165 Days, 15 Hours, 49 Minutes

Just updated the countdown on the upper right hand side of the site.

165 Days, 15 Hours, 49 Minutes until the race. Yeahhhhhhh!!!

Have yet to fork over the $400, but most certainly will do it by the Jan 15th cut-off.

Happy New Years to everyone and if you're not doing Alcatraz, it's the perfect time to set another type of physical goal/challenge for the 2009!

Walter and the Singing Santa

I know...this has absolutely nothing to do w/ the race, but tis the Season. It's a clip of my dog Walter and the singing Santa. Congrats to everyone who made the lottery and to those who didn't, there's the 2nd lottery coming up, so best of luck on that one. Happy Holidays!!

2009 Escape from Alcatraz- Random Drawing Winner

I can't believe it. I got the lottery again! Yahooooooo!!! I'm so excited!!!

All the lottery winners are on the site now via this link.

Here's the email I just received:

Congratulations PERRY SJOGREN!

You are one of the exceptional triathletes that has been selected as a Random Drawing Winner for the 2009 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. As a Random Drawing Winner, you receive a slot in the 2009 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon to be held in San Francisco on June 14, 2009.

On June 14, you will get to jump off a perfectly good boat into the frigid water of the San Francisco Bay, swim with 2000 of your best friends from Alcatraz to Little Marina Green. You will climb out of the water and run (with or without shoes) one half mile to the transition area, jump on your bike and ride 18 miles (most people say that it is all up hill) and then run 8 miles under the Golden Gate Bridge, through the sands of Baker Beach, up the infamous sand ladder and back to Marina Green to the finish line. What a great way to spend the day!

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon 2009 Lottery is Open!!

The lottery is now open for the 2009 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. Whoohooo!!!

Click here to sign up!

In addition to the Lottery Registration, this form is also for Open Relay Registration, Elite Registration, and Challenged Athlete Registration. Corporate Challenge Registration will be available January 2009.

Good luck to everyone entering!

Click here to visit the official web site.

I've also started the countdown til race day on the upper right of this site. :)

2009 Escape from Alcatraz Entry Options

Hi All, I pulled this from the official Escape from Alcatraz site. Lottery for '09 is just around the corner. Good luck for those entering the lottery. I'm definitely throwing my name into the hat again.

2009 Escape from Alcatraz Entry Options

1. Qualify through the Escape to Alcatraz Triathlon Series

The Escape to Alcatraz Triathlon Series consists of up to 10 events, geographically unique, across the US and Internationally. All but one of these events are licensed to outside event promoters. Each event is awarded up to 50 race slots. The top 40 men & women across 12 age-groups will qualify for the following Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. The race may use the remaining 10 slots at their discretion.

2009 Escape to Series Events*

London Triathlon: London, England
Triathlon at Pacific Grove: Pacific Grove, CA
Le Triathlon de Gerardmer: Gerardmer, France
Westchester Triathlon: Rye, NY
Escape to Bermuda Triathlon**: Bermuda
Florida’s Great Escape: Clermont, FL
*Subject to change
**The Escape to Bermuda Tri only qualifies the top male & female in each age group.

2. Qualify by winning your age group the previous year

Those who win their age group in the previous year’s Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon will automatically earn a spot in the following year’s race.

3. Earn a spot through the Random Drawing

Hopeful participants may enter the random drawing. This random drawing is held in two parts. Registration for the first drawing for 2009 will open December 1st and the first draw is usually held on or very close to December 15th. Registration will be available here on this website beginning December 1. All those not chosen in the first drawing are automatically entered in the second drawing. New entries are also accepted for those that missed the first round. The second and final drawing is usually held on or very close to February 1st.

Depending on the following criteria, your chances for getting chosen in the drawing are based on the following priorities (in order)

Competed 5 or more times
Competed 3 or more times
Everyone else
In addition, the random drawing ensures that the following criteria are met:

At least one male and one female from all 50 states will be chosen.
At least one male and one female will be chosen from all countries that have applied (where possible).
Once you are chosen, you will receive a registration email with a deadline. If you do not register within the designated time, your entry is no longer valid and you will lose your lottery spot.

4. Enter as an Open Relay Team

Open Relay Teams consist of 2 to 3 participants, each participating in a portion of the race. Relay Entries are awarded on a first come, first serve basis. Open Relay registration will be available in early 2009.

5. Enter as a Corporate Relay Team

Corporate Relay teams consist of 3 participants, each participating in a portion of the race. Corporate Teams are made up of co-workers competing on behalf of their company or organization. Corporate Teams are awarded on a first come, first serve basis, however each company or organization must enter at least two teams to participate. Corporate Relay registration will be open in early 2009.

6. Enter as a Professional or Elite Athlete

All qualified/certified Professional & Elite Triathletes are invited to participate.

7. Earn entry through Corporate Sponsorship of the Event

Most sponsors, partners, and some vendors are awarded a specific amount of entries to distribute as they wish. Number of entries depends upon the sponsorship level and deal points set forth in the contract. For more information about sponsorship, contact us.

8. Charitable Donation

A few charities/non-profits partner with the event. They have the option of purchasing entries to either distribute or auction to raise awareness and/or money. Current charities include:

Challenged Athletes Foundation
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Golden Gate Triathlon Club


All entry slots are non-transferable, cannot be sold, and cannot be deferred to the following year.
There is no waiting list.

Morning Run in Prague

I'm currently on vacation in Europe and I took my video camera w/ me on one of my morning runs in Prague. It will give you a dose of this incredible city! Many more clips but could only upload the smallest clips.

