Escape From Alcatraz Swim Advice

The Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon is an unforgettable race and totally unique within the sport of triathlon. With a tough swim, bike, and run course you have a difficult quasi-Olympic distance race that's an adventure to complete and a challenge to excel at. I've had the good fortune to race the Escape in its entirety once and complete the bike leg as part of a relay twice, so I thought I might offer up some advice to those interested in or about to attempt an Escape From Alcatraz.

Dawn breaks over Alcatraz

Pre-Swim
Don't do this race if you're not a morning person. Racers are well served to arrive at the transition area early to get final preparations in order and catch a bus to the pier to load up on the ferry that takes you to the island. You can leave your personal effects in a bag on the boat, with bags being returned to the finish area, so  feel free to bring any extra effects (Body Glide, extra goggles, anti-fog, even a cell-phone to coordinate with family members) but of course its inadvisable to bring anything you'd be heartbroken over losing.

You're coordinated by age group within different zones established in the boat, and mine happened to be alongside the Pros (Pros dive off first, age groupers follow about a minute later). It gets quite warm and after reaching the island, circling it for a tour and then positioning the boat alongside I found myself anticipating a dip into the cold water.

The Pros leap into the bay

The Swim: the cold, current, chop, and sharks 
The cold water, heavy chop, and strong current make a lot of racers anxious, but in my opinion these fears aren't totally founded. I do need to qualify that, though. I live and swim in the Puget Sound of western Washington State, so after regularly training in the Narrows I found the swim from Alcatraz to be relatively tame (the first words that entered my mind when I dove in were "ooh, that feels nice"). That probably doesn't assist you if you don't have rough, cold open water available to you for training, though.

Generally, I've observed that people who are confident enjoy the swim, and those who approach it with trepidation tend to struggle. I wore a sleeveless wet suit and was fine, but others who have trouble in cold water may want to go for a neoprene cap or even booties in addition to a full suit.

The year I swam a heavy fog rolled in while we were swimming and in just 20 minutes it enshrouded the skyline. I, and everyone else, was fine but be prepared for adverse events like this. 

Another issue is the current. The current, in general, pulls you parallel to the shore, so in order to not over or undershoot the swim exit you need to swim angled slightly against it. Or so I thought. The Pros took a very aggressive line straight towards the swim exit, whereas my impression was that we should compensate and aim upstream of the swim exit, letting the current nudge us towards the right spot. Every other age-grouper and their brother, however, blindly took off on the same line the Pro wave took. They turned out, in either their pure ignorance or brilliance, to have the right idea and I ended up actually having to swim along the shore for a bit. In general, if you're worried about sighting, stay in the middle of the group (it's a pretty wide expanse of swimmers) and you'll be fine. The race has excellent advisors that tell you how the currents will be and what you should sight off of. There's also a small army of kayakers ready to assist you and keep you tracking towards shore.

Some individuals take the time to float and take in the scenery, even bringing a waterproof camera to take a seals-eye view of the San Fran skyline. My father took this route, I chose to swim straight through. I have no regrets and enjoyed the view from the boat and my father greatly values the shots he took and didn't mind sacrificing the 30 seconds. To each his/her own.


After the race, when asked how the swim was, I described it as being akin to "doing push ups in a bath tub filled with cold water and each time you come up someone hits you in the face with a wet pillow." What I was describing was the chop. It varies each year but you can expect it to be rough, so modify your breathing pattern and stroke accordingly. You'll be swimming along like normal and all of a sudden when you turn to breathe there will just be water (a little swell just temporarily washed over you). No bother- hold your breath and catch the next opportunity, or breath to the other side on the next stroke. Adapt to the conditions and embrace the adventure of it.



That being said, I have only one fear in the entire world. I can take whatever heights, snakes, spiders, clowns or anything else you can think of to throw at me, but I do not do great white sharks. I enjoy researching them, greatly support their conservation and don't buy into the pathetic myth that they're mindless killing machines, but that doesn't change the fact that they're terrifying. That being said you shouldn't be afraid. Yes, outside the Golden Gate is the red triangle and, especially at certain times of the year, a relatively high concentration of great white sharks. But they rarely venture into the bay and even if they did and upon investigation should take the unlikely course of action as to attack someone, they have their pick of 2,000+ swimmers and kayakers around you. Just do your best to look like less of a seal than the guy or gal next to you and you should be fine. If anything, since they'll more than likely take someone else, and hopefully someone in your age group, think of the sharks as a friend.

