Jailbirds...

7:30 this morning found me not snuggled under a fluffy duvet (as I would prefer on a chilly Sunday morning,) but out along the Bay's edge screaming my lungs out. Okay, so we had hot coffee and bagels, but still...

This morning was the 27th running of the annual Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, featuring a number of my teammates from Team In Training. I met with other teammates and coaches right at the edge of the race course, just where the triathletes exit the cold waters of San Francisco Bay. Let me tell you that when they do, they have a look between the ecstacy of relief and the shock of one coming abruptly out of free-fall.

Since Alcatraz Island is protected land, the race doesn't actually start from the island (thereby leaving the seals and waterfoul alone,) but from a ferryboat that drops the racers into the frigid water. They swim into shore - Pam can tell you more about that - followed by about 18 miles of biking up and down some steep hills, and then an eight mile run whose main feature includes a "sand ladder" up a long stretch of sand dune at Baker Beach. The words "scenic" and "brutal" are symbiotic in their description overall.

So, we showed up for some loud support...oh, and to check out the racers.

The first time I watched this race was two years ago, when my friend Meg dragged me out of bed after a late night of dancing at the Black & White Ball. I was indignant, but soon got over it once I saw the view. It was that morning that me and some of my best girlfriends realized that we had been spending our time in the wrong places. After all, the incredibly good-looking and fit triathlete fellows aren't seen at the local bars late Friday nights. Hmmm. Maybe we need a change of venue? That's when we decided we'd go do triathlons ourselves. Two years later and the view is just as enjoyable, if not more so since I know I can do it too. Okay, maybe not this race in particular, but yes, I can do triathlons now - and it's nice to know.

However, as Jane Russell said in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: "I like a man who can run faster than I can..."

I'm entirely pleased to ascribe to this philosophy for this race. Handsome, successful men need encouragement too after all, and cheering for them during their most difficult moments allows one to be rewarded with smiles and winks. (I'm talking to you hot stuff number 177!)

My favorite racers have to be the jailbirds - they dress in prison stripes to run the race. The joke is that no one has ever really escaped from Alcatraz successfully. Yet I would like to congratulate Pam, Ben, Mika, Kyle, Laurie, Lianne, and all of the other people I know who had a successful escape this year! You are all incredibly brave and strong!