A Few More Race Pics

Aunt Gloria took the great snaps below

Run Splits are Available

If your run splits were missing like mine for the initial reporting, they're now available via link below, along with the other splits, rank overall, rank in age group/sex, etc. I think this reporting is going off the official gun at 8am rather than the true time we jumped into the water, as it's showing a 4 minute lag in my overall time and I jumped in at 8:04.

http://events.bazumedia.com/event/ALC2008

Race Pics

A few initial pics (courtesy of Clif Bar, the Chronicle and my sis).

No Shark Bites

The race was absolutely incredible. I honestly couldn't have asked for things to go any better than they did. I completed the race in 3 hours and 26 minutes and the swim alone in 34 minutes. I was hoping for a 4 hour finish and a 45-50 minute swim, so I'm incredibly pleased with the time. The weather was 'epic', as described by the locals and race committee, with not a cloud in the sky and no wind.

At 8:04 am I took a flying leap out of the boat (with one hand holding my goggles in place) and the fun began. The swim was really technical since you have the visible current pulling the water out of the Bay at that time in the morning, so we had to focus on a landmark that wasn't any where close to the swim finish. And if we did focus on the swim finish, we would most likely end up a couple miles further down the shore (most likely around the Golden Gate Bridge). I stayed w/ Gary Emich's swim advice the day prior (thank you Gary) w/ a focus on Sutro Tower (the city's tallest landmark) at my 1 o'clock the entire time and I ended up right at the finish line. As I was swimming, it seem like there was no way I would end up at the finish but I knew not to even question Gary's advice as he's the gent who's done this swim 520x, the world record holder and has done it all 520x without a wet suit.

The swim was the most enjoyable part of the whole race. Funny how that works when this specific swim was one of my biggest fears in life just three months ago.
The bike and run both went well. I lost 11 of my 22 gears 1/2 way through the bike I don't think it hampered the performance at all. If anything, it made me work harder and maybe shaved off a minute or two of my bike.

I had five incredible cheerleaders along the sidelines that were able to spot me at each transition and cheer, let alone settle my nerves on the two days prior leading up to the race, so a huge thanks to them.

Thanks to everyone for your support, good lucks, training swims, training advice and donations to LAF (we raised $2,800!!...exceeding my goal of $2,500). It all helped me conquer that huge swim fear of mine and as cheesy as it sounds, I now honestly look at the water between Alcatraz and San Francisco as a place with a great memory and I can only hope to win another lottery slot for the race next year.

Defending Champions Andy Potts and Leanda Cave Win Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, June 8, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- More than 2,000 amateur and professional athletes competed in the 28th annual Accenture Escape From Alcatraz(TM) Triathlon Sunday, June 8, with Andy Potts from Colorado Springs, Colo. winning the prestigious event for the second year in a row. Featuring a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, an 18-mile bike and an 8-mile run through San Francisco, this race is considered one of the most difficult triathlons in the world.

First Place:
Andy Potts, Colorado Springs, CO, time: 2:01:57
Leanda Cave, Mill Valley, CA, time: 2:15:37

Second Place:
Graham O'Grady, New Zealand, time: 2:02:32
Becky Lavelle, Los Gatos, CA, time: 2:15:52

Third Place:
Craig Alexander, Australia, time: 2:02:53
Mirinda Carfrae, Boulder, CO, time: 2:16:47

"This is one of my favorite triathlons in the world and I'm thrilled to have been able to come back to San Francisco, defend my title and win for the second year in a row," said Accenture Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Winner Andy Potts. "Because the field of competitors and the terrain of this race are so challenging, winning today is a great confidence builder for the Olympic qualifying race I have coming up in two weeks."

Also defending her title and winning for the second year in a row is Bay Area local Leanda Cave. Athletes from more than 23 different countries and all over the nation fared well with near perfect conditions and sunny skies. A number of physically challenged athletes, including a number of war veterans, also participated and completed the race on behalf of the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

I DID IT!!

I did it!! What an incredible experience. It went better than I ever imagined. The weather couldn't have been better, which made the swim truly enjoyable. During the swim I would take a 30 second break every 10 minutes and doing a full 360 degrees of the surroundings (Alcatraz, Golden Gate, San Francisco) and the view was absolutely surreal. I'll definitely write more later but I'm a bit tuckered as it's almost midnight and I've been up since 3:30am.

Alcatraz Alert System

The race producers have set up a free service that delivers live updates on the athletes' performances during race day. You can track results and see videos of the athletes crossing the finish line. It sounds pretty slick. Click on the link below to check it out.

http://triathlon.accenture.com/SanFrancisco/

The Most Amazing Race Crew!

I'm going to have the most amazing race crew. Thanks Dad, Sis, Uncle Gene, Aunt Gloria and Cousin Kristen for making the trek and most likely dealing w/ a hyped up Perry on Friday and Saturday. :) Safe travels and I'll see in San Francisco.

ACCENTURE ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ TRIATHLON FUN FACTS

I pulled this off of the official site.

1. The waters of the San Francisco Bay are a frigid 55 degrees on average and also a major shark nursery, home to leopard sharks, sevengill cowsharks, brown smoothhound sharks, spiny dogfish sharksand soupfin sharks.

2. Perhaps the most famous “Escape from Alcatraz” was that of Frank Lee Morris, who was the brilliant mastermind of one of the most legendary prison escapes in history. Morris and two others escaped from Alcatraz on June 11, 1962, and they were never to be seen again. The story of Frank Morris and the great escape can be seen in the 1979 film, “Escape from Alcatraz,” which stars Clint Eastwood.

3. According to many sources, the Triathlon is based on a race called "Les trois sports" that took place in France during the 1920-1930s.

4. Alcatraz was once home to more than 1,545 prisoners during its existence as a federal penitentiary from 1934-1963. Famous inmates include Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Henry Young and Robert Stroud “Birdman of Alcatraz.”

5. A number of challenged athletes will be competing in the race, including two “Operation Rebound” soldiers who each lost a limb fighting in the Middle East.