So there we have it. A pretty basic reflection on my swim at Alcatraz, and nothing I mentioned should be surprising or too intimidating. Yes there's cold water, but you were warm on the boat anyway. Yes there's chop, but you didn't sign up for this event cause you thought'd be easy. Sure there's a current, but it's pushing you towards the swim exit, and hey, there might be a shark down there but he's searching for the guy one step higher on the AG podium. Enjoy the swim from Alcatraz- it's a great accomplishment and one that you'll hopefully reflect back on for quite some time.

Aero Helmets: Function over Fashion

Keeping with the current topic of aerodynamic upgrades, I set about looking into the benefits of properly selecting and incorporating an aero helmet into one's riding. I actually found two sites that have done the leg work for me.

Just a few of the options

1) Follow this link, and you'll find an insightful article by Andrew Beck, of the Boise Triathlon Examiner, entitled, "Is the aero helmet advantage real?"

(by follow the link I meant click on the linked article title above)

One addition to the article that I feel I must make is that the 15 minute reduction in time during an Ironman-distance race is theoretical. A more accurate figure is in the range of 4.5 minutes, which can be substantial savings when you're racing for a Kona Slot or simply a PR.

2) Follow this link, and you'll find an excellent product analysis of available aero helmets performed by Tom Demerly et al. of the now defunct Bikesport Michigan triathlon store. Click here to read "Speed for Sale" 

Here pro-triathlete Jordan Rapp, renowned for his precise and analytical approach to triathlon equipment, demonstrates perfect use of the aero helmet. 

The linked articles provide some solid insight into the justification for purchasing an aero helmet and how to make a proper selection for your personal characteristics. 

Here are some additional comments I would like to make on the subject, to both be redundant and to elaborate further:

-An aerodynamic helmet, by streamlining the laminar flow of air around your prominently positioned head and shoulders, will make you faster and/or more efficient to some extent.  

-When buying an aero helmet, first make sure that you're properly positioned on your bike (a F.I.S.T. certified shop can help you along here), then make a selection of the model that best fits your needs and is most compatible with your position. Getting set up on a trainer at a shop with multiple models will give you a good opportunity to make the best choice. 

-After selecting a model, try it out for a bit. For example, is the Giro Advantage 2 comfortable at first but you find that your ears are too compressed about 10 minutes in? Maybe you should try a Rudy Project Syton. 

-Practice putting the damn thing on and off before taking it into a race. Models with ear flaps can at times be problematic, and the mental cloud that you have from racing through the swim certainly won't help. 

Case in point- Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack. Widely considered on of the most talented (and 'outspoken') triathletes to ever grace the sport, Macca struggled with his helmet in T1 during Kona 2007. Don't let this be you:

-While we're on the subject of practice, I'm going to make myself quite clear- Do not use an aero helmet in a race and spend half the bike leg looking down. You might as well attach a parachute to your head. The helmet should turn you into a missile, smoothly merging your head into and over your shrugged shoulders.

Maintaining this position can be difficult, however, so make sure you train yourself for it at home. You want to achieve a position often called "The Turtle" where your head and chin are tucked down and into your upper chest, hovering above your bike stem, with the tail of the helmet resting medially along your upper back.

A good way to practice this is hopping on a trainer and setting up something to watch (be it TV or a movie) in front of you that forces you to maintain the proper position for an extended period. It's especially important to acclimate yourself in this way with the longer distance races.

-Finally, the only real detrimental characteristic of aero helmets is that, with their reduced ventilation capacity, they trap heat. Having vents is counterproductive on an aero helmet, but wearing an aero helmet and overheating yourself is even more counterproductive. Try and train with the helmet in race-like conditions and see how you do. Some people are sweltering, others are nicely cool. It depends on both the person and the model. If you find you don't need the vents, you can close or cover them by either using what's included with the model or simply taping over the vents with packing tape. One nice feature is found on the relatively new Lazer Tardiz, which has a top port and channel system within which you can poor cool water during a race. Overall,  use common sense- if you find that you overheat easily, don't buy a black helmet with minimal venting for Ironman Arizona.

