2nd 4:18:36

     Swim 11th 27:29
     Bike 1st 2:20:27
     Run 2nd 1:27:57



Cozumel is a beautiful little Island off mainland Mexico. Definitely a race to do and place to go. The swim is in the crystal clear ocean. 100% visibility - that's clearer than most swimming pools. The local Mexicans are all friendly and excited about all the commotion. The event itself is not quite the well-oiled, smooth-running Ironman production that rolls in and out of each host city in America, but what the Mexicans lack in polish, they make up for ten-fold with flair, excitement and genuine good intentions. The weather was warm but not crazy hot and there was some humidity in the air. Perfect for racing!

As the athletes line-up around the starting pier on race morning, the locals wake up the dolphins for a quick dolphin show to get the festivities started. What a way to get things started before the race hey! 15minutes before the scheduled pro start the organizers send off 1 lone competitor, he's got the tough task of completing the days 70.3 with his disabled daughter in tow. For swim leg, he's dragging a large green raft with his daughter in it. As we see him start out we get a little concerned that he's going to get trampled by the 2000 competitors starting soon behind...or that he'll maybe end up being a large road-block in the middle of the swim course.

I position myself on the start line sandwiched between the two fastest swimmers in the field, actually two of the fastest swimmers on the circuit. Maybe I can hold on for a few minutes... Ok, a few seconds! As we take off, almost immediately I lose sight of Liz and Jodie. But I find myself swimming in the pack. The water is amazing. We reach the first turn bouy at the far end and head for the second. As we approach I see the bright yellow turn bouy to the left and the big green raft of the man with his disabled daughter to the right. Ok, I think to myself, he's waiting for us to pass...safe...sensible. The pack, including myself head straight for the yellow buoy trying to find the shortest route. A few get through but then the gap begins to close. The green raft is getting closer to the yellow buoy and the opening is disappearing. By the time I get to it I see a rope linking the raft to the buoy. The man is pulling himself into the bouy. The girls ahead are madly rushing to climb over and under the rope before it completely closes. Most got through... I did not! I'm bashing at the raft but it wouldn't budge. I had no choice but to head far right and swim around the raft. I've completely lost contact with the pack. I put on a massive surge and luckily get back on. From there on I just sit and follow them back to the exit.

Not a great start, it definitely got my heart racing as it caused some panic. But I emerge with the pack, run past them all and mount my bike first (fourth overall with Emma-Kate 2mins up the road and Jodie & Liz 4mins up). As I begin cycling I hear this constant - bang, bang, bang! Oh no, my wheel is gonna come off. I pull on my handlebars to lift my bike slightly to see if my front wheel is loose. It doesn't seem to be but the bang! Bang! Bang! just won't stop. What is going on? Soon I see my front drink bottle positioned between my aero bars is slipping back and almost hitting my knees... My drink bottle cage is slipping off! I try madly to tighten it but fail. I try not to let it get to me... bang, bang, bang... I push the bottle forward so it doesn't fall right off... bang, bang, bang... Another push, no difference. I cannot get into a rhythm. I feel like I'm stuck in first gear. That's when my mind wonders for a little as I start singing "...you're stuck in second gear, when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year...". The mount cage is not helping things as I'm thinking "How much damage is this doing to my bike?", "Should I just stop and fix it?" but moreso, the road is so rippled that I'm bouncing all over the place. "Maybe I can stop and let some air out of my tyres and at the same time fix my bottle?". My mind was going a million miles an hour but then just up ahead I see Emma-Kate. I put my head down, power past her and think, maybe Jodie and Liz are not too far ahead. After about 20k through the trees, we turn a slight corner to see the ocean again, we've made it across the other side of the Island already.  I feel this massive sting in my thigh. Weird. It's pretty damn windy on this side of the Island so I think it must be the sand being blown up across the road whipping me in the legs. But then I realize the sting is confined to one small point. I look down and see the stinger from a bee is still stuck in my thigh. I wobble over the road as I frantically try to pull it out. The sting soon goes away but it remains itchy for the rest of the ride. 

50km in and I see what looks like two more cyclists up ahead. I slide my sunnies down to the end of my nose like a granny looking out the top of her reading glasses. The sea salt has made my sunnies impossible to see clearly. But yep, there's Liz and Jodie just up ahead. At 55km I pass them both, still bang, bang, banging my way along. I get to 75km where we u-turn and head back the final 15k back to T2. As I turn around I see Emma-Kate, Jodie & Liz all sitting in. Damn! I slow down, move over and let Emma-Kate lead the way back into T2. 

