I'm an Alcatraz Challenge fan. No bike, hotel or camping needed. Same day packet pickup for everyone. Run across the east side of the Golden Gate Bridge. If the Bay water was guaranteed to be clean and warm, it would be perfect!
This was my third consecutive year to participate. I hoped for a luckier day than previous outings. Swim conditions in 2007 were the toughest I've experienced. My timing chip failed in 2008. The 2009 event was advertised as sold-out but as in the previous year, it clashed with another local race; this time it was Tri-California's renamed, rebranded, rescheduled San Francisco Triathlon.
I hadn't run since Escape From Alcatraz on June 14th. I traveled to Italy for a wedding from June 16th to 22nd. On July 1st I cut both feet while swim training at YMCA Embarcadero wearing "zoomers" that were a little too big. A bachelor party in San Diego kept me busy July 3rd to 5th.
During the same YMCA swim session on July 1st, I had to exit the pool early due to persistent coughing and breathing difficulties. I tried USF Koret three times in the week prior to 'Challenge and I think I'm a convert.
The day before the race, I realized my old watch had finally given up the ghost after leaking at Lake San Antonio in March. Lombardi Sports supplied a Timex T5E901 replacement.
In an unexpected coincidence, my parents were in town and made the early morning trip to Crissy Field to lend their support.
Swim (40:59.7): Faster swimmers were advised to jump out the left door of the boat and swim/sight right while slower swimmers were advised to do the opposite...This meant a little traffic navigation was necessary after the start but I got off the boat early so wasn't delayed. The organizers' post-race review read "water conditions were a little rougher than normal, the clouds a little grayer and the currents a little slower". Sighting was a little difficult but the surf was a more of a problem than the fog. Driven by the wind, the waves consistently pushed me farther left than I intended.
T1 (1:23.2): After a brief assessment of the weather, I left my sunglasses behind and didn't bother to reapply sunscreen.
Run (46:44.4): Several runners passed me during the climb to the Golden Gate. The southwest wind helped me across the bridge but it was strong enough that I removed my hat for the return journey for fear of losing it. In spite of the foggy, cold, windy weather, there were a number of tourists out. As ever, many seemed oblivious to the race but I didn't see or experience any collisions. Back on Crissy Field, I spotted a familiar figure (another regular participant) and closed the gap but couldn't catch him before the finish. Some head-music favorites kept my pace up - it must have shown on my face as several people remarked on my big grin as took it home.
My bib number was 245.
Results. (Archive pdf). My finish time was 1:29:07.3. (Some versions of the results mistakenly report me as winning the Male 30-34 age group. I was third. There were extra, separate awards for the overall winners and two were in my division so the results got a little messy).
Photos. Swim. Run 1, 2.
PS Staffan Westerberg, one of the guys who beat me, won his age group on Treasure Island the previous day.
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