Wildflower long course returned in 2018, I had done it before in 2006, 2007 and 2009, have also done the mountain bike and then the Oly in 2013.
Crowd - We ended up camping in the back of Redondo Vista loop E so we were off the main road. Seemed to me a bit less crowded than before but hard to tell from where we were. They sold out the long course but no idea about the other distances.
Start times - pros went at 8, meaning some of us (me) went at almost 9. It's nice to sleep in a bit, but starting at 7 would have made a difference on the run, weather wise. WF has always been a late start though, and the Oly is even worse.
Swim - LC swim looked short from the ramp, but the shape was quite different than before due to low water levels. Times seemed to be pretty spot on though, and those that swam with garmins had it maybe slightly long at 2200 ish. First buoy was also a dogleg from the left launch ramp. Used to be you lined up right along the right ramp for a straight shot. Now you had the line up on the left and then turn left out of the dock. Got pretty crowded around the buoys and halfway through, as I started 2d from last wave. Overall a clean swim.
But due to the level the run up the ramp was really, really long. And painful. Made for long T1 times
Bike - A little short at 54 ish miles, but same course as always. Somebody posted here that the road conditions were bad, and pavement on Lakeshore sucked but I assume it doesn't get a lot of maintenance. But after that, I started wondering what the fuss was about because it was really quite good for the first half.
Until Mile 28, then holy hell, when the cobblestones started. or at least felt like it. I also learned that they weren't screwing down the hand off bottles there, when I reached back and grabbed it from BTS, bottle was there but the top was gone and all the water had been shaken out. Really, really awful for about 10 miles or a little more, almost to the right turn on Nacimiento (there was one sweet 100 yard section of smooth, then back to the teeth shattering).
Hills - they left them all where they were before. First 6 miles are tough, last 15 miles are tough, middle bits are actually pretty easy (other than the road condition, 20-30 minutes of that really takes it out of you). Lots of people hammering up Beach Hill early on at mile 2 of the ride. A few folks walking Nasty. The big downhill after Nasty still scares the shit out of me. I was going 40 and a couple guys flew past in aero. And just when you think you are done there are a couple more climbs waiting for you after the turn into the park. Wind - had very little wind to speak of. Heat - Heat managed to stay away for almost all of the ride and temp was comfortable, even going up Nasty Grade near the end, was warm but not bad at all. I wore de soto cooling sleeves and a cooling cap, and would squirt water through the vents when it got toasty.
Lots and lots of aid stations, I think 7, all seemingly well stocked and good volunteers. Although the road was open had minimal traffic to speak of. Thought a bit of IM Texas as I turned onto Interlake Road, people in a long line but honestly didn't see any intentional drafting save two guys in matching kits about 5 miles from the finish, and one girl on a road bike in a Tribe kit that came by on someone's wheel.
Run - This did start go get very hot, and my only complaint about the race in general was no ice in any aid station. Would have been great, especially on a day like that. Didn't need to be all, just a few, and there are some that have road access so it could be done. Some water and gatorade was cold, some not so much. But with 12 or 13 aid stations it was manageable (and carried a hand bottle).
You get one free mile on the long course without any hills, then every mile after that has some sort of hill or another to kick your ass, culminating in the climb to mile 5, then a steep down to 6. By mile 6 you feel like you've been running for 10 miles and at least for me very hard to get any rhythm going until this point. It gets easier after that. Run through Redondo Vista is the highlight as always and the shot in the arm you need after coming out of the hills, and before you drop into the Pit.
Speaking of which, the Pit was not as bad as I remember, but we had a headwind going down, meaning a scorcher coming up. Walked two sections twice, as well as the last little bump just before the quad killing last mile run down Lynch. 12.8 miles, so also short, but also same course as always. Guess they could move the bottom of the pit further down but glad they didn't
Overall, still give the race an A-, and only due to the lack of ice on the run, and no cold water that I could find at the end.
Crowd - We ended up camping in the back of Redondo Vista loop E so we were off the main road. Seemed to me a bit less crowded than before but hard to tell from where we were. They sold out the long course but no idea about the other distances.
Start times - pros went at 8, meaning some of us (me) went at almost 9. It's nice to sleep in a bit, but starting at 7 would have made a difference on the run, weather wise. WF has always been a late start though, and the Oly is even worse.
Swim - LC swim looked short from the ramp, but the shape was quite different than before due to low water levels. Times seemed to be pretty spot on though, and those that swam with garmins had it maybe slightly long at 2200 ish. First buoy was also a dogleg from the left launch ramp. Used to be you lined up right along the right ramp for a straight shot. Now you had the line up on the left and then turn left out of the dock. Got pretty crowded around the buoys and halfway through, as I started 2d from last wave. Overall a clean swim.
But due to the level the run up the ramp was really, really long. And painful. Made for long T1 times
Bike - A little short at 54 ish miles, but same course as always. Somebody posted here that the road conditions were bad, and pavement on Lakeshore sucked but I assume it doesn't get a lot of maintenance. But after that, I started wondering what the fuss was about because it was really quite good for the first half.
Until Mile 28, then holy hell, when the cobblestones started. or at least felt like it. I also learned that they weren't screwing down the hand off bottles there, when I reached back and grabbed it from BTS, bottle was there but the top was gone and all the water had been shaken out. Really, really awful for about 10 miles or a little more, almost to the right turn on Nacimiento (there was one sweet 100 yard section of smooth, then back to the teeth shattering).
Hills - they left them all where they were before. First 6 miles are tough, last 15 miles are tough, middle bits are actually pretty easy (other than the road condition, 20-30 minutes of that really takes it out of you). Lots of people hammering up Beach Hill early on at mile 2 of the ride. A few folks walking Nasty. The big downhill after Nasty still scares the shit out of me. I was going 40 and a couple guys flew past in aero. And just when you think you are done there are a couple more climbs waiting for you after the turn into the park. Wind - had very little wind to speak of. Heat - Heat managed to stay away for almost all of the ride and temp was comfortable, even going up Nasty Grade near the end, was warm but not bad at all. I wore de soto cooling sleeves and a cooling cap, and would squirt water through the vents when it got toasty.
Lots and lots of aid stations, I think 7, all seemingly well stocked and good volunteers. Although the road was open had minimal traffic to speak of. Thought a bit of IM Texas as I turned onto Interlake Road, people in a long line but honestly didn't see any intentional drafting save two guys in matching kits about 5 miles from the finish, and one girl on a road bike in a Tribe kit that came by on someone's wheel.
Run - This did start go get very hot, and my only complaint about the race in general was no ice in any aid station. Would have been great, especially on a day like that. Didn't need to be all, just a few, and there are some that have road access so it could be done. Some water and gatorade was cold, some not so much. But with 12 or 13 aid stations it was manageable (and carried a hand bottle).
You get one free mile on the long course without any hills, then every mile after that has some sort of hill or another to kick your ass, culminating in the climb to mile 5, then a steep down to 6. By mile 6 you feel like you've been running for 10 miles and at least for me very hard to get any rhythm going until this point. It gets easier after that. Run through Redondo Vista is the highlight as always and the shot in the arm you need after coming out of the hills, and before you drop into the Pit.
Speaking of which, the Pit was not as bad as I remember, but we had a headwind going down, meaning a scorcher coming up. Walked two sections twice, as well as the last little bump just before the quad killing last mile run down Lynch. 12.8 miles, so also short, but also same course as always. Guess they could move the bottom of the pit further down but glad they didn't
Overall, still give the race an A-, and only due to the lack of ice on the run, and no cold water that I could find at the end.