That was your wife??? sorry dude, think I said something like "that is one ugly chick" as I passed you.....

Don't get me wrong, it was still very windy when I was out riding (10-15 minutes up the road from Bjorn), but it did get worse as the day progressed. The gusts were stronger and the seperation between the wind was getting shorter. That was up until 1:45pm when I left my spot on the hill and heading in.

Oh, if the cutie in the pink spandex that was drinking from her bottle around mile 50 is on here, I am sorry. I rode by you fairly fast with no warning as we went around the corner.

The dress came with the wife. I should look for something better though for next year. Maybe a nice bikini or something. Something light weight since I have to carry it in a backpack as I ride the course ahead of everyone :)

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Reverend Dr. Jay
Lake of the Pines Triathlon fastest bike course record holder - Golden State Super Sprint fastest tri course record holder - Wildflower Long Course slowest run course record holder (4:46:32)

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"If you have a body, you are an athlete." -Bill Bowerman

Jay, thanks for all the support you gave out there on both days. I know it was great the couple of times I heard the nice comments and then
saw you on the course. Yep, I looked terrible, was giving it all I had. Sure paying for it today. I got lazy, slept in and missed my swimming this
morning. Still trying to recover from not drinking enough in the heat.

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

weaker field.

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_________________________________
I'll be what I am
A solitary man

I didn't see anything interesting this year on the run. Just the guy in the purple pimp daddy suit. Last year I got flashed by a co-ed. I told her it was my birthday and she said "happy birthday" and flashed me. Seemed like a lot more crowds this year including students and others. Super encouraging people.

I saw the guy in purple going up the hill where they always seem to have a hose, like mile 2.

The gals and guy where past this right before you took the big right. Since it was clear the ladies
did not have tans where there were exposing, hope they did not get too burned. I got a high five
from one gal that kept me going. Guess I grabbed the wrong place.

There were sure many many more college gals in skimpy outfits than I remember from the past!
Yes, they were all super positive. I also agree seemed to be more folks on the course.

From a support perspective, aid, etc., it is one first class event!!!

Guess if I have no pictures, it did not happen. I told the boss on the way home she said
I could look but no touching and better come home hungry.

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I spoke to a guy that finished about 45 minutes after you and he said that there was no flashing going on. It could be they just were tired and stopped. It is hard work cheering for hours on end.

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Reverend Dr. Jay
Lake of the Pines Triathlon fastest bike course record holder - Golden State Super Sprint fastest tri course record holder - Wildflower Long Course slowest run course record holder (4:46:32)

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"If you have a body, you are an athlete." -Bill Bowerman

[reply]Interesting. When I came into the bike setup yesterday, a USAT official saw my Rudy helmet
and stated he wanted to see it. Thought it was weird since the way he said it implied it was illegal.
Luckily another USAT official next to him showed him the sticker in the helmet saying was approved.

Now, I have to give a story of what I saw based on this. On both days we saw multiple times a USAT
official, blonde hair with a pony tail, riding on a motorcycle with no helmet. One time I yelled at
her to get a helmet. My wife kept bringing it up since she knows all about USAT officials from
vineman last year. So, to hear USAT was DQing folks for illegal helmets, and then seeing her riding
all over the WF main event area without a helmet on is, well, .....

Dave[/reply]

Officials were looking at aero helmets for CPSC certification, particularly Specialized, Bell Meteor, Limar, Chrono, and Giro. They knew Rudy's were OK, but wanted to see the sticker to familiarize their crew with what they looked like from each manufacturer.

Also, the woman you saw on the moto without a helmet was not a USAT official. There were plenty of non-USAT moto's (media and Tri-Cal volunteers/VIPs and possibly others) on the course and in the main event area. I would hope that if that woman had actually gone out on Interlake Rd, one of the CHP's controlling traffic would have issued her a ticket. Seems like it would be hard to overlook that violation.

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One cannot enlighten the unconscious.
Stuff that rocks: <fawning links here>

CHP out on Nasty Grade were enforcing laws and making cars know that they need to be respectful too. One motorcycle cop pulled over two people in front of me. Just two guys in trucks driving dangerously on the wrong side of the hill too fast. Neither were ticketed, but both had the look of fear in there eyes as the CHP officer turned around. Oh, both guys almost hit the CHP officer head on as he was coming down that hill.

I saw no one on a motorcycle without a helmet outside the park on either day. One person without a helmet did get yelled at by the announcer at the top of lynch hill. Yelled at over the PA system :)

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Reverend Dr. Jay
Lake of the Pines Triathlon fastest bike course record holder - Golden State Super Sprint fastest tri course record holder - Wildflower Long Course slowest run course record holder (4:46:32)

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"If you have a body, you are an athlete." -Bill Bowerman

Sto, on race morning I looked up and saw a bit of wind. I was thinking...OK, I am still ~ 5 lbs over race weight, so my hill climbing performance will be down, so let it blow. The harder the wind came, the more I was enjoying it. Going to the summit of nasty grade, I was thinking...OK, this is nasty, but that wind is harsh, but I was passing people, so what the heck. But starting from the old man 40-44 wave and passing ~1000 people over the course of the race, white kuckling it to the bottom of hills in front of me was hairy.

PLEASE EVERYONE WHO IS SCARED OF DESCENDING IN CROSS WINDS READ THIS

When it is windy and you are going down a steep hill with cross winds..DO NOT SIT UP...DO NOT SLAM your BRAKES. Get low so your centre of gravity is close the ground and get small so you don't get blown off the road. This is the way to descend in hills. Don't believe it, then try it...you'll be amazed how stable you will be with your head down between the aero pads, outside leg pushing pedal hard into the ground, hands on cowhorns countersteering my pushing the inside hand (the hand opposite to the leg that is down). Finally point your belly button at where you want to go, don't look at the object that you are about to crash into....think about the slalom skier setting himself up to hit the next gate as he comes out of this gate.

