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Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Lake San Antonio, California
United States
Tri-California
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 23m 21s
Overall Rank = 204/1966
Age Group = 40-44
Age Group Rank = 32/278
Pre-race routine:

I woke up early - it was cold and I was unorganized. I was pretty stressed because I didn't finish preparing my bike the day before. I wanted to spin, adjust the gears, etc but after inflating my tire, I heard the tire lose air. FLAT! I spent the day locating a new tubular tire. By the time I finished gluing my new tire on, it was too dark to do a spin and any needed bike maintenance. I went to bed early and sort of slept.

I didn't really have breakfast... I had a Hershey's chocolate bar and some Gatorade then Lilia and I took the ferry to the transition area and set up. I've never been in such a large transition area.

Shivered in the cool morning air. Listened to a motivational speech by the race director - although I could have done without the "God speak". With such a large international crowd, it sounded out of place and awkward.

I chatted with the folks in my area. Every time I tried to get to the swim start, I remembered something that I forgot and went back... I made it to the swim start with about 4 or 5 minutes before the start of the race.

Event warmup:

Swam about 100 meters then found a spot near the start, adjusted my goggles and shifted my feet back and forth.
Swim
  • 43m 15s
  • 1931 meters
  • 02m 14s / 100 meters
Comments:

OK, I don't get my lame time here... Either the course was long or the current and chop played more of a factor than I realized while swimming. I know I'm not a fast swimmer, but I'm not this slow either... Last year at 5430, I swam considerably faster with way less training and confidence.

Anyway, I actually enjoyed the swim... a first during a tri for me. I went out in the middle of my wave and made my way to the first buoy at which point you go right until the turn around. My age-group was huge so we had two waves and I was in the first. I felt strong and my strokes felt smooth and effortless. I thought I was going fast and I was able to stay with a large group of same colored swim caps. I was even able to pass people in earlier waves... I felt like I was on my way to a personal best swim for sure!!! I could feel the waves but they didn't bother me at all. At the turn around my confidence grew further and I felt like I was surging to the finish. When I got to the last buoy I couldn't believe it! It didn't feel like I was tired or like I was out there very long. I raced to the finish and as I got out of the water I hit my watch for the split and when I saw 42:32 (official time was more because of run to transition), my heart sank for a second. But then I saw JuliaPurr yelling at me to get my ass moving and I did!

What would you do differently?:

I don't know... I do need to train more. I was happy with my training leading up to this race, and I'm faster than last year. I KNOW that! I think I swam well. My time sucked rotten eggs, but I was fresh leaving the water.
Transition 1
  • 01m 51s
Comments:

Transition was fine. I did struggle for a few seconds getting my heels out of the suit, but not enough to bother me much. I think my time was as good as most of the fast guys here.
What would you do differently?:

Not much. Perhaps, body glide the inside of my suit near ankles.
Bike
  • 2h 51m 25s
  • 56 miles
  • 19.60 mile/hr
Comments:

OK, first off. My time was a little better here: I crashed at mile 3 and wasted a little more than 5 minutes getting going again. Actual ride time was about 2:45 and my actual avg mph was about 20.3 which was as good as the winner of my age group.

With that said, this was a tough, tough ride. I got out of transition and within the first mile the climbing begins! The first climb is very steep and fairly longish. I was into it! I easily passed people and I was in my element here. As I approached the top of this hill, I went from my little ring to the big ring I threw my chain! I tried to peddle it back on and with my head down I ran into a fence that was across part of the road (it should not have been there!). I went down hard. I destroyed my new aero helmet, mashed my rear derailleur, gouged my carbon aero bars and less I forget, scraped up my knees, elbow, shoulders and back. Dripping blood, I got up and started trying to untangle my chain... I watched people I passed going up, fly past me. I was freaking out! Finally I stopped. Ate a Goo, drank some Gatorade and calmed down. I looked at my chain and realized that it was inverted and if I took my time I could get it on and I could get going again.

I did and descended this hill and began another long climb. I heard something fall on the road... I thought it was just my Gatorade on my seat but it was also my Pit Stop flat repair and my new tubular spare tire! Uh oh!

At mile 8 the first big climb was over and the rolling hills begin... I start pounding hard and I'm feeling good now... I'm passing folks and really enjoying the ride. I start to fuel up for the big climb known as NASTY GRADE... Unfortunately, I couldn't go as fast as I wanted to... the winds were swirling... 20 mile an hour winds with gusts of 30... It was demoralizing but everyone was dealing with the same thing. I knew on the ride that I wasn't going to reach my goal of a sub-five hour half-ironman... oh well... I continued riding hard and continued to feel strong. At around mile 38 you turn into the big hills that become Nasty Grade. The climbing was hard but I was in a rhythm and I caught the only person to actually pass me on the ride. Somewhere on the climb I heard a hiss... I look at my front tire and I see a metal shard in my tire... Luckily when I glued my tire on the day before, I also put some TUFO tire sealant in there and it was working! I lost some tire pressure, but the hissing stopped. the pressure of the tire pushed the shard out far enough that when I wiped the tire it came out along with a little white Tufo sealant. I never even had to get off my bike. I could feel a bump in my tire for some reason though. I just hoped the tire would make another 15 miles or so.
The day before the race, Lilia and I drove the course so I knew that there was a false summit to Nasty Grade. I got to the first "summit" and poured it on hard to the top. I was surprised when I got to the top because I thought there was more climbing to go, but I recognized where I was and began a smoking fast descent. I thought it would be really fast to the finish but it wasn't. MORE WIND! Soon enough though, I was at mile 55 and into the fast descent to transition.