6. This year there are more than 50 teams taking part in the Corporate Challenge Relay, including teams from Smith Barney, Stanford University, Salesforce.com, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Toyota and many more.

7. In 2006, Inside Triathlon Magazine named the Accenture Escape from Alcatraz™ Triathlon the number one triathlon.

8. The fourth mini-event in the triathlon is a one-mile "warm-up" run between the swim and bike leg to reduce the occurrence of hypothermia.

9. This year’s event will feature world famous athletes such as last year’s winner and 2006 International Triathlon Union Team Champion Andy Potts from the U.S.; French triathlete and one of the world’s fastest swimmers Benjamin Sanson; as well as Pip Taylor, a member of the world champion Australian Elite Triathlon Team; 2006 winner Becky Lavelle; and Jenna Shoemaker, an American and 2012 Olympic hopeful.

10. The youngest competitor this year is 10 year old Austin Hindman and the oldest is 75 year old Paul Groffsky.

We Did It!!

We achieved the goal......$2,530 as of Mon, June 2nd!!! Many, many thanks to those of you who contributed and donated to LAF. I'm honestly at loss for words of your generosity and your donations have definitely fueled the fire for me to swim/bike/run harder on Sunday.

Great Aerial Shot

Great aerial of the course. Lower left is the Golden Gate bridge and middle right is Alcatraz. From this angle the swim looks like a mere 300 yards to shore rather than 1.5 miles.

Last Big Training Brick

On Saturday I had my last big training brick. 2 miles in Lake Washington (with my friend Dave and Jeff.....thanks you two for dealing w/ the cold and going along for the ride), 20 mile bike and realizing 2/3 of the way into it my brake pad was rubbing against my front tire. I couldn't figure out why I was more exhausted than normal on the bike. Actually, was great to have 2x the workout as bike is not my strength. And then I did a 2 mile run just to get used to that weird sensation in the legs going from bike to run. My feet were honestly frozen through the swim and bike, but started warming up w/ the run.

The swim felt really good and that's the big of the three that I'm obviously thet most concerned about.

Now it's just tapering down from now until race day. Whoohoooo!!!!

Swim Start

Sorry....going a bit crazy w/ the clips. This shows the chaos at the swim start. Can't believe I'll be doing that in one week.

Billy's Escape from Alcatraz 2006

Ran across this clip. Gives a good feel of pre-race day through post finish.

A bit of an adrenalin pump

2004 Olympics triathlon silver medalist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand lives up to his motto of "He who wants it most wins!" Here, he sprints from behind to clutch victory from the grasp of compatriot Kris Gemmell at the 2005 New Plymouth ITU World Cup triathlon.

Final Race Tip via IMG (co. organizing the race)

Conquering the Sand Ladder by Chris McCormack

The key to the sandladder is to take your time. It comes at the critcal part of the run course and that is the halfway point. Your legs are tired and you are really fatigued by now and then you are presented with the biggest challenge of the course. The best wy to appraoch the ladder is to remind yourself that once you are at the top of the sand ladder, it is downhill all the way home. This gives you a positive mindset before you even start. I always walk up the sand ladder. using my arms i use the sandladder wire rails to help pull me up the ladder but primarily just walk on the wooden beams that are submerged beneath the sand. This will give you extra leverage. As you approach the top of the ladder it is all completely soft sand. Stay close to the sides of the ladder trail, as some grass and compounded soil tends to be around these areas and this will give you slightly beter footing. Overall really just take your time and dont over exert yourself on this climb. It is difficult but do not feel the need to run up the ladder at all. Walking gives you more control and a more even exertion rate that will get you to the top feeling much better. You still have a long way to go and even though this is down hill you want to keep some energy in reserve for the 3 miles home.

Training Winding Down

9 Days Left!! Yesterday I put in a non-stop 1.5 mile and it felt pretty good. I did it in 38 minutes, so if the Bay had the same conditions as the pool, I'd have 22 minutes to spare before the one hour cut off. Unfortunately, I'll have a few more obstacles, but I think the 22 minutes will be plenty of time to get me to shore under the cutoff.

This morning I did my Capital Hill loop (about 6 miles) and the loop is certainly getting easier each time I do it.

And then this eve my master's swim group had us working on core work for freestyle and I fine-tuned mine a bit more which felt great.

Workout for this Saturday is a 2 - 2.5 mile swim in Lake Washington followed by a one hour bike and 8 mile run. Then post Saturday, it's definitely tapering way down til race days.

That's that low-down, latest and greatest.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

I'm absolutely overwhelmed at the donations I’ve received and I want to thank every one of you who has contributed with your incredible generosity. Not to sound sappy, but it seriously chokes me up every time I think about your contributions. Your donations have already created an extra fire in me to push it that much harder on race day, so I (and LAF) thank you for your donations and creating that extra fire.

Fight Against Cancer

In addition to my physical commitment to this race, I've also made a commitment to raise funds in the fight against cancer and in memory of three incredible loved ones I recently lost to this terrible disease. Their names are Brennen Maynard, Ann Quill and Carleton Peterson.

I am raising funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Founded in 1997, the LAF has raised more than $250 million for the fight against cancer. My fundraising effort will go directly towards LAF's Grassroots component which inspires and empowers people affected by cancer, providing them with the practical tools and resources they need to live life on their own terms. The foundation believes that in the battle with cancer, unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything. I'm targeting a goal of $2,500 between now and race day. All donations are tax deductible and go directly to the Foundation and you can donate under your name or anonymously.

As I swim, bike and run in the race, your sponsorship will definitely inspire me to race stronger and faster to the finish line. If you feel like contributing, just click here. http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2008/perrysescape

Thanks much for your support.

