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The Escape from the Rock is essentially a triathlon that begins at Alcatraz Island but with a bit of twist though. It starts off with a 1.5 Mile swim but once you exit the water, you put on your running shoes and run 2.5 miles to T1. But I don't want to get ahead of myself so let's start from the beginning.
Alcatraz and I go way back and it's sort of a love-hate relationship. The first time I did the swim, it was part of an event called the Alcatraz Challenge which is basically a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz followed by a 7 mile run over the scenic Golden Gate Bridge. The water was rough, the current was strong, and I was an inexperienced open water swimmer but managed to get across in 45 minutes. To put things into perspective, the lead swimmer made it in 27 minutes so my performance was less than stellar but I enjoyed it thoroughly. After exiting the water, you put on your running shoes and you run across the Golden Gate and back and you get to check out Alcatraz which is pretty cool... especially after your first swim across.
So you're thinking... ok, that's the love portion, where's the hate? Last year. I did just the swim and I completed it in a pitiful 1:05. Granted the first person was out of the water in 40-something so clearly the water was different but it just set the wrong tone for something I absolutely loved. Up until last year, I would say that Alcatraz was one of the most enjoyable events I've ever done... and I've done a few.
This morning we jumped on board the boat at about 7:00am and made our way out to "The Rock". Other than the act of swimming from Alcatraz, the next best bit of fun in this race is leaping from the boat. When they get into position, they open the doors and everyone jumps from the sides of the boat and swims to the starting point. Having done this event several times, I know that you have to get to the starting point quickly. Despite what they say, they don't always wait for everyone to get there so I wanted to make sure I was in position when the horn went off. I think they were kind today because I was in the water for about 5 minutes before the start sounded.
The horn blasted, we were off, and not a moment too soon because I was starting to get chilled from the lack of movement. I think I heard someone say the water was 61 but when you're not moving it seems colder. As soon as everyone started, the group spread out and I was headed for shore. My spotting point was a pair of condos and the lead boat with bright orange buoys which initially started off straight but then started shifting with the current. I believe they do this intentionally in order to keep people from overshooting the landing point. Visibility was exceptional, the water seemed milder than my previous swims, and I felt strong. Before I knew it, I was out of the water. I looked down at my watch, the time was 39 minutes. I was hoping for 45 minutes so needless to say, I was happy.
I ripped off my suit, threw on my running shoes and headed for T1. It's a 2.5 mile run and I don't have the official time but I think I ran it in about 15 minutes. I arrived at T1, took off my running shoes, put on my bike gear and I was off on the three loop, hilly, 13 mile ride through the Presidio. Having never done this event before, I decided to ride the first lap with a bit of caution. In a nutshell, it's an uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, and then you're back. It twists and turns, it's fast, and a bit technical. After completing the first lap, I realized that I could push it and I negative split the next two laps. And just about the time I started to get warmed up, it was over and I was back in transition putting on my running gear.
The run. Words cannot describe the fun you experience on this little gem of a 10k. After a short flat section, you're immediately heading up towards the Golden Gate Bridge. I think the ascent is about 400 feet and it's a combination of steps and trails. But my legs felt strong and for some reason after completing this section, I thought the hard part was over. It wasn't. You run a series of ups and downs on a narrow trail and then you make your way down to sea level again where the fun really begins at Baker Beach, running in deep sand. Even close to the water the ground is soft and running in it makes you feel like you're energy is being sucked out of you. To make matters worse, the turn around is on a slight incline, away from the water where the sand is softer and your feet sink. After you reach the turn around it gets a bit easier running back through this section but after you retrace your steps across the beach, you reach the infamous sand ladder. This is where you're just going to have to trust me when I say it's HARD. When you reach the base and look up, you think... that's not so bad. But it's deceiving because the sand is soft and the 400 steps up the cliff are round logs which are unevenly spaced. I initially attempted to run this section but after a few steps I realized that would be next to impossible. I decided to take them two at a time while grabbing the cable.
After reaching the top of the sand ladder, I was happy to know the return to the finish would be much easier. In fact, nothing would be as hard as what I had just climbed. I managed to settle into a nice pace on the way back and upon reaching the Golden Gate; I started to crank up the pace all the way to the finish. I don't know the exact times but I did glance at the preliminary results and I completed the swim in 39, the bike in 45, and the run in 43. The first run and my transitions are a mystery until the results go up. My total time was 2:27; I was 4th in my age group and 29th overall. Not a bad day and I love Alcatraz once again. EDIT: Official Results Swim ---- 00:39:07.6
Run1 ---- 00:19:42.4
T1 ------- 00:01:30.3
Bike ----- 00:46:04.5
T2 ------- 00:00:51.1
Run ----- 00:39:30.1
Finish --- 02:26:46.0
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