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 Swim
Comments: Probably wasn't a great idea to have this as my first OWS of the season. The swim start was probably my biggest concern in this race because I was a little worried about just jumping right into that cold water. Got to the edge of the boat and hesitated slightly, but had to go because there was some one right behind me. I was probably in the last 100 or so off the boat. Jumped in feet first, and yep, that water sure is chilly. Got back to the surface and was gasping a little. Took a couple hundred yards to get my breathing under control. After that the water temp wasn't really a factor. The water was pretty smooth at first, so I tried to get into a good groove, and keep the tower at 2 o'clock like they said in the pre race meeting. About half way through, the water got a little rougher with maybe 2 ft. swells, and my form (which isn't that good to begin with) got worse. Also couldn't sight very well anymore. When I finally got a good look at the yacht club building, I realized I was too far down the shore, and I would have trouble reaching the swim exit. Tried to swim towards the orange buoys, and it really seemed like I wasn't getting anywhere. Finally, a kayaker told me to swim straight for the beach a little down from the swim exit. That was much easier, and finally I was on shore probably only 100 yards or so from the swim exit. THANK YOU Mr. Kayaker! WOO HOO! I finished the Alcatraz swim! The rest of the race is gravy. What would you do differently?: Try to keep the tower at more like 3 o'clock  Transition 1
Comments: Found my bag easily. Had no trouble getting out of the wetsuit. Was surprised I wasn't a little more dazed and confused since it was a long cold swim, but I really felt pretty good. Was glad I had some sneakers for the long run to transition. What would you do differently?: Nothing.  Bike
Comments: I didn't push too hard on the bike for several reasons. I was completely unfamiliar with the course and, although I don't mind climbing, steep descents make me a little nervous (OK, I'm a big chicken) Some of these descents were pretty fast, sometimes with rough pavement, and sometimes with tricky turns at the bottom, so I took it easy. Also, since the run is also challenging, I didn't want to fry my legs on the climbs. Even though I took it easy, I still passed people on all of the climbs. This may sound dumb, but the biggest reason I didn't push too much is I just wanted to soak everything in. The scenery was incredible. The Golden Gate bridge, the Pacific, and Golden Gate Park were all really pretty. I see loads of cows and horses on my training rides, so seeing some bison for a change was pretty cool. Besides the scenery, the crowds were really a blast. I tried to thank all the volunteers, and whenever I heard some spectators cheering, I tried to acknowledge them with a thumbs up and a smile. Definitely the most fun I've ever had riding. What would you do differently?: I could have pushed myself harder on the climbs because my legs felt pretty good coming off the bike. Transition 2
Comments: Nothing special. Fairly long run from dismount to the rack.  Run
Comments: Legs felt good coming off the bike, but I took it easy on the first flat section to save myself for the hills. Was slower than I liked on the steps and hills near the batteries because it was narrow and hard to pass people. The beach was hard to run on because somehow it seemed more muddy than sandy. The whole trip I couldn't think of anything to bring home for my family, and then when I was running on the beach it hit me. Both my wife and youngest son always collect rocks and shells when we go to the beach, so I decided to find them a pretty shell from the Pacific. So I'm running along looking down, and I don't see anything. Not one pretty shell. Finally, when I was getting near the sand stairs, I saw a nice green rock, so I grabbed it and stuck it in my pocket. I got to listen to Andy Potts on Saturday, and he said he walks the sand stairs, so I figured I would, too;) It was pretty hard, but my legs felt pretty good at the top. Ran the last couple of miles well, and even had a little bit of a kick at the end. What would you do differently?: Could have run the first half harder, but I was overly cautious. Post race
Warm down: Checked out the expo. What limited your ability to perform faster: I'm slow. I don't train enough. I was too cautious. I didn't really push myself because I just wanted to soak in the whole experience. Event comments: Incredible race. Incredible day. I did Escape from Alcatraz! Last updated: 2008-03-08 12:00 AM
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United States
Tricalifornia
60F / 16C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 1488/1619
Age Group = M 50-54
Age Group Rank = 0/
Years ago, before I even started running I remember seeing Escape on TV and thinking those people are crazy, but still, it looked pretty cool. When I started Tris 2 years ago, one of the first things I put for my long term goals in my BT log was this race, so I was pretty psyched when I won a lottery spot. I wanted my wife to come with me, so we could stay and visit SF a little, but unfortunately she has a real phobia about flying. Since it was just me I made it a real quick trip. Left my jouse 3:30 AM Saturday for a 7 AM flight out of Newark, and left SF 10 PM Sunday night and was back home by 11 AM Monday morning. Pretty hectic which was good because I didn't have much time to get nervous.
Race morning was at transition at 4:45. Realized I had forgotten my flip flops for the bus ride. No big deal. Then I realized I forgot my timing chip. Big deal. Turned out OK because I was able to get a new one by the boat. Drank a shake about 2 hours before the start. Talked to my family while waiting which was nice. My youngest son reminded me not to crash my bike.
Enjoyed the scenery from the boat. Chatted with a guy who had a SF Tri Club jersey. Turns out he was originally from NY, and we grew up maybe 15 miles from each other. Was pretty warm from wearing the wetsuit for so long.