Race Report: Wildflower Long Course

WARNING: This is a long report…it contains moments of X-rated stories, humor that only I find funny, and the group’s final times that may make some of you cry (aka Jeff). Read on at your peril...

For more photos of the weekend, go to my Picasa photo album.

Go the the end if you just want to see results, final comments, and the final photo!

The big weekend had arrived…months of training and trash talking to culminate in 8 hours of swimming, biking, and running….for the t-shirt, medal, and lifetime story of “Wildflower Long Course” participant.

PRE-EVENT

The pre-day event was filled with the usual stuff…collecting my race registration, pitching the tent, and chatting amongst friends. We were camping with  our training crew, coach, and some extra support crew in tow that made our whole group of 12 a fun crowd.

I took the opportunity to go to the massage tent and got advice about the knee….a run 2 days ago had still shown signs of pain after 2 miles even with the recent cortisone shot…so my anxiety was high about being able to finish the run course. The team there moved the knee around and then used kinesiology tape (aka Rock Tape) around the knee. I hoped that the patriotic Stars and Stripes were on my side.

Stars and Stripes Knee

A big thank you to our fellow crew for volunteering – they made it possible to have THE best space to camp…at the Lynch camp grounds right net to the whole event, expo center, transition area….which meant instead of a 1 hour extravaganza on a bus to get to the race…we had a calm leisurely walk of 5 minutes.

Camp Ground B right next to Transition Area

Our support crew (Grace, Dennis, Jo, Kevin, and Bear) created fantastic meals for us with a feast of salmon, salad, and garlic bread for us before we sat round the fire and ate smores…or in my case my double dipped fire marshmallows.

Burn those Marshmallows!

Now sitting by the camp fire is a time to tell stores…so I asked the group to say “their favorite vacation” and that was well received but when I asked “your worst race event story” I got looks from the group that I should NOT have asked that question….as if I would jinx someone….and sure enough the next day proved it to be true with my horror race story!

Race Morning

We all ventured to bed…and those with ear plugs slept well…the others got to hear the event crew set up until 1am…and then the ever so generous volunteer wake up siren at 4:30am.  Guess we’re up then!

Race Morning

I took the morning opportunity to walk and get focused….taking the course map with me and mentally visualizing myself going through the whole race….from the swim start, to the transitions, to the food I would eat, and the smile on my face as I crossed the finish line at a goal of 8 hours.

I was planning for a 1-4-3 event…1 hour swim, 4 hour bike ride, and 3 hour run/walk with the transition time included. I wasn’t here to win any elite medals, but this was my goal for knowing my current physical condition and abilities. And a key proof point on the way to IronMan Arizona in November this year.

My secret weapon for the day was my play list….no music allowed on the course which is my lovely companion in training…so I created my paper play list to get me through various stages on the day….some of my team mates laughed at me (yes…you know who you are) but I also heard that they used a few of these songs themselves….so glad to help out the crew!

Paper Playlist...Beatles, B-52s, Black Eyed Peas

Race Start - Swim

Our crew walked to the transition and ten we split up into our respective waves and areas. There were over 16 waves (1700 racers!) for the long course and I was the last wave of the bunch. Wildflower chooses to put the women at the end of the waves, like it or not, so I was expecting to be last in to the finish line of the group by quite a stretch...at least I'd have a good homecoming crowd!

Tick-tock.....each of the group starts...then it's my turn at 9:15am. Got a quick splash in the water to adjust to the water temp of 63 degrees. It was lovely in the 70+ degree morning that was building up standing in those black wetsuits.

Bang...and the group was off. I started off in the back-right of the group as suggested. You get a chance to breathe and don't get squished into the dock on the left hand side. What I hadn't realized was this group was all the same age and gender (F30-34) so there was not such a wide split of abilities as I had expected, so I was in the middle of the swim pack for most of the way.

swim start

I decided that in the end was a good thing...I didn't get the issue of feeling like I was "at the back and useless" like I can in some groups, and I also got to use the group for sighting.  I have quite a bad hook in my swimming which means I veer off the course quite a bit...the kayaks have to touch me to tell me "way off course lady". So this time I tracked in the middle. I had to pay the price of being the the blender a bit, but my attitude adjusted to elbow jabs, leg kicks, water splashes quite easily. It was interesting to note how aggressive you can feel in a swim...

