Kelly Richards Escapes Alcatraz

Kelly Richards qualified for the Escape from Alcatraz last tri-season. She has been busy this winter and spring training for this big event. Here is the details from her impressive race:

Emotionally I went through a wide range of panic attacks leading up to our departure. Never having been to San Francisco and not really understanding the ebb, tide, and flow of the Bay I couldn't grasp what was being talked about in the online news letters sent to the athletes competing in Accenture Escape from Alcatraz.

I was frustrated. Having prepared myself mentally and physically as much as possible I still had some doubts. I quickly researched on line how to conquer fear. I read a quote that seemed to sum things up. I had two choices. I could be EMPOWERED and ACT or I could be FEARFUL and RETREAT. I wrote the Empowered and Act on outside of my hand and Fearful and Retreat on inside. As I went through the day flipping my hand back and forth I realized I didn't want to duck and cover. This was an event I wanted to participate in since I started racing 4 seasons ago. I have spent many months riding up and down hills. Doing more pushups and squats than I can count. The swim, hills and sand ladder were not going to deplete me. I knew I would be tired but I wasn't going to stand on side walking or thumping my legs telling them to move. (Which I did see someone doing
yesterday.)

We arrived in San Francisco Thursday night. We spent Friday walking around and being tourists. I did swim in Aquatic Park and took in two massive amounts of salt water. Enough to stop, panic, spit, curse, and start again. I thought the 56 degree water a little chilly. We attended three meetings for new athletes. One of them on Alcatraz Island. That was probably best money spent. To stand on the Island, understand where the boat would stop and to know exactly what you were trying to accomplish. It isn't a straight swim from point A to B. The swim across the Bay goes against every logical thought.

Sunday- Race Day.
In most Triathlons you have time to set up and really get lay of in and outs of transition. Here it was a mad dash to rack your bike, drop off swim exit bag, take another bag on boat, get on bus and head out to pier 3. If you didn't rack your bike correctly volunteers would move it. Every bike had a numbered spot. A few people didn't realize that, and I imagine were a little lost coming back to transition, as the volunteers moved bikes to there proper spot. In some cases rows away from where Athlete racked their bike.

At pier 3 you were quickly body marked, everywhere! I joked a pen for each person. 2012 people loaded onto a sweaty crowded, well overheated boat for a 40 minute ride. I choose to talk with locals and not pay attention to what
was outside. I learned my lesson from the Gorge. When we loaded the
boat the professional Athletes went into a separate area. You could see the camera crew out the window on deck, and hear the helicopters overhead. There were up to 100 kyack and motor boats flanked two hundred yards apart
to keep you on course. You could not see the exit. You just knew you had
to be careful not to land early or you would hit the rocks. Which I did, more on that later. If you overshoot the exit you would need to stop swimming and let current push you down 100 yards and climb out because there was a pocket of water that had an effect of a whirl pool. You could swim in place and never get anywhere.


