It's hard to believe that the Wildflower Triathlon is celebrating it's 30th year on the California Central Coast. When I first went to the event in 1989 there was a relative small group of what we now call Triathletes. The Triathlon was then a side event to a spring festival that celebrated the beautiful lupin, Calif poppy and mustard grass flower colors over the landscape and around Lake San Antonio. It wasn't long before word got out about the challenging courses the great camping and how awesome the California Central Coast is. Tri Cal Events grew the weekend to a three day festival that included three races and 8,000 participants. On Saturday there is the Half Ironman or Long course and the sprint or mountain bike race and on Sunday the Olympic Distance course(.93 mile swim-25 mile bike-6mile run). The Premiere Event is the Long Course that is one of the most difficult Half Ironman races in the world and one of the most prestige. Every year the top professional and Age Group triathletes in the world test their self on this grueling course. The Half Ironman Distance consist of (1.2 mile swim-56mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run. The swim begins at the Lynch Boat ramp at the south shore of Lake San Antonio and is a out and back swim course. After exiting the water at the ramp the participants start their first ascent of the day running up the boat ramp to the transition area where they mount their bikes and ride south on a small asphalt bike path that turns hard right on to Beach Hill Road that is a very steep 1 mile climb up to the camping area that leads to the exit of the Park at mile 5. At the Park exit you head north along Interlake Drive for 19 mile that consist of rolling hills and if the wind is blowing it's probably in your face. This section of road is through terrain of road lined Golden Oak trees and the colored landscape of spring wildflowers. Interlake Road ends at the intersection of Jolon Road and the bike course turns right and heads south to Nacimento Lake Drive to mile 35. The road is relative flat with a couple gradual up slope rolling hills, but the difficulty along this road is it can be an awful head wind in your face and the heat begins to creep in. Once you arrive at Nacimento Lake Drive there's another hard right that heads west. The road has a few small short rollers but this might be the first time that the wind is at your back after 35 miles of riding. Five Miles up the road you cross a Steel Trussed Bridge that's a Little over one mile from the first left turn of the day and the beginning of a 5 mile 1000 vertical feet ascent up the signature climb named
Nasty Grade that burns your lungs punishes your legs and tops out at Lake Nacimento Dam and turns right back onto Interlake Road headed north to the Park entrance still another 10 miles. There's awesome views of both Nacimento and San Antonio Lakes as you descend back down to Lake level. The heat begins be a factor as the wind tunnels through the rolling hills between the two Lakes pushing the afternoon heat back in your face. Finally back at the Lake Park entrance there's another right turn and another 5 mile climb to the Park Entry Gate and a steep descent back to the transition area at Lynch boat ramp. Once you enter back to the transition area your greeted by thousands spectators lined along the course and complete the grueling 56 mile bike ride.. When you finally dismount the bike your leg muscles are screaming from fatigue and your now about to pursue one of the toughest half marathon run courses there is. As you head out on the run you follow the Lake shoreline for a couple miles on relative flat terrain for the first couple miles until you reach Harris Creek Camp ground where you go off onto dirt trails along the Creek that begin ascending the hills to two steep 1/4 mile climbs that turns your quadricep and gluteus muscles to mush. Once over the top you drop into Long Valley a flat dirt trail for 1 mile and then back to ascending again for the next 3 miles through the camp grounds with applauding spectators and campers then back on to pavement to the 1 mile descent to the turn around named the "PIT" where you immediately turn around and head back up the hill for 2 more miles of climbing back out of the infernal pit to the finale 1 mile leg burning descent to the chute into the 13.1 mile finish and well deserved nutrition and hydration reload area . The Finish is right at the Festival area and the Music and Food vendors fill the air with sounds and aromas and you can enjoy some well deserved relaxation the rest of the weekend . The best quote I've heard to describe the punishment your body feels is "IT HURTS TO PUSH THE GAS PEDDLE ON YOUR DRIVE HOME"