Kept to the standard pattern of focusing on swim stroke (where hand enters, the pull of the arm, and breathing every 2 with a switch of sides every 10 strokes) and counted a standard pattern 1-2-3-4 to keep the mind occupied. My right shoulder seems to take 1/2 mile before it warms up lately (another injury to add to my growing list....I sure am going to become one of those people!).

At the turn point, I have the mental moment of knowing I can do this and being comfortable to pick up the pace. My training crew are also a bunch of competitive guys talking how fast they are going in this and in that...so it kind of registered to me I should push myself in the race and not just stick at a comfortable pace. 

I pick up the pace and get instantly hit by high choppy rolling waves created by the wind. Gulp...water in the mouth. Much better than salt water so no gagging here....just adjust with a different stroke and higher lift of the head. I have to stop 2x to adjust the goggles (this is the 3rd pair this season...can't seem to settle on a pair that fit my face) and 2x to have the traditional pee (TMI for some but it's the truth, and you know you do it too!). Keep chugging away and out the transition I get.

My watch doesn't work in the water so didn't know my pace, from the clock I thought I had hit just under 1 hours at 57 minutes but turned out I did much better than expected so congrats to me.

Swim Time: 00:47:40

Race - Bike

The T1 transition was ok. I seemed to take longer than in other races I've practiced on, partly because of the long distance to get to the bike form the water, but partly mentally decided I'd rather get it all right and take 1 extra minute than find I forget something I need on this brutal 56 mile bike ride.

I did get to see the lady (Margot) next to me who is also training for IMAZ and was surprised that my first long course was Wildflower...more to come later.

T1 Time: 00:05:26

Off on the bike then....I've got the plan and am off to stick to it. Ate my transition food of a banana, drank some of my mixed drink, and am spinning a high cadence to get into the groove before the first hill.
First hill, uuurggh...but I get through it and know the next 15-20 miles are lovely....so looking forward to it.
After leaving the park and onto the main roads, I first feel the wind...a light headwind that feels refreshing on the face. By Mile 15, where I had planned to get some good speed up of a 17 mph, the wind kept me down to a 12 mph. Not good!  I knew from the start that I had to keep to my 4 hour plan to be in the cut-off range on the bike....they set it 5:20 hours after the last wave of females...giving me ~4:30 hours to complete the bike. Last time I did it in practice to was 4:10 hours so I was expecting to be in the same range today.

Remember that camp fire question "what's your worst race story?"....well at mile 16 mine began.....flat tire as I was getting my groove on. Urrrghhh.


Ok, keep a level  head and plan for 10 minutes....take your time and do a proper job so you don't have to do it again. I see a SAG vehicle and I wave him down as back-up but I pretty much am nearly done at this point. He's not SAG but stands and watches me (like that helps!) whilst I check my watch.
SAG rolls up as I'm on the final bit...the inner tube was pinching on the tire and I my fingers were just not able to get in under the tire rim. The SAG guy grabs it and starts his business....pulls the tire off and starts again. Fills it up and then says "great, I'm off the the next one"....of which I get on the bike and start to roll off.....to another flat tire!!

2 flat tires....my 10 minutes of lost time just became 20 minutes! 
We start again and check the tire and tape and tube triple time....he had equipment in his truck that  could use which was great as I wanted to keep my back-ups in as a just in case....

I took the extra 10 minutes to mentally rest and eat some food (Peanut Butter sarnie - yummy) so try and spin it into a positive rest break.

So 20 minutes later, I'm off. My music play list and my pacing are now out the window. There are few bikers on the road now and my cut-off calculations meant I no longer has that 20 minute time buffer to make the cut off to my planned pace.

So I played "chase people down". I set the goal to get past 10 people to make up for the 2 flats...and floored it between Mile 26 - 36. My pace was cooking and I had passed 6 people...admittedly this was back of the pack but it's what I had.

