Whiff at Wildflower

For the first time in years there seemed to be the slightest air of frustration at Wildflower. Could 2005 be the first step down the back side of success? This event defied all logic when it continued to grow even after loosing its Kona slots. It still draws the marquee names in the pro field even with richer pro purses elsewhere. It has, for years, been the brass ring for many age group athletes, but was there a whiff at Wildflower this year?

The first oddity came when registration was still open in January. In the past the race sold out immediately after opening but this year the numbers trickled in at a sensible pace. The other surprise came just days prior to the event when an email from the race director asked for volunteer assistance. This was a first for Wildflower, and the message went on to explain that the Cal Poly volunteers, who had the job covered in years past, were going to be in short supply due to a new drinking restriction. The claim was that in the past underage drinking (and some legal age binging) had taken place, and that it wouldn’t be tolerated this year. Some people were thrilled by this news while others thought the Cal Poly kids added to the character of the event. The spirits of the latter were lifted by the rumor that students had made the short trip from San Luis Obispo to the race site in the weeks before the event and buried all the alcohol they’d need for the race weekend.

There too was plenty of grumbling about the commercialism and the pursuit of the all mighty dollar. The advertorial emails that stuffed participant’s inboxes for weeks prior to the race, the ever escalating prices of smoothies at the Jamba Juice tent, the recycled t-shirt design from the previous year, the sheer numbers that have to be herded into shuttle busses to get up Lynch Hill. Oh, the potential targets at issue nearly out number the bike racks in transition. And many were keeping an accurate running tally.

Perhaps the most decisive issue is the one least spoken of. Mile 4 of the Long Course run is usually a hot, dry, and lonely place with nothing more than bits of shade to comfort the runners as they pound the trail towards the finish. In the past this aid station provided water, electrolyte beverage and the distraction of being staffed by naked coeds. This year athletes came over the hill to find wholesome, fully clothed families handing out cups of support.

It might be that type of person that Wildflower built its reputation on – that person who looked for a brutally challenging course, the type that was hearty enough to race stiff from a night of camping, one who liked the escape into the edges of the wild, those folks might be looking for a fresh challenge while others still hold Wildflower dear to their heart and will always see it as the true season opener.

Other articles in this series:
   » Big Race Qualifying - Kona, USAT National Championships,
     XTERRA Maui - what's it take?
   » Avoid the PANIC that so many stumble into at the start of the swim
   » Olympics in Athens and how athletes try and make the grade
   » Another course change at the IM World Championships
   » Put your mind to work in your favor before and during the race with
     visualizations
   » Triathlon, the Olympics, and the Evolution
   » Triathlon Keeps Inching Towards Mainstream
   » Slowtwitch's Kona Survey

 
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