- Perry

Race Start Simulation

Memorial Weekend Swim / Run Workout

Yesterday was an awesome training day. 75 degrees and sun in Seattle definitely added to the 'awesome' element. My friend Dave and I swam for about an hour in Lake Washington and for the first time, the water temp didn't even bother me. Dave's a great swimmer and provided me w/ a couple more tips (things that I seem to remember in the pool, but forget in open water), so it was great to have him there for the ride.

Post swim, I did a 10 mile run with quite a few hills and three sets of stairs in Capital Hill. Everything felt great. On Monday, I'm targeting to do a few bike/run bricks w/ 6 mile bike then 1.5 run and repeating that 3 or 4x.

Who are the studs in the pic below? Dave and me post swim in Lake Washington.

Shark and a Kayak

Is this picture for real? Yikes!

Buffalo from Golden Gate Park to Swim from Alcatraz too!

I just read that this Buffalo will be doing the swim portion of the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. Golden Gate Park has a herd of Buffalo and apparently the Buffalo keepers have been bringing Molly down to the aquatic park for the past 6 months for swims and they feel she'll be able to do the swim by June 8th. Should definitely keep the race interesting. Do you think she'll wear goggles?

More Race Support.....Whooohoooo!!!

In addition to my pops, I now have my sister Shauna, Aunt Gloria, Uncle Gene and maybe even my cousin Kristen coming up to eat clam chowder bread bowls and cheer my on. Whooohhooooooo!!! I'm never had an audience like this for an out of town race and am totally excited to have them there. I'm sure their support will give me an extra boost...crank'n the adrelanlin a bit more, which will definitely be welcomed for all three legs of the race.

So mucho thanks you four for coming out for the race. It will be a good time. I'll probably be a bit nervy leading up to the race but it will definitely make it easier having you all there.

Training this Week

Great swim yesterday (24:45 minute mile) and great run on Tues (5 miles @ 7:14 min/mile average) and will be hitting the bike post work today with a buddy.

I also did my master's swim on Monday night and had the coach watch me and he provided me with a couple more tips (1) breathing and 2)hand position post entering the water) which did make a difference, so that was great.

Now this weekend, I need to try to get a first time 1.5 mile swim in the lake followed by the full bike or full run.

My buddy Dave also invited me to a 2.5 mile swim on Sat, May 31st around Seward Park. I think that might be the perfect long swim before the race.

50 Minutes in the Lake

Whoohooooo . . . . . still can't believe it, but I was able to swim in the lake for 50 minutes this morning and after about 15 minutes of getting used to the cold and fungus amungus floating about, I was actually able to enjoy it. I kept waiting for my body to go in shock w/ the cold, but this is the first time it didn't do it. And to make it even better, as I was getting out of the water I was chatt'n w/ a diver going into the water and I asked him if he knew the temp and he said he checked less than a week ago and it was 49 degrees. That's at leat five degrees cooler than Alcatraz, so hearing that was a huge boost for me. No wonder why I froze my cahones off last week when I did a plunge w/o my wet suit.

Post swim I did a nice 6 mile loop from Madison Beach to Capital Hill and there is a huge hill I was constantly climbing for the first three miles.

So, in a nutshell, great training day and feeling like I truly might be able to do this Alcatraz swim. Whoohooooo!!!

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon

Just found another youtube clip on the race. A great overview from start to finish, especially with the swim. Check it on out.

Aerial of the Race

The link below give's a graet aerial of the race. It's defaulted to the swim aerial and they sketch a swim route in, so you can get a feel of a route a swimmer might take (all dependent on the current and speed of the swimmer).

Click Here for Aerial Link

First Non-Stop Mile and a Half

Yesterday was my first mile and a half swim non-stop. I did it at the pool before work and it went pretty well. I did it in about 43 minutes. We have to complete the swim in one hour, so I'll be pushing it as the Bay elements will definitely add more minutes to that 43. If I can get down to 40 minutes before race day, I'll be pretty happy with that.

I honestly think my new suggested 'Alcatraz' swim goggles drag me down a bit because they're so huge. The brand is Aqua Seal and they have the 180 degree view and since they take up a larger portion on the face, it will keep a bit more of my face warmer.

I ran last eve and that went pretty well. Got the heart beat up to 134 beats per minute towards the end.

I'm working on a prosthetic shark fin to attach to the back of my swim cap. I'm sure all the other swimmers would get quite a chuckle out of that. Hahaha . . . . kidding . . . now that would be a terrible joke.

Ice Cream Headache

Well...this weekend I finally took the plunge into Lake Washington. It is supposed to be around 54-55 degrees right now, so it's right in synch w/ San Fran Bay. I went down the lake on Saturday and was not too excited about jumping in. I put my foot in the water and decided I'd procrastinate one more day and do it on Sunday.

Sunday rolls around and I had a great bike ride along the lake. I made it a point to climb any street that had a nice incline and hit one that was a bit too steep, so I had to do a quick jump off the bike mid way up the climb before I lost all fuel.

So post bike, it was time for the lake plunge. I was motivated and had a totally different attitude than the day prior. The guy fishing off the dock thought I was nuts. I tried to persuade him to join me but he just laughed. I'd say my swim lasted about two minutes. It honestly felt about 10 degrees colder than the Bay during my swim clinic, but I have a feeling it was right in sync. And I got a nice sharp ice cream headache too… so...this means...I better start doing these lake swims/plunges a couple times a week to acclimate or else I might be in for a rude awakening on June 8th.

Three more weeks to train and then the big day is here! Whoohooo!!

Course Summary via a Yelpster

Yelp.com had a member who wrote a pretty cool summary about the race course. Check it on out!
_________________________

The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is one of the most famous and anticipated triathlons in the world, with major-market media and TV coverage across the country. Its popularity in the triathlon community (it was picked as the #1 race in the world in a recent Inside Tri magazine poll) has made it one of the most difficult races to get entry into. At this point, you basically have to enter the lottery or do well in one of the several qualifying races to get a slot to race. There aren't many other options.

