A Triathlete's Guide to Wildflower

One feature of the Wildflower races is that each triathlete's transition spot is pre-designated by race number.

Photo courtesy of Tri-California Events

For many triathletes, the Wildflower Festival weekend has served as an exciting and competitive start of the summer triathlon season for over 25 years. 2008 marks the 26th annual offering of the popular Central California race brought to life by professional and highly regarded organizer, Tri-California.

On the weekend of May 2 through 4, over 7,000 athletes will flock to Lake San Antonio, just east of King City, to participate in one of the weekend's many challenging races. Known for its challenging terrain and competitive field of racers, Wildflower is an event that every triathlete should experience in his or her lifetime because of several unique factors.

Festival Fun

Wildflower's festival atmosphere sets it apart from other races throughout the world. A tent city of vendors, musicians and athletes is created overnight at the campgrounds surrounding Lake San Antonio. The vast majority of racers elect to stay at campsites adjacent to the transition area.

Thousands of peers enjoy the atmosphere of the weekend together. Many friendships have been forged around a campfire or while waiting in line at one of the restrooms throughout the campground.

Logistics and Accommodations

Another unique aspect of Wildflower is the need to plan accommodations well before race day and how to get to transition on time on race morning. As is typical in a triathlon of this magnitude, racers need to arrive at least a day in advance to check in. In addition, campsites fill quickly and can be hard to find for a large group.

One of the advantages of camping at Lake San Antonio is that on race morning, triathletes can bike easily down to transition. Staying in hotels in surrounding areas can lead to long commutes in and out of the park on registration and race days. Hitting the hotels also may lead to missing what so many people love about this race—the camping and camaraderie. There is nothing better than carbo-loading at a campfire with friends old and new.

Meal Planning and Tips

Another issue unique to Wildflower is preparing pre-race meals sans fridge, microwave or an assortment of local restaurants. Try to plan pre-race meals that can be grilled or prepared on a camping stove. With some careful planning, preparing the right meals should not be a huge issue.

On the contrary, restroom availability on race morning can be. Restrooms can get busy and waiting in line should be the least of a racer's challenges. Leave plenty of time and look for restrooms off to the side and less crowded.

Pre-Race Transition Set-up

One of the best things about Tri-California events is that each triathlete's transition spot is pre-designated by race number. There is no need to scramble looking for the best spot—or any spot at all—on race morning. You will have an amply-spaced, designated spot to rack your bike and set-up your transition.

With over 7,000 athletes competing, this feat is impressive and makes for a super-sized transition area! It is crucial in Wildflower for racers to memorize their race numbers to find their spot quickly during the race. There are rows and rows of bikes to sort through. Typically, this transition offers nothing in terms of landmarks to help you find your spot as it's in a huge, flat, concrete parking lot, so get to memorizing!

Take note of the steep hill when entering transition from the main campground and gate. All race courses at Wildflower include this hill at some point during the race. This infamous hill gets the most talk, but there are plenty of other challenges on this course. Just take a mental note of this one, since all athletes will either be going up or down it shortly.

Before the swim start, racers should avoid putting on their wetsuit as long as possible. The event directors will call each wave down to the boat ramp well before it's time to go. Don't feel rushed but don't sit around in a wetsuit for 20 to 30 minutes while you can continue to loosen up those limbs for the work to come.

The Swim

Wildflower's swim is the easiest part of the day, and it's the only segment that is totally flat (hee hee). There are a few things to take note of for this particular swim.