All in all a very strong ride on a very difficult course with unfavorable winds.

I was an ANIMAL on this ride!!!

What would you do differently?:

Not crash.

This was a preparation crash. If I had adjusted my gears as intended the day before I wouldn't have crashed...

It bums me out too... This was an expensive crash!
Transition 2
  • 02m 13s
Comments:

Too slow. I should have been about 45 seconds faster.
What would you do differently?:

Run without socks. I put my socks on and changed shirts... this took too much time.
Run
  • 1h 40m 37s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 07m 41s  min/mile
Comments:

I ran very well. Not all out but strong and comfortable. I didn't really feel bad until around mile 11/12. I could have ran harder for sure and my HR kind of shows it. I didn't have the usual cardiac drift, but had the opposite instead... my heart rate got slower towards the end.

I did have knee pain that that got bad from mile 7 on (as a result of my bike crash) and my elbow hurt too.
What would you do differently?:

Push harder especially the second half.
Still I was happy with my run.
Post race
Warm down:

Went to the aid station to have all of my wounds attended to. Hung out with SGT VIK, had a beer and waited for Lilia to finish.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

The course.
Oh and the naked aid station! I couldn't get the image of all those big boobs and little peckers out of my head!

Event comments:

This was an awesome race. A beautiful setting. VERY well run and organized. I enjoyed it immensely.

5300 feet of climbing between the bike and run. HUGE

With that said, the finishers medal might have well been a plastic laminate! It is tiny and weighs about an ounce. Pretty pathetic actually. Also, why races continue to give cotton t-shirts out, I'll never know! Every race should give a tech shirt. People train in tech shirts and that's a great way to promote the event. I on the other hand, will be cleaning my bike with the complimentary t-shirt!

Wildflower is a tough race. It is a must do race for sure.




Last updated: 2007-05-07 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:43:15 | 1931 meters | 02m 14s / 100meters
Age Group: 0/278
Overall: 1353/1966
Performance: Good
AVG Heart rate: 142 Max 147
Suit: Full Suit
Course: Loop course
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 65F / 18C Current: High
200M Perf. Good Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Good
Waves: Good Navigation: Good
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 01:51
Performance: Good
Cap removal: Average Helmet on/
Suit off:
Yes
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Good
Biking
02:51:25 | 56 miles | 19.60 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/278
Overall: 146/1966
Performance: Good
Wind:
Course: Lots of climbing... A loop route.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Below average Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:13
Overall: Below average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal
Running
01:40:37 | 13.1 miles | 07m 41s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/278
Overall: 130/1966
Performance: Good
Mile 1&2: 14:56 AVG HR 152 MAX 159 Mile 3: 6:09 AVG HR 152 MAX 159 Mile 4: 7:42 AVG HR 153 MAX 158 Mile 5: 9:09 AVG HR 155 MAX 160 Mile 6&7: 15:31 AVG HR 154 MAX 159 Mile 8: 6:55 AVG HR 152 MAX 156 Mile 9&10: 16:03 AVG HR 148 MAX 154 Mile 11: 6:44 AVG HR 148 MAX 152 Mile 12: 9:15 AVG HR 144 MAX 147 Mile 13 (plus .1 mile): 9:15 AVG HR 144 MAX 147
Course: Super hill! This was like a very HARD trail half marathon... a couple thousand feet of climbing
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2007-05-08 3:21 PM

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Expert
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Conifer, Colorado
Subject: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course


2007-05-08 3:35 PM
in reply to: #793417

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Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course

Man, you still had an awesome race despite the obstacles!!!  Everyone I know seemed to go 2-3 mintes slower on the swim, it was actually a pretty tough lake swim with the chop and all.

Incredible bike and run splits.  Way to go

2007-05-08 3:37 PM
in reply to: #793417

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Expert
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Denver
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course

You had me at big boobs and little peckers. Too funny. Sucks about the crash - sounds like you went through a lot of out there and still finished strong. I hear ya on the swim disappointment too, but I assume that even though the time wasn't there, you didn't expend as much energy so you had some more in reserve for the bike and run. Sounds like a good weekend for you guys.

2007-05-08 4:12 PM
in reply to: #793417

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Master
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Ann Arbor, MI
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Hehe, little peckers. The boobs would slow me down too!