There is no other race in the world like this one - no other race where everyone boards a giant yacht/small cruise ship and heads out to a famous landmark in the middle of a large body of water (we're talking about Alcatraz Island here, the Rock), sends everybody (1500 or so) off the boat in less than two minutes for a 1.5 mile swim in the Bay ending at the St Francis Yacht club at Mariana Green (note - the Bay is usually 54-57 degrees, it can be quite rough, and the currents are usually strong - if you don't have open-water experience, I suggest you sign up for a practice swim from Alcatraz led by expert swimmers, especially if you live somewhere near the Bay Area - I've led several swims before and trust me, it will make all the difference come race day. Also, get a good wetsuit and neoprene swim cap, and swim in Aquatic Park if you get a chance). The views are spectacular from the boat, and swimming toward the city from the island is an amazing thing.

From there, it just gets better. You have 3/4 mile "warm-up" run to get to the transition area in the grassy field of Mariana Green. The bike course - 18 miles long - is one of the tougher but more scenic bike course in any triathlon you'll ever do. You head out on Marina Drive, then climb up through the Presidio on Lincoln Blvd, drop down into Sea Cliff (say hello to Robin Williams, who will be watching from just outside his house right by the course if he's not competing in the race himself or off on a movie shoot), back up to the Legion of Honor, down to Ocean Beach on The Great Highway (rough road here), then you'll do a loop in Golden Gate Park before returning the way you came. Four reasonably challenging climbs (four fun downhills!) plus some other shorter ones and terrific scenery. Keep in mind, if you're an average swimmer, there will be quite a lot of bike traffic out there. For some people, that can be a real turn-off.

The run heads toward the Golden Gate Bridge on the Crissy Field path, then takes the stairs and the hilly coastal trail, under the GG, and down to Baker Beach before turning around and heading back the way you came, with the exception that you will be going up the infamous Sand Ladder (think a very steep 200 ft vertical climb straight up a sand dune) to get back to the coastal trail. It's fairly narrow and two way traffic on the coastal trail section, so be sure to exercise caution and stay on your left. Watch out for the pro triathletes charging back as you're heading out, enjoy the spectacular cliff-side scenery.
Once you're back down to Crissy Field, you just have a two miles of flats on the trail to the finish line and eternal glory!

The volunteers, officials, and organization at this race are world-class.

If you are a triathlete, or an aspiring triathlete, try to do this race at least once. It's the best triathlon in the world, and it's right in San Francisco.

One Month from Today!

Oh my word....we're down to a month now. Via this blog's countdown it's saying 30 Days, 17 Hours, 45 Minutes.

Can't believe I'll be jumping off of that boat into the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay in one month. The adrenaline is already starting to pump.

Sorry for the neglect on the blog. An out of town conference since Sunday will do that. I'll be better with the next 30 days.

Teeth Whitening and Alcatraz Training Go Hand In Hand

Alright....this is a total cheese ball posting but I think it's true.

In mid February I started the first of a few random compliments from friends on how my teeth seem so much whiter. They were asking what program I used to get them so white. I kind of scratched my head as I haven't been doing any kind of teeth whitening. I kind of brushed it off..then next thing I knew, someone else was complimenting.

So what does this have to do w/ Alcatraz Training. Well . . . I read an article last week that if you keep your teeth open when you're swimming in the pool that your teeth can actually get whiter depending on the chlorine level and length of exposure during each swim. The lights went off when I heard that because I'm an odd duck in that I typically swim with my mouth open. Probably terrible for you to have that chlorine in your mouth (aside from the teeth whitening perk). Not sure why in the world I do it....I don't even realize it until post swim and my mouth is feeling kind of 'chemical'. If I were to come up with two reasons, I would say I do it because it's kind of like sticking your head out of a car window and feeling the breeze and it also helps create more resistence (kind of like wearing a bathing suit rather than a speedo).

So next time you're swimming laps....40 minutes + mouth open = white teeth! :)

I know....I'm a cheese ball.

Another Great Swim

Training is coming along. Nothing new and exciting to report EXCEPT that I had my best 1,000 meter swim on Tuesday, beating my old time by 1 min, 40 seconds (from the previous week). On Tuesday I did it 14 min, 50 seconds. It just all kind of clicked as far as strength in the pull and I didn't get tired w/ keeping up the momentum so each lap was consistent at 45 seconds. Now I need to focus on distance and start doing the 1.5 non-stop.

Last night I did an hour spin then a 5 mile run. That kicked me a little harder than I excpected.

I supposed I should also start sleeping with the window to get used to the cold. That was a suggestion from Gary Emich (the Alcatraz swim super star) in order for us to prep for the frigid waters. What is a possum jumps through my window in the middle of the night? :)

Great Swims and Run this Week

Training is going well. I had two great 1.5 mile swims this week in the pool. Focusing on the form and what an incredible difference it makes. It's almost second nature now to rotate sides with breathing too.

I ran a 5 miles today on the treadmill in 35 minutes, which I was very satisfied with since I haven't been focusing on speed. I guess shedding 10 pounds can make a huge difference with the pace.

Bike is back from it's tune-up, so I'll be hitting that this weekend.

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon send out a pretty informative email on training. I'll post that here too.

There are also a couple slots for the race available on ebay. I think auction is up early May. Sooooooo.....if anyone has an itch to do the race this year, you now have an opportunity.

Cheers, P

45 Days!

Man, seemed like it was 100 days out just a few days ago. Now it's only 45....the countdown is on. Bringing the bike in for a tune-up today and hoping to have a great workout weekend (aside from a little paintball action on Saturday).

Yesterday's Training

I haven't provided a summary of a day's training in a while, so here's a quick snap on yesterday.

