edge of the boat, but a little more organization would have been nice. When I got to the edge of the boat, the girl in front of me froze, and it took some yelling from the volunteers to get her to jump. I had no such problem. I jumped off and headed for shore. The way I saw it, if I spent that much money on a race, I better damn well be ready to start. I had spread some Vaseline on my face to keep the cold out, and it worked well. I didn't really notice a shock of cold when I hit the water, but I did notice my goggle start to come off. The top strap came over top of my head and into my line of sight. I pulled it back behind my head, but there was water in my goggles now. I let the water out and kept going. After a little more swimming, I notice water in them again. I readjusted, and it seemed to work this time. Here was the moment when I could finally pee. I had held it for so long on the boat, and I was ready to let it go. I knew it would slow me down, but not enough to matter. I tried to relax but couldn't really. I finally managed to get some out, but then someone swam over me, and it was time to swim harder. It would take two more tries to fully empty my bladder. After a few more minutes, I noticed my goggles fogging up, so I pulled them out a bit to flood them. With my goggles cleared, I kept swimming and sighting the shore. There are several sighting points that are useful during this swim. The first are the Fontana Apartment Towers. As soon as I got off the boat, I started swimming directly toward them. After a while of the current pushing you toward the Golden Gate Bridge, you can sight off of the three piers of Fort Mason. Soon after, the Palace of Fine Arts comes into view, and this will take you right to the beach at the Saint Francis Yacht Club, where there are yellow buoys just off shore. I felt like I did a great job of sighting, and came out right on the beach at the Yacht Club, but the main pack seemed to be to the right of me the entire time. Once on the beach, I ran to the timing mats and mace my way to my swim bag. What would you do differently?: More speed work in the pool. Use a set of goggles that is less likely to leak or come off. Pee on the boat.  Transition 1
Comments: T1 at the Escape From Alcatraz is really 3 separate legs. The first is the beach transition. At the expo, athletes have the option of checking a swim exit bag. It contains a pair of running shoes for the run to the transition area, and also allows you to shed your wetsuit earlier. After exiting the water, I picked up my swim bag that had my running shoes in it. I had also stashed a small towel, bottle of water, and Hammer Bar in it. I stripped my wetsuit, which was slightly stuck on my left heel, threw it in the bag, drank some water, rinsed my face, and put on my running shoes. The next part of T1 in the 1/2 mile run to the actual transition area. The pros, and some age groupers chose to make this run in bare feet with their wetsuits still on. After seeing the pain some guys were in and how slow they were going, I was happy to have my shoes. The run went well, and I was happy to see my bike. After getting to transition, I pulled off my old racing flats, pulled on my bike shoes, donned my helmet, and headed out for a hilly ride. What would you do differently?: I wasted time decided whether to eat my Hammer Bar or not. Don't waste time. I also got stuck behind some slower runners, but I can't do anything about that except maybe swim faster. Spent too much time in the transition area. Yet again, I was wasting time deciding about what nutrition to take on the bike. I should have stuck with my pre-race plan. Get tri specific bike shoes and practice leaving them on the bike in transition and slipping into them while riding.  Bike
Comments: Everything started out pretty well. I got on the bike and up to speed well. I started drinking early, in order to replace what I lost in the swim. When we got to the uphills, I immediately started passing people. It felt awesome to push hard and set a good uphill pace. The first big downhill was definately a gut check. I tried to stay off my brakes as much as possible, but I did use them some. That's where some of the slower climbers caught and passed me. I passed most of them back, and more, on the next big climb to the Legion of Honor. The rough nature of the road on the downhill caused me to slow down, but I pushed had on the way to the next downhill near the Seal Rock Inn. After the tachnical downhill that followed, I pushed hard to JFK and made god time through Golden Gate Park. On the way back to transition, All the downhills were now uphills. I passed a lot of slower climbers on the way up passed the Cliff House to the Seal Rock Inn. I passed even more on the steepest uphill which followed directly after. I was a little more cautious around the rough sections near the Legion of Honor, but I still passed plenty of people on the way up. The last uphill was from Camino Del Mar up Lincoln on Baker Beach. I hit it hard and cruised down the hill that took us to Marina, and a flat two miles back to transition. I rode hard past Sports Basement and took my shoes off in site of the transition area. It was a fun ride. I really enjoyed this bike course. I really like to ride up hard hills. It gives me a chance to test myself, and I feel like I rode uphill better than a lot of the people around me. What would you do differently?: I had heard rumors of 15% grades and not a single flat spot, so I decided to ditch the aerobars for this race. I don't think it was a poor decision, but I wish I had left them on. The first and last 2 miles were completely flat, and the miles in Golden Gate were almost flat. Aero definitely would have been nice there. I think I should have practiced more steep descents. I didn't ride the brakes down the hills like some people did, but I was definitely more conservative than needed. I also should have eaten solid foods on the bike. I had two Hammer Bars in my pocket, but didn't even touch them. I definitely drank too much. My stomach was churning during the first few miles of the run. I also waited until the last two miles to eat and Gel. Bad choice, but more about that on the run. Transition 2