Then just as I start to see a line of people ahead of me (and thus the feeling of more people to pass), my tire blew again. Urrrgggghhhhh.....WTF!! *%$%

I'd just passed the aid station at Mile 36 so got off on the bike and ran the bike back up the hill so they could call SAG. I had enough equipment, but I'd rather have back-up...my luck so far was not good! A truck is luckily there and asked "do you want to stop"....what? stop....no way!! I just need an inner tube and air!

The SAG vehicle had a racer called Jason in it that was pulled from the race at Mile 41 (Nasty Grade) as a spoke on his wheel broke...and there is no replacing that. He came and talked to me as  changed my tire and I saw the look on his face of the defeat and resignation after the months of training....and I was determined not to get that same face.


The SAG guy starts to change my tire but I soon realize he's not that well practiced....so I take it from him and the tire is off in like 5 seconds flat...there is NO time left in my buffer bank here....I get a tube from him and borrow some compressed air. I also get the important information I need...the official cutoff time for the bike. It is 2:45pm for the women....it's 1:15pm right now....


3 flat tires and 30 minutes gone....with officially 1:40 hours to finish 20 miles and nasty grade....doable...just

I shout to the Tri Gods as I get on the bike that they've had their fun...time to find someone new. They wanted me to earn the right to wear the medal for this race and I damn well have earned it....not go away and let me finish!

There is no proper form at the this point, there are no happy sing songs....there is just mashing as much power as I can out of this bike and working out the math in my head for what mile I need to hit by when to know I can make it.

A little humor or rather mesmerizing moment occurred before nasty grade...as I saw an older biker male wearing mesh biker shorts...so his whole bum was exposed. I mean, sweaty crack...hairy bottom...all there....It seemed like a black hole to me....sucking me in towards it.....but I had to go and tackle nasty grade.

Like the mesh biker pants cyclist I saw on the course....

Nasty Grade....I know this...I've done it...I'm slow and I walk a bit of it....but I get back on and I just keep going. Energizer Bunny who is meant to beat us up the hill is no longer beating a drum....instead just looking limp in the heat and standing drinking a bottle of water....

I don't stop for water....I just go. The downhill sections are where I push my usual fear factor of the speed (when I hold the brakes and slow down) out the window and take the hands off the brakes a good touch...not completely...I don't want to crash or die....but a tip from a team mate said "look ahead of you and see the bend in the curve rather than straight in front of you" and I did and it made me more confident and faster in this much needed time.

My last 8 miles and 35 minutes...meaning I have just over 4 minutes per mile. I count off the time to pace each mile...the first mile take 5 minutes....the next one takes 5 minutes.....no way am I missing this.....and I push it hard! I pass Margot (my transition neighbor that was surprised I was doing this course and tell her time is limited....as I pass her...will she make it??)

I start to enter the park and finally meet a person that is informing people about the impending cut off and how their pace is against that...."you have 11 minutes left, so push it if you want to make it"
4 more miles and 11 minutes.....I know the last mile is downhill but the rest is not and there is some long grinding uphills that I can do...but in the needed pace?? PUSH IT!!!

2 more miles and 6 minutes....go-go-go....

Lynch Hill....Great! Will they slow me down for safety? There are tons of runners and I am heeding the very strong warning to "not cross the double yellow line" so am heavily shouting "LEFT!...LEFT!" to every single runner. They stand between me and that cut off......

I swing in....and made the cutoff by 4 minutes!  I learn later that Margot, my transition neighbor made it by 20 seconds!


Bike Time: 04:33:19

Race - Run

I wasn't sure if the transition time was included or not and did not want to chance it...so I changed quickly and tried to get out onto the run course. It meant I forgot to take off my bike shorts (run shorts underneath), but hey...I was on adrenaline rush!

As I ran out the transition I heard the announcer for the finish line say "Chris Jones of San Francisco" and worked out my team mate had made it somewhere around his 06:07 hour goal. First person in...5 more to go...

T2 Time: 00:03:45

Run strategy was to do more of a walk. There was not much in the tank for Miles 1-3 as I had pushed it hard to finish the bike so was really just trying to get my hear rate down and breathing rhythm in place.
I reset my watch to ensure I could watch my pace....3 hours is do-able but only whilst keeping a good walking pace of less than 13 minute miles.

