While Ian did a great job at his race report, I thought I would give the view from the back...This was my first "Escape" and I was nervous. I have been in grad school working on my master's degree and doing minimal training for the event. I assumed it wouldn't be pretty.

With that said: Although Ian and I were on the same boat, I was on the 2nd floor with all of the 40 and relay teams. It was warm, even more so when we got our wetsuits on. The restrooms were great, for a woman, the men's room line was looooooonnnnnggggg. We couldn't hear ANY of the announcements over the PA system, it sounded like waa...waa...waa (think of Peanuts cartoons). But we knew when the race started and the athletes took off. We waited for our turn down the stairs to the double doors we were to jump out of. Down about 10-12 feet into a strong current. Then we were off. I LOVED the swim. It was challenging and fun. Sighting was easy, but near the end, the currents changed and everyone was pushed to the shore early. There was a line of people half running and half swimming in the waist high shore.

The mini transition before the run to the real transition was great. I had my cycling glove on before I got into transition. When I left transition, the first pro came in.

The bike course was challenging. I drove it the night before and it took almost two hours because there were missing street signs. On race day, there were barricades and volunteers everywhere. I completed it in under 1:30:00. (Quicker on bike than in car...funny.)

Now the run, I think Ian mentioned "hellish", ha, hell itself. Yes the 2 miles of flat at the beginning and end are fine, but the stairs, trails, more stairs, short tunnel, SAND LADDER (I was near last on the time it took to get up those suckers), then back on the trails, through the tunnel, down the two staircases and to the finish. In the last 2 miles my right hamstrings were trying to cramp, I was afraid to stop and stretch them. I kept going.

The race is darn hard, but, Ian, now that I have recovered, it was fun in a sick and demented triathlete's sense of fun. (On race day, I saw Ian about 5 minutes after I finished and couldn't give a great review. He had finished almost two hours earlier.)They ran out of food before I got there and there were still people on the course for almost an hour. I heard the earlier people got sandwiches and a meal. I still have my meal ticket.

Laugh at me if you like, I don't care. I FINISHED and Escaped from Alcatraz. I had a good time, but if I ever get in via the lottery again, I'm hiring Ian.

By the way, it was my 100th Triathlon that I've finished. YEEEEEEE HAAAAAAA!