Race Report - Wildflower Long Course

Well, I finally finished the race.  It took me five weeks and six days, but it’s finally over.  I’m actually sitting in the finish area now.  There’s no one else here, but that doesn’t take away from the satisfaction I am feeling as I write this.  Good thing I brought all my own post-race recovery items.  I’m sipping on some chocolate milk that’s been sitting in the cooler in my trunk for the past 41 days.  I’ve got a huge sandwich in my lap, and enough strawberries to feed a village.  I even remembered to bring the kitchen sink so I could prepare an ice bath here at the finish line, in the event they had already packed up the entire expo area and cleared the parking lot by the time I finished.  I think some applause for my own resourcefulness and planning is within reason.

In truth, I crossed the line at Wildflower on May 4^th, just like everyone else.  It was an outstanding day, and I believe I showed a bit better than last year, despite finishing a minute and a half slower.  Grab a chair, here are the deets:

Pre-Race

I came into the race with more fitness, a better game plan, and better knowledge of the course than in 2012.  Not only that, but as you might recall, last year was basically a goat show trying to get down to the event, and it was a miracle I even made it to the starting line.  This year couldn’t have been more different, as I came down early with and stayed with a buddy in Santa Cruz, got to the venue with plenty of time for all the pre-race formalities, and went to sleep at a decent hour, with a functioning bicycle AND shaved knee-caps.  Plus, this year I had brought an X-factor: my mom.  That’s right.  She made the trip with me, drove with me, camped with me.  She was prepared to shout out split times, relay race information as it was unfolding in real-time, even sabotage the competition (although I don’t “know” anything about that).  With seemingly every advantage, I was hoping to knock off a few minutes and maybe even steal the win.

(Of course I’m joking.  But my mom really did make the trip with me.  And she was awesome!  Made for a very memorable weekend.)

the beach, literally only a few houses down from my buddy's spot
Santa Cruz, CA has a good thing going

Swim

Hot weather for the weeks leading up to the event had raised the temp of the lake considerably.  The morning of, the decision was made by the head referee: non-wetsuit swim.  For the first time in Wildflower’s 31-year history.  Pretty incredible.  Usually it is the perfect temp, not too hot and not too cold.  Oh well.  I rallied myself mentally.  I need to become a better open water swimmer, here was an opportunity.  Never mind that I was one of only two guys in the field without a skinsuit.  If anyone has an extra one of those just lying around PLEEAAASE let me know.

I think they were telling me I couldn't swim in my wetsuit

The swim itself was a bit frustrating.  I came off the beach in decent position and established myself at the back of a nice little pack.  But I kept losing feet and getting gapped.  I’d take 10 hard strokes and make contact only to be dropped again 20 seconds later.  The pace was doable, it’s just open-water tactics that I was lacking.  Definitely room for improvement there.

not the pro race, maybe not even the right year, but a pretty sweet picture of the first few hundred yards

Ended up swimming most of the back half by myself and came out of the water about a minute down on that elusive group, bummer.  Glanced at the race clock as I ran into T1 and saw my time: 32:20, even bigger bummer.  5.5 minutes down on the main pack I’d love to swim with some day, 7 minutes to the front of the race.  But perhaps most disappointing, that was nearly 5.5 minutes back of 2012 Andrew.  Trying not to get too down on myself, I embraced the idea that I had some work to do.  Then I heard my mom yelling, and I remembered that life is good.

out of the water, charging into T1 - yes that is one of the women right behind me

Bike

Made it out onto the bike course and was super pleased not to have any rubbing brake pads or technical malfunctions.  The 6-7 guys that had swum away from me were on the road ahead, and during one of the first long straightaways I was able to see them all strung out in the morning sun.  This was when the race got fun for me.  I settled into my race plan, dialed in on a conservative heart rate, and was pumped when one-by-one the guys started coming back to me.  All except one, that is.  Boise pro and friend Chris Ganter smoked by me on pace for a top-ten bike split.  There was no way I was gonna hang, so I let him go.

It was thrilling to feel like I was riding conservatively – well in control of my effort – and to notice that I was going much faster than last year.  I had the heart rate locked in at 150-155 (90-93% of threshold for those of you interested in such things), the bike was running smoothly, and the hilly course was suiting me well.  I was able to pass five or six able-bodied men on fast bicycles while seemingly chilling hard.  It felt great.  At mile 40 I hit nasty grade and decided to let the stallion run unbridled.

That was when I got caught by this smaller dude.  He shot up the big nasty like… like… a tomcat running away from a body of water.  That’s probably the most appropriate animal comparison I can make.  But I’m a bit of a skinny bitch myself, so I quickly made a new plan: hang with this guy over the 4 mile, 1000 ft climb.  We traded positions for those couple miles, with him finally pulling away over the last 400 meters.  But then on the speedy descent, the extra ~20 pounds I had carried to the top of the climb went to work for me, and I cruised by him without pedaling.  Booyah!

cruising through T2

Similar story on nasty grade’s annoying little brother, the oft-overlooked climb that follows.  We ended up having a decent little duel there over the final 15 miles.  But I was able to pull away, cruising down Lynch Hill and hitting T2 with about a 30 second advantage.