The four of us dismount together. We all throw our bikes towards the bike catchers and start yelling our race number. For those who don't know, when there are bike catchers 'usually' after you hand over your bike another volunteer will hand you your T2 bag (with your running shoes in it) then you will run to the change tent (separate male and female tents) before up ending it. Only when you are in the change tent can you begin to get changed. Several volunteers are standing there, some point straight ahead so Liz and I, first to dismount run straight ahead frantically looking for our bag. Meanwhile another volunteer points to his right so Emma-Kate and Jodie begin running to their right also frantically yelling out their race number. After what seems like minutes (probably only a few seconds) the four of us are doing a dance on the spot not sure where to go or what they want us to do! We didn't speak spanish and they didn't speak english. It would've made for some amusing footage if anyone got it. We all laughed about it after the race. After this little episode was all sorted I had to get a volunteer to help untangle my necklace from my helmet strap (probably due to the constant bouncing). Finally...I was all set for the run.

On to the run... I told my legs to go but they wouldn't budge. I shuffled on. Out and back and then again for another lap. It wasn't until 15km that my legs started to feel ok. It's coming to the end of my US season and I'm finally able to start putting some decent run training in now, so instead of backing off through this week I've been keen to continue building up for the future now that I can. Maybe this had something to do with the run leg here. And maybe also the long ride the Saturday before might've contributed too - where we rode a solid 204k from Boulder up to the highest continuous paved road in North American. An amazing ride that I'm glad we got to do before the cold weather set in to the Rockies.
It's been a tough year with a lingering injury and although it healed midway through the US season it was difficult to build enough mileage in the short period leading into key races while still tapering where needed. I managed a second place in Cozumel and although I really wanted the win I need to keep reminding myself that I was lucky to even make it to so many start lines this year.

   
   4th   4:35:14

   Swim   28:44   (17th)
   Bike   2:29:32   (3rd)
   Run   1:33:05   (12th)




Back in Vegas! One year on - I'm defending champion and things are slightly different this year. I walk up to the Specialized Truck and my bike is there waiting for me. My brand new black Shiv, this time with my name printed on the frame - Hauschildt with the Aussie flag. Spider Monkey (Joe), Mallory & Paddy are there to greet me and go out of their way to help me and make sure my bike is in tip top shape. Race morning, I arrive at T1 to rack my bike and Spider Monkey is already there ready to pump my tyres. I am so thankful to have such wonderful support from my sponsors.

15minutes before race start I pull on my bright green swim cap and stand on the bank waiting for the word that we can dive into the warm Lake Las Vegas to begin our warm up. To my right is Lindsay Corbin in a white cap and to my left Angela Naeth is in purple. The three of us stand out like hotdogs at a hamburger party. The other 27 pro girls are in bright pink caps. 

1min into the swim I'm sitting in the pack, 5min gone and I'm still there... I see the purple cap of Angela, one point ahead of me, the next beside me, the next behind me. We take in turns of sitting on each others feet as we make our way to the finish chute WITH the pack. The swim is both our weakest legs by far so we were pretty excited to exit the water with the group. This is the first time I have ever swam in a pack, EVER, and I actually felt like I belonged. I held my ground. There were a few taps on the feet, clips on the shoulder but nothing like I expected. Usually I get a few biffs and I back off, I let the pack go, I panic. But not today. And I owe a huge thanks to Tenille for helping me conquer this fear, start quicker and sit on feet. It isn't so bad swimming in the pack after all.

Out on 'The House' (my Bike - short for Hauschildt) I begin picking off competitors. Leanda, Jodie & Kelly are all over 3min up the road. The rest of the group isn't too far away. The bike course is tough - probably one of the toughest I've done but also one of my favorites. It's hilly but the type of hills I like - long! Into T2 I dismount 3rd. Leanda a few minutes up the road and Heather just under two. On a normal day, not a problem I'd think. But today wasn't a good day. My body not 100%, by the time I got to the run it'd said enough. It was the longest, hottest and mentally hardest half marathon I've done. When you have nothing right from the first step, when you're cramping (first time ever) before you even get off the bike, while the sun is beating down at over 40deg C melting the tarmac beneath your shoes, and when there isn't enough water stations to keep fluids up, you just wish a big fat bus would come along to take you out and end the misery. As long as I waited the bus didn't come so I shuffled on, up and down the hills of Henderson almost delirious until I finally crossed the finish line in 4th place. 

