Escape from Alcatraz triathlon 2009: ten tips

June 6, 2:47 PMSF Diet and Exercise ExaminerDiane Taylor

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Escape from Alcatraz triathlon logo

The 2009 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon will take place on Sunday, June 14. Three-time Escape veteran, Ben Klau, offers theses tips to manage the details and make for a smoother race.

Ben Klau's Ten Alcatraz Tips

1. When setting up your transition area, make a note of which country's flag is at each end of your row. This will make it easier to locate when coming in from the swim or bike segments.
2. Wait until the boat leaves the dock before putting on your wetsuit. This will help avoid over-heating and make hitting the restroom easier.
3. Use one hand to secure your goggles onto your face when jumping off the boat; it's a long swim without them.
4. When jumping off the boat, kick one foot out in front of the other before hitting the water. This will keep you from going down too deep (and risk someone jumping on your head).
5. Unless you are an elite swimmer, do not swim directly towards the swim finish point. the current in the bay will carry you beyond the landing beach. Instead, sight off of the twin apartment towers behind Aquatic Park, the Ft. Mason Piers, and the dome of the Palace of Fine Arts.
6. Decorate your post swim (T.5) bag with brightly colored stickers and ribbons. As they say at the airport baggage claim, many bags look alike, and when you come out of the water, this will make your bag easier to spot.
7. If you have aero/tri bars on your bike, use them liberally on the flats, but be careful on the downhills - the road surface on many of the descents is poor, with pot holes aplenty.
8. On the single track portions of the run course, stay to the right and yield to the returning runners (or risk a sharp elbow to the gut).
9. Remember to thank the volunteers out on the course. The T-shirt they get is nice but a show of appreciation is better.
10. When crossing the finish line, wait a moment to stop your watch otherwise all your race finish photos will be of you staring down at your wrist.