Alcatraz. The very name conjures up thoughts of hopelessness. This prison sits on an island in the middle of the frigid San Francisco Bay, covered in fog and mystique. It's a foreboding place to visit, but a great place from which to escape.

A few summers ago, a group of FCA Endurance athletes joined about 1,800 others in the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon. We were taken on a boat to the island, and after they dropped anchor, they opened the side doors and yelled, “Go!” We spilled out like paratroopers into the black, choppy, 55-degree water and swam as fast as we could across the 1.5 mile channel. After that tiring swim, we then biked 18 miles of hills and finished off with an 8-mile trail run. It was an absolutely intense experience.

Solitude is a topic that has been on my heart for a long time. It seems like solitude and silence in the presence of God has become optional for us in today’s productivity-driven society. Because we aren’t tangibly achieving anything we can physically see, we don’t think there’s use in it. Or, that if we do take time out to sit silently before the Lord, it’s a waste of time since we’re not getting better at anything or furthering any sort of progress.