I had a great weight workout in the a.m. People tell me I really don't need to be lifting weights right now, but that's something I'm a bit stubborn with and manage to keep going. Strength wise, I think it has really helped out my swim out quite a bit.

I then swam at lunch and did about 2,000 yards (about a mile and a quarter) and everything felt great. Everyone must be learning to swim right now, because I had another flounder in my lane and had to dodge him most of the swim. I've been learning to breathe on both sides (every third stroke) and this was the first swim where it kind of clicked in and I didn't have to constantly focus on when to breathe. Before I was breathing every fourth stroke and for longer swims like Alcatraz, it's suggested to breathe every two to three strokes for more oxygen supply. Being able to breathe on my right will also help me out if there happens to be quite a few waves on race day and the suggested side is the right. At the training clinic, we had to breathe on the left due to waves and thank goodness that was my breathing side, either wise it would have been an extra stress having to do it on the right. Now I'm all balanced. :)

Post work Walter and I headed down to the lake for an easy 5 miles. That too felt great. The knee tendonitis and planters fasciitis are doing much, much better. I think taking most of last week off provided the body with some healing action. I also think this magic acai juice might be helping things out too. I'm still amazed at my constant energy level after I take 2 oz of the juice. Also want to report that Walter's picking up his pace too and has shed a few of those winter pounds, so he's a happy pooch.

Sand Stairs.....

.....it's definitely not going to be a flat run. I believe there are around 400 stairs. We did the stairs at the training clinic, but I lost track counting after 200.

Running Vegas Style

I was in Las Vegas over the weekend for a friend's wedding and was determined to keep up the training (since I kind of took all of last week off post the training clinic). Rather than swim in the pool and having to dodge hotel guests floating around with cocktails in hand, I decided to hit the Vegas Strip both mornings for a nice run.

At first I was hesitant to run the Strip, but it turned out to be the perfect choice for a running path, with non-stop entertainment for the whole hour. As you can just imagine . . . . I came across people who had been up all night and were staggering back to their hotels or maybe they were just heading to their next adventure. And then there were people who looked like they had a really late night but were determined to start the day early and all I got from them were scowls. And I even ran by an Elvis impersonator....where in the world would an Evlis impersonator be boing at 8am on a Sunday . . . . maybe church.

I had always wanted to check out the Bellagio and Venetian hotels, so I did a quick jog into both of those to get a feel of the place.

So I must say, out of all of my training runs to date, these two over the weekend top the chart for most entertainment. I highly recommend a morning run on the Strip next time you're in Vegas.

3 More Crew Members!!

Whooohoooooo......I have 3 more crew members for the race! I'm on a little Vegas Vacae right now and this is too hard to type from the phone so I'll introduce the crew members when I get back and maybe even place their mugs if they'll let me. :)

Alcatraz Triathlon Training Coaches

Here are a few more specifics on the gents that helped me out by leaps and bounds last weekend at the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon one day clinic. They're passionate about the sport and have incredible knowledge and experience on the stuff.

Reid Swanson

Director of Clinics at Tri California. Reid is a Certified Level 1 USA Triathlon coach. He has been racing triathlons for 20 years and has been coaching for 5 years. He has competed in every distance of triathlon from sprint to Ironman to multi-day adventure races. Reid has completed every Tri Cal event multiple times and can lend this experience and course knowledge to camp participants.

Web Site: http://www.tricalifornia.com/

Email: reid@tricalifornia.com

Gary Emich
Gary is an “Escape from Alcatraz” swim world record holder – over 510 crossings without wetsuit or fins – the author of “A Swim Criminal Looks at 100: A Swimmer’s Guide to a Successful Escape”- and the co-producer & co-host of the new open water swimming DVD “Lane Lines to Shore Lines: Your Complete Guide to Open Water Swimming.” Gary is a Certified Level 1 USA Triathlon Coach specializing in open water swimming. He also is the official test swimmer who the day before the Escape navigates the tricky and ever-changing currents to pick the best race-day course. Gary brings a wealth of experience to our clinics and will share his knowledge about physically acclimating, internally acclimating, mentally acclimating, sighting, open water swim techniques and currents.

Gary's DVD is available for purchase on his Web site, along with plenty of other information on swimming and the Alcatraz crossing.

Web Site: http://www.lanelinestoshorelines.com/

Email: sfbayswimmer@sbcglobal.net

And a Few More Snaps

Snaps from Swim at Training Clinic

My good buddy Steve Noble took some awesome snaps of the swim. Noble, thanks for hanging out for two hours in the blistery wind and taking such great snaps. Clicking on image will show you a larger version.

Awesome Training Camp

I got back this morning from San Francisco. The training camp was awesome. Reid Swanson, Gary Emich, Andy Mcwhorter and Eric from Tri-California Events did an amazing job. I'm so much more confident now by having had a successful swim in the Bay, as well as doing the actual bike and run courses. If anyone's still looking for a training camp, check their site out. Click on the 'training clinic' link on the top nav http://www.tricalifornia.com/

I'll provide more details later and even have some snaps of the swim that my friend Steve took while watching from the shore.

Aside from the incredible coaching, I also learned that:
- San Francisco Bay has five species of sharks but they're bottom feeders and they only like seals and sea lions. (Guess I'll be painting my wetsuit neon green.)
- Next to Hawaii's Ironman, this triathlon is the second hardest triathlon in the world to get into (via lottery).
- Gary Emich (the swim coach at the clinic) is the world record holder for most swims from Alcatraz to SFO w/o a wet suit and fins......currently at 510 swims. In '07 there was some type of Alactraz anniversary and he wanted to be at 500 swims on that date, so over the course of 9 months, he swam it 100x. He also said there are a couple of seals he's gotten to know pretty well in that they will come right up to him, bring their face right up to his, swim alongside him for a bit, nudging him periodically in a playful way.
- John Paul Scot is the one confirmed prisoner to reach the San-Francisco shore. He, however, collapsed due to exhaustion and hypothermia, upon reaching the shore, making his attempt unsuccessful.
- Alcatraz's biggest mystery surrounds its most infamous escapees: Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin who have not been seen or heard from since their June 1962 prison break. Their complex plan to get off the island involved plaster dummies, fake vent coverings, a motorized drill and a raft crafted from pilfered raincoats.

