Escape from Alcatraz race recap

On Sunday, June 5th, 2011, I participated in my 1st legitimate triathlon, the world famous "Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon." I say 1st legitimate triathlon because a month earlier I was scheduled to race in a sprint length tri here in CO, but it was so cold outside (38 degrees), that the race director canceled the swim, and made it into a duathlon (1 mile run, 20k bike, 5k run). So Alcatraz would be my first, and it's not even a standard length, it's a modified Olympic (1.5 mile swim, 18 mile bike, 8 mile run).

I began training for this back in January, and I was feeling pretty good about the race, except for the run. The longest I had run while training was about 5 miles, so I was a little concerned about the distance. I felt confident about the bike and the swim though.

4:30 am race morning, my alarm goes off, and I quickly get dressed and hop on my bike for the 10 minute ride from the hotel to the staging/transition area. After setting up my transition area, there is nothing to do but wait....and wait.

Finally, I get on the bus and head to the pier where we take a boat out to Alcatraz. The boat holds its position while the Star Spangled Banner is played, then the pros dive in. Wow, that current is fast (thankfully in the right direction - pulling them towards the finish). Now it's the age groupers turn. I'm a little nervous...although I've been reassured countless times that the "big sharks" cant come into the bay because of the low salinity and fresh water runoff, I'm still a little nervous. Oh well, can't do anything about it now. I slowly make my way to the timing mat, and then I jump into the water and quickly move away from the boat. It's not as cold as I thought it would be, but I did immediately have a leaky goggle, and spent about three or four minutes fixing it, all the while drifting towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Goggles fixed, I start my swim. Because of my goggle malfunction, I end up overshooting the swim exit, and have to swim against the current a little, and then run up the beach towards the swim exit. I cross the timing mat, and look for my Swim Exit bag, which contains my extra running shoes for the 1/2 mile run to the main transition area. I get my wetsuit off, and shoes on, and head out for the main transition area.

I get my bike and tear out of there. On the 1st little baby climb, I see the 1st pros coming back from their bike ride. Jesus, I'm slow! So, I settle in, and am enjoying myself, chatting up my fellow riders, and filming the ride with my GoPro helmet cam. Then the 1st real hill comes. Holy shit, it's a 9% grade according to my GPS. Wow. I hammer up it, and keep going....then I come to a really steep down hill...I mean really steep. I'm thinking to myself, "wow, I'm going to have to climb this on the way back." So I'm hammering along, enjoying myself. There were some VERY steep climbs (one climb was 12%), so by the time I make it back to transition my quads are pretty tired, but that's because I don't have a TT bike. Time for the run.

The run starts out pretty flat for about two miles, then it's a set of twisty-turny stairs, then a tunnel, then more stairs, then a really narrow trail, then a tunnel that you have to duck to go in and out of....more uphill....then some downhill to the beach. Once you get down to the beach, there was a quarter mile run along the soft pack sand....I had to walk that, I didn't want to twist an ankle. Then you turn around and run back along the water's edge, so the sand was a little firmer, but I was constantly dodging waves! Then the dreaded sand ladder. It's a very steep set of stairs made out of railroad ties that are covered in sand, and there are about 300 steps up to the road. Did I mention that it is very steep? Needless to say, I walked up it, and my quads were burning the whole way. After the sand ladder it's fairly easy sailing from there. I got a second wind, and posted some good mile splits to the end.

All in all, a great race. Very technical, very challenging, and pretty long for a first triathlon! I'm glad I did it, and I think I'm hooked! Next up, Boulder half-ironman!