Alcatraz Triathlon - course advice

Which bike? I rode the Trek without aero bars because I was too lazy to put them on... in fact I wasn't even sure if I would actually do anything but the swim since I had a cold/flu. Of course, I took all my gear to transition just in case I felt like riding/running... seeing my bike I figured what the hell, I could ride 18 miles at an easy pace... same decision process at T2... you get the picture... This year I will ride the Trek (w/ bars!) as it seems to make most sense for the course/hills. It's either uphill or downhill with only a couple of flat stretches. I reckon if you did a poll of the pro field you might get a 50/50 response on road vs. tri-bike set-up. I guess it depends if you're equally comfortable on both bikes. I tend to think I'm a stronger climber on the Trek, and the bike is lighter. I actually brought up the question with Chris last weekend and he advised the Trek without hesitation... hopefully you'll have the Seven by then?

As for the course... my course commentary sucks... I wish Bailey had written up Alcatraz... would be far more colorful... plus I have a crappy memory... but here goes.

Swim - there's a *mandatory* meeting the day before to disseminate information on the currents/sighting etc for the swim. I think you have less to worry about than me because I assume you'll just be following a lead kayak? They leave the amatuers to flail along at their own sweet pace. Don't forget the 3/4mile run from Crissy Field back to T1 at Marina Green... best to throw on a pair of sneakers for this so bring two pairs.

Bike - I'll add a few personal notes to GGTC course description - link below. It's an out & back course and it's basically uphill or downhill the entire way. Plus the roads are pretty bad/potholed! 18 miles with approx. 1900ft of climbing. The first mile or so out of transition is flat but then it's uphill or downhill until you reach the Great Highway at mile 6 or so. Gradient-wise, some of these inclines are 8% and above. Beware the hard right at mile 5. You transition from a sharp downhill to a sharp(ish) incline so if you're not careful it could get ugly - dropping a chain would be the big rookie mistake here. Big downhills with turns until you hit a short flat section along the Great Highway. Then you turn into Golden Gate Park and hit the moderate *rollers* of the park. This is a moderate recovery section of the course (though it's short so I'm not sure you get to recover at any point...). After the park you retrace your pedal strokes back along the Geat Highway and climb back past the Cliff House. I'm guessing the grade averages 7-8% and flattens out briefly as you turn left onto Camino del Mar and make the right onto Clement St which is very short but probably 15%+ grade. The climb back up to the Legion of Honor (past the golf course) is ~4-5%. Turn right at the Legion and it's downhill until mile 14 when you have another ~0.75 mile climb (~6%) to the top of Baker Beach. After that, it's downhill or flat all the way back to T2. I'll ride it in the next week or so, and if something springs to mind, I will let you know. You should definitely drive/ride the course on Friday/Saturday before the race because there are lots of twists and turns.

http://ggtc.org/alcatraz_bike.php

Run - Almost an out & back course. Long flat stretch out of transition. Mix of tarmac then packed dirt through Crissy Field. Must be 1.5 miles before hitting the stairs/very steep dirt section which leads you to the coastal trail. The steep section is short, 1/4 mile or so before levelling out (slight uphill) until you reach the GGB and are on the Coastal Trail. This is narrow (will make more of a difference for you on the return than on the way out!) and includes a short flight of wooden steps (~10-12 steps). Basically flat for ~ 1 mile until you reach the top of Baker Beach and then big downhill (the hill you just biked) to the beach. Run out and back along the sand for about 3/4 of a mile. This gets you to the famed *sand ladder*. You've seen it on TV, right? Basically two steps foward, one step back for 0.5mile. Most people walk the steepest section. Use the ropes. At the top, you'll retrace your steps back to Marina Green. ~0.25mile uphill to get you back onto the trail part, after which it will be downhill and then the flat 1.5mile Crissy Field section back to the finishing chute