Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon - TriathlonOther


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San Francisco, California
United States
IMG
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 14m 32s
Overall Rank = 659/1713
Age Group = M45-49
Age Group Rank = 75/192
Pre-race routine:

Planned the race at the end of a family trip to California, starting in San Diego 9 days prior and heading through Disney, LA, and Yosemite prior to getting into San Francisco around noon the day before. So not a great training week heading into the race, but a fun trip. Event check-in was well organized, like the entirety of the event.
Event warmup:

Got up at 4, had a Clif bar and a drink, then rode my bike the two miles through the streets of the city to transition - never imagined doing something like that three years ago. Lots of other racers doing the same thing. Set up transition, then got on the bus to the pier around 5:15. At the pier, dropped off my sweats and sandals, then hung out on the boat chatting for an hour - went by quickly. The boat left about 6:50, sailed out to Alcatraz, they played the national anthem, the horn sounded, and things were underway.
Swim
  • 41m 33s
  • 2414 meters
  • 01m 43s / 100 meters
Comments:

This was the highlight of the race - awesome experience, great fun, and I exceeded my expectations performance wise. Leaped off the boat and started swimming, was a little crowded for the first couple of minutes, but then pretty much open the whole way and I was able to sight it well all the way in. I put my Garmin in my swim cap and it is a pretty straight course from start to finish on the beach. We had unusually calm conditions, which certainly helped. Definitely a unique experience and well worth doing, and in retrospect nothing scary about it.
What would you do differently?:

Nothing - went just about perfectly for me.
Transition 1
  • 10m 2s
Comments:

This includes the longish run from swim exit to transition - I was a little slow through wetsuit removal and getting my running shoes on, but got a lot of help from volunteers and eventually ran pretty quickly and got onto the bike well.
What would you do differently?:

Need to work on getting oriented quicker at the end of OW swims, I'm always a little slow to get moving.
Bike
  • 1h 02m 25s
  • 18 miles
  • 17.30 mile/hr
Comments:

Fun bike course, not quite as bad advertised. Was able to be strong on all the uphills and flats, where I was passing folks. As typical on descents, I lost time and position, maybe someday I'll get more comfortable with those. Went by very quickly with plenty of variety and views. Was crowded initially but was never a problem after the first climb.
What would you do differently?:

Get better at descending, and could have pushed a bit harder on the flat section at the beginning and end.
Transition 2
  • 03m 35s
Comments:

This was fine, sat down to put on socks/shoes, and said a quick hello to my family.
Run
  • 1h 17m
  • 8 miles
  • 09m 37s  min/mile
Comments:

Not what I had hoped, but I ran the whole thing and put in a decent pace on the flats. On the climbs/descents/stairs, I was slow - just not comfortable on that terrain since I never trail run. Definitely a fantastic run that stays interesting the whole way - the beach and sand ladder combo are tough but doable, and add a lot to the experience.
What would you do differently?:

Run harder on the flat section at the beginning and end, get in some trail running and stairs work to be more comfortable.
Post race
Warm down:

Drank a protein drink right away, then grabbed a plate of the excellent post race food and met up with my family. Knees and feet took a beating and were hurting, so anxious to sit down for a while.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Bike descending, and lack of going hard through the trail sections on the run.

Event comments:

Great race, managed to meet or even exceed its reputation. Well organized, tons of great volunteers, and a challenging, fun, and unique course. Perfect weather didn't hurt, either. Thankful I got a lottery spot and was able to show up trained and healthy.




Last updated: 2011-12-15 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:41:33 | 2414 meters | 01m 43s / 100meters
Age Group: 54/192
Overall: 514/1713
Performance: Good
Suit:
Course:
Start type: Dive Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 55F / 13C Current:
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Average Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 10:02
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Bad Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: No
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:02:25 | 18 miles | 17.30 mile/hr
Age Group: 57/192
Overall: 482/1713
Performance: Average
Wind: Little
Course:
Road: Rough Dry Cadence: 77
Turns: Average Cornering: Average
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 03:35
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes Bad
Jumping off bike Average
Running with bike Average
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
01:17:00 | 08 miles | 09m 37s  min/mile
Age Group: 95/192
Overall: 990/1713
Performance: Below average
Course:
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5