I called this the "kind to delicate knees" course ---a swim, a run, a bike ride, then another short run - this morning.. jury is out right now, post race. The Escape from the Rock began with a longish walk to the ferry from Aquatic Park. The swim to run #1 transistion area was the grassy hillside just up from the beach at Aquatic Park. I arrived there a little before 6:00am, which left plenty of time to set up my things, visit the porta-loos and generally have stress free pre-race set up. We arrived at the ferry and waited to board. For some reason I decided to put on sun screen while we were standing around -- I hate sunscreen, but I do use it for triathlons. I promptly put a big blog of Kinesys SPF 30 in my left eye -- my contact lens didn't like sharing the space with the sunscreen.. battle was fought, contact lens won after I found a sink with running water on the ferry.
The trip out to Alcatraz was short, a beautiful morning, I knew that there would be an ebb at the end of our swim, so I thought that heading to Jeremiah O'brien would probably be the safest route...even if I overshot to the left, I could ride the ebb into Aquatic Park. That was a good thought, that was a good idea.. but I didn't actually follow my first thought. After a 7:40(ish) jump and a short wait for the starting horn, I followed the lead boat with the orange balloons, and had I been closer to the boat, everything would have been fine.. as it was... as I approached the opening to the Park, I found myself in a strong ebb tide, hopelessly caught in a swift move to the right of the opening... I couldn't believe it... after all of the crossings I've done with small groups through Water World Swim.. I should have known better!
In any case, I swam like hell to the east, of course, got nowhere and then decided to try a method I had used several years ago in another Alcatraz Triathon. I swam to the pier pilings and had planed to pull myself between pilings and eventually pull myself around into the park. The tide was too strong. I couldn't get to the adjacent piling.. so... I climbed over the middle cement structure and jumped in to the relative calm of Aquatic Park. The swim to the beach and finish chute was another few minutes.. but I was tired! Ready to get out of the wetsuit and on to run number one.
My transition was very slow, the wetsuit got stuck on both wrists.... I took off one are with my teeth.. I couldn't get my shoes on and I generally was clumsy and fumbling, but eventually got going on the first run. It was gorgeous, mostly flat (except for the hill to Fort Mason and the hill under the Golden Gate Bridge), felt great and I had no knee pain what so ever!
Bike ride was hilly.. did I say hilly? The first of four loops was the hardest.. My legs protested in a big way, but the second loop was easier, as was the third and fourth. Hammer Gel and Heed got me through the 13 mile ride. Okay.. on to the second run which included the Sand Ladder.. ouch! I was fine until about 10 minutes in to the run.. when my right calve started to cramp. I ran in the sand, drank a little water at the turn around, ran back through the sand and then walked up the ladder.. there was no other option. I walked after the ladder too - until the trail flattened out a little bit, then ran (limped) in to the finish. A great race, fun, weather great and a great field of triathletes and volunteers and Envirosports staff.
