A Triathlete’s Guide to Wildflower

A Triathlete’s Guide to Wildflower

For many triathletes, the Avia Wildflower Triathlon Festival weekend has served as the exciting and competitive start of the summer triathlon season for over 25 years. 2011 marks the 29th annual offering of the popular Central California race brought to life by professional and highly regarded organizer, Tri California. On the weekend of April 29th through May 1st, over 8000 athletes will flock to Lake San Antonio, just east of King City, to participate in one of the weekend’s many challenging races. Known for its challenging terrain and competitive field of professional and age group athletes, Wildflower is an event that every triathlete should experience in his or her lifetime because of several unique reasons.

Festival Fun

Wildflower’s festival atmosphere sets it apart from other races throughout the world. A tent city of vendors, musicians and athletes is created overnight at the campgrounds surrounding Lake San Antonio. The vast majority of racers elect to stay at campsites adjacent to the transition area. Thousands of peers enjoy the atmosphere of the weekend together. Many friendships have been forged around a campfire or while waiting in line at one of the restrooms throughout the campground.

Logistics & Accommodations

Another unique aspect of Wildflower is the need to plan accommodations well before race day and how to get to transition on time on race morning. As is typical in a triathlon of this magnitude, racers need to arrive at least a day in advance to check in. In addition, campsites fill quickly and can be hard to find for a large group. One of the advantages of camping at Lake San Antonio is that on race morning, triathletes can bike easily down to transition. Staying in hotels in surrounding areas can lead to long commutes in and out of the park on registration and race days. It is much easier to avoid the car and bike directly to transition from campsites. Hitting the hotels also may lead to missing what so many people love about this event—the camping and camaraderie. There is nothing better than carbo-loading at a campfire with friends old and new.

Nutrition & Tips: Another issue unique to Wildflower is preparing pre-race meals sans fridge, microwave or an assortment of local restaurants. Try to plan pre-race meals that can be grilled or prepared on a camping stove. With some careful planning, preparing the right meals should not be a huge issue. On the contrary, restroom availability on race morning can be. Restrooms can get busy on race morning and waiting in line should be the least of a racer’s challenges. Leave plenty of time race morning and look for restrooms before you get to transition as they'll be less crowded.

Pre-Race Transition:

Tri California is a highly regarded, professional and organized race production company with everything running like clockwork including transition. One of the best things about Tri California events is that each triathlete’s transition spot is pre-designated by race number. There is no need to scramble looking for the best spot race morning or any spot at all. You will have an amply-spaced, designated spot to rack your bike and set-up your transition. With 8000+ athletes competing, this feat is impressive and makes for a super-sized transition area! It is crucial in Wildflower for racers to memorize their race numbers to find their spot quickly during the race. There are rows and rows of bikes to sort through. Typically, this transition offers nothing in terms of landmarks to help you find your spot as it’s in a huge, flat, concrete parking lot, so get to memorizing!

Take note of the steep hill that is known as Lynch Hill as you enter transition from the main campground and gate. All race courses at Wildflower include this hill at some point during the race. This infamous hill gets a lot of attention due to its proximity to the start, but there are plenty of other challenges on this course. Just take a mental note of this one, since all athletes will either be going up or down it throughout the day.

Before the swim start, racers should avoid putting on their wetsuit as long as possible. The race announcers (including myself and Julie Moss) will call each wave down to the boat ramp well before it's time to go. Don’t feel rushed but don't sit around in a wetsuit for 20-30 minutes while you can continue to loosen up those limbs for the work to come.

The Swim

Wildflower's swim is the easiest part of the day, and it's the only segment that is totally flat (hee hee). There are a few things to take note of for this particular swim. Unless you are in one of the first few waves, it can be challenging to get into the water before wave starts to warm up. Age groupers will get 5 minutes or so just before each wave horn sounds to get in the water but this isn't enough for most people. This pre-race limitation makes land warm ups even more important including arm swings, shoulder rolls, breathing exercises, and anything else to prepare the body for the swim ahead.