At the end of the ride, I had covered the course over three minutes faster than last year, and on a slower day overall!  17^th fastest bike on the day, so I’m happy with that.  The legs were definitely ready to get off the bike, but I had paced it well, and felt ready to run.

Run

It took a couple miles to find my running legs.  My little nemesis from the bike came back to haunt me, and ended up passing me and opening a gap of a few hundred yards.  But gradually I got it together, settled the stomach, began to turn it over and made the pass for the final time.  Miles 3-6 of this course are perhaps the worst ever conceived by a race director, but I made it up them more effectively than last year, walking strategically at three points and attacking the downhills.

I hit the campground feeling energized and pumped up, thrilled to be interacting with the crowd and feeling the support of the community.  I can’t help myself from romanticizing this event: Wildflower is just such a special place.  The course truly does push you to the limits of your endurance and mental toughness, if you’re willing to go there.  Which is why, when you finally cross the line here, the feeling is indescribable.  And everyone in the crowd knows it, which makes their encouragement particularly meaningful.  In the campground people are going nuts.  Everyone is cheering, everyone is supportive, everyone is happy just to be there.  Those several miles mark one of my favorite moments of the entire year, and keep me coming back.

I entered “the pit” just as my tank was starting to run dry, but I made it out alive.  At the top of the hill I saw Chris Ganter entering the final aid station, just before mile 12.  I slapped him on the ass as I went by, hoping he could rally on home and cross the line with me, but it was not to be (he did get it together though, and covered the final mile faster than I did.)  I ended up posting a 1:24:32, 9^th fastest run of the day and good enough to run into the top half of the field.  It was one minute slower than last year, which was a bit of a bummer.  But on the heels of a significantly faster ride, and on a harder day overall, I’m not complaining.

through the finish chute, all running form has left me, heel planting hard
you can see Chris Ganter charging hard behind me

Overall

Final time was a 4:30:11, nearly two minutes slower than last year, but good enough for 17^th place out of ~40 at the start of the day.  What’s more, three-time winner Jesse Thomas was nearly 3.5 minutes down on his winning performance from 2012, confirming it was a harder day at the office.  I’m going to count it as an improvement, even if the race clock says otherwise.

Leon Griffin made him work for it, but Jesse came away with the win

Lots of good things to take forward from this race: was eye-opening to race with a HR monitor for the first time and will need to become more familiar with that, some nutritional changes are needed, etc.  But overall it was a great success.  Congrats to Jesse Thomas, for whom winning is becoming a bit of a habit (especially at Wildflower), and to my coach Chris Bagg for a solid showing at 6^th place.  There were also 5 Idaho pros representing down there, which was awesome.  I’m proud to be included in that group.

Thanks Yous!

I can’t write another word without thanking my mom!  Mom, you were unbelievable, and I was so lucky to share this experience with you.  Thank you for all the help, support, and encouragement, but mostly just your willingness to make the trip.  And if I never race in the pro field again, it will always have been worth it, because this was an unforgettable, blessed weekend with you.

my mom, the best

Next thank you has to go to coach Chris Bagg.  The fact that I was able to go down and have a better race than last year – on a much more restricted training schedule – is a testament to your expertise.   Thanks for helping me get ready.  Excited for the rest of the season, and hoping this trajectory continues.  Also huge thank you to Athlete’s Lounge up in Portland for hooking up the AWESOME new racing duds.  As historic as it was, it was high time I replaced my cute onesy.  Now I look much more the part, rather than some listless, lost boy who found his way out of Neverland and ended up in the pro race.  Also, people all over know seem to know the A-Lounge.  Was definitely getting more shout-outs because of the new uni, so an added bonus there.  Hope to make the shop proud in the coming months.

new race kit, the bomb 

Big thank you to the Goddard family for hosting me in the days before the event.  You guys were wonderful, and I can’t thank you enough.  Something about your hospitality made me feel right at home… maybe it was the unbridled access to the fridge, or the mountain of avocados in the bowl in the kitchen, or the outdoor shower.  Probably all of the above and more.  Hoping to come back soon.  And of course, I could never do any of these camping-oriented trips without the sponsorship of Mullaney Outfitters.  Thanks for the gear Bmullane, you da man.

And I know I’ve already said this, but I keep coming back to it: at the end of the day, there really is no event like Wildflower.  Biggest thank you of all to TriCal Events and all the volunteers, for putting on the best race of the year and reaching new levels of hospitality.  It’s no wonder all these pros keep coming back.  I love that you guys are a family-run business, and it really shows.  I will be loyal to the end.

And last but not least, to the best fans and blog followers ever!  You guys rock.  Was so pumped to be racing again, mostly because I couldn’t wait to write another race report (ignore the fact that it took me over five weeks…).  You guys sustain me.

Onward and upward!  Thanks for reading!