Just before the start of the race a very nice prayer was announced over the loud speaker. The National Anthem was sung and at 8 a.m. sharp the Pro's
were sent off. The doors opened and the atmosphere quickly changed. A
once calm chatty crowd now huddled together waiting to be told "GO." Suddenly it was my turn to jump. I crossed the timing belt and was prepared to jump and not think for 90 seconds. My strategy was just to get out of the way, forget about the cold, and then find a good pace. When I got to boat edge a guy quickly halted, stuck out his arms and stood still. The volunteers were shouting to him. He was froze. I think 5 seconds only passed, but it felt like 2 minutes before I pushed his arm away and jumped. Twice I hit pockets of swimmers I had to wiggle through. Other than that it felt like a single swim through the Bay. Long, sometimes slow but strong
strokes pulling me through the currents. After about ten minutes you hit a
pocket of water that gets r
eally rough. We were told an old bridge was dumped there. Just to keep going and you will get through it. The swells come from the right, lift you up and put you down. It feels like you are not getting anywhere. The line you swim is decided on ability as a swimmer. I took the route I thought best described me. But I was wrong. A kyacker came to tell me to head west.
Finally off in the distance I spot two little yellow cone shaped buoys I needed to swim through. They might have been forty yards apart. Swimming with the current if you were positioned right you could make it. I made it through those. Next two Orange balls twenty-five yards apart. I made it through those. Sooner than I expected my hands touched the soft sand. As I began to stand up a huge rolling wave crashed into me and tossed me into the large moss covered rocks. I knew it was a tough hit. I would worry about it later. I tried to grab the rock as I was being sucked back out into the bay. My hands anchored into the sand. I felt the sand slip away, and so did I. I had to start the process over. This time I managed to grab a rock. As the wave went out I scrambled a few feet, anchored myself again and waited for third wave to slam into me. Finally I was out.. Scrambling up the shoreline and into swim transition. After peeling off my wetsuit and stuffing it into the
bag I attempted to put on my shoes. I couldn't quite get my toes to lay flat in the shoe. Next I put on my cycling gloves and off I went half mile to the bike transition. I was hoping the moving of my fingers and the gloves would help bring circulation back into my hands for holding onto the handle bars and to be able to use the shifters and brakes. Through training I learned I needed seven minutes for my wrists to be able to function after thirty minutes of cold water.

Once on bike I followed the suggestions for a new person on the course. Enjoy it. It is full of hills, potholes, launching pads, 90 degree corners with a wall. Up, down, up, down, corner, corner, sharper corner. Along the ocean, through Golden Gate Park, a little loop. Motorcade and helicopters for the pros. People lined every stretch of the course. Looking back I rode a bit more conservative than I probably should have. It was a beautiful course. I normally don't see any scenery when I ride. Yesterday I made sure to stop and look up every once in a while to enjoy the moment. The rest of the time I was trying not to pick up a penalty for drafting or crossing the center line on a sharp turn. Also, with each pothole I held my breath hoping not to get a flat. It had been mentioned there were four bike supports out there in case you used both spares. At the race briefing I had begun to wonder about which bike I should have picked to ride. When it is talked about catching
air and then having only five feet to start a 90 degree turn, but you can't turn early because of the two inch rivets in the road my heart begins to pound a little faster.

All too soon I have crested the final hill and am flying down hoping to carry that momentum into the transition. At transition I spotted a television crew man one aisle up from mine. I wonder how long he had been there. The pros were long gone. Or so I thought. (After I had finished the first leading pro lady crossed the line. Apparently she slipped on the way to her bike.) I quickly got my run gear on and off I went. At about mile one for me Andie Potts came flying by. The crowd was screaming. It was amazing to see him run like a cheetah.

The run is described as brutal for the beach and sand ladder. They left out the two other sets of stairs, deep rutted single path, tunnel to duck and run under, never ending hills. The run on the beach was gorgeous. Passing under the Golden Gate Bridge was amazing.

Last two miles just hold on to my pace and hope I don't stop till the end. (I saw a lot of people stopping at places I thought just dig a bit deeper for a few more minutes and all will be okay.) Incredible as come back and look out over the San Francisco Bay with Golden Gate Bridge just behind you and to see how far you have come.

I now know why it is so highly regarded as one of sports most awe inspiring races. Never a moment is your body not screaming at you while your head is swimming in all the beauty of the day. The final half mile is packed with people as you come into the bleacher filled finish line with television crew, announcers, athletes and more. So many moments to reflect on and be so grateful for. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Thanks to my Mom for staying with the kids and a huge Thanks to my Husband for coming with me on this journey and always believing in me. To share this experience with my best friend of more than 22 years is fantastic.

Happy racing in 2008.
Kelly

p.s. The finish line will be available to view in next 48 hours to view online. I was number 1785. Finish time of 3:08. The television airing
will be June 20th. Maybe you will see my feet. The television camera was
on while I was coming into transition with bike and while I was going up sand ladder.