The first part of this swim is the most challenging. Leaving the boat ramp out into the lake, there is a very narrow channel to maneuver through and this creates a bit of a wrestling match amongst the swimmers. Either get out in front or sit back and wait so you can settle into your rhythm early. There is nothing like lost goggles or a good ole’ kick to the face to start the day. The swim course bears right out of the boat ramp and into the open lake for a clockwise swim around the buoys and back into the ramp. Upon exiting the water, prepare to hustle up the steep ramp and into transition. The ramp's rough concrete isn't the best on bare feet but the crowd cheering and adrenaline help get racers up and over to transition quickly.

The Bike

Racers need to remember their transition spot and get ready for a great bike ride. It is very important to plan gearing out of transition ahead of time. For both the long and Olympic courses racers have a minute to shift but are climbing up some super steep hills quickly. This is especially the case in the Olympic where you are climbing the main hill out of transition within a minute of being on your bike. Make sure you are in the correct gearing--for most people that will be in the smallest ring in the front. Don't let your day be ruined by being in the wrong gear and trying to shift, only to have your chain not cooperate. Be smart and possibly consider putting your bike shoes on in transition for this race if you are used you having them attached you your pedals before mounting your bike. It will certainly save some possible frustration and only cost a few seconds.

After the swim, folks are excited to get on the bike course. This makes for a crazy exit area at times so have your head on a swivel. When you do eventually reach the initial climb out away from the lake, settle into a rhythm and focus on steady, deep breathing to lower heart rate. These hills are long and steep, so it's not a sprint to the top. There is plenty of road ahead to hustle on, which will be hard to do if your heart is jumping out of your throat in the first few minutes of the bike. Conserve your energy stores for later in the race, as you will surely need them.

After exiting the main gate of the park, you are still climbing a ways to the main road. From there it's a right hand turn and the next 30 miles are mostly rolling hills or flat for the Long Course. Enjoy this section and find a steady-state effort you can sustain for the bulk of the ride.

One key to this race is how to handle your nutrition. This bike has the real hard work near the end, which adds to the challenge. For the Long Course bike, this makes eating early and often key. Each athlete should have a calorie target for the bike, which is easy to pace within the first 3/4 of the ride. Once at the uphills and the eventual downhills, racers don't have a lot of time to focus on nutrition. Emphasize taking in plenty of calories between the 20-40 mile marks. This will fuel your body for the hard work to come. The Olympic course is easier to take nutrition on as the hills are not quite as step heading home and there is much less technical descending.

On the Long Course, “Nasty Grade”, (a 5 mile long climb that raises you up over 1000 ft) will come around mile 40. That's a serious climb on legs that have been enjoying ripping speeds for the last hour plus. Slowing down and finding a new rhythm can be hard psychologically and many people do not train specifically for this type of hill. One thing to consider with this climb is when you think you’ve seen the top, you haven't. At the top of the first peak, turn right and continue climbing for another few minutes. This knowledge will guard you against the shock that so many have had turning the corner seeing MORE hill! Once you peak the next summit, you are there for the most part. Having read this paragraph is enough to give you an advantage if you've never ridden the course.

What goes up must come down. This is one fast downhill on the Long Course that will really benefit the technical cyclist. Lots of people sit up after this climb to take in nutrition, but there isn't a lot of time. Get a drink and get ready to focus on the downhill descent. Make sure to practice hills late in training rides and incorporate plenty of technical descending. The winds can be strong up on top of the ridge but know that you are almost home at this point. There are still some miles to log but they scream by while racers focus on spinning out to prepare legs for the run to come.

Careful coming back into transition as the descent is steep back down the main hill. This applies to both the Long Course and Olympic as both use the main gate for re-entry into the park. Watch out for slower racers and runners finishing the run course as it’s a busy area.

The Run

Throw on your run gear and get ready for a doozy! The first few miles for both courses are rolling along the lake, mostly asphalt, but it turns to dirt and single track pretty quick. This is a tough run course, so runners need to stay fueled the entire day. Get some liquids early and stay on top of it. Calories should be 150-200 calories per hour but limit calorie amounts, to avoid gastric distress.