I'm a 145 lbs guy riding a HED Stinger 60 front and a trispoke in the back and I was fine...most of you who are bigger have no excuse

OK so much for my rant. I'm not sure where people are from that were complaining about the heat on Saturday... but you have to be kidding. Those temps were not hot at all....there was wind and frankly by the end of the run I was suffering and wishing the wind would die (I guess I got a dosage of what I was hoping for). My time of 4:56 was 13 minutes slower than my time here in 1996. Funny enough, in both years I finished 53rd overall...back in 1996 I got 8th in my age group...11 years later, 7th...so it seems that there are just as many fast guys around. Frankly though, I found the race to be much tougher than the Half Ironman in St. Croix last year, where I went 4:54. Wildflower has a way tougher bike and run course. St. Croix just has more heat, but I am OK with performing in heat (even though my last ride at home was 90K in 3 degree Celsius).

For those saying that the swim was slow, I am glad you felt it was this way. I thought I improved my swim (thanks Ksweet and Tigerchik for the swim challenges on ST), and was expecting to see a sub 29 min time (and maybe sub 28) when I came out of the water around top 10 in my age group, but was surprised when I hit the mat in 31:29....well at least my transitions were 1:04 and 1:19...free speed :-).

Anyway, yes the conditions were tough, but when I do a race like St. Croix or Wildflower early in the year, this is what I expect...after posting a slow season opening time, I can feel good about doing faster times later in the year.

I'm already looking forward to the Demi Esprit on the Formula 1 track in Montreal in September (www.esprittriathlon.com) . If you guys want a fast course, this is the place to go. I posted my PB there last year at the age of 40 :-). Aparently Desertdude will be heading over to hammer me soundly and go sub 4:05 :-).

4th time at LC, 7th time at WF overall ... every year it is something - the hot year, the rainy year, the perfect year. this year was the windy year. i managed to PR the LC by 20 minutes over my best time despite the conditions, so i am overwhelmed with joy. as a small women riding a 3 spoke 650 H3C i got pushed around like never before. the head winds sucked and the chop on the water was no fun either. i was even trying to duck in and draft on the run at times.

weaker field ... maybe. along with my PR, i placed higher in the standings than ever before (took home hardware even), but i am keeping it in a personal perspective and i am very happy with my own performance, not so much of the others around me.

the course is challenging no matter what the conditions. it is like a sick joke ... as if the race directors thought 'oh wait, let's throw in a really steep uphill trail right after this beautiful lake shore path just to really f' with the racers ... HA HA HA' (mean laugh and the sound of thunder in the background) <terry davis is outstanding and this is not a shot at tricalifornia>

is TNT taking more slots ... keeping the hard core / more competitive racers out? although, i had no trouble signing up this year, i can remember in years past the agony of trying to get to the online registration page in the wee hours of the morning on decemeber 1st.

yeah awesome doll, i remember some of your comments and the girls behind me thinking you were crude. whatever. some people need to loosen up and have fun. we were all dying out there and seeing you was exactly what we needed. thanks!!

Hey Dev...

Congrats on a great race on a tough day. I said hello as you flew by me like I was standing still around mile 6 (I think) . It was basically a long training day for me, but still... the conditions made for a pretty tough day.

With regards to the wind, I was on a disc rear and 404 front and with the exception of a few gusts on the steep decent after Nasty Grade... didn't think it was all that bad. My bike split was about 10-15 min slower than what I would have expected but or most of the ride I was thinking to myself "the disc is PERFECT for days like today" with a moderate to strong cross or headwind for most of the time.

I loved the course. The swim was about 4-5 min slow for me (36 min) but the bike was fun and the crowd support on the run was awesome.

 My first Wildflower so I have nothing to compare it to, but what a great time. There was ALOT of wind on the bike course (first 15 miles were alot harder and slower than I expected) and my split was certainly slower than I'd hoped for, but it was the same wind for everyone else in my age group. Had a nice little death wobble, too, on one of the downhills when someone braked quickly in front of me which certainly got the adrenaline flowing, but otherwise it was just a good honest struggle. I mean, this is a classic race, its supposed to be really hard. That why we do this stuff, right??

What was interesting for me is that I am usually a much stronger cyclist than a runner but I had a much better run than bike at WF on what I found to be an awesome and fun (loved the topless aid station) run course - I really wish there were more races with trail or partial-trail runs. Not sure what accounts for my bike/run inversion at this point (wind, hills, not fully recovered from race the previous week, I climb like a slug, etc). Had my usual crap swim but am now taking some minor solace in the fact that it appears the swim was a couple minutes slower than usual for most folks (take a couple minutes off my time, though = still crap).

Like I said, it being my first Wildflower, I have no reference point, but if you love triathlon you have to do this race. Its that simple. I will be back.

I raced the Oly, and there were some very encouraging coeds at the fourth aid station on the run. Some with painted on bikini tops and some without. All good. But the guy wearing nothing other than a gatorade cup on his junk was not a welcome sight...

Yep, loved that aid station, even though sounds like they were not always there.
The guy gave equal time to the women, thought he had balls.

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

The guy gave equal time to the women, thought he had balls.

Were you running so fast you couldn't tell for sure?

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Jim
"In dog beers, I've only had one"
http://www.shakercolonial.com/
Creating custom made furnishing to your requirements

No, at that point in the race, I was not running fast. Missed most of the sights since I was dying.
What ever he had was all nicely hidden behind the cup. Some of those folks may have been sun
burned in places for the first times in their lifes.

Did make the race much more fun than the 2 times I did a few years back. Other than the spiked drink
issue, the cal poly kids were all great supporters!!

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep