How I hate to love thee.
Most fickle of watery wenches,
Next time, be easy, I plea.
Swim or Die. So says the Alcatraz Challenge mantra. Overcast, damp, breezy conditions onshore foreshadowed what was to come...
Swim: There are many Alcatraz swims and they finish at various points along the San Francisco coastline. However they share a common distance - about 1.5 miles. This is achieved by starting the swim at different points around The Rock. This race should have begun off the south west corner of the isle for the swim to the east beach at Chrissy Field and for some competitors, it did. It took about five minutes to get us all in the water. Within that time, in spite of keeping the engines running, a stiff breeze and strong currents around the island forced the ferry (in the wrong direction) all the way to the south east side. (This put it nearer the start point for Escape from the Rock which swims to Aquatic Park - over a mile west of Chrissy Field...). Being close to last off the rapidly drifting boat didn't help. This was my toughest Alcatraz swim experience to date.
Even after fighting clear of the island currents, the rougher than expected conditions persisted for most of the swim. Waves big enough to overturn the safety kayaks encouraged us to get to land quickly. However speed was not part of nature's plan. My swim split was about 20 minutes (approximately 50%) slower than previous crossings...
Transition & Run: After a sandy exit, a time check, some resultant swearing, and shedding my neoprene swim-skin, I trekked toward the bridge, chasing this guy. The early start and poor weather helped in one significant respect, they kept the bridge and surrounding trails mercifully free of meandering tourists. As common sense might suggest, a segue from swim to run is much less physically onerous than bike to run; the bridge leg (my first time running across) was surprisingly enjoyable. The most notable event was narrowly avoiding a collision while rounding one of the bridge towers (sincere apologies bearded front runner). This guy passed me on the bridge return leg; I even managed to keep up for about a mile. :P
So my first aquathlon (not to be confused with biathlon or duathlon) was an interesting experience. Highs and lows like any other event but without the hassle of bike and bike equipment. Maybe next time The Bay will be a little kinder. :-)
Results. Male 25 - 29 age group.
Photos: Swim: start, exit. Run finish: #1, #2.
PS This week I finally identified the single biggest contributor to my knee issues - flying. Four (short) flights in three days did more damage than six weeks of swim-bike-run training. I wonder, would business class help? :-)
PPS This race featured the following Head Music
- Digitalism "Idealistic"
- The Prodigy "Breathe"
- Monster Magnet "Look To Your Orb For The Warning"
1 comment:
Nice.. Sitting on a plane in one spot does cause knee problems and/or associated symptoms. This pain is often called "Movie Goer's" knees and is associated with patella-femoral syndrome. Hope your foot is holding up!
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