Alcatraz Challenge 2011 was never going to be easy. It was my first multisport event in two years, and my first competitive run & open water swim since knee surgery. To raise the bar further, it was preceded by a work trip to Orlando; thunderstorms meant I spent six hours in MCO airport (aka The Disney Family House of Horror) waiting for a delayed flight to LAX. When the plane eventually arrived on the west coast, my wings to SFO had already flown without me (and most of my fellow passengers). This left me 24 hours until race start and still 350 miles from the ferry to Alcatraz.
To add firstWorldProblem insult to injury, a Microsoft convention and LA Highway 405's "Carmaggedon" construction meant I struggled to sleep on a chair in terminal 7 until a 7am flight. In the eight hours I spent there, the elevator-style-mood-music paused only for security announcements...
The trip wasn't all bad news. My recently reacquired United Airlines frequent flier "Premier" status granted me roomier seats and priority boarding. (Kudos to United's prompt mileage updates). Flying as a standard passenger would have meant submitting my laptop bag & work equipment to the vagaries of luggage handling; my checked baggage flew separately anyway.
After incessant (but required) Florida air conditioning, and having to yell during a presentation sans microphone, a sore throat worried me, but resolved itself in time for Sunday's race...
Race day:
I completed this event three times before, but this was my first under new Tri-California management. Registering early (still) pays dividends; it grants competitors a seat on a later bus to the ferry i.e. marginally more sleep. Also Tri-Cal kept race day registration; especially welcome in 2011, given my travel issues.
Swim (38:09): I jumped off the boat after about 30 other swimmers. Concerns about fog meant the race directors and their kayakers herded us much closer to shore than normal. Having said that, I screwed up my sighting at the start by aiming slightly behind the lead boat; I ended up on the left border of the field (having started on the right). I also allowed the close shoreline to become a distraction and worried to much about where I would land rather than focusing on pushing my swim pace. Having said that, I exited the water as soon as the beach was accessible, and made up some time on those who decided to stick with the bay.
T1 (1:52): The normally ultra-organized Tri-California neglected to provide a kiddie pool to rinse our sandy feet; I need to add a rinse-water bottle to my equipment checklist. After sunburn the previous weekend, I reapplied sunscreen in the transition area.
Run (50:44): My run split was four minutes slower than in 2009. That might not seem like much to some, but it's about 30 seconds per mile, a significant difference. I felt surprisingly good out of transition but I began to flag while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. After finally getting some Gatorade at the Marin turnaround, I got a nice buzz on the return leg; my face hurt from smiling by the time I was halfway back.
My bib number was 412.
Results (pdf). My finish time was 1:30:45.
Photos. Of me. Swim exit 1, 2, 3.
PS Several friends competed and kicked a$$. Donncha. Jen.