My watch said I was walking a 12 minute mile....then it crapped out....battery low
That Tri god was not allowed back...I told him I'd paid the price and it was my turn to finish this.
I mentally focused to record the pace I was at to ensure I could keep coming back to this....

I paired up with a fellow racer, Karen from Modesto, and told her my 12 minute walking pace strategy, and she stayed with me until Mile 7. It was soooo much better having someone next to you, keeps that mental energy focused on something else...

Knee pain...??? What knee pain! Thank you to the shot, the rest, the tape....what ever it was that made knee pain very very minimal. Felt it on the last 1 mile running down Lynch hill....only! woo hoo!

Instead I got a big fat hot spot on the ball of my right foot at Mile 3 that got bigger and bigger....making me adjust to walking on the back of my foot or on the side....and making it hard to keep that 12 minute walking pace up.

Dehydration kicked in...now learning about salt....need to get that into the practice schedule now.

I kept on walking with the occasional job in a flat or down hill section...and what kept me going at that fast pace was Barrie and his Wed hiking group....he always keeps us at a fast clip....and doesn't stop....keep moving he says....and I did just that and passed a good many walkers at my pace.

What kept Barrie Moving? The Cal Poly flashers from what he told us....not many of us were blessed with this...so congrats Barrie!

Flashers on the run.....I missed these sadly...

Mile 9-11...Satan's pit. Torture to do that to us....walk down that big hill then to turn around and walk back up.....this is where I saw Margot (my transition neighbor). She was about 4 minutes behind me, found she'd made the bike cut off by 20 seconds, and wished her luck for the final.

At Mile 11, it was 5:10pm and I had until 5:45pm, so 35 minutes to make the final 2 miles. At my 13 minute pace (I was tired and dehydrated by now....so give me a break on slowing down) it would be 26 minutes.

Absolutely doable with a small buffer for upsets....but seeing how things had not gone to plan so far...I didn't believe I'd cross that line until I crossed it.

Jogged the final Lynch hill, then rested into a walk before the chute, where I did the final jog...at which point I felt the lack of salt turning into a wicked cramp in my left calf....I was still jogging in and the people where shouting...but I was so nervous I was going to get a sudden spasm and fall to the floor....now that would just be my luck!
Pushed myself and then saw Nigel in the stand - woo hoo!! Got a hand slap...ad they called my name and I came through into the end. Made it with 12 minutes to spare!

Run Time: 02:48:14

Overall Time: 08:18:22
In the end I was off my goal to beat 8 hours by 18 minutes, but after the 3 flat tires I was happy to have finished. Check mark for the half-ironman distance (which many say is more like a 3/4 ironman!) and now back to the ironman training.

Thank you Coach Julie for being there throughout the past 5 months....and now onto IMAZ!

Coach Julie with Lucy and Nigel

The Overall Crew Results
The crew of 6 all finished and had their adventures to tell...In asking them how it went...here's what they said...

Nigel     "The swim...I didn't die...but the usual water gulping and panic attack happened...."
Steve     "I beat Barrie"
Barrie    "Not by much Steve....we'll see what happens at IMAZ"
Jeff         "No comment...."
Chris      "Not bad for no training and my first time swimming in 3 years....and I made my goal of being top 50% of competitors"

The Wildflower Long Course Finishers...woo hoo!

Wildflower Training Camp

Just got back from a weekend of Wildflower Training with the SVTC (Silicon Valley Tri Club) and SFTC (San Francisco Tri Club). We camped in the middle between the 2 groups so got he best of both clubs and met many new people - have to as I'll be in SF in a few weeks and need some training partners to keep me motivated.

The overall weekend was definitely worth the 7+ hours of driving each way!
Here are some of the tips I took away for various parts.

Camping
I'm not really a camper, so this week I used the REI voucher to get lots of camping gear from a tent to sleeping bag to eating utensils....Good to road test them out this weekend.

