Personal

I’m Escaping from Alcatraz next June. I entered the random drawing for a race entry for next year’s Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon on a whim, and to my surprise, got a slot in the first drawing. It’s a bucket list race, which involves jumping from a ship near Alcatraz Island into the icy cold waters of San Francisco Bay for a 2.4 km swim, a 29 km bike ride through the Presidio of San Francisco, and ending with a 12.9 km run that includes climbing 400 steps up Baker Beach’s infamous Sand Ladder.

I’m not quite sure of what I have gotten myself into, but I’m equal parts excited and terrified.

One last race this year. I’m spending Christmas and New Year’s in Mexico City, so what better way to close out the year than a chill 12 km race around Chapultepec? It’s just what I need after a couple of months of exclusively indoor training. I only regret not arriving there in time for this Sonic the Hedgehog 10K on Sunday—I need that medal.

Well, I had to skip the Hole Half. I look forward to this race every year—a chill fall half marathon at the base of the Tetons is usually a great way to close out my season before winter sets in, but at this moment the AQI in Jackson Hole is 235, firmly in the “very unhealthy” range. Instead, I’m reading a study on the impact of air pollution on running performance to reassure myself I made the right decision.

An update on my ankle. It’s been a little over a week since my ankle injury at the Wild 15K and I just came back from my ortho appointment. Everything looks better than I feared last week, X-rays look clean and my examination went well. It’s still a little swollen with some pain, so I’ve been told to schedule some PT, wear compression socks to help with the swelling, and maybe tape my ankle for additional stability while running. The biggest question on my mind was “will I make things worse if I go for a run?” and the answer is no; I’ve been given the all-clear to start running again. Which is great, because I threw caution into the wind and ran 11 km on the treadmill on Sunday with no issues. We’re so back.