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Wild Flower Long Course - Triathlon1/2 Ironman


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Lake San Antonio, California
United States
Tri California
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 7h 30m 19s
Overall Rank = 1390/2600
Age Group = W45-49
Age Group Rank = 32/59
Pre-race routine:

12 days of recovery from Boston. Gotta say, racing this was NOT a well thought out decision. It was a race scheduling oops that I thought I could just push through without consequences. WF is not a course to go into with this mentality, and I paid for it!

We arrived Friday afternoon to set up camp with other members of TRIbe. This was my second WF, but I was still blown away by the masses of humanity! You don't get a camp site, you find a square big enough for your tent! We setup, and then went down the hill to pick up race packets. We were in a remote area, and it was a good 30 minute hike down to the lake - with the big steeps. Hmmm. Not a good rest situation! Picked up the packet, shirt is yet again to big, bummer. Stroll the expo, drool over the bkes and gear, get a lemonaide, head back to to make dinner. 30 minute hike down is a 45 minute hike up. egads. We bbqed salmon, ate yummy bread and salad, had a glass of wine. Very nice! Early to bed - although nobody else's campsite seem to have this idea. We listened to lots of, um, noise......for hours. Up with the sun, cereal bar, pepsi...load it up, time to head to the lake! 600 lb tri bag onto the back, ride and coast down Lynch hill. round the corner, there's the lake and 43 million other athletes. WOW!
Event warmup:

Not much. Set up my area, strolled around, chatted, took photos. Pros took off at 8, my wave was LAST at 9:25. Cheered on hubby and friends, watch pros clear T1....and put on the wetsuit. It may have shrunk a bit!
Swim
  • 40m 22s
  • 2133 yards
  • 01m 53s / 100 yards
Comments:

I thought it was a much better swim than last year! Felt comfortable, didn't get kicked much, didn't put too much out there. Planned on it to be a warm-up for the rest of the race. Passed 4 different colored caps - people who had waves up to 20 min ahead of me. Thought I rocked it! It's a long run up the boat ramp before you even hit T1, and I'm not good at multi-tasking. Wet suit removal and running at the same time isn't a good thing! Net result, added almost 4 minutes to last year's time. Good thing I didn't realize this at the time.
What would you do differently?:

Jeez. Swim faster.
Transition 1
  • 06m 51s
Comments:

Got stopped by volunteer just as I was getting on bike....he thought I was losing my timing chip and made me check it. I wasn't, the tail end of it just wasn't tucked in around my ankle. THAT cost me! See swim above, I really thought I had done well! Didn't even stop for the mimosa.
Bike
  • 3h 52m 51s
  • 56 miles
  • 14.43 mile/hr
Comments:

This is a brutal bike course. 4400 feet of climbing in 56 miles. You start with a 400 foot climb in less than .5 mile to get out of the basin. When you are in the last wave, there's lots of people struggling up this hill from earlier waves, so it's a bit of an obstacle course! Very hot, sunny, no shade. Rollers interspersed with some long gentle climbs and a nasty headwind with a few gusty cross winds until we get to mile 41 - Nasty Grade. I was better prepared than last year, 1 race and 2 training rides in me. It's just a brutal climb. Over 850 feet in 3 miles, turn a corner, another 300 feet in less than a mile. Ow. THEN.....A rippin' descent. I'm NOT A downhill rider...they scare the heck out of me. But somewhere along Nasty, I decided that if I wiped out, I wouldn't have to run, and that was a GOOD thing. So, I let it fly! 800 feet of elevation loss in 1.4 miles - I hit 37.8 mph, a BIG new record for me!

10 more miles of rollers with some pretty good climbs, and they're so much harder at the end! One last big drop into the lake....and a slide into T2.
What would you do differently?:

Same as the swim - not sure where I added 25 minutes onto last year's time, but I did. Felt like I managed the whole ride better, but I guess not. Lost the chain once.
Transition 2
  • 02m 47s
Comments:

WOW! This is a record! Even struggling to get the gloves off and the Garmin moved from bike to wrist and re-set!
What would you do differently?:

Nothing! Obviously, the best part of my race.
Run
  • 2h 47m 21s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 12m 46s  min/mile
Comments:

Tough course on jell-o legs. Relentless sun. Started out with a stitch in my side, couldn't lose it. Tried to run the flats and downhills, walked up. That worked pretty well, all things considered. Got squirted with the hose at every aid station, that helped. cold water would have been better in the cups. The hill at mile 4 was much worse than I remembered - 300 feet in .75 mile, all sun. Ate a gu at mile 5, immediately puked/burped it up. That was fun. ?!? Was light-headed for most of the run - nutrition wasn't great, especially combined with heat. Surprisingly, I negative split this - not sure how. 6.5 miles at 2 hours, last half in 1:47.
What would you do differently?:

Not race 12 days earlier. Need to do more trail-hill running.
Post race
Warm down:

I really thought I was going down - very dizzy. Hubby and friends waited for me, really nice. Got me food and water. Once that passed, we packed up and did the monster walk back to the campsite. 45 minutes. Took a shower in a TNT shower....best shower of my entire life. Bar none. Great BBQ dinner of tri-tip and more wine...yum. Friends opened champagne..we toasted that we all finished!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Boston.