More to come

Training Camp this Weekend

I head down to San Francisco this weekend for the training camp. We'll spend the day swimming in the Bay (just not from Alcatraz) and run and ride the official course. This will be my first plunge into the water so a bit nervous about that, as I know it's going to be cold and open water........alright, now I'm really nervous when I think of it.

Here's the Tri California Web site if anyone is interested in checking out some of the other camps.
http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/clinics_alcatraz_1day.htm

April Fools

Sorry.....yesterday's post was just keeping up w/ the April Fool's tradition. No Strait of Gibraltar swim for this guy. I think Alcatraz is plenty for now.

Now Going to Swim the Strait of Gibraltar

Huge change in my race plans. I was starting to feel that the Alcatraz swim might not be challenging enough, so I'm going to scrap this race and will now be doing the Strait of Gibraltar swim. For those of you who aren't familiar, the Strait of Gibraltar is the strait that connects the Altantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain from Morocco. The strait's narrowest point is 8 miles, but due to the currents I'll actually be swimming 12 miles.

It's definitely a change in plans, but I felt like I needed more miles to swim, plus the water's are a bit more lively south of Spain w/ passing tankers, whales, dolphins and of course lots of sharks, so that will just add to the excitement. Stay tuned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Gibraltar

Sea Lions, Tigers and Bears.....Oh My

I forgot to mention that over the weekend I had my first 'creature encounter during my swim' dream . . . . . and it wasn't too bad of an experience. It was a sea lion (about 6x bigger than the one in this picture) and it went underneath the swimmer in from of me and threw them up in the air about 20 feet . . . . . then I woke up. :) So no sharks, no jaws movie soundtrack . . . . . just a friendly, large sea lion. :)

Dad Came to Town

This past week has been a whirl and my bad for not providing any new entries. Pops has been visiting for a few days, so we've been going non-stop since his arrival. I've still managed to get my workouts in and everything is feeling great. I ran 8 miles this a.m. The knee's a tad sore post runs but not any worse w/ the gradual increase in mileage. Increasing the mileage has always made it worse, so no complaints from this guy.

I swam on Thursday and Saturday and broke my 500 yard record, which felt great. I also had a great spin class on Saturday. My training camp in San Francisco is the following weekend and we'll be riding the entire bike course at the camp, so this weekend I must get on the bike.

It also seems like my energy level is much higher than normal since I started taking the magic acai juice.

That's the excitement for now.

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

I hope you're wearing your green. Yesterday I ran the annual St. Patty's race in Seattle and below are a few snaps from it. Lots of fun.....over 17K people, and the sun even peaked out for the race.

Belly Dancing Spin Class

Over the weekend I was chatt'n w/ my buddy Jame's about my training and he asked how the bike part was going and if I had taken my bike out yet for a ride. Well.....the answer is no and I keep thinking I have plenty of time but in less than three weeks I'll be riding the bike course at the training camp so I best be getting my butt in gear. Biking in the cold and rain isn't my favorite thing to do but it's time to buckle up. So with that said, I avoided the bike (outside) this weekend and decided to do two spinning classes back to back.

In the first class, it was about 10 minutes into the class and no instructor. The guy next to me says 'Carol (the spin instructor) is a friend of mine and she's at Whistler right now and she couldn't fine a substitute teacher'. Great....I finally get motivated to work on the bike portion and no instructor. The dude on the other side of me said 'I have my wife's belly dancing cd in the car that we could spin to'. The gal next to him says 'hell no' and I say "it's definitely better than no music at all', so he runs out, comes back w/ the cd and the next hour we were spinning to ching, ching, ching...belly dancing ching. About mid way through a gal hops off her bike and starts doing a ching, ching, ching next to her bike for a couple of minutes and says she knows how to belly dance. It definitely wasn't your typical spin class.

I then stayed on the bike through the next class (where the instructor did show up), so it was a great workout for me, even though I wasn't on the actual bike outside. Maybe next weekend. :)

This will get your heart pumping.....

2004 Olympics triathlon silver medalist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand lives up to his motto of "He who wants it most wins!" Here, he sprints from behind to clutch victory from the grasp of compatriot Kris Gemmell at the 2005 New Plymouth ITU World Cup triathlon.

Best Commercial Ever if You're a Triathlete

He also needed to have had someone kicking him in the face, pulling at his feet and another clawing at his face while pulling off his goggles to get the 100% experience of the Human Washing Machine triathlon swim start.

No Sherpa Swim

Well....I decided to not do the four swimmers and a sherpa swim. I think that type of swim would have been more stressful than the actual swim on race day. I would have been under pressure keep up w/ those three (and pulling up their info on some races I could tell they're much faster than me) since that's part of the deal w/ this swim in that all four swimmers have to swim together. For some reason, lots of other swimmers in the water is a bit more comforting that just four. If I could find some type of larger group doing that swim prior, I might be down for that. Or to keep things exciting, probably best if I just wait til race day.

Training:
I had a great run on Saturday. I'm guessing I did about 8.5 miles. Post run wasn't the best. Up until Monday morning, I could feel my heartbeat in my knee (due to the pain) so I'll be going to the doc tomorrow to have it checked out. Arrggghhhh. Two years ago, I had to cut back on the running due to the same type of pain. I'm being optimistic though.

I also did Bikram last night (bbhhuurrfff.....yes, someone did it again) and it kicked my butt but it was exactly what the body needed. Somebody threw up in the class, so kept things exciting.

