Wildflower Long Course 2012 Race Report
Wildflower Long Course Race Report 2012
May 5, 2012
6:11:40 – 716 overall, 112 in M35-39, 627th man
Wildflower! This race was my first 70.3 distance event and the “A” race of my whole season. I got started looking at this event because I had heard it was challenging course and had a atmosphere that was like nothing else in triathlon.
The logistics of the event can be daunting for a first 70.3 and a non-camper. This is where being part of groups like the Pasadena Triathlon Club and Endurance Nation really adds tremendously to the experience. The organization, the fellowship, the advice and thoughtfulness of the community really made the event manageable. I think there were about 40-50 of us and every single person added to the vibe and really made our section of the campground an efficient triathlon/party headquarters.
Camping the night before the event was really cold. I spent the night bundled up in a mummy bag with air mattress and was cozy, but it was a far cry from a bed in a room with heat. I got up about 5:30 to frost on everything and breath that you could see. Breakfast was a protein shake, two pieces of bread with a little peanut butter and jelly. I had a bit of coffee and was able to use the restroom.
Transition closed at 8:00 AM and I got in just under the wire. My start was 8:35 for M35-39. I immediately felt a bit rushed and wished I would have gone down sooner. I was able to get myself dialed in, but made a small mistake that would be a minor bummer later. Either way I felt a little rushed until I got down to the water. I had about 10 minutes before my start and had a front row seat for the men’s elites coming in at about 0:23:00.
Swim Spilt 0:32:23, Pace 1:40, 488 Overall (watch was a bit faster?)
I put my feet in the water and was immediately stoked! The water felt great. Nice and warm during my warm-up. It was here that I made my first tactical move. I lingered during the warm up and got out of the water last. This gave me a front row seat for the start. Generally, I hang back and let the mayhem happen. Then end up swimming through it. For some reason, I thought, I will start strong in the clean water. I hammered the first 150-200 meters and then fell in with some guys that seemed like my speed. I then tried to slow down a shade, catch my breath, lower my heart rate and focus on my stoke. I am really pleased with my swim split, but think I could have done better had a spent even a few minutes on the course. I struggled to sight where I was going and you can see it in the GPS file created by the Garmin 910. I was a bit “zig-zaggy”. Shortest distance between two points (straight line) would have been better.
T1 0:03:42
Got to my stuff feeling well, after making a wrong turn and being one row away from my spot. Got stripped and immediately noticed fairly decent blood flow from my toe?!? I must have hurt it running up the boat ramp, but didn’t feel it at the time. Cycling gloves going on wet hands was more time than it was worth. Next time, I forget the gloves. I had everything staged really well to grab and run.
Cycling Split 0:3:11:10 601 Overall
The small issue was that I was going to do my shoes “on the fly”. They clipped in nicely and had a rubber band attaching each heel to the bike keeping my shoes nice and flat. I got to the mount line and through my leg over flying. My feet landed on the shoes, I started pedaling, I saw blood all over left shoe, gross, and then realized the shoes were closed. The Velcro was attached, not open to slide in my foot. I fought it for a second and then thought, “I am going to crash in front of the grand stand if I don’t just stop and put on my shoes”. The speedy mount is worthless, if you blow the set-up by not opening the shoes. The bummer is that I practiced the move without any issues two days before the race.
First 2-3 miles were great. I focused on bringing down my heart rate, relaxing, settling in and getting out of the park. At the top of the first climb, my issues started. I read a ton about race execution and considered myself fairly dialed in, but I did many small things, made changes, that I should not have. Each one alone would not have been on big deal, but combined they almost sabotaged my bike split. I had made major mechanical changes the week of the race as I dialed in my bike fit Monday of Race week. That included cabling the bike. Then, because of work, life, packing for a camping trip and a 70.3 event, the bike never got a good 15-20 shake down ride.
At the top of the first climb away from the lake, my rear cassette started clicking and ghost shifting. Then, I could not get it to shift out of the bottom 3-4 cogs. Meaning, I was going to be forced to ride with a compact crank in front and 11-15 cogs in the back. Not a formula for success on hilly course. I looked at the shifter on the tip of the right arrow bar and saw 3mm of cable sticking out. Cable tension!!! I may have a chance. I pulled over, busted out my tools for the bento box. I was able to loosen the cable tension bolt on the rear derailleur, pull it as hard as my fingers could and then tighten the bolt. Presto! Fixed! I am the man!
I calm down and start riding nice and steady focusing on my power output trying to for a IF of .80 for the ride. My main goal of the ride was to pace it to set up a solid run. I had no time goals, because I didn’t know the course, but heard it was challenging. So, I kept telling myself, “ride the ride you SHOULD ride, not the ride you can ride”.
