The Half CaliMan, run on September 17, 2005 together with the iron distance CaliMan, proved to be a special race in a number of ways:

This race is a mix of half and full ironman racers. There were about 300 Half Iron distance racers and about 130 Iron distance racers. This race is unique in that the half distance racers are treated the same as the full iron competitors. There is a mass start of everyone in the Sacramento River. The water was about 70 degrees so you who don't like the cold ocean have no worries here.

My 6th Escape From Alcatraz was one of my poorer performances, no doubt enhanced by failing to follow my instincts and listening too much to the harping of the race officials about the tremendous current.

They thought the current was so tremendous that we of the over 40 group were dropped east of Alcatraz rather than south of the rock. Undoubtedly, the bosses thought the current would make up the distance. Wrong. I went for the piers at Ft. Mason rather than for the Fontana Towers. This was a concession to the harping about the current.

It was unseasonably cool in the few days Marian and I were there before the race. It rained a bit whereas last year there were raging forest fires. We did the usual stuff: buy things we didn't need at the merchandise tent, swim in the lake ( about 70 and reasonably clear), hang out, go to the carbo party. We registered and took our stuff to the transition area. In Ironman races, the participants usually drop off their bikes and gear the day before the race. All the usual stuff but this was not a usual race, at least not for us.

The real story is Marian.