Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon - Triathlon


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San Francisco, California
United States
IMG
55F / 13C
Precipitation
 		Total Time = 00m
Overall Rank = /
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Went to Athletic Park the day before to practice swim in the chilly water.
Pick up my rental bike - Fuji SL - from Blazing saddles.
Event warmup:

Set up transition in the dark, took the shuttle bus to the ferry stop.
Look the Hornblower around Alcatraz and weighed anchor.
Met lots of people from around the world and the US while waiting for the signal to go.
Lot of positive folks. Great PA announcer.
The most memorable "Now is not the time for mental weakness, you trained for this, when you get to the front, you gotta jump!"
Swim
  • 39m 41s
  • 2640 yards
  • 01m 30s / 100 yards
Comments:

Surreal course. Jumping off the ship, looking across San Francisco Bay.
Good swim fitness. Pulled a little to the right and got shooed back to the back once, but siting was pretty solid.
Avoided most jostling.
Hit a good line. Took a minute to flip over on my back to look at the Bay skyline, Golden Gate, Alcatraz.
Transition 1
  • 00m
Comments:

Took my time in T1, tried to pull my suit off over my neoprene socks, rookie mistake.
Bike
  • 00m
  • 18 miles
  • 0.00 mile/hr
Comments:

Toughest bike course I've ever done.
But again, training was focused on swim / run.
What would you do differently?:

Train hills.
Transition 2
  • 00m
Comments:

Happy to finish the bike with no mechanical difficulties.
I rented a FUJI SL rather than transport my own, so was a little worried, but performed well and was in good repair.
Run
  • 00m
  • 8 miles
  •  min/mile
Comments:

Tough run! Longer lines at some of the single track that slowed you down. Mile splits all over the place depending on terrain.
What would you do differently?:

Run more hills.
Post race
Warm down:

Had a beer

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Rain on the bike course. Wasn't brave enough to fly down the descents.
Relatively light bike training. Mileage was good, but not enough hills.

Event comments:

A definite bucket list experience.
I will never forget the jump into the Bay or the swim leg.
Beautiful run course. Top notch.
Expensive, but worth every penny.

Only downside is that San Francisco has seen better days and we stayed in town the minimum.




Last updated: 2022-10-19 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:39:41 | 2640 yards | 01m 30s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Good
Suit: Roka Maverick Full with neoprene boots
Course: From the Hornblower anchored off Alcatraz Island. When the horn goes off, 2,000 athletes are off the boat in 8 minutes. Jump from the railing and get the heck going, since there are people coming behind you. 1.5 miles officially. You are swimming straight to shore, since the current is pulling you towards the Golden Gate bridge and the exit point at the Yacht Club.
Start type: Deep Water Plus: Time Trial
Water temp: 58F / 14C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Below average
Waves: Below average Navigation: Good
Rounding:
T1
Time: 00:00
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Below average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
00:00:00 | 18 miles | 0.00 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance: Bad
Wind: Strong
Course: 1,489 feet of gain over 17.83 miles. Hilly, then hillier. Windy with some rain. Toughest leg for me, since the distance was so short, and spent most training on swim/run. Slick on descent, so had to grind up a hill, then brake on the way down, you can get to 40 mph pretty quickly on some of the
Road: Smooth Wet Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Bad
Race pace: Drinks:
T2
Time: 00:00
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes Below average
Jumping off bike
Running with bike
Racking bike
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
00:00:00 | 08 miles |  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Course: Fun. A couple of miles of wide trail, but then single track, a descent down to the ocean. Ran on the hard pack of the ocean to the turn around. Up the dreaded Sand Ladder and home.
Keeping cool Drinking
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: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 5