Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

And so I thought I would be the scaredest right before I jumped off, as I moved out of the boat doors and onto the landing off which we jumped there was a guy yelling, go right go right. So I went right and there was a man who was NOT jumping off, and all these people behind me. So instead of being scared I just tried to find the best place to jump in, and then I was in the water. No big deal.

Well Leah will be happy to note that it was NOT as cold as Sassamat. My face did NOT hurt when I put it in the water. So as soon as I felt the water I was like, "HUH, this is not bad!" And started off.

So I was swimming and stunned a little, and found my sight and then I found that there were a lot of waves. I was going up and down up and down. Which it turns out I'm pretty comfortable with, I just kept trucking. I never really got a good rythum going on the swim. I only once breathed bilateraly. I was scared to go too long without sighting. I soon realized that I was next to the Kayaks on the left hand side and people kept running over my feet. But I was using the sights like the guy told me and it as cool. I was passing people like crazy.

Then I decided that I should try to let go some of the pee that I stored up so that I could use it to keep me warm. So I stopped to pee and took some pictures with my Camera. I didn't get all the pee out but I didn't want to stop. I tried to go while swimming, but no dice. I took more pics along the way, and never saw a thing in the water, was never scared and before I knew it I could smell the city and I was about 400 m away. I thought to myself, this is the last chance to pee. But I was stubborn and didn't take it.

PEE!

This included a run from the swim exit into Transition. Found my bag fine and got to my bike fine. LOTS of people around, so many. I must have come out of the water with about 30 people.

The bike was good to start except I had to pee. I got on my bike and my speedo was showing all these weird numbers so I had no gauge on my speed. So I just biked and tried to get warm before the first hill, it didn't really work. I got to the first hill, went to stand up and realized that I had to pee so bad that it hurt to stand. But I got up it fine. The next stretch is like the UBC hill, it starts steep and then flattens out, but is about twice as long as Spanish banks, but it climbed and climbed and there were riders everywhere, no one was right on each other's wheel but it wasn't like we were legal. a big group got away from me, and I just dug in and was fine. IT hurt a little. I couldn't drink cause I had to PEE! so I was thirsty. I took some cytomax at one point, but it was so bad I didn't want to drink. I felt so gross I threw up a little and spat it out. GROSS! So decending the hill was fine for me except when I wanted to pass people, I didn't know what they were going to do so I was more cautious. but people were passing me and so I was a little frustrated. After the big decend onto the great highway, there was a long section of hill. and for some reason (oh before I got there, I lost my chain on a little hill and had to stop and fix it, sux) I felt really awesome, so I was cruising this hill around 32-33-even up to 34 at times, it felt great. I think I was finally feeling the right gear for me. I think I always try to push a harder gear. Andway, we came down that pretty fast and I was passing more people. OH! and I saw the leader RIPPING down the hill, it was AMAZING. Up the big hill from great highway was tough, passed the kid who is 13 doing the race. Then the STEEEEP hill and that hurt and I grunted like a man, but it was ok, there were people walking their bikes up this hill. I don't really remember much of the rest of the bike, I had to pee it hurt like hell. And as I was getting confidence and being agressive going down hill I see a man in biking gear making an 'X' with his hands. A girl was on the ground not moving with her arm at a crazy angle. Blood everywhere. OK, so I slow down a little and try not to think about having to pee. The last flat section I was going about 38km/hr, I was happy with that. But overall it was a slow ride.

I think I should pound out the start of the bike, rely on my fitness to carry me through so I am warm for the tougher sections. Maybe I'm too conservative.

Racked my bike on my finger, it hurt. Nothing special.

Well, I was in so much pain now running wasn't oo much fun. I came out of T1 saw the leader finish and saw callum and Natty. I told them I had to pee. they laughed and then I saw what looking like the most beautiful sight I've ever seen, a building along the race way that looked like a public bathroom. I asked a spectator if it was a bathroom, agreed. And I sprinted to it, peed and sprinted back onto the path, it was about 50 m from the course, I figure it took me about 2 minutes. but I would have been slower by WAY more than that if I hadn't gone. So I ran along for a while, feeling kinda icky, and then I get this HUGE stitch in my side. I don't know why, maybe because I had been sitting in my car for hours and hours since thursday. Not sure. but anyway. It hurt. Climbing the first staircase, hurt my sides, I couldn't get strides. We went into this section that is so narrow you couldn't pass as runners were coming at us, half the volunteers were saying keep left the other half were saying keep right, it was a disaster. I saw andy from the bachelor, I gave him a holla. He said thanks. Up the hill felt like I was a goat towing a frieght train, ugh. They gave us cliff shots, hard to chew. Down hill to the beach hurt my left leg a lot, got to the sand, had to tie up my laces tigheter because I was sliding all over the place.

At this point I'm not too happy, I'm not usually a whiner in races, but it was SUCKED since the swim, my leg hurts my side hurts, I'm not too happy. But coming along the beach and then swtiching back I realize that 1. I am now halfway, and 2. all these people coming at me are behind me. So I suck it up, run close to the water on the beach and make my way to the stairs. FINALLY I feel ok and now I'm at the stairs. They were no biggie, just dug in and did them, I didn't run until the top. I did it in 3.28. Its all good. So now i'm feeling ok, I get some water and start down the crazy narrow section, pass some people and am behind a guy that is going perfect pace for me. So I tuck in behind him and run, We chat a little, I made a funny joke. We had this amazing view of Alcatraz and I said "You know, I swam from there once" I thought it was funny, and he laughed, and we stayed together. We both got into a fast stride for me and we were together until the last aid stop, I got caught behind a guy getting water and I culdn't cathch my man again, so I ran in. I was tired and I couldn't wait to be done, saw my buddies again. And cruised on into the finish..

AHHHhh its OVER!

Got my medal, shook the man's hand and got my bags and got outta there. Crowds kinda scare me.

ANd then sighed a HUGE sigh of relief that it was over. and Went to find my super supportive friends.


HAVING TO PEE!!!!!! and taking pictures on the swim. But common, they are going to be AWESOME


AMAZING!