Escape from Alcatraz
9 June 2011
Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
I know it’s been a long time since my last race report, but in my previous 2 races I was a little under the weather, so there was really nothing to report as far as good results.
However, between now and then, I’ve been able to string together some great weeks of training. I’ve
been lucky enough to get together a small entourage of training partners, Paul Matthews (AUS) and kiwi Dylan McNeice, who have been valuable in keeping me company in the long training sessions and pushing me on the key sessions. Also, I’ve had my coach Mark Elliot over for 2 weeks to fine tune the program and make sure everything is on track for London 2012.
So going into the race last weekend, it was good to front up 100% healthy and ready to go. Alcatraz is a favorite course of mine, where I can capitalize on a lot of my strengths, including a very hilly bike course. So I was looking forward to a good hit out.
The race started with a 1‐mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the mainland. We start on a paddleboat, The San Francisco Belle, which is moored just off Alcatraz Island. It’s then a short, sharp shock as we plunge into the ice‐cold waters of San Francisco Bay. People always ask me whether I’m afraid of sharks, but apparently due to the currents and temp of the water, the sharks in there aren’t able to come to the surface! Well that’s what I choose to believe anyway.
I had a pretty good swim, just coming out in the lead group. Unfortunately, one of my biggest rivals, Andy Potts, was out a minute in front! Probably one of the hardest elements of the Alcatraz tri is the run from the swim exit to transition 1. It’s about an 800m run along asphalt in bare feet, which on a pain scale is about an 8 out of 10!
Afterwards, once you are on the bike, the pain of your feet is quickly replaced with the pain of riding up some solid climbs. I quickly joined American Matt Chrabot, and we began the process of hunting down Potts. Unfortunately, by the end of the bike, we were now 2 minutes down on Potts after riding as fast as we could over the 30km bike ride. Our task just got harder.
The run in is probably one of the most scenic runs you could do in the area, although I never got a chance to appreciate it. It takes you through Crissy Field, under the Golden Gate Bridge, down to Baker Beach and back! Probably the hardest part of the run is the infamous “Sand Stairs” which are about 350 stairs covered in sand which bring you back out of Baker Beach. This is just over half way on the 8 mile run, and by this stage, Matt and I were still neck and neck with Potts now about 1:15 in front!
Matt and I continued to battle it out to the end, as we continued to chase down Potts. The problem was that we left it a little too late, as I sprinted in for 2nd, only 30 seconds down on Potts.
I was a little disappointed not to get the win, but I was happy with the way I raced and it was great to run 2 minutes faster than the year before.
So hopefully this has set me up for the next few races coming up. And, with our first Olympic qualifying race only 8 weeks away, it’s a good time to be coming into some good form.
The next race is Kitzbuhel World Championship Series race in Austria. The level in our sport continues to improve, so it will be great to have a good hit out there, too!
Thanks for all the support.
Bevan
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