THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 5, 1994 TAG: 9408040199
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
STEVE RIVERS ADMITS it was ``five hours of pure torture'' - the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon - but he can't wait to compete again next July.
He is still awaiting official results of the 14th annual competition in San Francisco to see exactly where he finished, but he doesn't really care.
``My goal was to finish,'' he said. ``I did. And I definitely wasn't last. I have a picture of myself crossing the finish line and there's a runner behind me.''
Dozens of the 250 entries, which included world-class male and female triathletes, dropped out.
The Alcatraz triathlon began with a 1.5-mile swim through shark-infested waters from the old prison. A one-mile run to his bicycle followed. Then came a 14-mile bicycle ride that included a windy trip across the Golden Gate bridge.
And it closed with a 13.1 mile run up and down mountainside terrain.
The 46-year-old Rivers, a history teacher at Churchland High School, trained for nearly a year.
``I have to say this was the most exciting thing I have ever done in my life,'' said Rivers.
``Since I run in so many marathons, I figured the swimming would be the most difficult part for me. To prepare for it, I swam 100 laps twice a week at the Naval Hospital and I went to Virginia Beach for 1 1/2 miles of ocean swimming many, many times.
``Except for the cold water and the choppiness, the swimming went well for me. Somebody had told me the current would be carrying you far off course if you weren't careful. I sighted in on the Trans-America building and that's the way I directed myself to shore.
``I still have burns on my neck from where I was chafed by my wet suit.
``Before we started the swim, they carried us out to Alcatraz by ferry. Now I know how it must feel when you make that first parachute jump out of an airplane. We had a 10-foot jump out of the ferry into the water. Right then I knew I was at the point of no return.
``It was 7:15 in the morning and the water was freezing.
``I didn't know it then but the swimming was the easy part. It took me about 53 minutes.
``The bicycle ride was just pure torture and then the run was a living nightmare.
The six-foot Rivers, who trimmed down from 190 to his present weight of 159 while training, said his bike ``made its grind OK.''
``But it was over the mountains, down in the valley, over the mountains again. It seemed like you were always struggling to go uphill or holding on for dear life coming down.''
And then came the running.
``That was supposed to be the easy part for me,'' said Rivers, a former hurdler on the University of Maryland track team and the co-captain of the McDonogh School team in Baltimore.
``Since I run all the time with the Tidewater Striders, I knew that wouldn't be a problem at all for me. Ha!
``There is nothing here to really prepare you for the run. I ran Mount Trashmore three times a week in practice, but that was nothing compared to this.
``First there were no mile markers, so you never knew how to pace yourself. Then you would think you were coming to the crest of the mountain but it just leveled off and then you were going up again. I remember saying over and over, `where is the damn top of this mountain?'
``All the time the wind seemed to be blowing at me. And I'm following little orange ribbons tied down with rocks. Much of the time I was enveloped in fog.
``Finally, when I reached that finish line I was so elated. It was just after noon so it took me about five hours. I looked at the time at the finish line, but I can't even remember what it was. I just knew I had made it.
``It was over. And I was thinking that my plane didn't crash, my bike held up, I didn't get sick, I didn't get sore and I didn't pull a muscle. And I made it all the way.''
His son, Mark, and two cousins were at the finish line to greet him. Mark, 21, who is stationed in nearby Alameda aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, had traveled much of the race course by automobile a day earlier to pick out vantage points to shoot pictures.
``After I finished, I took a 3-hour nap,'' said Rivers. ``Then Mark and I went out on the town.
``I know right now that I can trim a little time on the swimming. I believe I can cut 25 minutes off my run time - when I go back next year . . .
``I left my heart in San Francisco.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos courtesy of Steve Rivers and Escape from Alcatraz
Triathlon
``My goal was to finish,'' said Steve Rivers. ``I did. And I
definitely wasn't last. I have a picture of myself crossing the
finish line and there's a runner behind me.''
The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon began with a 1.5-mile swim
through shark-infested waters from the old prison.
ABOVE: After shedding his wet suit, Rivers had to make a one-mile
run to his bicycle, followed by a 14-mile bicycle ride that included
a windy trip across the Golden Gate bridge.
RIGHT: The event closed with a 13.1 mile run up and down
mountainside terrain.
by CNB