Four Swimmers and a Sherpa

Alright……guess this is what I get for being a bit to pro-active on the training experiences for the race. I joined Yahoo’s San Francisco tri group, thinking I’d meet other’s doing the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon race. Well I most certainly did meet some others and now three of them are inviting me to do the actual swim with them from Alcatraz to San Francisco on Sunday, May 11th. Yikes oh mighty…….now that freaks me out even more.

We would purchase a ‘U.S. Coast Guard Marine Event Permit” that allows us to cross that channel during the designated time and then hire a kayak sherpa to follow us. I honestly can’t imagine that one……but it would be the perfect solution to calm my nerves a bit between May 11th and June 8th, as I would then have already experienced the true swim. Just trying to think swimming w/ 2,000 people on race day (seems a bit chaotic) or 4 people….which one is less scary. They both seem pretty darn scary to me.

A shot them a note this morning w/ a few more questions:
1) Is the sherpa a lifeguard?
2) Does the sherpa have arm floaties for us (if needed)?
3) Is the kayak a two seater, so I can hop in if freak out?
4) Will the cruise ships and barges be able to see us coming across?

Lets see what they say…...

Found this clip...give's a good feel of what it's like to jump off the boat into the water at Alcatraz.


Latest Training: Swam last night w/ my swim group for an hour and 15 minutes....lost track of the laps but guessing it was around 2,500 yards. Felt great. If knee feels better today, hoping to do a 9-10 mile run today or tomorrow.

The Joys of Sweaty, Smelly Yoga

If the heat doesn't kill you, then the postures surely will and if neither of those do it, then the sweaty, smelly person next to you certainly will certainly do it. Kidding!.....in all seriousness, I absolutely love Bikram yoga. As part of my training, I added this to the mix in early February making a vow to do it once a week and have stuck with it so far. With the combination of 106 degrees and intense stretches for 90 minutes, I'm typically not the happiest while I'm doing it but I swear it's equivelant to a post marathon high for the next 24 hours afterwards. There are occasions where I'll feel terrible afterwards, but I've been told that's toxin build-ups leaving the body. It also supresses my appetite a bit, which isn't a bad thing....love handles be gone!

Prior to me doing yoga, I always had visions of a really quiet room, deep in a stretch, meditating and then all of a sudden a person rips one. I guess that vision comes from a couple comedies that I've seen. Well....believe it or not.....in all but one of my classes so far, it's happened!!! I can't help but laugh (trying really hard to keep it to myself) while everyone else is serious joe and acts as if they didn't hear a thing. How can you not laugh? bhhurrrpppppppppp

Anyhow, I wanted to share my great experience so far with smelly, sweaty yoga. So for the Seattleites reading this, who are a bit curious, the Sweat Box is where I go and the place is great. The instructor’s are excellent and do not embarrass you if you’re terrible at it and are still learning the positions. They have two locations (Capital Hill and Shoreline) and have a super intro special of unlimited visits for your first week at $20.

I couldn't resist...had to search the tube.....this is hilarious.


Oh yeah....my training: I did a mile swim yesterday and a bit of weights. Knee is still hurting but I'm thinking positive.

A Few More Swim Camps

I'm here in bed at 6am and trying to get the energy to make it to the pool for at least a 45 minute swim. It's just too freak'n comfy to think about stepping outside of this little slice of heaven. Alright....a few blurbs about the swim camps and I'm on my way.

Adam from the San Francisco Triathlon Club emailed me a couple more camps ideal for the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and even more ideal if you live in in San Francisco. Check it on out if you're interested.

Leslie Thomas of http://www.swim-art.com/ offers a weekly Monday night open water group swim with experienced leaders at Aquatic Park. These are a great way to get use to swimming in the bay water if you're completely new to it. She also often offers longer piloted swims from point-to-point in the bay and may well offer a pre-triathlon Alcatraz swim. Her Monday night group starts on March 17th and they have a kick-off party to which all SF Tri Club members are invited on March 12th at Sports Basement Presidio.

Another local coach is Coach Pedro and he's one of the most experienced Alcatraz swimmers ever. He offers clinics and regular Alcatraz swims throughout the year. You can find more info on his programs at http://www.waterworldswim.com/workouts/default.asp Click on the "alcatraz" link to see details on his upcoming clinics.

Finally, this year SF Tri club will offer a few piloted swims from point to point in the bay. The first one is on June 1. You can find details here: http://www.sftriclub.org/cgi-bin/event.cgi?e=3241

Yeahhh....I Have Race Support!

My dad called over the weekend and said he'll be able to take a break from farming and fly out from Minnesota to watch the race. That's great news.....thanks Ed!

I kind of have a feeling that he's thinking he'll be perched at Fisherman's Wharf with one of those yummy clam chowder bread bowls in one hand and a Starbuck's honey latte in the other, watching the race go by and then doing touristy things during the interim.

Now I'm thinking...man.....maybe I can leverage him a bit and have him:
1) get up with me at 4am for moral support
2) assist at the start before the boat departs (not sure what he can assist w/...guess more moral support)
3) assist at the shore once I make it in from the swim (to give me a GU)
4) assist at all of the transitions to give me a quick shoulder massage
5) and then at the finish line w/ my bike case.

Just kidding dad, I'll make sure I don't work you too hard.

Monday's Training:
I went to the gym at lunch and worked on chest and triceps and then in the evening I went to what I call 'sweaty, smelly yoga'. There were way too many people in the 7 o'clock class, so after 106 degrees for an hour and a half and being packed like sardines, the room was quite fragrant afterwards. I'll be writing more about this yoga class in the next few weeks to share some of my 'class experiences' since I started doing this in early February.

Picture is of pops and my niece Annie having fun at Christmas.