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