2005 Season
We started 2005 with the annual New Year's Day Alcatraz Swim hosted by the South End Rowing Club. The swim is approximately a 1 1/2 mile swim from Alcatraz Island (you are taken over to the island by boat and then you jump in the icy waters and swim!)to Aquatic Park. This year the water was a warm 53 degrees farenheit. We have participated in this New Year's Day swim seven times in the last nine years. It is truly a memorable event!
Next on the schedule was the Gas House Cove swim on January 23rd. It is only a mile swim, done on a flood tide so it is usually very quick. This is the time of year when the water can be extremely cold, but this day it was 53 degrees which made for a great swim.
March 21st marks the end of the Polar Bear Swim (Dec 21-Mar 21). We both finished the polar bear (goal is to swim 40 miles in the winter) which marked our 10th year in a row for completing this sometimes daunting task.
The triathlon season starts off for us in May with the Historic Wildflower Triathlon. This triathlon is one of the oldest running triathlons and it is truly an amazing, fun event. It takes place in the Monterey County Park of Lake San Antonio. There are 3 triathlons over the course of the weekend, Long Course, Mountain Bike and Olympic Distance (our choice) races. Several thousand participants and many more spectators are on hand for the events. Camping is the ideal accomodation since Lake San Antonio is at least 45 minutes from the nearest hotel/motel.
Next on the schedule (June 12) is the Tri-California Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon. This version (there are 3) of the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon involves a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz to the beach near the Golden Gate Yacht Club, then run (about 3/4 of a mile) to Marina Green to get on your bike. Then the bike (18 miles) goes from Marina Green to Crissy Field thru the Presidio to the Legion of Honor to the Great Highway, into Golden Gate Park, back out to the Great Highway, up to the Legion of Honor and back to Crissy Field. Although it is not a long course it is definitely a hilly course (bike profile) as you might imagine in San Francisco. Upon your return to Marina Green you begin an eight mile run that goes along the Promenade in Crissy Field, under the Golden Gate Bridge, along Lincoln Blvd, down to the end of Baker Beach and then returning along the beach (thick sand) to the infamous Sand Ladder that takes you up to Lincoln Blvd. and retrace the route back to Marina Green for the finish line.
June 19th marked our first race as So Cal residents. Mark registered us for the Playa Del Run swim/run biathlon that was held at Ocean Park Beach. It was a very casual race and lot's of fun.
July 24 we drove down to La Jolla to do one of our favorite races when we lived in San Diego many years ago, the Sri Chinmoy Biathlon. It is a mile swim (La Jolla Cove across to La Jolla Shores) followed by a 10K run on the beach (6 one mile loops). Very casual and great fun.
August 7th we drove to Hermosa Beach and did the Dwight Crum Pier to Pier Swim. This is a two mile swim from the Hermosa Beach Pier to the Manhattan Beach Pier. Lot's of people and great fun.
August 14th took us back to San Francisco for the next version of the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon, Enviro Sports. This version of the race is a swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park (1 1/2 miles), followed by a 3 mile run from Aquatic Park to Building 924 in the Presidio where you get your bike and do three hilly loops in the Presidio (about 12 miles). After the bike you begin a 7 mile very hilly run which takes you to the Legion of Honor and back via the Sand Ladder.
Next on the triathlon schedule was the Santa Barbara Triathlon. it begins with a mile swim in the ocean followed by a beautiful and challenging 34 mile bike ride followed by a long 10 mile run in sometimes very hot conditions.
September 10th takes us to the Monterey Penninsula which is a beautiful venue for the Triathlon at Pacific Grove. This will be our 11th time racing at PG. We have done every race since it's beginning in 1995. This is a great course for spectators. All of the legs are done in loops. The swim has two loops, the bike has four and the run has three loops.
As soon as we moved to Santa Monica we signed up for the Malibu Triathlon. We had done it one year (about 1992) when we were still living in San Diego. Since it is right down the road from us, we had to sign up! It is a 1/2 mile ocean swim, 18 mile bike and 4 mile run.
In October we returned to San Francisco to participate in the most challenging version of the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlons, the Dolphin Club Escape. This race begins with the swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park (no wetsuits), followed by a 12 mile bike from Aquatic Park to Old Mill Park in Mill Valley. Then the fun begins with a 14.2 mile run known as the Double Dipsea. The Dipsea goes from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach (see elevation). This was the 25th running of the Dolphin Club Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon and this wraps up our triathlon season form 2005!