Properly fit on the right bike, the alien would probably easily outsplit the Predator

I don't know what's worse, the actual resemblance, or the fact that I seriously went and just did that in MS Paint

When used intelligently, an aero helmet can be a great addition to your training. Sure, your spouse or significant other may no longer find you attractive, but hey, that will just leave you with more energy for racing...

Buying an Aerodynamic Front Wheel

One of my closest friends is a very gifted road cyclist that races prominently and may be working towards a career as a pro. He recently wrote to me about purchasing an aerodynamic wheelset and asked me my opinion about the products available. Below is my response to him, slightly modified to be a more fitting blog entry.

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In regards to wheels, here's my synopsis of the available options.

Aero wheels can, for all intensive purposes, be divided into two categories: toroidal and non-toroidal. The toroidal cross-sectional shape, a special kind of bulge, is protected by a patent shared by Zipp and HED. Zipp in turn shares it with its Flashpoint subsidiary and SRAM affiliate, while HED produces rims for Bontrager. It's widely accepted now that the toroidal cross section is the most optimal shape for an aero wheel, and it basically operates by filling the low pressure gap formed by the air splashing around the leading edge of the tire. This generally leaves wheels like Mavic, Shimano, and Reynolds, which have a standard V-shape trailing edge, behind in terms of aero performance. Reynolds has made some strong claims about achieving comparable performance with their new rims, basically by making them extremely narrow, but there claims to my knowledge have not yet been independently affirmed, and to me would seem to only really apply to very low yaw angles (like when riding into a headwind). This high-performance at low yaw-angles could correspond to a loss of performance in cross-winds. Check out this image showing results from an independent lab comparing a wide range of wheels in the wind tunnel. 

Aero Wheel Drag Data circa 2007. Click to enlarge. 

For more information regarding cross-sectional shape and aerodynamic wheel performance, check out this article.

The venerated Zipp 404 clincher uses Zipp's 505 rim. Though it's 58mm depth puts it in the same range as the wheels yet to be discussed, its $945 retail price puts it in another, much higher price point


So if we look at toroidal wheels, we have Zipp, HED, Flashpoint, and SRAM. Zipp is the 'no-holds-barred-top-of-the-line performance' brand, but doesn't really (since 2007) offer a tangible performance benefit over HED or Flashpoint worth the markup. So we look at HED and Flashpoint. Both companies offer an excellent product and I know of innumerable tales of HED's excellent customer service. Given the comparable price points and performance, I would consider it a wash between these two. A review from testrider.com (now Peleton Magazine) is no longer available but spoke very favorably of the Flashpoint 60 wheelset. 

The Flash Point 60

And check out HED's website to read about their wheels, specifically the HED Jet 6 C2. HED's website is extremely informative and I love this page, Aerodynamics , where you can compare the aero performance of their wheels at different yaw angles (for readers not up to date on yaw angles, here's an example, although HED's website has an interactive yaw angle tool as well. 0 deg yaw would correspond, say, to riding directly into a headwind. Riding at, let's say, 25mph into a light cross wind would be 5 deg, stronger cross wind would result in 10 or 15 deg, etc...)

The HED Jet 6 C2

The SRAM wheels are slightly different. Whereas the HED Jet C2s are basically an aluminum clincher with a carbon fairing, the SRAM wheels are a carbon wheel with an aluminum rim affixed to it. I personally like the HED system, as, for me, there's a lot more ease of mind in case you hit a pothole, but the SRAM system could offer some performance advantages (like stiffness or vibration dampening) that carbon fiber is touted as having. Slowtwitch has a huge forum and aero wheels are often discussed. By looking them up I found nothing but good things about people's experiences with SRAM wheels. The basic synopsis is that they're heavier than HED, with lower quality but still quite nice bearings, hubs, and spokes. 

SRAM S60, also available in an attractive gray/black color scheme

Along with Flashpoint, SRAM wheels were reviewed favorably in all of the independent analyses that I found on-line (eg. the previously mentioned testrider.com reviewed them and were impressed). 

