Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon : Official Thread (Page 2)

I've been doing some stairs workouts - nothing during a run, just a 30 minute stairs workout in my building at work (people think I'm nuts).  I've only got 5 floors to work with so I've done days of just steady ascents and days where I do something like 2 floors hard, ez down, 3 floors hard, ez down etc.  It can be pretty boring on my own but I've got a co-worker that's been doing it with me.

Other than that, I've tried to run some routes with a few more hills.  Not a hills workout per se, just a run with more hills.

Just my .02 (caveat that I am slow, and currently not running -hopefully mid/end of this week), there are some stairs on the out portion, but really nothing more than running up a hill.  I am not certain that running actual stairs is any different than running a sufficiently steep hill

As for the sand ladder coming back, well, it's not like running stairs at all.  It's like running a steep sand dune.  So if you can do that.....

I'm going to sign up for the full Alcatraz swim on the morning of June 6th.  Its not that I am concerned about the swim - I'm totally psyched about the swim.  So much so that I'd like to do it twice.  Now the run.....

Here's the info on the swim, in case anyone else is interested:  https://waterworldswim.com/event-registration/?ee=114

I'll be picking my bike up from Sports Basement on Friday afternoon.  I'm not sure how conducive the ride course is for a pre-ride, but i'm going to try to ride it or as much as possible.  Anyone else planning on scoping out the ride course early?

I've done that swim, pretty cool!  We had perfect conditions the day I did it, no current, no chop, warm water - I felt a bit cheated....

I am not that familiar with the whole course but have only done it once during the race.  I did ride the flat first section and the first short climb and then the traffic got pretty crazy.  IMO, there's way too much traffic to pre-ride it.  I think you'd benefit from a pre-drive if you have access to a car.

I'm a little iffy on the race at the moment.   Dealing with a persistent calf issue that is not responding well to my over-achieving efforts to get back on the road.  Swim and bike are fine, so I guess worst comes to worst I run /walk...  or walk.  It's only 8 miles.....  

I think you can get a medical deferral with a doctor's note, if you don't want to run/walk.  Otherwise, I would focus on crushing the swim and bike.  

I watched a DC Rainmaker race report with a video for the bike portion.  Most of it seemed to have some sort of shoulder or bike lane.  I'll check out the map and try find alternative routes to avoid the heavily traveled portions.  Otherwise, I might have to pre-ride the course with Uber.

Yeah, I saw that video too, I just recalling making the first climb, turning right, getting to some crazy intersection and realizing it was totally not worth it given the traffic I was looking at.   Just my feeling at the time.  I am not a huge fan of pre-riding courses, for various reasons including not having "local knowledge" of what roads to ride, but primarily seeing a very bad scene in NOLA last year.

Thanks, it's really just a calf strain that will affect preparation.  Not a "real" medical condition that would prevent one from actually participating

My knee has been cranky all weekend.  We could race to T2 and then have a beer.  

Boudin's bread and a beer!   tempting..... 

Here is another mapmyride of the Escape bike course.  Its not mine, but it is consistent with the one above - although it shows the information a little differently:

http://www.mapmyride.com/us/san-francisco-ca/escape-from-alcatraz-bike-18-27-miles-route-90428737 

From my recollection the climbs are short and steep.  Climbing an 800 foot climb with 3% ave grade will help get in climbing shape, but isn't really  specific to this course.  I am usually glad at some point to have a compact, I was very glad here, especially the last two climbs, which seemed steeper than the first two, probably because of the fatigue.  I can tell you that the climb at mile 11 to me was the hardest mentally, you can see it from a distance, and there's a false summit.  You get to the top of the first part, do a little left right dogleg and it gets steeper.  the little rise in the middle is inside GG Park, more of a false flat/shallow climb.

I'd concentrate on steep, 2-5 minute efforts

Undecided.  The ocean is always pretty cold here so I'm used to it but it's possible I'm underestimating what it will be like...

I've never seen or used the blueseventy (or any other) swim booty/sock so I can't compare but I can't imagine swimming in a scuba booty.  The ones I used to have didn't seem like they would flex well around the ankle.  Although I suppose they worked fine with fins on so maybe they would be ok.  Have I mentioned I'm undecided?  

Not. 

And don't use a scuba or surf booty, whatever you do.  I have a few pairs of those, they are for diving, not swimming,  You won't have the flexibility you need to point your toes.  If anything get ones made for swimming, although it's really not that bad.  Yes, your feet will get cold, but so what.  They may be a bit numb on exit, they'll warm up nicely on the T1 run.   You don't lose heat through your feet, the area that will help the most is covering the head.   I have a neoprene cap, and will bring it up, but unlikely to wear it as I usually just go with two caps (one latex).

BTW, I'll believe it when I see it, and way too soon to be accurate, but accuweather forecasting an 82 degree day

I have a pair of Blueseventy swim socks.  I'm swimming from the island the day before the race and will try them out then.  They have some grip on the soles, so I'm going to see if they would work for running to T1.  

I just cleaned the bike and lubed the chain and gears.  I have to drop the bike off on Friday for transport along with my tri bag, so I get pack everything up a week early.