At mile 12 I was snake bit again. I went to sift gears and it felt like the whole cockpit was wiggling up and down. I thought, “holy cow! My stem is loose and I going to die!”. I got out aero position and realized the horns on the base bar where the brakes are located were ROCK SOLID. The issue was the aero extensions. When I re-cabled, I hand tightened the collets around the carbon tubes as hard as possible and not had issues before. This time the bouncing on the road loosened the collets and the aero bars kept creeping forward likely being pushed by the cable housing’s bend before the cable enters the down tube. Now, I am pushing, pulling wrestling the aero bars every minute or so. Good news is I can stay in aero position where I am really surprisingly comfortable while I fight my bike from coming to pieces. The bars are marked by the centimeter and should have shown the “1” mark just above the collet. I could only get it to the “4” mark. If it crept to “7”, it would come loose and end in disaster. So, during the ride I was always watching the aero extenions and pulling in to “4” every chance I had.
When I got transition the thing came apart in my hands as I racked the bike.
Still, I am happy with my performance. I cruised into transition feeling rested, hydrated and REALLY well fed! This will be an issue later….. The bike leg was really well supported and I had a sort of “Costco Mentality” about the aid stations. “Free Sample?!? Yes, please”, “Something I have never eaten before? Sure, why not?” “How many calories? Sounds good. I ride well while fighting my bike.”
T2 4:18
I racked my shell of a bike and plopped down on my bottom to get my shoes on. No Blood! Score. I grabbed my race belt and I was off. I made a choice to use the port-a-potty and I am glad I did. I just could not bring myself to do it while pedaling the bike.
Run Split 2:20:07 1092 Overall
The run course was brutal. The first few miles are really nice. I few rollers, nice scenery, focus was on getting heart rate down, finding my stride and getting loose. I ran it about 30 seconds slower than goal pace on purpose trying to get loose. Then, we start climbing out of the lake area…. Holy cow! It is hot dusty, and steep. My goal for weeks going into the race was not to walk on the run. I was completely focused on setting up a run where I just ran. So, I shorten my stride and motored up hill after hill. At mile 6 the “Costco Bike Nutrition Plan” rocked me. I started getting alot nausea and feeling the need to make a pit stop of the sit down variety.
I suffered through it for several more miles refusing to walk and then at about mile 8.5 I saw a port-a-potty I couldn’t pass. This thing is made of fiberglass and has been in the sun all day. It is over 100 inside. I stripped down, tried to make it happen, but it was not working. Then, I felt dizzy and I worried they would find me near death in this upright casket after the race. I willed myself to stand, dress and open the door. I step outside into an 80-degree day that felt down right perfect after the sweatbox I was in. I am running again, but slowly, so slowly and still sick.
There is small rise after mile 9 into a long aid station. I decide, “well, I can walk through the aid station right?”. After the aid station I am running again on the out-and-back section and I am really, really scared that the “out” is steep and the “back” somehow looks steeper. A lot of people on the “back” are walking. I made the turn at mile 10 and started to chug, but I was just whipped. I stopped to vomit, but couldn’t get it done. I think I chickened out J. I slugged up the hill walking more then running and really battling the issues with my stomach. I just felt bloated and had a belly that was just sloshing. Never again will I go 300+ calories per hour on the bike! I also think I had way too much Gatorade on the bike and run. Huge mistake because I never, ever use it in training.
I got out of the “out-and-back hole” at mile 11 and then walked for 2 minutes and ran (slowly) for 5 until mile 12. The energy came back and I got second wind as the coarse flattened. I knew the steep section down Lynch Road was coming and I couldn’t wait. I hit the corner on Lynch at the DJ booth and my heart soared to see the PTC cheering section! What a rush! It was just what I needed. I slide across the line doing some quick math and realizing I just missed a sub-6 hour day by 11 minutes.
Overall it was a great race and really fun experience. Hours after the race I felt great! Once my stomach mellowed and I had a shower, I was ready to discuss doing it again next year. The only real battle scar I had was a nasty sunburn! The middle of my back was tough to reach and PTC singlet gave me a really strange sunburn on just back. If not for the sunburn, recovery would have been completely straightforward. Knees feel good, feet feel good, but sunburn is a killer!
Key takeaways and cautionary tales:
· Make sure your bike is dialed in and test the ride. Don’t get rushed and miss testing after a any kind of tune-up or adjustment.
· Get to transition early and walk through every detail of a quick T1 and T2
· Design and execute a disciplined nutrition plan. Don’t graze on the course outside of the plan
· When Lynda Neuman tells you how important sunblock is – LISTEN to her!
Thanks for reading! See you next year Wildflower~
Comments
Hey Dino,
Great race report and it was great to hang out with you for the weekend! Looking forward to ManCamp'13!
Great job Dino!
Thanks Dino, for detailing and sharing your race report, it really helps me to learn from others experience.
BTW: ... I am with you on peeing on the bike, i do not think i could do that as well ...
Recover well....
Likewise, I got chewed up in the run, just didn't have my A game ready and that's what this course takes. I threw in the towel and started walking some of those crazy climbs a whole lot earlier than you though, so major props for gritting out the climbs on the trail through the first 6 miles, no way I had it in me to run those.
Can't wait for next year though too, between this years experience and ManCamp '13, I've got some scores to settle with WF.
Yes. Between my truck, trailer (or a rental if I sell it), camping gear I have + an REI less than 1 mile from my house, I could set up many EN folks at WF.
I still have stupid goggle tanlines from a year ago when I would do noon-time swims in the summer without being diligent about putting on sunblock. Ahh, the penance...