Would I do Wildflower Long-Course triathlon again? Yeah- but a little smarter…and if I get disc brakes… and granny gears. I did it in 2004, then not again until 2018. Literally, I have been wanting to go back since 2004. It is a wonderful and unique experience, with a few drawbacks and nuggets that you need to know, before going.
The triathlon race venue- Back to basics camping (plus?)
It is so far to the local towns, that most folks camp the night before (or for several days before) the race.
Get there early to stake out a campsite. Some are farther away from the race village and the start line, so study those park maps and pick out a happy medium. Some people came early and staked out LOTS of camping sites for friends, leaving us with little choice even coming in several days before the race.
Some camping areas are loaded with the Tri-clubs and can get a bit noisy (ie Par-Tay!). The last time we raced, we were up half the night listening to drunk people yell, with a 4 am wake-up looming over us. This time, we went to the family campgrounds- much quieter, but a little farther away (for me, worth the sleep!).
There are shower and bathhouses throughout the park. (Complete with signs to watch out for rattlers and wild boars- we mean the animal, not racers that feel the need to tell you how many PR’s they’ve done. lol.) Take flashlights for the middle of the night potty breaks.
There is NO potable water in the park. FOR REALS. Pack it in. ALL the water you need for daily stuff plus the race. Seriously-there are signs everywhere that something is wrong with the water system- who knows when it’ll get fixed. Wildflower did finally make available large potable water cisterns, but if you like to be in control of your hydration, plan ahead.)
The closest store to buy any of the stuff you forgot is 16 miles away through hilly, slow roads. Also, while it is a freaking cute store, it is also really expensive. (Btw- their ribs are super awesome)
If you’re like me, pack hand gel. Lots of hand gel.
AND mosquito repellant. We were set upon before sunset. Don’t leave your tent door open. Ever.
It gets cold at night. Trust me. Layers. Pack layers. Even if it does feel toasty during the day.
Each campsite has a fire pit– so cook away! We walked for ~30 minutes around to pick dead branches for the fire because the campgrounds were picked fairly clean. You may want to consider bringing in your own firewood.
Race Village-
You will have to walk a bit to the race village, including a slidey-soft dirt path down a hill, when the roads are closed to walkers, down to Wildflower village and the transition areas.
Lots of food trucks, but pricey. A crepe was $14 (filled with some stuff). Not really much in the way of low-end fill-the-kids-up food. BBQ smelled great, didn’t get any. BEER- yes! Firestone Walker was there in 2018. Very glad to see them (see finish line info below). Not much water for sale at the village- pack in your own.
Several gear vendors, and a Wildflower paraphernalia tent. Premium priced.
Nice band stage, with great live music!
The campgrounds store has a few things you might need, at a premium price. The bag of ice we considered was going for $9.
The Triathlon:
Transition area-
No changing tent, fyi. But folks were pretty much just changing next to their bike. Like strip naked dressing. Keep your eyes down. Really. (Well, this is the Woodstock of Tri’s- what did you expect?)
Easy access to the swim start and bike exit.
The empty transition:
The Swim: (In Lake San Antonio)
Bring cheap sneakers to leave by the water exit ramp to slip on after the swim to run to your bike. The ramp is very rocky/ hard on the feet. People were hobbling out to their bikes. It bruised. It hurt. It slowed people down.
Well-marked and nice swim. (Actually, the ONLY flat part of the race course, just sayin’). The water was a little warm. But I’ve been there years when it was cold.
The Bike-
About 1 mile in, you’ll realize that the hill you are on continues for, like, 56 miles. Or at least it will feel like it.
Aid stations- beware: the aid stations only fill the water bottle up partially. I had to pull to a stop and ask for 3 before I filled my own bottle up.
If I had to sum the race up, it would be: ‘Hills, and more hills- just man up (or get granny gears).’ The downhill grades were 6.5%….so that means the uphills to get there were….yeah.
Downhills are fast, fast, and faster. What goes up at 6.5% grades, must come down. Super fast. Even riding the brakes, I was in the mid-30 mph range. Some of the roads are not smooth, so I wasn’t flying down them on my aerobars. I was literally praying for my life. I saw lots of people that were flying by me on their aerobars. I figure they were going close to 40-45 mph, which was what I hit back in 2004, and decided that was a little too much risk for me. Learn to use the brakes. Learn to pray.
Nasty Grade-
At ~ mile 42, when your legs are already toast, you start the real climb up Nasty Grade for ~5 miles to the top of Heart Rate Hill. I’m not making this up. This is the hill that reduces some to walking (I admit it- I was actually going faster walking the bike than crunching the gears).
The run-
It will feel like most of it is on trails-hilly, hilly, trails, with dirt kicked up in the air. I came off the run coated in dust and so glad to see a road would have cried-except it would have caked the dirt to my face. Of course, that road was toward the end of the course, at mile 10- where you run down into the pit to the turn-around, and back up. The last bit on the way to the finish is a glorious downhill.
The Finish-
It’s an awesome finish chute! The announcer does a great job. In 2018, some elite folk were there to call out your name and cheer you in. To be honest, I was in such a daze by then, I have no clue who or what called out my name.
The food is a major let down. I know I’m a slow racer- I get there usually when stuff is gone. But my husband finished over an 1 1/2 hours before me, and said the same thing. There was some dry, tasteless pasta in a box, a few nutrition bars, and the orange slices were only 1 to a person (seriously, the lady told us they were running out and could only give me one freaking orange slice). I was out there for over 8 hours, blistered, burned, hungry, head pounding, and I got one orange slice. Yes- I’m still stewing over this. I mean, the race cost EACH of us over $250 dollars PLUS camping. So…
If I do it again, I’m leaving a massive amount of post-race food (and beer) in a cooler by my bike in the transition area. The food was so poor, that we wandered in a daze until we could get into the 1-hour(plus) line for the trailer to take our bikes back up the hill, where we broke camp and heading into Paso Robles for a hotel and food. By the time we got there, my husband was showing clinical signs of hypoglycemia.
Hotels-
If you’re going to spend any time in Paso Robles before or after the camping/race- book it NOW. They sell out really fast. And the hotels gouge a premium price for the race weekend, the way it is. Don’t wait.
Wildflower long-course is a really hard race. It is not for the beginner triathlete. It’s not to be toyed with. It’s serious racing, serious hurt, and serious pride in the finisher’s medal. I hope if you go, your race will be awesome. With some planning ahead, some of the above issues can be dealt with- giving you a chance to focus on the race.
Happy Racing!
For more triathlon information, see my blog here.
Another great triathlon training resource can be found at Purple Patch Fitness.
Miffie
The post Wildflower Long-Course Triathlon- The Hardest Race You Will Love. Tips from our 2018 Experience first appeared on Miffie Seideman.