Fitness: My escape from Alcatraz

Every year, 800 or so adventurous swimmers board an early-morning ferry for the swim of their lives. The Alcatraz Sharkfest is a swim from the famous prison in San Francisco Bay to the mainland, through water known for its current, cold temperature and sharks. It’s not exactly swimmer-friendly, and yet I was registered. As Christmas presents go, it was a doozy.
The gift was from my daughter, Shannon, with the intention that we would swim the 1.5-mile (2,400-metre) course together. I starte