Escape from Alcatraz

Pleasure and pain are often flip sides of the same coin. Ranch West Coast explored the relationship in depth this past weekend donning team colors at the 30th anniversary Escape From Alcatraz triathlon.

Inspired by the 1979 Clint Eastwood movie "Escape from Alcatraz", the event is open to competitors who have qualified in designated events or won lottery entry with a personal race resume. So competition is on the pointy end of the age group spectrum.

Strong westerly currents and 55 degree water temperatures kept tensions high on the one hour boat ride to the swim drop point at Alcatraz Island.

Competitors shared few words en route while the enthusiastic race announcers praised glorious weather and perfect race conditions via loudspeaker, complete with the individual introduction of pros and U.S. national anthem. Pumping iPod tunes prior to the drop, Riderturbo was psyched and feeling confident from recent training with Alcatraz swim master Gary Emich -- and fresh off the Navy SuperSeal III tri earlier in the month.

Greased with body glide, wetsuits, neoprene swim booties with some wearing squid lids and three swim caps thick to preserve warmth, all 1800 competitors crossed the timing mats and took the 5 foot plunge from the boat in the 10 minutes following the 8am start horn.

With 50 safety kayaks and jet skis lining the group up and down current, the swimmers fanned out 1/2 mile wide in open water mayhem. Riderturbo jumped in smooth, navigated spot-on, and knocked off the 1.5 mile swim in 32:13, a personal best and well under the target time of 40 minutes. PLEASURE.

After a minor mishap of lost wetsuit bag in the swim exit mini-transition, Riderturbo ran the 1/2 mile T1 to transition area and mounted the specially prepped RiderCrespo-cloned Red Cervelo Soloist Carbon for the hilly, technical bike course. Running road geometry with forward-flip seat post, lightweight Reynolds DV stratus deep dish wheels, tubulars at 170 psi, drop handle and clip on aerobars, plus the infamous FSA SLK Light 175 Triple crank (yes...TRIPLE) with a 13/29 cassette, the white-lightning skinned Rider turbo held 80 rpm cadence climbs and 40mph descents while pedal-mashers winced on the steep San Francisco hills.

Ticking off the 18 miles in 59:36, Turbo beat the one hour bike split target time ranking 11th out of 79 competitors men's age 40. PLEASURE

A speedy T2 with a kiss on-the-fly to sideline cheering Ridermama and Riderzoe...and then....WHACK, SLAP, TAKE THAT! Riderturbo was blindsided by the bad and the ugly on the run. Stairs, trails, tunnels, 350 feet of vertical ascent in the first three miles of the run. Up, down, left, right. Helicopters overhead and motorcycle chase crews filming the lead racers passing opposite direction. A quick check of the Polar revealed 9 min/mile pace at the 3 mile aid station versus the target 7.5 min/mile pace....and still 5 miles left to run. Was this a triathlon or an XTerra?

JUST F**KIN GIVER, EH...the astute athletic psychology of our world-champion sporting Canadian brethren came to mind...repeated over and over. Down again, round again, across sandy Baker Beach and back for 1 mile, up 400 steps of the Equinox sand ladder, Riderturbo continued the 170 beat-per-minute heart rate death march down the home stretch.

The most brutal, side-stitch cramping and GU-puking experience of RiderTurbo's running career had him drag it through the picturesque 8 mile run in 1 hour and 10 minutes, including off-trail bush potty break, averaging 8min 53 sec/mile, PAIN.

Then near the finish, trying to hold it together, redemption earned: a smiling Ridermama cheering, hand-off and carrying RiderZoe the last two hundred yards through the finish line chute (see top photo) to the adulation of thousands of cheering fans, international flags, colorful pagentry and snapping camera shutters...culminating in the celebratory finisher's medal being placed around RiderZoe's neck. PURE PLEASURE.

Overall, Riderturbo beat the three-hour target time clocking 2:51:57 and placing 18 out of 79 men's age group 40, earning the Ranch a little respect and possibly even a fleeting moment of brand-exposure on network television.

The Ranch asks, Alcatraz gives, PLEASURE AND PAIN, but not necessarily in that order.

Goin' Pro in Romandie

Successful recovery mission, one week later. Pitts would be proud.

Spirit of the Ranch in action. Lourtier.

One ranch animal detects another.

Etape 5. Tour de Romandie. Sion to Anzere ascent (1000m). Here it comes.

JFG, eh!

3 hours later: Valverde wins it. Anton, then Spilak. Menchov trails.

Second group.

Any spare ones you don't need?

Bike porn.

