2013 Wildflower Long Course (70.3) Race Report
by: Manny Aragon
I LOVE the Wildflower experience. This is THE BEST triathlon that I have ever participated in bar none. From the camping with the tri club to being there with my family, to not having to transition so quickly from real life to the race back to real life in the space of one day and many more things I can’t think of right now- all of these make this the best experience. This is one I will likely do for years to come.
Since I last raced my season opener Bayshore 70.4 in March, life intervened and my training schedule fell apart. I hadn’t been in the pool more than twice since the previous race, bike sessions were down to 2 a week, I had a couple of weeks off due to illness, etc. But I figured my base training would carry me through this race and my main goal was to have a great time and do better than last year.
Well, I managed the first goal but didn’t make the second. (I was slower than last year by almost 10 min!)
Swim: 42:12 (last year: 34:xx)
When I started the swim- I immediately realized that my mojo was gone. I had no drive or extra energy to push even to my previous years pace. So- I swam at a relaxed pace that I knew I could handle. The water was perfect (about 72 degrees)- very pleasant and fairly calm (as it can be with 2000 swimmers churning up the course). I didn’t get swum over at all and only knocked arms a couple of times with other swimmers. When I got out- I walked up the ramp instead of my usual run- I REALLY wasn’t feeling it…
T1: 3:27- this is actually an improvement over my ~4:30 T1s in recent races. Maybe because my hands weren’t frozen like they usually are.
Bike: 3:26:23 (last year: 3:28:44) (basically the same but Im on a better bike now)
Coming out of my lightening T1 I saw my family cheering me on right at the bike mount area ( I hadn’t expected this) and was lifted by their enthusiasm and effort. I figured I’d ride the course conservatively because of the previous days heat and the fact that I had no mojo. Beach Hill (the first 2-300’ hill) was more difficult than I expected so early in the race which confirmed my feeling that this was not going to be a PR day for me. This course has hills, hills, and more hills.
I began to eat my nutrition about 30 minutes into the ride as usual- but, like my last few races, couldn’t seem to get more than half of my planned nutrition down. About 45min into the ride, my left contact lens seemed to crumple up from the ambient wind and low humidity ( the first sign of my dehydration) and I rode with one eye closed for the next hour or so as I tried to rehydrate my body by drinking a water bottle in between each aid station (every 3-4 miles apart). This went on for the rest of the bike- I couldn’t seem to get enough fluid into my system either as the lack of humidity and dry wind sucked every drop and more of water I drank out of my body.
From about the 2 hour mark on I began to slow down as I ran through my energy stores and my body function slowed from dehydration. At this point, I figured I would likely turn in a DNF once I was done with the bike. Every mile there were more and more bikers sitting on the side of the road- either in shade or out of exhaustion and dehydration- unusually more than I typically see.
At about the 2:30 mark I realized I was bonking and dehydrated and decided to switch to Gatorade (as an emergency measure) to try to pull myself out of it.
But every time I cam to an aid station, I forgot to get Gatorade and got only water (I intended to get both). I guess that’s what happens when you wait too long…
As I came into T2 I had determined to finish the race and planned to focus on rehydrating and getting some sugar into my system.
T2: 8:16 (WTF?!) Last Year: 4:55
I don’t remember much of T2, much less what the heck I was doing in there for almost 10 min…My more recent T2s were in the 1:30 range. I must have been REALLY out of it!
Run: 2:20:40 Last Year: 2:18:10
At this point my strategy was to jog what I could, walk any hills, and guzzle Gatorade and get sprayed down at every aid station. There were A LOT of people walking with me. Approaching the 2 mile mark- I came to the hill that led to our campsite where fellow OC Tri folks competing in the Olympic race on Sunday would be cheering along with my family. I couldn’t let them see me in such a bad state- so I picked it up and jogged up the hill and through camp- waving to my fellow OC Tri Club members.
Turns out my family was at the aid station in front of our camp handing out liquids to runners ( Paolo) and squirting them with a squirt gun (Alaka’i). I jogged through- Paolo giving me water and Gatorade and emptying a water container on me, Alaka’I squirting me with her squirt gun, and my wife Chris taking pix. Definitely uplifiting!
I jogged the flats and downhill’s and walked the uphill’s guzzling Gatorade and splashing myself with as much water as I could get my hands on as there was no ice on the course. By about mile 6.5 I started to perk up again- my body hydration level and blood sugar levels back to serviceable levels and my pace began to pick up. I still walked the uphill’s, but my flat and downhill pace allowed me to pass dozens of people.
Redondo Vista campground was wild as usual with Cal Poly students out in force. A sampling of the experience: bourbon shots and bacon offered at mile 7, beer bong at mile 7.5 ( I had planned to do this but was finally running well at this point, so , sadly, I skipped it), coke and Vaseline , naked students on bikes, and more. Pure insanity for a point in the race where just about every participant is on the edge of ruin. To even consider eating and drinking any of that stuff at that point in the race is pure insanity…Maybe next year…
From mile 9-10, a down hill, I picked up the pace to about 6:30 or so and blasted by a combination of walkers, joggers, and slower runners. At the turnaround, I walked the last big hill, and ran from mile 10.5 or so- blasting by people walking up the last hill to the top of Lynch Hill. From there it’s a 1 mile steep downhill road run and I opened it up full throttle getting up to 5:15 at one point- streaking by everybody on the way down.
As I streaked down the finish chute- I realized that I had learned a very valuable lesson from bonking and being dehydrated. Ok Ive learned it now. I wont repeat my mistake…
Overall time: 6:40:58 Last year 6:32:32.
The lake swim after the race was AWESOME!!!
Recovery protocol:
10 Drenamin (adrenal support) Standard Process
6 Cataplex B (b vitamins and drenamin synergist) Standard Process
3 Boswellia Complex (boswellia, ginger, turmeric) Medi Herb
2 Zypan (stomach acid and enzymes to digest post race nutrition) Standard Process
2 Multizyme (enzyme) Standard Process
2 Lact-enz (lactase enzyme to help digest whey protein shake ) Standard Process
6 Calcium Lactate (muscular calcium to replenish stores, gets rid of cramping) Std Process
6 Min-Tran (magnesium supplement to replenish magnesium stores and calm the adrenals and nervous system post race) Standard Process
16 oz coconut milk with whey protein shake (18g protein).
1.5L of coconut water to rehydrate
Water (unsure of volume- kept drinking)
Lots of fresh green foods – fresh guacamole, leafy green salad, quinoa salad and 4 slices of grilled meat.