BAGUIO triathlete Lou Ann Ramos became the second Filipina to finish “The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon” on June 3.
Set against the natural beauty of San Francisco, the 2018 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon features a jump off the boat swim of 2.5 kilometer from Alcatraz Island to the shores of the St. Francis Yacht Club, a grueling 28 kms bike ride, and a demanding 12 km run through the trails of the Golden Gate Area.
Ramos had a swim time of 44mins for the 2.5km swim, her fastest in her triathlon career, biked the 28 km hilly streets of San Francisco in one hour 26 minutes and ran the 13 km road to trail run course in one hour and 31 minutes passing under the Golden Gate Bridge and thru several city landmarks which also includes the treacherous 400 step infamous sand ladder.
A mother of three, Ramos had a total finish time of four hours and 29 second.
“I had no choice but to jump off the boat, with the water temp at 55 degrees, it was too cold that I had to wear a wet suit and bootys. The current was so strong and the waves were huge! I was really surprised how I got to the shore. Once done with my swim I was already confident with my bike and run. I already felt like a winner then,” said Ramos, whose husband Jet is also a triathlete.
Ramos trained in the 50 meter cold pool at the Baguio Athletic Bowl and rode the Ambuklao Roads with her bike and ran up and down Mt. Cabuyao for her preparation.
“Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon” attracts world champions, Olympic medalists and the best amateur triathletes from 50 states and over 40 countries.
Alcatraz Island’s mystique is part of the attraction that draws more than 2,000 triathletes to San Francisco year after year.
The prison was home to more than 1,545 prisoners during its existence as a federal penitentiary from 1934-1963.
Famous inmates include Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Henry Young and Robert Stroud “Birdman of Alcatraz.” Perhaps the most famous “escape from Alcatraz” was that of Frank Lee Morris, who was the brilliant mastermind of one of the most legendary prison escapes in history. Morris and two others escaped from Alcatraz on June 11, 1962, and they were never seen again.
The mystique of the location and the riskiness of the course, most significantly the challenging open water swim in sub average water conditions, continue to draw competitors wanting to achieve bragging rights. (Roderick Osis)