Sub. Five. Wildflower. Club.
Four little words that have been the focus of my 2010 triathlon season. Of course there really isn't such a club, but it's a magic barrier that I've been gunning for since my first Wildflower Long Course race three years ago. I've gone sub-5 at Ironman California 70.3, but Wildflower is different because it's such a tough course that just gets harder as the day unfolds. That said, it epitomizes everything that is great about the amazing sport of triathlon...lots of competitive racing, wonderful people, the amazing venue of Lake San Antonio surrounded by Central California wineries, and a special ambiance that is driven by the fact that the vast majority of athletes (along with their friends and families) camp out under the stars.
I drove to the race with my good friend Scott, his wife Jackie, and their son Ryan. With three bikes, camping gear, and all of our triathlon gear we barely fit everything into the SUV, but with some careful packing we got it all in there somehow. Thankfully, our good friends (and fellow Long Beachers) Craig and Barbara saved us a primo camp site in Redondo Vista near LA Tri Club headquarters, so that made life much easier and we were able to setup camp in no time.
Though the nights were really cold (in the low-40's), race morning warmed up nicely and it was absolutely beautiful as we ate breakfast and made our way to transition. I was racing in the 35 - 39 age group for the first time and was in the first wave start (yes, I'm 34 but USAT rules state that I race 35 - 39 because at the end of the year I'll be 35...if you don't think that makes sense neither do I).
The transition at Wildflower is ginormous (real word, click if you don't believe me) as there are over 7,000 athletes competing in the three different races (long course, mountain bike sprint, and Olympic) over the weekend. Thankfully, each rack is individually labeled with one's bib number so this makes it easy to find a spot.
Alright, let's get to the race...
Swim: 31:46 (1:38/100m)
After a short warm up swim I seeded myself on the inside near the front. The swim to the first buoy was really congested, but afterwards I found some clean water and just settled into a rhythm. At the half-way mark I found some fast feet and the guy I was following was swimming on a great line back to the swim exit, so I hung onto him all the way back to the boat ramp which definitely saved some energy for the long bike and run ahead.
T1: 3:01
A little slow, but it was still chilly so I put my socks on before the bike instead of waiting to do it prior to the run.
Bike: 2:47:02 (20.1 mph)
I love the Wildflower bike. After a steep climb out of transition, it's mostly rolling hills until mile 40 when you approach a 5 -6 mile sustained climb before descending back towards transition. It's a course that really favors consistency and using a power meter really helps ensure that you keep your effort in check. Here's the details from my PowerTap:
Duration: 2:47:02
Work: 2170 kJ
TSS: 183.4 (intensity factor 0.812)
Norm Power: 226
VI: 1.05
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: n/a
Distance: 55.331 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 797 217 watts
Cadence: 35 182 84 rpm
Speed: 2.2 48.5 19.9 mph
Pace 1:14 26:49 3:01 min/mi
For the first time in a few months my position felt great on the bike and I was able to ride in the aero position no problem for everything but the steepest climbs.
I had a couple of snafus during the bike: First, at mile 10 when I hit a large pothole that forced the nose of my saddle down about an inch. I rode with it like that for a couple of miles, but figured out that wasn't going to work so at the top of the next little climb I hopped off the bike and used my hand to hammer the saddle back to level where thankfully it stayed for the rest of the race. Second, was that my Garmin 310xt (normally a great device) froze up. I reset it multiple times, but I couldn't get it to work and finally gave up. This wasn't such a big deal for the bike as I still had my bike computer, but it was going to be a big loss on the run since it was the device that provides me with my pace and splits.
I also want to give a shout out to the race director and course marshals as they were out in full force keeping everyone honest on the bike and doing their best to minimize drafting. I like the 3 bike length rule and definitely used it to my advantage while staying within the rules.
T2: 1:05
Fastest T2 in my entire age group, as it should be (for once)!
Run: 1:36:55 (7:23/mile)
So after training with my Garmin for the past 10mos it's not working on the run so my only option is to run by feel. I started out feeling ok and ran with a couple of guys who were probably running 6:30's. I quickly realized I couldn't hold this pace and slowed a bit, but really began to hurt at mile 3. I felt like my legs were going to cramp at any moment (though they never did) so settled into a slower pace on the hills, but still tried to push the downhills. I took my time at the aid stations to make sure I took in sufficient calories and even started taking my SaltStick caps to prevent any cramping due to electrolyte or sodium depletion. I suffered good through mile 7 1/2, but as I entered the campground I asked a spectator for the time on his wrist and started doing the math in my head. I knew when I started so based on my rough calculation I had about 43 minutes to run the final 5.6 miles. I still had a shot at going sub-5. After thinking I was out of the game early on in the run, this re-energized me and I really pushed the pace the final half of the race.
Coming down Lynch Hill I didn't know if I was going to make it, but I was running downhill about as fast as I could without falling on my face. I passed 3 or 4 other guys on my way to the finishing shoot and as I entered the shoot, turned the corner, and hit the carpet I could see the clock read 4:59:36! Twenty-four seconds to go so I gave it everything I had and made it across the line only eleven seconds under my goal of five hours!
Definitely too close for comfort in my book, but I was elated with the result and more than anything just glad to be done! I treated myself to a Birthday Cake ice cream waffle cone and a couple of cold beers which truly hit the spot!
I finished 17th in the Men's 35 - 39 age group (out of 262 athletes) and 64th overall (out of 1800+ athletes).
After relaxing in the grass and listening to the bands, we took in some real food at the LA Tri Club Dinner which is always a first-class affair and a great way to end yet another amazing weekend at Wildflower. I'm already looking forward to next year!
