Wildflower is cancelled, as 2014 EN Key Race
**Just sent this email to members of the Wildflower group, posting it here as well**
Hi,
You are receiving this email because you are a member of the Wildflower Group. We have decided to cancel Wildflower's status as an EN key race, for 2014, for the following reasons:
- As you know, California is experiencing a record drought and Lake San Antonio is very, very low.
- While TriCalifornia has promised that the race will happen, with the transition area likely moved to the Harris Creek area, many, many tri clubs have bailed on the race. In my opinion, the draw of WF is not only a great race course but also the camping and celebration vibe of the event. I feel these very important intangibles will be severely impacted for 2014.
- Finally, the above have likely conspired to have only a handful of EN athletes registered for the event.
Wildflower is probably my favorite race. I won my age group in 2005 and Joanne and I were married in the campground in 2006. I plan to put it back on the key race calendar for 2015 and ask you to please help me do a rain dance, continuously, until then!
Let me know if you have any questions,
Coach Rich
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Comments
I'm committed to racing, hopefully most of the key elements of Wildflower that make it a great race remain in effect. Disappointed that we won't be hanging out at EN Central enjoying your carne asada and wine.
Hey Jason,
I will still do the pre-race webinar and will course-modify that presentation. Yeah, I learned about the modified course yesterday, which makes this the more better call to cancel this as an EN key race.
In 2003 it rained for days and days before the race, making the dirt trails impassable for runners. The day of the race they worked up a new run course that stayed on the pavement and was even more challenging than the normal run course. There were still a ton of people at the event, and it was still a ton of fun, though the campground look a bit like a refugee camp, with improvised tarps, etc to keep people dry. I put my wetsuit on in my tent and wore it to ride my bike down the hill to the transition area.
Within 7' of crossing the finishline I was back on the bike with all of my stuff, riding up the hill to help Joanne break down our shanty camp...which she already had because she was D U N