1st 6:14:49
Swim 1:00:10 2nd
Bike 3:04:49 1st
Run 2:07:06 1st
Seconds before race start I give the dog that is standing right in front me on the start line a nudge in the backside to move over a little. I'm in Koh Samui, Thailand!
photo by Aimee Minahan
I dive into the beautiful, perfectly still, warm water and start swimming out following the 'lane rope' on my left. Yep, finally! A race where we have a lane rope. The swim is 4km, two by 2km loops with a 140m 'Australian beach run' in between. The entire 2km loop is marked out by a continuous rope with small buoys every few metres and larger buoys on each corner AND half way along the straights. That's what I'm talking about. These guys know how to make me feel comfortable in the water. As I'm swimming out for the first lap Michelle is next to me. Four more up ahead (Liz, Caroline, Carrie and Belinda). I'm a bit slow off the mark again but I soon catch up to Carrie and Belinda and the four of us exit the water together to complete the first lap. I dive in first out of our group for the second lap and now I'm feeling JUST like I'm in a pool. Nobody in front on me, nobody kicking me. I get into a good rhythm and start reeling in Caroline. I catch her by the final straight and we exit the water together with Belinda just on my feet. As we run up the beach I look to my right, I'm coming out of the water with Caroline Steffen, what the! Then Jared yells 1:30 to Liz. WHAT the...! Liz usually puts over three minutes into me in a 1.9km swim. In transition I take my time - I've never been in this position before - what do I do?
photo by Aimee Minahan
Caroline, Belinda and I jump on our bikes together. I sit up for a bit to see how the girls will attack this. Usually I jump on my bike and get straight into it....head down, powering up the road making up the time I've lost in the swim. They seem to be dawdling a bit here today though. They know what their doing I think, so I give it a bit longer. I start to get a little worried that we are dawdling a little too much and Liz is getting away so at 18km I take the lead and reel in Liz. Within 10km I'm right up on her. Ok, maybe they weren't dawdling. Maybe I was just getting a bit ansty riding with people. Now what? The four of us ride together. This was something different to what I'm used too. I sit up and take in the scenery, munch on my muesli bar, watch the spectators yelling out as we ride past, watch for the buffalo, dogs, and chickens that seem to pop out of nowhere.
We go through the first lap, Whits' deep voice blasting from the speakers and volunteers everywhere. I'm getting a little too comfy for racing so at 65km I take the lead and pick up the pace. I get down on my bars. My new, super low, custom-made Specialized aero bars. After a few minutes it's straight up a hill, probably the longest and steepest one on the course. Nice! As I get to the top I can't hear any gears changing behind me. Where have they gone? Instead of looking back I fly down the other side and then keep the pressure on when I hit the flat. I hit an aid station and they all start clapping. I pass and the clapping stops. I listen carefully but no more clapping. I keep pushing the pace. Three against one - keep on it.
As I rack my bike in transition I'm told I have a lead of 4:40. Whoa... Nice! I start to quickly put my socks on while standing then I realize... 30km run. Relax. In transition the adrenaline is pumping and my main thought is always to get out of there as quick as possible. But not today. If I do that I'll probably bolt out way too quick. It's as hot and humid as hell and this will be my longest ever run. I sit down!
As I rack my bike in transition I'm told I have a lead of 4:40. Whoa... Nice! I start to quickly put my socks on while standing then I realize... 30km run. Relax. In transition the adrenaline is pumping and my main thought is always to get out of there as quick as possible. But not today. If I do that I'll probably bolt out way too quick. It's as hot and humid as hell and this will be my longest ever run. I sit down!
I slowly put my socks on, then my shoes. I get up and grab my cup - yep, we were told in race brief that we have to carry 'our own cup' and the aid stations are 'do it yourself'. I load my GU gels into my pockets - four of them, just in case. I'm lucky to take one in an IM 70.3 race. I jog out as I continue to tell myself RELAX! I get to 6km before my Garmin loads up so I have no idea what pace I'm on. But after that I just start ticking of the kms. There's aid stations every km. And no I'm not still carrying my cup anymore. There is in fact water, coke and electrolytes in cups that the volunteers are handing out. I take a drink at EVERY aid station. Most aid stations water in the mouth then another over the head. At half way it's now water in the mouth, followed by coke in the mouth then water over the head. You couldn't pay me to drink coke on any other day but boy did it taste good today!
At 14km a feeling comes over me I always hope won't. I need to go to the toilet. I have the camera motorbike with me. There's not a toilet in sight. In fact no porter loo's for the entire 30km run course. Next thing, the camera bike finally scoots up ahead (to take footage of a buffalo beside the road). I look behind - no-one. Up in front - no-one. Thick bush either side. I use my pit stop as a quick recovery. Mentally and physically. I don't rush it. I jump back on course and feel like new. Well not quite. But mentally the run starts again which means - 16km! Not 30km.
photo by Rudi Nudi
What goes through your head when running for over 2hrs (after already having swum 4km and ridden 120km)? Is this ever going to end! I go through good periods and bad periods. My Garmin beeps every km and I'm right on goal pace - this isn't too bad. Then mentally I fall in a hole - this is hard! I can't do this! I want to stop! Then beep - 4:13! Still on pace- I'm feeling good. Only 10km to go. I've got at least a 5minute lead. Then I flip... Am I gonna make it, it's still a long way to go, why would anyone want to do this? I chuck a gel down - you're all good! I'm talking gibberish to myself the entire 30km. Finally I'm approaching the last aid station with 1km to go. All the other aid stations I'd slow down and get the fluids in. This one... I practically stop. I gulp the WHOLE cup of coke. Followed by a cup of water. I am soooo hot and thirsty! I continue on, burping for the next few hundred metres. Then what I've been waiting for ALL day - the finish chute. That awesome blue carpet. How GOOD is that blue carpet. The crowd cheering on either side. The local kids running in behind me. Then Whit screaming over the mic "...and here comes our winner... Melissa Hauschildt...". As I throw the banner up over my head I'm hanging out for someone to throw a cold bottle of water over me. 6hrs 14min and 49seconds. #didnotdie
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