Escape from Alcatraz 2009: June 14, 2009

Introduction

This is a trip report from a middle age (and I cannot believe I just described myself that way) non-athlete. My only athletic accomplishment is I'm a reasonably decent Masters swimmer and I can run a 10K in about an hour. Nothing to write home about, and that's the point. This Race Report will share some tips and hints from my experience who can help most anybody accomplish a similar feat. Prior to this, I had done one short course triathlon and one olympic distance triathlon. EFA is not exactly a beginner course, but it doesn't require you to be a super athlete to complete.

Sign Up

Escape from Alcatraz (EFA) registration is done with a lottery. There are people who have signed up for years to not get in, and there are others like myself who get in on the first try. Dumb luck, had a lot of it this year. Visit The Escape from Alcatraz Website to register in early November. You do have to plan in advance for this race. If you are in good physical shape, there is no reason that you can't do this as a first triathlon, but I wouldn't recommend it.

The course is a non-standard distance, and the course is non-standard in that it is run on trails with obstacles and other goofy things to make it more interesting. The other challenging part of the race is even though it is shorter than an Olympic distance race, it is much more hilly. But the climbs are short. Be sure to put more hills into your training. I didn't but I don't recommend it.

Training Tips

• Try to find hills that match the profile of the course. The elevation profile is available on the website, and the Garmin Forerunner 305 allowed me to compare the hills I trained on to the course hills allowing a certain peace of mind that I would be able to complete the course. I live in the Bay area and was able to scout the race course in advance, but the Garmin allows you to find something that will approximate race day.

Race Day

Setup

The most brutal part of this race is not the swim, it's not the bike and no it's not the run (but upon reflection I might reconsider.) The toughest part of this race is getting to the race. I had to set my alarm for 4 AM and was it tough to wake up. Setting up your transition area at 5 AM is a test you realize you pass only when you can find your space after the swim.

After setting up my transition area, it was time to get on the bus to head over to the swim. When you get to the boarding area it's porta potty land. Lines everywhere. A funny story is that on the boat, it's the men's bathroom that has a line. It's a huge boat made to look like a Mississippi Steam ship. You go inside and it's completely empty with Police tape separating all the different swimmers. It's a neat to see all your fellow insane (why the heck else would you be up this early) compatriots. The tri community is a small one so you'll see some familiar training faces all cramped in. There's a lot of nerves.

The previous day at the "mandatory" athletes meeting the instructions for the swim was sight on Sutro tower. Slight problem as we departed from the pier, Sutro tower was completely covered in clouds. uh oh. No matter, after a short cruise where we sit right off of the "Rock" and you have a chance to see just how far you are from the shore. Somehow like clockwork, about 30 minutes before the start of the race Sutro tower comes into the clear. We're off to the race.

Tips

• Prep your transition area minimally. It's really crowded and you won't have a lot of space. Your wetsuit will be at the 0.5T transition area so you don't need a lot of space.
• There are flags of difference countries, and the home on Marina Blvd are very distinct. Focus on that to find your transition area.

The Swim

Everyone talks about the start, and it is a sight to behold. A bunch of seals with neon colored caps all jumping off a boat in a successive wave. Given the chaos, it's actually a well ordered chaos. "one left, three right, look, clear, jump" swim, swim, SWIM away from the boat. Don't get dropped on. Wait, where the heck is that stinking tower. Oh there.

Swimming in the bay the biggest challenge is the swells. One guy I talked to on the run told me he threw up after the swim because he was seasick. Yeah it sucked. I must have swallowed a dozen mouthfuls of salt water. Key skill in the swim is breathe with the swells not against it. It took a while to get use to it.

The best advice on the boat was choose your sighting point and don't deviate. He said, let me repeat, choose your sighting point and don't change it. I'm glad I heard that since when I saw the yacht club where you are suppose to land, it is tempting to change your sighting. I'm glad I didn't.

Swim to Run Transition

This is actually a very overrated part of the race. It's pretty straightforward, find your bag, get off your wetsuit. Things that I was glad that I had a bottle of water in my transition bag which saved my life. 12 gulps of salt water you want to wash out your mouth or at least I did. Toss on your shoes and start running. It's not that bad and a good stretch out your legs.

Tips

• Toss some water and maybe a energy gel in your transition bag.

The Bike

This is probably the most exciting part of the ride. Tons of pain on the uphill and excitement on the downhill. Sadly they were threatening violations on the downhill that I applied the brakes more than I should have. One thing about Escape from Alcatraz is that it is an incredibly well supported race. There are aid stations everywhere and more Cytomax and Clif products than you will ever need. It's a short enough race that you don't need to carry a lot of water with you and there's a ton on the course that you can lose the weight it it matters. One thing that's great about this race is that there is a lot of community cheering going on.

Tips

• Don't overload your bike with stuff. There is plenty of water, cytomax and other products on the course.
• The course is a roller coaster, use the momentum of the downhill to push you up the next hill. Does not apply on the return from Golden Gate Park.
  Two down, one to go.

  The Run

  Lesson learned. Need to lose weight. The run best resembles a chain gang since during portions of the run especially on the trails, it's basically one long line of runners. You talk about single track in mountain biking but it's here too. At this point for me, everyone else was just trying to finish and have a good time. I got to meet some of the other racers, one came from Phoenix, another from Cincinati, another from San Diego. It's amazing how many places people come from to run the race.

  Again this race is so well supported. I packed some Clif Shots for the run, but water, cytomax and clif bars were available in the numerous aid stations that I could have relied on those alone. The dreaded sand ladder is tough, especially at that phase of the race.

  Tips

  • Stay where the sand or trail is hardest to not waste energy
  • Enjoy the view, its a beautiful course
  • Make friends in the crowded parts. There are going to places where you are bunched up. There are some neat stories of competitors coming from all over the world.
  

  Finish and Conclusions

  One word: Hardware

  

  Things that I'll remember. Taking a moment floating in the middle of the bay. It is really an amazing site on a clear day to see the Bay Bridge to your left, San Francisco skyline in front and the Golden Gate Bridge to your right. I'm tempted to do the swim again with waterproof camera to get some shots of that view.

  The most inspirational thing was to see the Challenged Athletes compete. I cannot imagine not having a limb, but to do something like this race with one leg, or one arm missing is incomprehensible to me. However for these athletes, it's not incomprehensible, it's a daily reality. It is amazing what people can overcome, it's too bad that we don't overcome more. For all the problems we have, it's proof that much is a matter of commitment and believing. Check out http://www.challengedathletes.org/ for more on these amazing individuals.

  This race with a reasonable amount of training can be finished. Unless you are shooting to be an age group winner, just enjoy it. Focus your training on hills and rough water swimming.