• Temperature: Weather was FREEZING (32 degrees) on Friday night. Need MUCH warmer sleeping and walking clothes. Sleeping bags are being traded up!
• Tent site: No formal camp-site for your tent, you find a spot and pitch the tent....there is not really any FLAT spaces. We chose a slight hill and rolled all night in the tent. Find a flat space!
• Sleeping comfort: Took an aero bed for some comfort but a standard pillow which caused major stiff neck. Try and swim with neck rotation when you can't move your neck...not good. TIP: Take the foam memory nasa pillow I bought for 3 weeks. Might need a bigger or double deep air mattress.
• Food: Planned out easy meals that were just adding water mainly or light cooking and No refrigeration. Most worked well so will be repeating this...oatmeal, instant mashed potatoes, spaghetti and meatballs in a can, cheese toastie...
• Location: Camped at Harris site this weekend and the actual race is a 30 minute travel (walk/bike with gear on race day) from the race start. Coach Julie has secured spaces in the Lynch camp site right next the start...so many thanks to Julie! Otherwise, plan accordingly...especially with a large hill to navigate with all your stuff.

Bike
Saturday morning was the group bike ride. We were warned that the police were actively out on the roads ensuring people were biking single file only. They were issuing tickets of $150 if they spotted you not in single file. I'm sure this is not the case for race day....but did mean that the group ride wasn't really a group thing.

• Music: Practiced thinking of a few songs to use and sing to myself to get me through the bike. I had Love Shack, Black Eyed Peas Boom-Boom-Boom, and Rocky's Final Countdown for the Final 10 miles. Worked well, but I'll write a few down in the bento box.
• Bento Box: I've been using the bento box for tire supplies lately (had a ride last week with 2 flats in 1 hour - great practice and spooks me out now). But I noticed that FOOD is an issue then as not easily accessible. So need to get a repair bag for the back of bike and put food only in bento. Also - pre-cut and open the food.
• Food: I am always hungry on the bike and I've been using the IronMan Endurance drinks, Honey Stingers, and Cola chews. But my body craved (1) a sweeter more concentrated IronMan mix for Bottle #1 (2) Real food as in a Kind Bar or PB&J sandwich by Mile 30. Need to work out how to fit that into the bento box?!
• Best Locations to Do Stuff: I was scouting the route for where is a good place to focus on various activities like fueling, resting, etc..... My notes had Mile 10-15 as good eating, then Mile 28 for a 1 minute rest and recover as a half way point refresher on the top of the hill. Then Miles 30-32 again to eat, and another energy shot or boost at Mile 38-39 to prepare for the climbing. Rest and drink at the top of Nasty grade at Mile 43 before the rest of the climb. Mile 50 needed another boost of fuel (at this point body needed REAL food) to carry me through and start preparing for run.
• Nasty Grade: So when I drove into the campsite I crossed the dam and had to drive up a very steep windy road. I thought "this must be Nasty Grade". So when we were biking we were going up this hard slog of a hill and I kept thinking "man, if this is hard....how am I going to make it up that Nasty Grade windy hill?!". Then next thing I know I'm at a corner station with people cheering that they made it....I'd gotten up the hill and not even known it! It was definitely a killer hill....but completely do-able. I practice a routine now for long hills...pull ups on 1 leg for 8 count, then the other leg for 8 count, then the calf push for 10 counts, then stand up and ride for 4-6 counts. Repeat and vary as leg areas get tired. This keeps me focused on counting and looking down rather than anything else my mind wants to think about and I eventually get up a hill.
• Time: The overall time for the bike was 4:10 hours. The average speed was in 14-15 mph range which seems realistic. I don't think this included the stoppage time (my watch re-set so numbers are off) of which there were 3 - 1 to change clothes and fuel at mile 28, 1 for water after nasty grade at Mile 43, and 1 at the Bee Store for more Gatorade at Mile 50. Would be nice to get in under 4 hours, but we'll see...

Run
Due to the knee, I just didn't want to push the running by testing the whole course. Did a 3 mile t-run after the bike to get the start and feel the jelly legs after a good hard bike ride....
Run plan is going to be a walk-run-walk. Aim is 3 hours....and I'll be very happy with that for this time!
Wish it could be different...but am in this for the long term and learning how to deal with what your body tells you is just part of the deal.