Comments: I took my feet out of my shoes just before transition. I actually got my shoes off really easy and had my best dismount ever!!! The problems came once I was inside transition. As I was running back in with my bike, I forgot where I was going and ran right past my bike rack. When I finally realized I was in numbers that were way too high, I made my way back. After I racked my bike, I got my shoes on and helmet off quickly. Then I tried to decide whether or not to take my Fuel Belt. I had planned to carry it with two bottles of Hammer Endurolytes Fizz, since I don't train with Cytomax, but I stood there decided for what seemed like forever. I finally decided to ditch the Fuel Belt and risk the gastric issues for the last 8 miles of the race. I grabbed my hat, which was attached to my number belt, and ran out of transition. What would you do differently?: Make a damn decision and stick to it. I was so indecisive during this race, and I'm sure it hurt my time. Remember what you're doing and pay attention. Running past your rack is a rookie mistake.  Run
Comments: After I finally came to the decision to leave my Fuel Belt in transition, I ran out over the timing mats and onto Marina. I felt my gel flask bouncing up and down in my back pocket, so I decided to shove it down my shorts instead. It definitely kept it from moving around, but it made it hard to get to when I needed it. Right before making the turn onto the hard packed trail, I saw the lead bikes coming, and sure enough, Andy Potts was in the lead. I cheered for him and kept on running. As I passed the first mile marker, I was definitely feeling the effects of drinking too much on the bike. My stomach was churning, and I just wanted it to stop. By the time I made it to the first set of stairs, my stomach had calmed down. As I began climbing the stairs, I realized that it would be slow-going. This wasn't because of my own fatigue, but the pace of those in front of me. there were racers going up one side, and down the other, so the stairs were packed. My only choice was to fall in and walk like everyone around me. The pace picked up at the top of the stairs and the path widened to allow for some passing. I passed a few more people on the trails heading up to Lincoln. I felt really good heading down to Baker Beach, but the loose sand killed my momentum. Running through sand is hard anyway, but it feels nearly impossible after over 2 hours of racing. My pace was slow, but so was everyone else. I was able to pick up the pace on the hard packed sand, but the sand ladder would put an end to that. If you've never seen any pictures of the Baker Beach sand ladder, it's worth a Google search. According to the website for Escape From Alcatraz, even some of the pros walk the sand ladder. I didn't see a single person attempt to run it. It's just plain hard. For walking most of it, I'm pleased with a 3:30 split. Yes, the sand ladder gets it's own split. I ended up running the top 1/3, which isn't as steep, and that put some distance between me and a few people I had been leapfrogging. Unfortunately, this gap was lost shortly after hitting the top. I mentioned earlier that I had not eaten on the bike, and only started using my gels in the last two miles. This all came back to haunt me as I was topping out on Lincoln. I began to feel a cramp in my left quad, then it locked up. I couldn't move it without a lot of pain and effort. I had to stop and stretch it. After loosening it a bit, I was able to run on to the next aid station at the 5 mile mark, but then it happened again. I walked through the aid station drinking Cytomax and stopped at the last table to stretch. At this point, it was all down hill, and I wasn't going to let this cramp stop me. After loosening it enough to jog down the stairs, I took off. The rest of the run went off without a hitch, but the last mile might go down as the longest mile I've ever run. I thought it would never end. When I rounded the turn to head for the finish line, I was able to muster enough energy to run past a couple of other people. I leaped across the finish line in my excitement, and received my finisher medal. I would have liked to have run a faster pace, but I'm still pleased with the run overall, even though it was below average. What would you do differently?: Eat more on the bike to prevent cramps later. Try to run around the people who were walking up the stairs. Do more bricks in training. Don't jump across the finish line. After watching the video, it just looked stupid. Post race
Warm down: Food, and lots of it. What limited your ability to perform faster: Training slacked off during the last two months before the race. This was largely due to work schedules. Being in the field for two weeks and not having my bike for an entire month before the race made it really hard to train. Lack of experience on steep, technical downhills. Not enough brick workouts. I'm still a slow swimmer. I also have some extra Lbs on me that I'll be working on getting rid of before the White Lake International in September. Event comments: Best race I've ever done!!! This has to be one of the most well organized and executed events in the country. They do a great job of managing the logistics and getting everyone all the information they need. The only downside to this event is the price. It's very expensive for the distance, and it will be a few years before I can afford to spend this much on a race again. As far as a recommendation goes, I would recommend this race any day of the week. Make sure you have a good training base before you sign up, and prepare yourself accordingly. I saw people walking bikes up hills and hesitating about jumping in the water. I look at training like a job. I put in everything I can, and if I've done my job I won't be walking my bike or hesitating on the edge of the boat. That being said, even if you've trained, it's still a hard race. 2200 people were signed up, and only 1714 finished. That's almost 500 who didn't finish or or didn't start. GREAT RACE!!! Awesome Challenge!!! Definitely want to do it again!!!! Last updated: 2011-11-11 12:00 AM
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60sF / 0C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 551/1714
Age Group = M 25-29
Age Group Rank = 49/106
The Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon has been around for 32 years. It is one of the premiere triathlons in the world, and draws a field of Elite Pro and Age Group athletes every year. It is a race that I have wanted to do for a couple of years now, and it is also one of the reasons I got into triathlon in the first place. There are four ways to claim one of the coveted 2000 entry slots; qualify, attend the Escape Academy, convince a charity to let you race for them, or win a lottery spot. Since I don't live in California or have the money to take two trips to San Francisco, I could neither qualify nor attend the Escape Academy. I only had one option, submit my name with the masses for a chance at one of those lottery spots. To my near disbelief, I was chosen in the first round of the lottery.