The hills start around mile 3 to 4 as runners need to make it from the lake to above the main campground, which is virtually the same height as the hill you just rode down into transition. Once you start climbing, don't stop. Keep on trucking! Around mile 4 you will come across the famous "nude aid station" were several college-student volunteers are ready to cheer you on in the buff. I mention this only because it took me by surprise the first time I witnessed it and runners need to remember they are just starting a significant single-track climb.

Make sure to have some hills in pre-race training. A workout like 5x1 minute hill repeats built into an hour run will increase hill-climbing strength. Once at the campground, continue through the grounds for several miles. Around mile 9 of the Long Course, feet will hit asphalt for the first time in a while and runners will be tempted to pick up the pace. Remember there are still 4 miles to go. By reaching the run turnaround at mile 10, runners are finally racing to the finish line as opposed to away from it. The last section of both courses can still provide some challenges back into the finish line.

The final downhill tends to be the most overlooked portion of this race. Several pro races have been won and lost within the last mile of the run due to pacing down Lynch hill. A hard day’s work can be erased by the steep downhill grade if you are looking to podium in your age group. Pepper some downhill running into pre-race training in a controlled effort to strengthen the supporting muscles of the legs. Quick turnover is key on downhills. Strides are a great way to focus on leg speed and aim for 90-95 foot strikes per minute per foot. This will allow you to change leg support quickly while flying down this hill. Both Long and Olympic courses run down this main hill into the finish.

Take the time to look around and enjoy the experience as the road flattens into the finishing chute. Listen for your name being called by one of the Tri-California race announcers and cross that finish line in style. You just completed one of the most difficult Long Course or Olympic distance triathlons in the world. If you conquer this course, there isn't much that can stand in your way. Most likely you will push yourself past your comfort zone on race day so take some time to pat yourself on the back for completing one of these challenging races!

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

Enjoy the post race festivities; cheer others finishers on and even stick around to watch the next day’s race. Soak in everything that has made Wildflower a destination weekend for so many around the world. Happy racing!

Nick Tuttle is a Professional Race Announcer, Sport Psychology Educator, Ironman Triathlete and Counselor.

2010 Ironman Coeur D'Alene Race Report

Nick Tuttle's 2010 Ironman Coeur D'Alene Race Report

If you know me, and chances are you do since you're reading this, you know how much I LOVE the sport of triathlon. I love it so much that I've made it a part of my career as I've served as a coach and race announcer for the past few years. With that being said, last year was one of the most frustrating years of my athletic life. After a difficult 2008 with two Ironmans resulting in one DNF and another were I barely finished the swim, I was really hoping everything would come together in 2009. My first sports hernia came in the spring of that year and I didn't go under the knife until summer. I was forced to scrap the year in terms of Ironman and focus my attention on 2010 by signing up a year in advance for Ironman Coeur D'Alene.

Rehab was going well and I was starting to get excited for 2010 as it got closer and closer. A few people knew early on in the year that I was starting to worry about another sports hernia on the opposite side of my body. I wasn't as painful as the first yet, but I hadn't started my Ironman build yet either and I was worried it would worsen. I went to see my doctor to get his take and he confirmed it was another sports hernia. I am a Kaiser member and this was an out of network physician, so you can imagine the red tape that had to be cut before I could actually get the surgery. At this point, being less than three months away from Ironman and having all of my pre-Ironman prep work done, I had a major decision to make. Get fixed and do what I can to get as fit as possible after recovering or chance it and get it fixed after the race. You can imagine the frustration. It would have been very easy to have gotten upset and discouraged at this point.

After speaking to some people that I really trust, I decided to go for the surgery as this thing wasn't going to just go away. I knew I would be laid up for two weeks and unable to do any type of real training, so I had to go out with a bang. So, the day before the surgery I went out for a long run in the East Bay that started as a 15 miler, evolved into a 20 miler and ended up being exactly 26.2 miles. A marathon. This one day of training served me huge on race day, as I'm about to detail.

Race Week

The reason why I explain my path in the last year plus is so you understand how fortunate I feel to have even gotten to the starting line of Ironman again. This time (and this was my fifth Ironman) I saw the entire experience as a gift, and not a right. With a reconstructed knee and two fixed sports hernias, my wife (Marissa) and I always say how lucky I am to be alive and competing in this era of sport. If this was just 50 years ago, my athletic career would have been done when I was 19 years old with a blow out knee. This helped me stay positive and to cherish every moment I have doing the sport I love. I knew I had to fit a ton in after my surgery to finish an Ironman, but the bottom line is that I had the opportunity to do so!

