Tri-california Events Blog Never too late for Wildflower!

By: Andrew LangfieldIt's never too late to sign up for the One and Only!I remember all too well the first time I signed up for Wildflower. I was living in Spokane, WA at the time, finishing up college and trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. Wanting to pursue triathlon more seriously, I heard about a race in southern California that gave a lot of people their "start," so to speak. Criteria for earning your pro card back then were somewhat convoluted: finish top-3 amateur at certain races, or within a certain percentage of the winning pro's time, stuff like that. I can't recall exactly, but Wildflower was a "special pro qualification event," so I decided to make the long road trip. I rolled into the campground sometime Saturday - wholly unprepared for all that is Wildflower - and got ready for the Olympic-distance race the following morning. Which among many things meant trying to shave my legs for the first time out of a pan of water (not recommended).Well, some guy named Chris "Macca" McCormack showed up that year, seemingly just for the fun of it, and decided to jump into the Olympic race as well. He had won Kona within the previous year or two, and was pretty much at the top of his game. Needless to say, he crushed EVERYONE, without even really trying, and I didn't earn my card that year. But I did make one of the most important discoveries of my career: Wildflower is the best. I've made it back to the "One and Only" Wildflower multisport festival every year since (with one exception). It has become, by far, my favorite race on the calendar, for all the reasons that have been outlined previously on this blog, by authors far more eloquent than I.As I reflect on the long and committed relationship I now have with this event, the lessons I learned on my "first date" are as true today as they were years ago. Here are a few:1. It's a great start to the season. Even if you go in undertrained, competing in any of the events over the course of the weekend will jump start your fitness in a measurable way.2. It's super challenging. The sense of accomplishment will have you feeling like a champ all year long.3. It's very brag-worthy. When other triathletes ask you what races you've done, you can named drop WF and earn instant respect.4. It's the One and Only. There is a certain, indescribable magic to this event, that anyone who has competed here can attest to. And anyone who has never been won't understand.So get in on the experience. It's definitely worth signing up for, even very last minute. My girlfriend signed up for the long course on April 12th (no joke)! You can too. Only two weeks away, so make it happen! Otherwise, I hope to see you at the lake next year... no excuses.Happy training!Share|