The legendary Wildflower Triathlon Festival

Camping. S'Mores. Beer. Triathlon. and nuun?

Welcome to Lake San Antonio, California where some 7,500 triathletes converge to take part in arguably one of the hardest half's in the country. This is one epic race. One not to be missed. Sporting the slogan 'Experience the Triathlon Lifestyle' I beg to differ - Wildflower puts the weekend warrior to the test - hot, dry air during the daylight hours, cold shivering temps at night; cooking your own food over campfire; drunken college kids running amok into the wee hours of morning and the obnoxiously LONG and LOUD siren that goes off at 5 AM to wake them up. To me the triathlon "lifestyle" is securing your hotel room a year out, not claiming a camping spot a day before the race that will provide close enough access to the bathroom without hearing everything and preferably your own fire pit. Or how about planning your meals and preparing your bottles the night before. Not here. Get a fire going and let's share some Cup-O-Noddles. A clean, comfortable bathroom in order to take care of business in the morning? Well... it's still a race after all.

But these are the things that make this race so special.

blueseventy had a most excellent start to the long course race when our man Rasmus Henning led the swim in the new balanced buoyancy AXIS wetsuit. He went on to finish 5th overall.

photo by Timothy Carlson

Desiree Ficker finished 2nd overall with a strong race all around.

Congratulations to everyone who raced at Wildflower. You really desire it. It's a tough race. At least it didn't rain. Then it would have been real interesting.

Shot out to my peeps at nuun for the company and support. I would not have made it thru the weekend without you. Not sure what's harder - racing? spectating? or slinging nuun for three straight days? You decide. I'm out.

Results

Men

1. Michael Raelert (GER) 3:55:57
2. Joe Gambles (AUS) 4:01:58
3. Eneko Llanos (ESP) 4:03:34
4. Philip Graves (GBR) 4:03:54
5. Rasmus Henning (DEN) 4:05:42
6. Martin Jensen (DEN) 4:06:43
7. Joe Umphenour (USA) 4:09:22
8. Maik Twelsiek (GER) 4:09:57
9. Kevin Everett (USA) 4:10:50
10. Conrad Stoltz (RSA) 4:13:14

Women

1. Julie Dibens (GBR) 4:27:53
2. Desiree Ficker (USA) 4:35:02
3. Virginia Berasategui (ESP) 4:39:46
4. Magali Tisseyre (CAN) 4:40:04
5. Melanie McQuaid (CAN) 4:43:28
6. Haley Cooper (USA) 4:47:24
7. Linsey Corbin (USA) 4:48:32
8. Julia Grant (USA) 4:49:32
9. Amy Marsh (USA) 4:50:06
10. Lesley Paterson (GBR) 4:50:31

Mikey