Glenn Luther Race Report-  Escape from Alcatraz

Two races consistently rank one or two in polls taken to vote the best triathlon in America, Ironman Hawaii and Escape from Alcatraz. I had the good fortune to get a spot in this years Alcatraz Race. The Great Lake Escape is qualifying race for Alcatraz held near Port Clinton at the East Harbor State Park. The week after Labor Day. The Lake Erie event does a great job mimicking the San Francisco Race.  Both start with a jump  10ft from the deck of a boat, have beautiful bike course and have a challenging trail run. Three Team Toledo members went to this years Escape From Alcatraz Rob Loeb, Steve Risher and myself, Glenn Luther.
    The Escape from Alcatraz course integrates the amazing geography of the San Francisco Bay and surrounding hills. The transition zone for the race is just west of down town at the Marina Green Park.
There are many places to stay within walking distance of race. All three Team Toledo Members stayed at different hotels along Lombard Street west of the "crookest street in the world" part. This was my first visit to San Francisco and I was thrilled to have a triathlon included in the tour.
June 12 was the night in 1963 that the most famous escape attempt from Alcatraz took place.  Our escape attempt started in perfect weather the day light hours of June 12, 2005. Alcatraz is now a National Wild Life Sanctuary as well a National Park. Thus, the 1500 triathletes were not permitted to start from the island itself in order to protect the bird population. The race starts with a loud blast from the San Francisco Belle dinner ship, which easily holds the anxious crowd. I was on one of the upper decks as the pros took off from the ship shadowed by a film crew in a helicopter. As I stood there admiring the scene I realized my wave of blue caps were now leaving the ship. I missed my start by 2:30, but fortunately a mat clicks in your actual start time as you jump off the ship.
   The tidal current and cold water are the most challenging aspects of the swim. The bay current flows west during the start. To compensate for this I swam directly at the shore following a series of land marks given by the race director. I was ready for the cold slap in the face when I jumped in the bay. Even with a wet suit on the cold water takes your breath away as your face deals with the frigid water. I followed the advice of a booklet on how the swim the escape and got some cold water lake swims in. From my practice swims I knew it would take about 5-10 minutes for me to get comfortable in the water and find a rhythm. I used the time to enjoy the view. I was surprised how quickly the triathletes spread out due to the current and point to point swim.  I rarely had another swimmer within 10 yards of me. It did get crowed as we all exited on a small sand beach at the St, Francis Yacht Club. My family found a great spot near the exit and got a great picture of me with big smile on my face! I had made the famous swim, and it was fun! Swim times Rob 45:50, Glenn 48:52, Steve 55:45.

     Due to the space constrants transition is about 3/4 of a mile away from the swim exit. There is a mini transition zone just out of the water where you can take off your wet suit and put on running shoes if you want. I was glad I had shoes to run in to my bike in because the path had lots of stones and my feet were numb. The enthusiastic crowd was cheering all the way over to T-1.
       The bike course is very hilly and beautiful. I choose to use my road bike because there is little time to be in the aero bars and I have a triple chain ring on the bike. I did use that granny gear for all the climbs. After one fast decent and a 90 degree turn followed by a sharp uphill I did drop my chain and had to get off to fix it. The bike course is tricky so ride it on Saturday so you know the turns and hills. Its only 18 miles but very challenging. Its also very beautiful so take your camera and stop to enjoy the views on your scouting ride. Check out the course map and photos at tricalifonia.com. There are also some places where the pavement is bad so you will want to watch for these. Michellie Jones  a seven time Alcatraz winner crashed badly when she hit a pot hole while reaching for a water bottle in Golden Gate Park.  Bike times Rob 1:01:07, Steve 1:05:20, Glenn 1:05:50.
    I hit T-2 thinking I would have a good run with only a short bike ride behind me. My legs were very heave from all the climbing. I trudged out of T-2 staring at the ground in front of me trying to get my running legs. After a few minutes I looked up to enjoy a spectacular view of the Golden Gate bridge. The run twists up the hill and under the bridge approach. The trail is narrow with runners sharing the trail with race leader returning to the finish line. Watch out for drop offs to the ocean, stairs, tunnels and other obstacles. This is all before the famous run along Baker beach and the sand ladder.  The beach run zaps the legs so you are hurting even before the first step. Run close to the pounding surf to avoid the deep sand. The cool ocean breeze takes away some of the discomfort. The sand ladder is difficult and you will walk. Even race winners Hunter Kemper and Susan Williams walk this part. I scouted Baker Beach with family on Saturday evening and the Golden Gate Bridge was beautiful in setting sun light.
       From the top of Baker Beach hill it is downhill and then flat to the finish. Watch for the tourists who have no idea what is going on as you descend back under the bridge. The finish is a blast as people line the long chute to cheer you in. The race is well run and I would do it again. Run times/ total time Rob 1:04:45 / 3:00:42, Glenn 1:05:50 / 3:10:47, Steve 1:08:01 / 3:23:20
     I stayed in San Francisco until Wednesday getting up early every day to enjoy amazing bike rides over the bridge in Marin County. I also swam for 30 minutes in the bay at Aquatic Park without my wetsuit just for the experience. We then headed to Yosemite National park, about four hours away. That was three days of jaw dropping beauty and a family hike to the top of Half Dome.  If you do go to San Francisco for the race, you should also get to Yosemite because the waterfalls are near peak flow in early June. If you want further information on the race or Yosemite contact me at Glenn_Luther@hotmail.com