All of my training partners at Velo Sf, including my fellow coach and Ironman buddy Andrew McWhorter (we've done all 5 Ironmans together), know how much I had to cram for this race. In fact, I had my longest ride, run and swim inside of two weeks before the event! With just 10 weeks to go from being in severe pain on the couch to finishing an Ironman, a lot had to be fit in.

This meant that race week needed to be recovery focused, like no other. I needed to be a smart athlete. I don't have a coach, but I still use a lot of the principles that Matt Dixon taught me a few years back. For those of you who don't know Matt, the top two pro women finishers at IM CDA were his athletes. He knows his stuff and my one taper week went exactly as planned. I felt my legs getting stronger and stronger as the week progressed, although I was unsure I had done enough volume in each discipline.

I flew up Thursday night and sat next to my buddy Mirek on the plane. He's a Kona qualifing guy and we chatted a bit about strategy. He offered for my wife and I to stay at his wife's family cabin with him the night before the race. I accepted and this turned out being a big plus. We landed late and one of my best friends was waiting to pick me up at the Spokane Airport. My buddy Steve Rupe and his wife Tia put me up for two days in Spokane before I headed to Mirek's place on the lake. Steve and Tia bent over backwards for me. Steve drove me back and forth from CDA to Spokane, helping me get checked in, cleaned and tuned my bike, fed me (most of you know how pricey that can be :) and just dropped everything to be there for me. I can't thank them enough. Such great friends!

Marissa landed on Saturday midday in Spokane. Steve and I picked her up and drove out to CDA to drop off my bike. Steve even drove us to Mirek and Michelle's family cabin. That's where Nancy and Jeff Caputo did everything in their power to get this Ironman to the starting line fed and rested. A tasty home cooked meal is the key before an Ironman and they didn't disappoint. Thank you so much to the Caputo family!

At this point the night before the race, the good luck emails and texts were flying in. I can't thank you enough for all the love. I sat down and started my final race prep, including getting my race nutrition in order. I've done a ton of racing, so I have a pretty solid idea about what I need at this point. Thank you so much to Alyssa Berman and Clif Bar for getting me all the nutrition items I needed. It paid off huge!

Race Morning

After constantly checking the weather report all week, it looked like we were going to have a great day for racing. Temps maxing out around 80 and winds steady at 8-10 mph. After racing here in 2006 when temps were in the upper 90's, I was happy with this forecast. We woke up, had breakfast and drove the Caputo family truck to the lake. Marissa was able to get me very close and I had plenty of time to get situated. After I threw on my wetsuit and wished my pro friend Meredith Kessler good luck, I started to realize I was about to race an Ironman today. It sounds crazy, but the distance is so long and so hard to truly grasp, when it clicks it can be a bit overwhelming. I took a deep breath, kissed my wife and headed to the start.

The Swim

Wow. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful an Ironman swim start can be. 2500 plus athletes primed and ready to go, all at once. So many stories...so much nervous energy. That's when it became real for me.

The canon sounded and we were off. I knew from experience and from the advice of my buddy Steve to stay as right as possible, to avoid getting caught up in the washing machine that is an Ironman start. I found open water very quickly and began lengthening my stroke. I kept telling myself to go easy the first lap and jam on the second. Another coach I had used to say go as hard as you can on the swim as you won't use those muscles again all day. The lake temp was 61, but without a hood I started to get a little chilly midway through the swim. I exited the first of two loops, got my game face on and jammed the second lap. The turn buoys were traffic jammed like you wouldn't believe, but I found my rhythm and before I knew it, 2.4 miles was behind me. I usually can't wait to finish the swim, but I felt good the second lap and I was enjoying myself.

