Race Coverage

Hands Down Favorite Race...

Wednesday, 11 June 2014 00:10

By Christina Roberts

ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ RACE REPORT - This was hands down my favorite race that I’ve ever done. I was intrigued by this race for the heavy swim and run and decided it would be fun to check it out so I threw my name in the lottery last fall and got in!

Race day started with a 3:30 AM wake-up call but with enough coffee, I was wide awake before the sun came up. Once transition was set up in the dark, we had to take a bus to the pier where we would start the 1 hour journey to Alcatraz Island. Imagine 1600 neoprene-laden, nervous athletes crammed into a boat (see picture 1below). I felt like I was part of a cattle herd, awaiting slaughter. When we arrived, we were given some last minute instructions and over the intercom system we heard “Swim, Bike, Run, Have Fun” repeatedly. That phrase, as well as “embrace the pain” which was advice from a triathlete friend, kept me pushing through the entire race. Once the professional wave dove off the side of the boat, it was pretty much a free for all for the rest of the age-groupers to jump into the 58 degree bay water to swim the 1.5 miles to shore. There were 3 exit gates and we were all herded off the barge into the water. The jump was thrilling, though I felt like a lemming heading off the edge of a cliff, blindly following the athlete in front of me! The bay water was rough and the waves tossed me around quite...

a bit but I felt strong in the water. I didn’t really know where I was going for a good chunk of the swim because it was hard to site and since we couldn’t swim the tangent directly to the beach due to the current, we were instructed to swim in an “L”. The problem was that I wasn’t sure when I was supposed to turn to make the L. I just followed the crowd, when I was able to see them over the waves. What a fun swim! And no, I didn’t see any sharks, but I did manage to swallow a lot of salt water.

We had a ½ mile run from the beach to transition and then started an 18 mile out and back bike through San Francisco, the Presidio, and Golden Gate Park. It was hilly and technical but even though we were going 3 mph at some points on the uphills, we were rewarded by awesome (and at times frightening) downhills as well as some incredible scenery. I’m not sure I’ve ever held on to my handle bars as tight as I did for that race! We also rode over 2 speed bumps. They were not such an issue going uphill, but you could really get some serious air if you didn’t slow down on the downhill. The last leg was an 8 mile trail run (out and back) which was flat for only the first and last 1.5 miles. The rest of the course was hilly and included running on the beach, up and down stairs and ascending a 400 step sand ladder to get from the beach to the top of the bluffs. The run was so much fun (though running down stairs with tired legs takes a special sort of talent) and I’m glad I decided to do a few spring trail races in preparation because I felt great on the run. Because the trails were fairly narrow, we also got to run shoulder to shoulder with the pros (of course they were well on their way back when I saw them) which gave me additional motivation to keep pushing. Finishing the race through a long chute lined with fans and stands was an awesome way to cross the finish line. And as a bonus after the race, I stayed a few days in SF with my brother, cousins, and friend who also raced to explore the city and of course taste some wine in Napa.

Everyone needs to put this race on their bucket list, you won’t regret it. I had so much fun, it had such a great atmosphere with tons of fans throughout the entire race, and the course is so unique that it feels less like a triathlon and more like an adventure!

ED. Christina won her 25-29W AG and placed 6th overall among amateur women.