Wildflower 2009!

I am very excited for Wildflower Long Course this Saturday! Wildflower is a famous race held at Lake San Antiono, which is a beautiful resevoir about 30 minutes west of Paso Robles. Given it's remote location, most of the participants camp at the race site, and there is a great party/festival atmosphere the entire weekend.

Carey and I are planning to leave Friday midday, enjoy the coastal drive, and arrive in the afternoon. We'll camp for Friday night, enjoy the campfire, and try to get a decent night's sleep before the Saturday race.

The swim is a relatively easy one, with wave starts and a usually calm lake. I'll hope to swim the 1.2 miles in about 30 minutes.


The bike course is incredibly tough, and a real highlight of this race. Immediately, there's a tough climb up and out of the lakeside transition. After a series of rollers around the west and north side of the lake, there's a long, gradual descent until about mile 45, where we reach the southeast corner of the lake and the lowest point of the course. From here, we beging the Nasty Grade, a long, difficult climb of about 5 miles and 1,000 feet of elevation gain. After cresting the climb, there are some fast, fun descent back into transition. I'll be thrilled to ride anywhere under 2:57 or so.

After the tough bike course, there's little releif in sight, as the run course at Wildflower is likely the toughest run in the sport. It begins with a jog along the lake for a few miles before turning in the canyons and

hills. The trails are dusty, and the climbs are tough. I will be happy to run anything equal to or faster than last year's 1:53.




Last year, I had an excellent day and went 5:30. I am feeling a bit stronger this year, particularly on the bike, so I will pleased if I am able to beat last year's time. A stretch goal will be 5:25 or better.

But, regardless of my race, I am certain that will have a great time driving up the coast and enjoying some of California's most beautiful areas. After the race on Saturday, we are off to Avila Beach for some relaxation, wine tasting, and recovery - lucky me!

To follow the race, check out http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/Wildflower2009-main.htm They should have good results on Saturday.

Thanks for your support.