I knew that this race would challenge me, so I started training, even before receiving my slot, as if I were competing. I was already planning to run the Wrightsville Beach Marathon, so I knew I would have the run training covered, but I found myself becoming worried, almost to the point of being up at night, over the swim. I had never swam in 55 degree water, a strong current, or a distance longer than 750 meters. I decided I would not be one of those people who paid a ridiculous amount of money, flew to a race, and didn't make the swim cutoff. I made it my mission to conquer the swim. I changed up my pool workouts and started focusing more on speed and distance. I entered the Emerald Isle Triathlon in October, and swam in the Atlantic on a day when the wind was creating a ridiculous current. After a few months in the pool, the water temps at Jordan Lake made it to the 50s.
So as it was on the afternoon of March 10th, just after leaving the first ever North Carolina Multisport Expo, I found myself zipping up my wetsuit in front of a fridged looking Jordan Lake. As I entered the water, and felt the cold move over my body, I thought about all the messages I had received on the forums telling me that I was crazy for swimming in open water that early in the season. I decided to put them out of my mind and give it a good hard effort. I swam just over 1.5 miles in the 55 degree water that day in under an hour, and emerged knowing that I would not be defeated in the Bay.
As marathon training continued, my bike time got put on hold. I was simply too tired from swimming, running, and weights to hit the bike as much as I needed to. To supplement my lack of bike time, I created some new playlists for the spin class I teach, that challenged not only my participants, but had me doubled over on occasion. I was the only one who could survive to end of every climb during my classes, and I knew that at least I was getting some sort of cycling workout. Unfortunately, the lack of hills in the Piedmont didn't help my lack of bike time, but that's a geography issue.
By spring, I was running stronger than ever. I was running sub 21:00 5ks after hard bike rides, and had put up a time of 3:42:06 at the Wrightsville Beach Marathon. Not an elite time by any means, but great for a first marathon. I was also gearing up for my first triathlon of the year, the Belews Lake International.
I had planned to race an early season Olympic distance, since it's the closest to the distance of the Escape. Belews Lake is a great venue, and is only about an hour from home. The hilly run course and rolling hills on the bike made it a great warm-up race for the season. After emerging from the water, I knew I was ready for Alcatraz. The rest of the race went well, and I had a great idea of what aspects I could improve upon.
Unfortunately, my training took a hit in April and May with an increase in work. I was putting in extra hours at the Y to help open up the summer camp for the season, as well as transitioning into a new position with the North Carolina Outward Bound School. While I improved greatly at the White Lake Sprint this spring, a crash on the bike left me wondering what could have happened if I hadn't lost that time. That was a big mental blow, especially since I was so close to a podium finish. A week later, I was packing for two weeks of field training with NCOBS. During those two weeks, I ran twice, but did not bike or swim. I did manage to swim twice at the YMCA in Asheville in the 3 days following, and was able to run once during the 3 days of training that followed that. This was not exactly the training schedule I had imagined, and I'm sure it affected me on race day. Following all my training with NCOBS, I hopped a plane and heading for the West Coast.
I arrived in San Francisco on the morning of June 6th. I was staying with the parents of two friends, and making last minute preparations for the Escape From Alcatraz. During the final 4 days leading up to the race, I used Hammer Race Day Boost. I also attended the Escape Academy meeting at Sports Basement, ran around Lake Merced, swam at the local YMCA, drove the bike course, picked up my bike from Tribike Transport and rode up a very intimidating looking hill which made the Escape course look easy. The day of the expo came, and I drove down to the Marina district and picked up my packet. I dropped off my bag for the swim exit, took a look at the transition area, and snuck into the VIP area to get an autograph from Andy Potts.
Finally, after nine months of waiting, it was the night before the race. I laid in my bed ready for the next morning to begin. I set my alarms for 3AM, and didn't even hit snooze when they went off. I was ready to get up and on to that boat. I packed my typical pre-race breakfast and put my bike and transition bag in the car. I drove to the Marina district, parked, and walked to the transition area. After finding my spot and setting up, I packed my boat bag and stood in line for the port-a-john. I got on one of the shuttles to pier 3, and ate my breakfast while waiting to board the boat. After changing into my wetsuit, I hit the port-a-john one last time and boarded the San Francisco Belle - The Horn Blower, bound for Alcatraz Island.
Not much of one. Just some arm circles to warm up my shoulder joints.