The just reward: NEW WATER BOTTLE!!!!!

Double Good, Double Fresh, Double Col Fun

Precision flying requires coordination, commitment, concentration and focus.

...Facts that the Lone Wolf and SharkBite were fully aware of as they rolled out onto the Verbier roads at 8am, Sunday, April 25. Patrouille de Glacier weekend (hence the formation flying display) in Verbier, with the town over-stocked with wire-thin, alpine-touring aerobic-meisters--fresh from their 4000m and 30+km ski tour race from Zermatt to Verbier on Saturday. Time for the Ranch to respond in kind: marathon man Crespo in London, a strong contingent at this weekend’s Gimondi…and now, for the first time ever, SharkBite representing in his stylish, new Ranch long-sleeve jersey (thank you NoShow, size L is sweet) AND rolling with the LoneWolf while doing so.

Meeting at the local convenience store, LoneWolf took the opportunity to supplement his fetching new orange Campy long-sleeve (see photo below) with some carefully chosen newspaper sections (spotted languishing on the outdoor post-box). Ready for the upcoming 8km and 700m of chilliness, the boys roll out. Or were they ready? Outside Migros SharkBite bisects a particularly profound pothole and suddenly hears the unique sounds of a plastic object sliding at 25mph on dry asphalt. The blackberry? No. Instead, a handy-dandy Scott water bottle is recovered...with fresh road rash and extra mineral particles. Mmmm.

Descending carefully down the nearly empty road, our dangerous duo convenes at the base of the climb, strips down layers and plots the itinerary for the morning’s adventure. Wolf sheds the regional sports pages. SharkBite reaches down for some re-hydration…and finds an empty bottle cage where the scuffed Scott bottle was supposed to be. He quickly realizes that the loud slapping sound when he hit a pressure joint on the descent was in fact the sound of something happening. Scott water bottle, R.I.P. Good thing he has another one. And time to change that bottle cage.

Pooling their knowledge of the plentiful roads and climbs of the Val de Bagnes, Wolf and Shark promptly cook up a special double col assault…and return to the road. Heading northwest down the base of the valley, the team soon turns right and strikes out uphill. Through the towns of Vollege and Levron, the Col de Lein was the first strike target.

The boys immediately shift into side-by-side formation on the empty roads, jet fighter stylee. The first order of the day for Ranch-riders then ensues: mutual updating on each rider’s portfolio of chronic and recurring bodily ailments. Wolf rides strong despite cycling-induced tendonitis in the patellar tendon: pain is illusion, the climb is reality. Shark feels the ski-touring induced inflammation on his left heel bone (ultimately attributable to the handiwork of his favourite Albanian criminal driver), but expects it won’t be too problematic in cycling shoes.

Soon the riders are enjoying stunning balcony views of multiple valleys in superb Sunday sunshine, with the Grands Combins to the south and Mont Blanc to the west. Truly awesome…and a welcome anti-dote to the suburban flatlands of South-East England.

The riders know they are operating at the same and higher altitudes then the precision fighter jet-flying of the day before. Hypnotised by the whirring rings and chains, they press on. Missile lock: Col de Lein summit.

Transitioning to a hard dirt road surface, the duo complete the 700m ascent and prepare for the anticipated surface challenges of the north-facing descent on the other side: spring is here, but in the mountains our friends Snow and Ice take their time leaving. Navigating the occasional muddier sections (post snow-melt), Shark and Wolf hoist their bikes and pick their way through several lengthy snow and ice sections.

Commitment!

The descent then resumes, but not without a brief pause for Shark to obtain an appropriately pointed rock and chip away the solid ice block in his Speedplay cletes. Clipping and unclipping becomes un-smooth and tricky with the addition of snow, dirt and forest fragments to the rider’s pedal cletes. But soon the duo is back on tarmac, descend down winding roads towards Martigny…and more stunning views ensue.

They pause for a review of some particularly impressive engineering operations to restore the outer half of the roadway…which was obviously tearing as it slowly slipped down the hillside over time. Shark notices that this is one of several disturbingly steep sections…maybe it’s time to switch out the standard cassette for something a little more climb-friendly.

After a quick break at the bottom (snacks and bodily functions), the two bikes are back in formation and jamming up a particularly steep start section. Elevation 500m…only about 900 more to go.

A solid climb ensues. Shark pulls out a little through the steep construction section, unable to make any uphill movement other than by getting out of the saddle and cranking the pedals in the smallest gear he has, just to keep them turning. Soon the duo reconnect and Wolf presses on. Shark looks enviously at the Wolf rear cassette as it recedes into the distance in front of him. Wolf puts down a steady and masterful ascent.