The toroidal shape of the SRAM S40

'Aero trumps weight' is a die-hard mantra of triathletes (especially considering our mostly flat or gentle courses at a constant tempo). Weight among wheels at comparable price points can still be a valid consideration, however. Whereas the front HED Jet 6 C2 comes in at 774g, and the front Flash Point 60 at 854g, the front wheel of the SRAM S60 runs 835g. This puts it well in the same range as the more expensive wheels, but almost 10% heavier than the HEDs. There are two perspectives on wheel weight. One contends that, since it is rotational, not translational, weight, a 60g reduction in wheel weight will mean a lot more than a 60g reduction in static frame weight. It could mean, some contend, that slight bit of extra energy to make the last wheel after a split or break in the race, or allow you the extra energy after an hour long crit to pull off the win in the final sprint. I wouldn't be able to tell you whether or not it's worth ~$200, though, to jump from the SRAM S60 to the HED Jet 6 C2 or FP60.


The opposing view on wheel weight, however, is that the weight of aerodynamic wheels is not a significant metric for consideration. Given the exponential nature of drag increasing with speed, the greater aerodynamics of a wheel made heavier by it's slippery shape more than compensates for the added mass. There's some very valid math to back it up, as well. Check out this editorial from Slowtwitch on the subject, Why Wheel Aerodynamics Can Outweigh Wheel Weight and Inertia.

Finally, regarding comparing the above options, the one reference I can make is to groupsets. SRAM wheels are like Rival- they offer pretty much the same performance as Red at a fraction of the cost, they're just heavier and by far the best value. HED is like Ultegra SL, which I consider to be the best combination of value and high-performance, and Zipp is like Record, which may be the very best but is also obscenely expensive.

If it were me, I would buy the SRAM S60 or S80 front wheel and keep my wheelcover over my Ksyrium Elite rear wheel. But I won't be penalized by the extra weight the way you may be.

The best option? Don't buy an aero wheel and instead buy a powertap hub on a handbuilt box rim wheel, like this $660 option from excelsports.com

A Powertap hub and monitor/computer

That would probably be of greater benefit to your cycling than any aero wheel (same for me), but it's not as sexy. 


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And there we have it. The synopsis regarding buying an aero front wheel concludes, rather abruptly, with the answer of 'don't' and instead buy a handbuilt wheel with a powertap hub. Should you already be training with power, or are disinterested in putting the effort into using a powermeter to its best effect, then by all means grab one of these excellent wheels. 


Quick Disclaimer:

1) It seems redundant to say, given that it's on a blog, but the above entry is just my opinion, 2) Any information or phenomena presented as facts are up to the reader to verify rather than blatantly accept as truth, 3) Prominent brands, like Bontrager, Easton, EDGE Composites, and Shimano, in addition to less well-known brands like Gray or Neuvation, aren't thoroughly considered purely due to my lack of familiarity with them, 4) Since he's a road cyclist, this entry is purely a consideration of appropriate aero wheels in the 50mm-60mm range of rim depth. These are all also the most versatile front wheel for the triathlete as well so the conversation is quite relevant to the time trial and triathlon cyclist.  I could greatly expand on many of the above subjects, and likely will in future entries, but will keep this entry as a synopsis for someone new to aero wheel purchasing. 

Triathlon Racing: The Importance of the Swim Leg

The importance of the swim portion of a triathlon is often characterized by the expression, "you can't win it on the swim, but you can lose it." Despite this, triathlon's most under-appreciated discipline has tactical and practical importance.

The inception of the Ironman triathlon is directly attributed to the result of a feud between the Waikiki Swim Club and the Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club, as pertaining to which athletes were more fit. The resulting competition, however, certainly doesn't favor the skillset of the former group of athletes. If we look at the times of professional triathletes in Ironman-distance racing, a typical winning time will likely include the following splits: a 52 minute swim, a 4:35 minute bike, and a 2:55 run. Of the resulting 8 hrs and 22 minutes of racing, swimming only comprises about 10% of the time involved. Yet, the strategic placement of the swim as the first event, and the inherent difficulty of moving through liquid as opposed to air, allocates greater importance to swimming than the numbers suggest. 