Event comments:

My shirt size was wrong, again. They didn't have the right medals - will send those. For the $$ this race cost, these aren't good errors.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2009-09-28 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:40:22 | 2133 yards | 01m 53s / 100yards
Age Group: 0/59
Overall: 999/2600
Performance: Average
Suit: full orca
Course: single loop
Start type: Run Plus: Waves
Water temp: 60F / 16C Current: Medium
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Good
Breathing: Good Drafting: Average
Waves: Average Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 06:51
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed:
Biking
03:52:51 | 56 miles | 14.43 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/59
Overall: 1458/2600
Performance: Average
Wind: Strong with gusts
Course:
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
T2
Time: 02:47
Overall: Good
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
02:47:21 | 13.1 miles | 12m 46s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/59
Overall: 1453/2600
Performance: Below average
Course: Hot, Dry, Hills, Sun, No shade. 2300 feet of climbing.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %-4%
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
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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2010-05-04 11:05 AM

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Master
2621
2000500100
Almaden Valley, San Jose, California
Subject: Wild Flower Long Course


2010-05-04 1:50 PM
in reply to: #2835899

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Master
1588
1000500252525
San Francisco
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course
Linda, way to tough out a hard course and just a less than a fortnight after boston.  Congrats on surviving Wildflower!
2010-05-04 4:57 PM
in reply to: #2835899

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Master
2501
2000500
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course
Girl, I have said this before, but you are tough as nails!!! Oy, my body ached and got all hot and sweaty just reading this -- sounds like a brutal day on a tough course on your poor tired Boston legs. GREAT JOB.

I'm with you on the wussy downhill riding -- 37.8 is screaming fast (by my standards). Way to gut it out, but LOL at the reasoning behind it (crash = no run)!! (Once I ran a marathon that was miserable and I was jealous of a guy I saw on a stretcher because I knew he didn't have to finish the race... HONEST!)

Enjoy your recovery in Costa Rica, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Congratulations!! You are amazing!!! 
2010-05-04 5:41 PM
in reply to: #2835899

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Champion
19812
50005000500020002000500100100100
MA
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course
You are tough!
2010-05-04 7:45 PM
in reply to: #2835899

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Expert
1379
1000100100100252525
Woodland, California
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course

It's pretty bad as$ that you did this right after Boston.  We may have run together at some point, but then again I didn't do much running so I bet you ran right past me.  Great job!!

2010-05-04 8:13 PM
in reply to: #2835899

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Champion
6973
500010005001001001001002525
marietta
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course
see.  you should have stopped for the mimosa!  AWESOME!!!


2010-05-04 10:22 PM
in reply to: #2835899

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Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course

You are one tough cookie. Way to stick with it and get the job done! Now for a nice rest...
2010-05-04 10:36 PM
in reply to: #2835899

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Elite
3072
200010002525
san francisco
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course
Linda, you are incredible!  I really enjoyed (in a sick sort of way) reading your race report.  I could actually feel the pain you were going through and the thoughts going through your mind at different points in your race.  Nothing to be ashamed of, you did an awesome job out there! 
2010-05-05 12:23 AM
in reply to: #2835899

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Champion
5522
5000500
Frisco, TX
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course

Wow - tough race!  Congrats on getting through it, especially so soon after Boston!  Impressive neg. split on the run!  Get some rest and recover some!

2010-05-05 7:17 AM
in reply to: #2837581

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Champion
9060
5000200020002525
Charlottesville, Virginia
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course
Great job, amazing you could do it so close to Boston.
2010-05-05 7:27 AM
in reply to: #2835899

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Royal(PITA)
14270
50005000200020001001002525
West Chester, Ohio
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course
Great job toughing this one out!!


2010-05-05 9:25 AM
in reply to: #2835899

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Master
2436
200010010010010025
Apex, north carolina
Subject: RE: Wild Flower Long Course
Wow girl, that was a tough race under the best of conditions.  I think your comment about wiping out on the bike so you don't have to run was hilarious.  Go take a very deserved break.  Great job.
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