With 55 minutes elapsed and target two successfully acquired, Shark and Wolf grab snacks at the top of the Col des Planches and descend down the silky smooth road on the other side to the valley floor. A few km’s along the valley to Le Chable and now the boys reveal the smartest part of their plan:

Instead of this...

They take advantage of this...

This is a big shout-out to Doppelmayr, CWA and the entire Swiss ski-lift design and manufacturing industry! Taking skiers to slopes and pilots to home base. We love you, man.

Another awesome day, exploited to the full by Ranchers worldwide…and a couple in Switzerland too.

alert

Contrary to certain other blog reports - the ranch is quietly confident about their upcoming ride at gimondi. Reflecting on the top 25% placing amongst the local "we ride this stuff everyday" brigade - the ranch has been putting away time in the saddle without fanfare or production as seen below.

We can see from the game faces in this post - rider easy-e with his casual fist pump
ridernoshow's "you looking at me - bergamo punk" stare down
ridechichi's own gabonzo mug shot
rider cali's i've got 6 questions i need to ask but am waiting until after the race glare
and finally - when asked who will pull the ranch the final 5 km into bergamo - only one fellow had the stones to raise his hand

Navy SuperSEAL Triathlon

The U.S. Navy SEALs were established by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 as a small, elite maritime military force to conduct Unconventional Warfare.

Much like Ranch Riders, The SEALs carry out clandestine, small-unit, high-impact missions that large forces with high-profile teams cannot.

Striking a balance between burgeoning careers, growing families and focused physical training, Ranch Riders typify the commitment, focus and discipline required to perform around the world in a variety of disciplines transcending borders, languages and landscape.

This past Sunday, Ranch West Coast represented the Ranch in the SuperSeal III triathlon. Oringally conceived 32 years ago to prepare Navy SEALs for the Ironman Hawaii World Championship triathlon under the "SuperFrog" marquis, the Olympic Distance SuperSeal consists of a 1.5km open water swim, 40km bike and 10km run near the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado Island, San Diego, California.

Military presence was evident with Apache helicopter formations flying overhead, Retired Lt (SEAL) Phillip "Moki" Martin providing the ice-dry pre-race briefing, and race participants looking extremely competitive and intimidating.

RiderTurbo lined up against the best in the West and raced full throttle putting in an effort worthy of Ranch respect, finishing 17th out of 78 in men's 35-39 age bracket and 4th out of 22 in men's 39 year old group. Despite aggressive body contact and flooded salt-water goggles at the start, Turbo slicked the swim in 29 minutes, nailed the bike in 1 hour 08 minutes

and pounded out the run in evenly-paced 50 minutes with strong finish for a total time of 2 hours 31 minutes.

RiderMama and RiderZoe provided raucous cheering from the sidelines and Ridermama proclaimed that it was the "fittest and most ripped" group of triathletes she had ever seen at a race.

With Gimondi, Time Megeve, London Marathon, Blenheim and Escape from Alcatraz fast approaching for various team members, things are heating up for a great summer of racing for the Ranch....HOO YAA!

Verbier wknd...

Fellow ranchers...Gimondi and Eazy-e and Riderchiche do not feel quite ready yet...too many Zurich sausages for Eazy-e and no climbing training for Riderchiche brought the pair to the slopes around Verbier for a weekend of soul searching and plain old training.

Riderchiche lands in Zurich airport and secures a very respectable Focus Estate that fits comfortably the two ranchers and the bike. Eazy-e shows up rather late and off they go on the road...

...surprised during the trip learning that Eazy had forgotten the pump (after three reminders, the last one of which after he had left his house)...at least he provided the pair with everything that his refridgerator had (top-quality cheeses, eggs, hard bread, strawberries, butter, fungus-infested broccoli and other delicacies that would be devoured over the weekend). Arrived in the chalet within 3 hours of departure and off they went to get a plate of pasta before going to bed to rest for the night (clean living = no drinking or partying --more on this later)...

Saturday was nice and sunny, not too cold for this time of the year. The day started with a classic egg and bread breakfast and the ranchers were ready to go (or I should say ready to try and find a pump!). The ride took them down from Verbier, up to Champex Lac, down again and up to La Fouly before heading back to Verbier...after over 3:30 hours the un-trained Ranchers decided to leave the Verbier climb for Sunday and headed back up in the gondola...

