Upcoming race - Ecape from Alcatraz Triathlon

'click play for cool photos and overly dramatic music'

I’ll be participating in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon this weekend. The Escape is largely a ‘qualifiers only’ race. Typically you would need to take a top spot at another triathlon just to get in to this race. I happened to get in by lottery, so I’ll be enjoying the race somewhere near the back of the pack.

Part of my motivation for racing the Escape is the follow up question I always get when I mention bay swimming. . . “Hey, have you done the triathlon?” Well, hopefully I’ll finally get to say ‘yes’ and have some helpful insight about the race to share with other newbies.

The Rock is the Rock, I would never disrespect her, but I’m less concerned about the swim as compared to the rest of the race. I'm well prepared. I swim 3+ miles a week in the bay and have done the Alcatraz crossing a dozen or so times. I’m still on the fence about whether or not to wear a wetsuit. I’m sort of attached to the idea of being one of the few on the boat without a wetsuit. Then again, once I get out of the water I’ll still have 4 more hours of racing ahead of me in unpredictable SF weather. So, perhaps the speed and warmth of a wetsuit would be a good idea.

The bike course is without a doubt the hardest 19 miles I’ve ever ridden. Bob and I rode the course twice during past couple weeks and it basically knocked me out both times. It is chock full of unrelenting climbs, steep winding descents, and offshore crosswinds. It is an epic ride in every sense of the word.

The run course is 8+ miles and includes long flights of stairs, narrow trails, roads, and windblown beaches. By all accounts it is a really tough run. I haven’t run the course yet and don’t intend to until the day of the race. I’ve still got a nagging pain in my left knee and would rather rest up and see how it goes.

If I’m honest, I’m a bit nervous about the Escape. Perhaps that is why I haven’t written about it. I know it’ll be tough and I know it will be beautiful. Aside from that, I really don’t have any expectations about the outcome of the race. As always, I’ll be grateful just to be out there.