Time: 1:13:56, 705th overall, 97/216 in the Men 30-34 age group

The Bike

After a quick change, I headed out for my 112 mile bike ride. It's a long ride and considering I hadn't ridden my bike outside since having surgery, I was a bit nervous about the distance. I went SUPER easy the first lap and this paid off on the second. My friend Lyss wants me to mention how many Clif Shots I used on the bike. All in all I ate 20 Clif shots on the bike and five energy bars. That totaled about 420 calories an hour. Just the right amount. That's a lot of Clif Shot, but my energy levels felt great! I saw Marissa, Steve and Tia all over the bike course. They knew exactly where to go out of town and that made a HUGE difference for me psychologically. Seeing a loved one that far away from town was incredible. The second loop I cruised by so many people who passed my early on. I struggled a bit the last 20 miles as I just didn't have enough bike fitness, but I was more worried about what this would do to my marathon. I gave up a couple of spots on the last part of the bike, but all in all it was a good ride. I was getting a bit nervous about the run though :)

Time:5:26:58, 202nd overall, 41/216 in age group (12 minute personal best)

The Run

Bike for show, run for dough. That's the most relevant expression in our sport. After spinning my legs out on the last part of the bike and trying to get some last minute calories in, I handed my bike off to one of the amazing volunteers and I headed into the changing tent. Ah, the T2 changing tent at IM CDA, my old friend. That's a tough place. You want to stay forever, but know the longer you're in their, the harder it is to leave. I chatted with another guy about how hard this whole deal is and how it never gets easier. I thought "A marathon...are you kidding me?". I was nicely toasted at that point and wasn't sure how this was going to play out.

Well, I guess all those long runs on tired legs in training paid off because within 200 yards I found my form and I was off. I broke the course down in my head before the race and had my strategy clearly mapped out. All I needed to do now was execute and to KEEP RUNNING! I had 8 Clif Gels on board and I used every last one by mile 20. I ran a 1:45 first half marathon and had hopes of running a second in the same time. That didn't happen as my lack on long run fitness started to show up just after the midway point. I did not crack though, I kept moving.

On the second half of the marathon I walked every aid station drinking Coke, slamming gels and taking umpteen sodium pills to fight off the cramps.I worked and I was able to run pretty fast in between aid stations. I saw my training buddies Andrew and Meredith out there battling for their lives, and I did the same. My Garmin GPS watch died at mile 23 and I had no idea what my pace was. The last time I saw Andrew he said "sub 10:40!". I said "I don't think so...maybe sub 11". I literally had no idea what was going on, but I knew I needed to get on my horse if I was going to PR. I ran through the final aid station, pushed hard up the final mini hill that felt like the Marin Headlands at that point and made the turn onto Sherman Ave where I could see the finish!

I entered the quarter mile stretch with another athlete. I put out my hand and said "give me some love, brother...we're finishing Ironman!". After a quick low five, I got my old college track legs back and cruised to the finishline. I know from working so many finishlines as an announcer what it takes to get the crowd pumped. There was a wall of spectators with tons of potential energy brimming just under the surface. My arms went up, the smile came out. The crowd went crazy! I remember thinking, this is a once in a lifetime deal. Take as many mental pictures as you can and feed off these guys energy!

I saw Steve, Tia, Andrew's wife Nicole and then Marissa in the sea of people. It was incredible. I couldn't stop smiling. It all came together and all my hard work had paid off! I raised my fists at the line, and forgot to even see what my time was. I looked back and saw 10:39 something. I said to the finish line volunteer "is that time right?!". She said it was and my smile grew even wider!

Time: 3:46:56, 161st overall, 27/216 in age group (8 minute personal best)

Total Time: 10:39:25, good for 179th overall and 36th in my age group. (Most importantly, a 40 minute Personal Best!)

I finished strong and like always, once I saw my wife, the water works came out. She is so supportive and so are all of my friends and family. I have such amazing people in my life and I am so fortunate to be able to do this sport. It is an amazing thing. Like I always say, it strips you to your core and it shows you who you really are. I am proud to say I am a man, an Ironman. I stepped up and answered the call that day. In four previous tries I had finished, but the race beat me. I won this time. I stayed within myself and stepped up to the plate, and for that I'm proud. Thank you to everyone in my life who had a part in this. I literally could not and would not do it without you. Thanks you and remember to enjoy this ride while you can because you don't know when it's gonna end.