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Wildflower Triathlon - Olympic Distance
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Wildflower Triathlon - Olympic Distance - TriathlonOlympic
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 Swim
Comments: Of the three, I lost the most sleep over the swim. I had a horrible swim last race, I panicked and ended up breast stroking the whole thing. This time I was very apprehensive. The start was fine. I always start at the front as I don't mind the contact. Of all things, I really came to appreciate lake swims. A mouthfull of lake water goes down oh so much easier than the same size mouthfull of saltwater. After the first few meters, I settled into a comfortable pace (too comfortable, it turns out)and spent most of the time looking for a pair of feet to follow that looked as if they knew where they were going. On a few occasions I failed to sight for too long and wound up having to correct my course. Nothing too serious. I learned alot about crowds and cornering in this race. Being aggressive, not contact wise, but forward motion wise, at the start and at the turns tends to help you define your own space. I think I took the swim a little too easy out of sheer apprehesion. As an aside, I love my wetsuit. Swimming in this thing is a pleasure, I felt like I was paddling on a surfboard the entire time. What would you do differently?: Sight better and more often. Be much much more aggressive. I took this whole swim too easy out of fear for the distance.  Transition 1
Comments: This transition area is approximately the size of the state of Texas. Appropriately, given the size of the damned thing, they have national flags around the perimeter. I used these to triangulate my approximate position at the intersection of Canada and Germany. It's huge, but as you would expect, it is well laid out and organized. I got to my area with no trouble. What would you do differently?: I could have made this go faster had I gotten after it. I used the excuse that this was my forst olympic distance and I wanted to take it kinda easy. What a bunch of crap that is. GO!!!! It's a race for god's sake! Train with no socks, buy some single strap tri shoes, practice getting into shoes already strapped to the bike, but mostly, just freaking GO!  Bike
Comments: I am happy with my bike performance. I LOVE passing guys on $5,000 tri bikes with disc wheels wearing time trial helmets and the like. Love the sound the disc wheels make. Love the double takes. It just makes me feel all giddy inside. My recent hill training really paid off here. What would you do differently?: GET A $5000 TRI BIKE WITH DISC WHEELS ALREADY. Transition 2
Comments: Again, just a little more giddyup. I narrowly avoided one of those low speed clipless pedal crashes at the bike entrance to transition. You know, the ones where you unclip you right foot and fall over to the left? Maybe its just me. Peedra, ever vigilant with the camera, managed to get this on film. What would you do differently?: Hurry.  Run
Comments: The run continues to be my biggest challenge. I knew this going in and set out with a single, simple goal of no walking and a ten minute mile pace. Missed them both by "that" much..... I walked a total of about 100 yards just as I was cresting the top of the hill. I'm not sure what good this did e as there were a few guys who were running some, walking some and alternately passing and being passed by me, the net effect being virtually no difference in our positions at the end of the race. There were aid stations and guys with hoses spraying everyone down. God bless those guys. What would you do differently?: Train harder and better for the run. It remains my worst subject. Post race
Warm down: I ran straight through the finish chute, was adorned by the lovely Cal Poly volunteers with my finisher's medal and a wet towel and made a beeline straight for the lake. 64 degree water..... mmmmmm. What limited your ability to perform faster: I suppose I could harp on the fact that I got a poor night's sleep and was just getting over a cold, but that's a huge cop out. I had plenty of energy. I had no problem breathing. Overall, I set out to a.) finish and b.) try to do it in under 3:20. I'm very pleased. Event comments: This is a West Coast Institution in the sport, it's clear to me. It was a lot of fun getting wrapped up in the energy of it all. There are spectators/wellwishers all throughout the course. The race organizers did a fine job, as they should, they've had 25 years to get it right. I recommend it, although, i would recommend camping there if you're going to do it. The ingress/egress from the race site represented the only real frustration. The course is definitely challenging with the heat and all of the hills. It's so worth it to be in a small city sized virtual community of people with the same passion for the sport. Last updated: 2007-03-27 12:00 AM
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 2007-05-07 10:53 PM |
Regular  63  So Cal. |  Subject: Wildflower Triathlon - Olympic Distance |
| 2007-05-07 11:10 PM in reply to: #792419 |
Extreme Veteran 333 Bend, OR | Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Olympic Distance It's funny, we all have that mindset at some point to slow down and enjoy your first....NO just get on the f@#cking bike and GO!!! It's a race damit!!! I love it!! The things we fear. Great race report and I'm glad you got in there and enjoyed the finish. The JOURNEY is the reward! Cheers! |
| 2007-05-10 11:59 PM in reply to: #792419 |
Master 1588  San Francisco | Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Olympic Distance great job on your first oly and congrats on meeting your race goals! |
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United States
Tri-California
90F / 32C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 1099/2701
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 157/259
What a weekend adventure we had, Peedra and I. We spent the day Saturday driving roughly four hours up 101 to the general vicinity of the race. We stayed outside of the race grounds in Atascadero which is about an hour away at a local hotel.
Wildflower, known as a lakeside camping triathlon extended weekend sojourn. Personally, i consider myself to be camping neutral. I can do it or not. Peedra on the other hand, my virtual spouse, is decidedly camping hostile. We stayed in an Extended Stay America last time we went out of town for a race and she likened *that* to camping...... Suffice to day, no camping for us.
What a mad panic it was just getting to the site for the race package pick up. Wow. This really is the Woodstock of triathlon. Everywhere you looked, camping triathletes, everywhere... by the thousands. There are also tons of college kids. The bulk of the volunbteers are lovely young women from Cal Poly SLO.
This is my first Olympic distance and I am, as usual, all wound up about it. "I wonder if I can do the swim...... If I do the swim, I wonder if I can make it up the hill on the bike..... If I do make the bike, I wonder if I'll have anything left for the run.... " this in a nonstop daisychain in my head all night the night before. My mind perpetually in the process of gnawing off its own foot in order to escape from itsself. No sleep for me.
I didn't really do any warmup to speak of, we were allowed in the water for a few minutes just prior to the wave start. A few strokes out, a few strokes back and then to the starting line. The smart people swam a portion of the course yesterday. I am not a very smart person, turns out.