I’m doing Wildflower for the first time this year. Can anyone offer me some bike/run course wisdom?
Swim and Bike as hard as you can so you have some extra time to relax at the mile 4 water station.
Gordo has some good advice on his tips page, check it out.
Be sure to bring your sense of humor. You’ll see and hear things there that you’ll probably never experience again (at least not without paying for it.)
Nakedness on the part of both sexes, an aid station stocked with Spam, whatever…
(But do heed the advice above and spend some time at mile four.)
In addition to a sense of humor, it’s sounding like I should bring a disposable camera with me on the run.
The bike course is pretty easy for the first 20 miles, the road deteriorates for the next 12 or so, them you turn on to nacimiento and things slow way down - this is where the race really starts. Try to finish strong from the turn, through Nasty Grade and back up the hills to the lake. If you are dragging through this section, you can lose a ton of time.
Can’t speak for the run - we had the alternate run course last year - which sucked hard… Hope the weather holds for you guys.
No matter how enticing, don’t take a beer bong from the Cal Poly students at or about mile 1 of the run. You will be hurting later on and after you finish you will be hooked up to an IV.
1 mile into the bike you are faced with a tough 1 mile climb. You can save some time and energy on this hill by only carrying with you your most needed items. I never carry a water bottle up this hill since it is so early into the race. I only carried my drink suppliments. soon after that first hill is a small water stop with cups of water. This will tide you over til the first water bottle stop at about mile 10. The same thought for Nasty grade. Why carry tons of water up this hill. Replace it at the next water stop.
Also re nasty grade, just when you think you are done at the top of the hill, you turn right and DOH, another hill! But you will enjoy the steep winding decent after that. That is my favorite part of the ride.
The mile 4 water stop on the run is very surreal. You have just been pounded by a 1.2 mile swim, a hard 56 mile bike, most likely it will be hot (except for last year (stupid last year!)) and you have just run a couple of miles of quick single track trails. Before you know it, there are naked girls handing you water, and telling you to keep going. Why would I want to keep going, I am headed into the toughest part of the run. Ouch.
Enjoy, you are a WF virgin only once.
The first climb (Beach Hill?) is the worst. Nasty grade is nothing major, just a decent hill to keep you thinking.
At least the run course was short last year, but not fun.
I agree STYK. I have been there the last 4 years but I’m not going back til they make it a full IM course. That would be aweeeesome.
2 laps of the swim,
2 laps of the bike,
1 lap of regular off road run + 1 lap of last years modified rain course run.
So,
You run the next couple miles with a boner in your skin-tight tri-suit. Awesome. I’m headed right for those naked girls. I tell you what, nothing like having a naked girl smile at you, hand you something to drink, and then quickly moving along your way. That must be what they call a “mental toughness” test.