Swim
The club did a practice swim clinic on Sunday morning and it was near the Harris creek campground. So it was not the true course, but good enough to understand the water temperature, current, etc...
Some of the tips I got from Dave (awesome coach clinic!) and things I noted from prior experience....

• Lake vs Sea Water: Wow - it was nice to not have a salty taste in my mouth swimming. I did not get as dehydrated as in the SuperSeal swim in the ocean bay. It was not very clear water in the lake, but was good enough to see your hands which helps with a bit of 
• Temperature: It was chilly in the water, but after the Friday night / Saturday morning freezing conditions of 32 degrees....the weather was fine. So expect it to be brisk and warm up the ole cockles with a run or something....
• Sighting: The lake has many landmarks which made sighting a little bit easier. Just a little as I seem to have a good angle on my swim that I will need to address one day....Do not Follow me in the water!
• Wetsuit class: A sales rep from another wetsuit brand did a bit at the start about wetsuit fit. It was pretty interesting but I walked away unsure if my suit was ok or not and then kept questioning it the whole swim....trying to tug a bit here and there when we stopped in the swim. Made it worse for me overall....letting me think is not a good thing! I should have counted or done some math to distract myself.
• Vaseline: I added vaseline to the neckline of the suit in SuperSeal but not in this swim and felt the difference in the neckline. ADD VASELINE to race checklist. 
• Stiff neck: Camping means you don't sleep well, so a stiff neck meant I could only rotate my neck 1 way rather than both for breathing. And not even a full neck rotation on one side. uuurrrghhh....but this could be the same thing on race day, so gonna have to deal.
• Swim until your hands touch the water: Dave the coach said do not try and stand up until your hands touch the water floor. Tried it and odd, but effective, so will use that one again.
• Wetsuit Removal: hmmm...it was much harder to get the wetsuit off than in SuperSeal. Is lake water different to sea water? 
• Time: Today was not a timed swim, but based on the Superseal swim which was a 1500 meter swim and this is 1930 meter (.2 mile), I'm estimating this is a 55 minute swim for me.

Overall - very happy I went and saw and tested out the course. I feel much more confident and absolutely like this is achievable. I will not be at the front of the pack and might be playing against the cut-off time....but that is part of the adventure and learning experience.
Looking forward to the real event in 3 weeks!

50 miles and the Comparison of PCH vs Wildflower

Hooray for me for the first 50 miles on the bike. I have to say it felt easy. Yes, here I am saying it was not hard to do 50 miles on a bike. I'm thinking I might regret saying that in the future, but for now, it's typed and written so out in the open.

So it was our lovely Saturday group ride today; a 4 hour bike ride on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) which is actually a really lovely ride. Seeing the ocean and the waves and surfers is just a wonderful inspiration of nature and it's effects it has on people like me that choose to explore it through means of running, hiking, biking, kayaking etc...

We got a chance to climb one of the famous hills of San Diego....Torrey Pines hill climb. There are 2 ways up, the short and steep road or the less steep but longer way up. Today we chose the less steep route. It looks like this picture below.

It was fun to climb it. I was slow of course at a wonderful average of 7 mph...yes that's right. One of our groupers, Steve, is great at hills. He decided to visit the restroom while we started the hill and then came up to chase us and caught every single one. Nice! Something to look forward to gaining mad skills on in the future.

At the top, our coach and fearless leader says "if you got this hill then Wildflower is no problem". I'm definitely nervous about doing the Half Ironman distance at Wildflower because every time I mention it to someone they go "woah, that is a HARD course".  Even the wildflower website says "The course is 56 miles long and is considered relatively difficult". 
A confidence crushing for a newbie! So I'm looking to get lots of hill experience in until April.

There is a big hill in Wildflower towards the back end of the bike as well. So I pulled the elevation charts from today's ride and from Wildflower for a comparison.

PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) - Torrey Pines Hill at Mile 40

Wildflower Long Bike Course - Big Hill at Mile 40

Hmmm...there is a difference here to what Coach Julie said....the PCH had a 450 ft elevation over 2 miles and Wildflower has a 1000 elevation over 5 miles. There's a little difference there...

More hill training coming up!