Alcatraz
192
Member
920 days
Sling posted 2 years ago.
Uh oh! In answer to my own question, I came across this today: :eek:
04-24) 10:59 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Four exhausted swimmers attempting to make it from Alcatraz to the city waterfront were pulled from San Francisco Bay by the U.S. Coast Guard and the San Francisco Police Department's boat unit about 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Accompanied by two chase boats, the four swimmers were training for a triathlon scheduled for later this year. During the swim, they and the chase boats encountered a strong current, authorities said. The current prevented the chase boats -- a sailboat and a rowboat -- from keeping up with the swimmers.
The swimmers were picked up by the authorities just west of Alcatraz, at a point about a mile from land, Coast Guard Petty Officer Stephen M. Kelley said. He said the police picked up three swimmers and the Coast Guard picked up a fourth, based on an alert issued by someone aboard a passing ferry boat, the Solano.
None of the swimmers required medical treatment.
Speed hurts; how fast do you want to go?
71
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1174 days
jaymac96 posted 2 years ago.
i'm not doing Alcatraz, but a guy i train with is, so i was checking out the site, and this is my favorite line discussing the swim:
"Triathletes face the risks of strong currents, treacherous 55 degree waters and two ton sea lions. Wetsuits and hoods are strongly recommended. "
is a harpoon gun also recommended???
good luck Sling; i'm jealous!
-j
-Jay Mac
www.shorelinesharks.com
1716
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1040 days
tri-ac posted 2 years ago.
[is a sailboat really your best option as a support/safety vehicle? and how is it that the boats couldn't keep up with swimmers? shouldn't they both get caught in a current at very least? maybe they could hire out the sea lions to run security next time...]
good luck sling!
699
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1208 days
Blitz posted 2 years ago.
Sling that is so cool, you will have to give us a full description if you don't get eaten by sharks.
Who needs a man when you have a Kuota Kalibur to wrap your legs around.
3
Member
1060 days
wagsea6b posted 2 years ago.
Congrats on your selection! I did Alcatraz last year and really enjoyed it.
A few tips I learned:
Swim
1) Wear a hood for the swim. You will get an automatic ice cream headache as soon as you jump in (and that is WITH a hood). It will go away after about 5 minutes and reappear periodically just to remind you how cold the water is.
2) Wax ear plugs. I had never used an ear plug in my life but several locals recommended them. I still wasn't sold till a veteran on the ferry again highly recommended them and offered me some extra wax--probably the best piece of advice I got. The water is so cold that the same ice cream headache effect in your ears can be quite uncomfortable if not disorienting.
T-1
1) Use an extra set of running shoes to get from the swim transition to the bike. It is about a .75 mi between the transitions and the sidewalk has glass and pebbles.
Bike
1) Enjoy -- just be ready for hills! There is very little need for aerobars. A better set up would be light wheels and lower (higher?) gearing.
Run
1) Patience grasshopper. A lot of the run is on a single track trail so you can only go as fast as the person in front of you. Enjoy the views as you shuffle along. The sand ladder is not as intimidating as they make it sound. Walk up it--it is the difference in loosing a couple of minutes, or blowing up your legs. Even the pros end up walking.
That's about it. I really enjoyed the race. If you want a souvenier T-shirt make sure you buy one the night before, they sell out quick. My only complaint was that the post race food was gone almost immediately. Maybe I was too slow? But for the exorbitant entry fee they charged I expected more.
p.s. If you aren't a local then make sure you visit the Sports Basement. It is a sporting goods super store with amazing closeout racks on all sorts of multisport, cycling, and outdoor gear.
Good Luck, let us know how it goes.
Wags
192
Member
920 days
Sling posted 2 years ago.
Wonderful Wags! That's great info.
Thanks.
Speed hurts; how fast do you want to go?
Who all here has done Alcatraz? I got lucky and slipped in on the lottery. Any tips, suggestions, warnings?
How was the experience?
Speed hurts; how fast do you want to go?