5 out of 8 matches believe you should've joined a Master's Swim Club

Another common expression among triathletes alludes to a collection of matches. "You have only so many matches to burn," it says, with the metaphorical matches representing hard efforts during the race. Use too many during the swim, and you could find yourself miserable and dejected on the run, even after a well-executed bike leg. Energy conservation thereby serves as the first pillar upon which the importance of swimming is built. Spiking your heart rate during the swim and unnecessarily depleting metabolic energy reserves is an excellent way to destroy a race. You can't have a stable house if you built it without a foundation, and you can't have a good bike-run if you spent twice-as-long as you should have swallowing half the river and exhausting your legs in a desperate attempt to reach T1. The very nature of swimming makes energy conservation difficult, however, as moving through a liquid medium, as opposed to air, provides all sorts of challenges. 

There are very few objects, save maybe an open cardboard box or a parachute, that are less hydrodynamic than a human. Though somewhat commendable on land, we fail miserably in the water. Arms and legs jut out from a central trunk and require a fairly complex motion to even approach efficient forward movement during a front-crawl stroke. Understanding your enemy is key, however, and the enemy is drag. Moving efficiently through the water is a two-pronged approach- one must seek to both eliminate resistive forces (for example, form drag and frictional drag) while maximizing propulsive forces (as in optimizing the pull phase of your stroke). For example, I address this dual-nature of the sport by thoughtfully completing specific drills in each workout aimed at refining my stroke (reducing drag) before beginning a hard interval workout (maximizing propulsion). I first set about learning to swim well by studying the act itself. I used Swimming Fastest, by Ernest Maglischo and highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to become a student of the sport. 

Faris was strong across all three disciplines in 2005, but an early lead in the swim set him on the path to victory. (photo courtesy of 3athlon.de)

So energy conservation may be the first pillar of swimming, but the wet-side of triathlon extends far beyond just going through the motions. For those who are or aspire to be competitive in the sport, swimming has many important tactical considerations as well. This is most evident in ITU-style racing, where making the lead swim pack can itself make or break your race. It's even been a powerful factor in Ironman racing, with Faris Al-Sultan's early break to his Ironman Hawaii victor in 2005 serving as a noteworthy example.  The resistance that water offers as opposed to air compounds the importance of how you position yourself relative to others (i.e. drafting) and makes getting dropped by a momentary surge both a constant threat and devastating thing to recover from. 

Coming out of the water in my first half-iron race in 2005. Sadly, this reminds me to do an entry on bonking during the run. 

There's also the role swimming plays in the overall race. I remember the final race, a sprint-distance, from my first season in the sport six years ago. I was 200 yards out from the run turnaround when a guy coming into it about my age shouted 'what age are you?' Stupidly, or perhaps brazenly, I replied truthfully- and immediately regretted it. Whereas the heavier build I had acquired lifting weights throughout high-school was good for opening pickle jars, it was nothing doing for my run splits. My new young friend, however, had the very thin look of an experienced runner.  The extra motivation led me to run a 5km time in the 18min range, faster, quite interestingly, than any standalone 5km effort throughout cross-country in high school, and I was able to finish ahead and win my age group. In meeting the young man, Elliot, after the race, I learned that his run split was equally faster than mine as my swim split was over his, letting a slightly faster bike on my part give me the deciding edge. Clearly all three sports played a role, but my strength in the swim allowed me to counter his strength in the run. 

Finally, the swim adds an element to triathlon that's difficult to qualify. The adventure of setting off in open water, be it a leap into chilly San Francisco Bay just off Alcatraz or a slow, reverent walk into the warm waters of Kona's Kailua Bay, the swim adds an element to triathlon that truly separates it from other endeavors (except, obviously, open water swimming). Much like a hike in a forest inhabited by grizzlies, even if nothing exciting happens, triathlon is more exciting for having open water swimming as part of the sport. It's also a truly unique skill, even an art form when one considers the required coordination. Standing on the beach adjusting my goggles, smelling the neoprene and looking out over the expanse of a lake or ocean and then wading into the still, cold water to warm-up for the race is one of the most beautiful and exciting moments in our sport. 

Oh, and there's one last thing. Swimming develops the upper body. For all of the degrading comments triathletes receive from runners and road cyclists, at least we don't have the upper bodies of pre-teen asian girls. 

Swimming....

...keeps triathletes looking like this (Pro-triathletes Michael and Amanda Lovato)....

.... and not like this (disgraced professional cyclist Michael Rasmussen)....

... or like this- the wraith like lead pack [though Ryan Hall (left) is a stud] at the Boston marathon.