Saturday Ride stats:

3:39:19

73.67km

141 avg heart rate (min 66 - max 179)

ascent 1,785m

2939 calories burned

downhill: chilly

uphill: sweaty

Upon reching the top, smell directed them to the rotisserie where a small-sized roasted chicken was waiting for them. Chicken and pasta for dinner and the tired pair went to bed early to rest the muscles...

Sunday morning showed a slightly more cloudy day but still a very nice day. RiderHowe had mentioned the night before that he was in town and definitely up for a ride. At ca. 10am a coughing voice answers Eazy-e's call and asks for a 60-minute delay (later extended another 15) in start time so he could be ready...the reason: a 4:30 bedtime after a night of Vodka-Red Bull...




...now the three Ranchers were ready to go...off again down the Verbier slope and immediately across to head to Fionnay...the Ranchers found a very nice pace and were cruising graciously up the slopes of a scenic detour up until a roadblock threatened to halt their way. Where many others would simply turn around, ranchers stay strong....bikes on the shoulder to make their way...

...unfortunately the roadblock did become "blocking" and the ranchers had to turn around (but not before trying!)...

...so it wasdown the 4 or so km we had already climbed and up again to Fionnay on the regular tunneled climb that would take us even higher than when we started in Verbier...down again to the base and, after a quick good bye to Howe who chose the gondola, Eazy-e and Chiche took on the 8.5km climb to Verbier holding a not-very-fast-but-steady pace all along to clock a just-under-1-hour split; after 51 minutes or so the ranchers saw a familiar face flying down the hill: yes, Lonewolf said "present" to this Ranch weekend and was heading to do the same ride after skiing with the little ones in the morning (nice life, huh?)...

Sunday ride stats

2:57:17
45.61km
147 avg heart rate (min 74 - max 177)
ascent 1590m
2762 calories burned
downhill: chilly
uphill: sweaty

...riderHowe was showered and sporting a very "mountain" shirt by the time Eazy-e and Chiche made it back to the flat and they all shared chicken leftovers with some freshly made pasta...later a bit of chilling in the afternoon before heading back to Zurich in the evening...Chiche woke up at 5 to catch the 7am flight back to London and Monday was just another day in the office, or is it?

Alcatraz Swim

A short three months ago, RiderTurbo was one of the lucky few to win a coveted lottery entry place into the 30th Anniversary Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, to be held in San Francisco on May 2nd, 2010. Given historical lore of failed prison breaks from the famed Alcatraz Island and the intimidation factor of the associated swim leg of the triathlon-- billed with freezing cold, shark-infested waters and a strong current -- Turbo along with Ridermama and Riderzoe flew up to San Francisco last weekend for a practice swim crossing with Gary Emich, Alcatraz Swim Master with 684 crossings recorded.

We all have stretch goals, and for the land-loving cyclists of Ranch West Coast, the Alcatraz swim certainly qualifies. The pre-swim briefing had coach Gary giving a primer on the tidal flows in the San Francisco Bay and seabed topography around Alcatraz. The tide in the Bay reverses between “ebb and flood” every six hours and swimming across it is complicated by eddies and “venturi” bottlenecks in certain places around rip-rap and shore edges. Gary also provided guidance on navigational issues. Its hard to know where to “sight” when swimming in open water because eyes are at water level and there are no lane markers or lane lines like in a pool, and particularly so for the Alcatraz Swim. So Gary provided recommendations of landmarks on which to sight off of while swimming. If it is clear visibility, it is pretty simple to sight off the Sutro tower in San Francisco when swimming across from Alcatraz. But if its poor visibility, you must sight off a sequence of landmarks including the Fontana apartments, Four Mason Trees and Piers, Wave Organ, Palace of Fine Arts and red roof of the St Francis Yacht Club, as described in this exciting instructional video.

The challenge is compounded by the fact that when swimming in a southerly direction one is actually moving rapidly in a southwesterly direction due to the current. If you sight incorrectly, the current can sweep you out toward sea via the Golden Gate bridge (see photo) and you could end up, say, a mile west of target exit point. That’s a long way to swim back, particularly if you must fight against the current, which is almost impossible to do when you swim slower than the current is moving! The coach also contracted with a coast-guard approved safety boat to accompany the swim, from which RiderMama and RiderZoe shot photos and video.

All went smoothly and Turbo swam across the Bay in 43 minutes feeling surprisingly strong. After a lovely brunch recuperating with friends in the area, Turbo was glad to have extinguished the psychological demons associated with this infamous swim. All trained and ready to go...next up for Ranch West Coast, the Navy Seal olympic distance triathlon in San Diego and then the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon in May!