W2

Wildflower2 ...means Long Course (70.3) on Saturday and Olympic Distance on Sunday.

1- seemed like a good "deal" only $50 for the Oly
2- the "deal" did not mention it would be over 90 degrees
3- the "deal" neglects to remind you that Saturdays run has over 1000 ft of elevation gain on trails, in 95 degrees  and Sundays run is nearly 600 feet in 1 mile
4: it was really fun once it was done and carries great bragging rights
5: ruins the Sat night wine drinking bonfire

But I did it!.

My (non) Ideal race prep...get up Thur AM at 5am, run 5 miles and get in the car and drive to Palm Springs and tour 2 hotels, have meetings and sit down to dinner at 8pm.  Bonus it was the start of heat training as it was over 100 and I was rocking my Oofos sandals- these truly are recovery sandals and the only flips I wear since I started having foot problems.    But work is work, it cooperates 90%of the time so I cannot complain (except a little) when I have to step it up.

In bed by 11 and on the road at 7am to WF. Driving is resting (right).... coolers loaded with water and lots of electrolytes.  I drove into camp around 1pm.

My husband John- was the WF Camping Rockstar...having rented a UHaul van, loaded up all the TCSD tents, coolers + food, grill, ez ups, chairs and drove up Tue- camp was set up.  We were living large in an RV (nicely loaned to us by his niece) so all I had to do was get my gear together and register for my race(es)

Last year vs this year

Arriving at WF and seeing a dry lake was somewhat devastating.... you hear about the drought and know we are low on water, but seeing what used to be a lake now a dry bed hits home!

Very sad....but the energy was still there and the race was ready to roll.  WF is a fun place....special indeed.

Sat- Long Course- 9:00 am start

this is the same lake 

the new swim meant taking a bus to the start but it was painless....swim was good- fairly sure the course was a bit short or my swim was really great at 26:18- felt great on the swim, despite the black murkiness in the water. Maybe it was my awesome Aquashpere Wetsuit- which I LOVE- no chafing! NONE   Out of the swim and up a steep ramp for a 2 mile run to the bike.  Plan was keep the run in check - nothing too hard and I followed through. Onto the bike and I was not feeling it- legs flat, no power and a bit heavy.  I went with what I had and eventually.  I ignored the power meter (as the numbers were just too low) and rode.  Controlled the climbs (and there a lot of them) and was feeling stronger as the bike went on.   Onto the run and it was hot and as I remembered hilly.  A lot of single track and immediately you are climbing. I was steady and did not push it too much...around mile 5 I was feeling good and picked it up.  Ran hard the last 4 miles and blasted down Lynch hill to the finish ( steep 1 mile downhill)  I knew I was in 2nd that 1st was well ahead of me ( Kona podium finisher) I never gave up and finished with what I had.  8 min slower than last time (big disappointment there) finished feeling not so great....dehydrated for sure, drank a lot of water, ate delicious strawberries (soon puked them up) and that gave me an entry into the med tent and IV (perfect recovery)

new swim ramp start 

Race was good!   Finished strong, felt good after the initial bike sluggishness.  Fueled well - 600 calories steel cut oats and apples at 6am. Bike- 48 oz water only, 1 bottle with Osmos + caffeine and salt tabs.  3 bonk breakers=  750 calories on the bike 2:57.  Belly was good running so fueling was spot on.   Left my gels in T2- argh!  So ran 6 miles on water and salt only and was bonking hard-  was afraid to take a power gel so tried to eat, yes eat a power bar while running on dirt in 90 degrees, but I knew I needed calories.  Ideal NO but it worked.

Wildflower Awards Ceremony is great fun....beer, wine and lots of energy!   And being on the podium is fun too.

TCSD dinner was awesome!! Grilled veggies, chicken, organic lettuce, pita, hummus, tzatziki and more.... I ate and ate....while everyone was now celebrating with wine and beer and ducked out and crawled in bed. After all had #2 on deck.

John ran the course (behind me) , cooked for 5 + hours and drank around the campfire until 11.  We both woke up feeling the same- as if a truck hit us.  He got to clean and pack for 5 hours and I ponied up to race.

Could not stomach the oats so ate a giant chocolate Costco muffin for breakfast.  Swim went off and within 200 yards my goggles unraveled..totally.  I lost my Aqua Sphere Kayenne goggles in transition on Saturday so these were XXX back up goggles..  Crap I am treading water and trying to re thread the goggles- not working.  I was freaking out.  Finally I gave up - sort of tied them and headed off, water flooding in and I am now swimming off course, tapped by the paddle boarder. This was pretty much the tone for the day.  Out of the water and the steep ramp I jogged up Saturday i was leisurely strolling up Sunday. Sitting in transiting pondering do I do this?  Shoes on and I am jogging, not running, to the bike.  T1a I am sitting again, it just felt so nice, putting on my shoes and and then off we go. Climbing Lynch hill I knew my legs were shot- so I just rode along ....passed my many and a few I was so alarmed I picked it up but eventually sat down and pedaled along. Decided to have fun.  Also realized I had no nutrition on my bike but thankfully there was PowerBar wafer cookies (interesting nutrition but tasted good- went along well with my muffin)  Onto the run.  Mile 1 is up 600 feet  in the sun and i was not running or jogging but walking. Once i crested the hill I was able to run sort of and jogged along and finished. That was hard!

Glad I did it.... nothing stellar and I did not push too hard for fear of hurting a lot  of injury. All good....drive home was rough.  Monday I felt like another truck hit me and backed up but today I feel pretty good.  So onto Whistler we roll.

BONUS!  My foot held up....19+ miles of running in 2 days and it feels good!  I am sooooo hoping it holds.

good fun...camping with friends, making new friends, seeing old race friends and having my hubby along....it's what life is about!   Thanks so Nytro for sponsoring the Women's Elite Team!  Champion Systems for our nice kids, Betty Designs for making us look good, new Oakleys and Giro.  Bonk Breaker- my nutrition of choice!