Great race, despite all the difficulties. I hope you and your bike are repaired soon! Awesome job out there, anda great RR!
2007-05-08 4:25 PM
in reply to: #793417

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A very cool place in Colorado :)
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course

Shoulda snuck in the flippers, dude ~ HA! Totally kidding    DAMN, you rocked that race!! Way to book it out there on your bike. That is an incredibly fast time and then your run, which was not all out for you, was smokin' F A S T as well!!

Well done! Welcome to race season 

 

2007-05-08 5:07 PM
in reply to: #793417

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Master
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Denver
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
What? The hills weren't enough of a challenge for you? If you crash into a fence in the middle of the road again just to make it more difficult I'm afraid I'm going to have to call you out on it. Awesome race, way to smoke those hills.


2007-05-08 5:59 PM
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Pro
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Broomfield, Colorado
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
LOL!  I have never seen anyone have as many bike problems as you in races!  Regardless, phenomenal race, even if you weren't happy with the swim....still darn good  
2007-05-08 8:35 PM
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Expert
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Highlands Ranch, CO
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Great race, man.  You still kicked it.  Glad to hear the helmet came in handy.  Hopefully the bike isn't in too bad a shape.  Good to see you're itching to start the training again. 
2007-05-08 9:45 PM
in reply to: #793417

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Official BT Coach
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Englewood, CO
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Wow, impressive race after a not so good swim and a damn crash.  Would you please put a whole race together and kick everyones !   GEEZ.  Nice work bud!  Talk to ya soon.  No mention of the jack knife debacle?
2007-05-08 11:43 PM
in reply to: #793417


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Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Man, two close calls in what, 3 weeks??? At least you didn't get hurt too badly. Great job for the tough conditions. You're a mad man I tell ya! A mad man!

Good to know you're OK and hopefully the bike with recover in time too.
2007-05-09 7:34 PM
in reply to: #793417

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Master
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San Francisco
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
that bike crash sounded nasty, but sounds like you recovered from it well and kicked on the course anyway. Great job. It was a good day to be out doing a tri, except for the wind.


2007-05-10 6:44 AM
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Champion
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MA
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course

With your difficulties you really did amazing out there!

I love that you stayed calm, adjusted as needed and continued to kick butt on a tough bike course.

Glad you are okay...how is the bike? Sounds like you need to get some new tri stuff...new helmet and the like.

Congrats! 

2007-05-10 11:29 AM
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Extreme Veteran
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Denver, CO
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Despite the hardships, you had a great race! I started reading the part about your front tire losing air and thought "oh no! No spare tire or flat repair!" Luckily everything ended up ok with that - some "supreme being" was looking down on ya. Sorry about the helmet, but at least we found out that those aero helmets are functional AND aerodynamic!
2007-05-10 5:19 PM
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Expert
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Conifer, Colorado
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course


Edited by DickDime 2007-05-10 5:20 PM
2007-05-10 5:23 PM
in reply to: #793417

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Veteran
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Seattle
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Awesome race despite the crash! I can't believe you managed to be so fast on the bike and on the run considering how much pain you were in right after the race and still are for that matter!

I am really proud of your swim time! How did you pull that off? I need to learn a thing or two from you

You are so ready to come in under 4:45 on a flatter course!
2007-05-10 9:48 PM
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Champion
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Evergreen, Colorado
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Dude.  Anyone who crashes during a race and still finishes is my HERO.  You ROCK!  I hope the bike is in okay shape...


2007-05-10 11:01 PM
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Champion
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Carlsbad, California
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
You really cranked this race

Seems to me that Finish times are about 10% What Happens to Us during the Race, and 90% how we react to what happens.

You Clearly kept your focus and your wits about you and kept the train on the tracks.

I know you were looking for Sub-5 and you came pretty darn close.

Great job out there; you really smoked it. Your run time is the coolest, I bet you had a faster time than many of the Pros out there. (The rumor was that most of the Pros were walking some of the steeper Trail Ascents)

Good On Ya Mate
2007-05-11 10:50 PM
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Expert
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Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Even w/ the crash and wounds, you still rocked it dude!!! Fantastic example of maintaining your focus.  Plus I always think the guys sporting wounds on the run are freaking tough!
2007-05-15 4:44 PM
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Veteran
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Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Great Race...you definetly deserve a couple of cases of PBR's!

Not that I'm an expert, but if your gonna crash, you should have skipped the fence and crashed into the boobs....would have at least provided some cushion for you and the bike

Dam...you are Super Fast!
2007-05-15 5:10 PM
in reply to: #793417

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Champion
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Dallas, TX
Subject: RE: Wildflower Triathlon - Long Course
Great job on overcoming the crash. That sounds... brutal.

Looks like a wonderful race. Especially considering all the "issues" you had out there!

Naked aid station? WHAT? I at least hope it was good naked.

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