This was not the result I wanted but as a legend of the sport and great role model, Heather Fuhr told me "sometimes you are just dealt one of those days" and you can't change it. But you can look forward to what is next... 

I want to send out a huge thank you to all my sponsors, manager, friends and family who all stand by me whether I have an awesome day or a not. Also a special thanks to Chuck from Colorado Multisport for transporting my bike to and from Vegas. James from Colorado Multisport for building my bike and 'Dream Team Triathlon', a Youth Triathlon Squad in Georgia who have appointed me Team Captain and shown me tremendous support throughout the year. And finally Jared, my husband for always being there for me. He never gets mad at me even when I'm a pain in the a**!

   5th 2:04:02

   Swim 22:20 27th
   Bike 1:02:48 2nd
   Run 37:06 3rd



Hy Vee 5150! Whoa... Pretty much the world champs of Olympic distance non drafting. This is the one race that attracts the best triathletes from all distances. And this means I need to swim fast! I'm up against the top ITU girls who are awesome swimmers. 

The week leading into this race I had the help from Tenille Hoogland, a great mate & fellow triathlete and Specialized rider, not to mention an amazingly fast swimmer. Two mornings a week the Boulder Reservoir is marked out with buoys in a 1km circuit to practice open water swimming. Tenille and I headed there. We practiced starts. In the past I haven't taken off fast enough. And we practiced sitting on feet. Another thing I've had real trouble with. This is due to a few reasons - I've lost contact too soon, I don't always swim straight but the main reason - I don't sit close enough. 

As my name is called I slowly walk down to the pontoon following the Aussie flag carried by my little flag bearer. As I'm standing on my starting mark I look to my left - Lisa Nordon! 2nd at the Olympics three weeks ago and a super fish in the water. Tenille said "find someone that is faster than you but not TOO much faster that you cannot keep up". Lisa was not that person I was looking for. 

On your marks go! That was pretty much how it went. Isn't there meant to be a pause between on your marks... and... GO! This is my first diving start and... I missed it. That split second where everyone is about to dive off the pontoon and I'm leaning back getting my foot close to the line ready to shoot myself forward as quick as I can. Not to worry, I'm in the water swimming as fast as I can... Ok, so I'm not sitting on feet, it's just me all alone again but I feel like I'm going ok. The swim is 2x750m laps with a small run in between. I come out after the first lap, pull myself up the ramp then start sprinting round to dive in again. The commentator is calling us all out of the water... There were names after me! I'm not last. Ok... Keep going hard. I get around the second lap and run to my bike. I'm out in 27th position. This doesn't sound too great when there is only 30 in my race but I'm only 2min 37sec behind the leader and less than 2min behind the majority of the field. I'm happy with that!

The bike - its only 40km but I think I can make up at least a minute. It's four laps which means lots of tight corners and u-turns. It's not going to be easy to make up this time. What I didn't realize though was how rough the roads were. I was bumping all over the place. The roads were all cracked with potholes & train tracks to tackle. I just couldn't get a good rhythm. It was tough. Then throw in the hills, two decent sized hills each lap. What was awesome though was the constant screams from spectators lining a good majority of the course.

I racked my bike in about 12th position, now less than 2min behind the leader. The run is also 4 laps so plenty of cheering along the course. From transition, in front of the grandstand, we head down the hill, out and back on the flat then up a decent sized hill back to the grandstand. I'm feeling good. I'm in control. And I'm picking off competitors. Two laps down and I've moved into 4th. I'm working on third. I'm catching her. Half way through the third lap I'm not gaining anymore... I'm keeping the same distance. It's ok, one more lap... She'll slow, I'll put on a surge. Third time up the decent hill which has now turned into a mountain I'm feeling it. But I still have another gear, I have a surge in me. Down the hill for the last lap and out to the turnaround. As I hit the turnaround on the last lap this feeling comes over me... My legs suddenly weigh a tonne. I've got 2.5km to go and my legs now feel like magnets attracting more and more lead the entire way back... I get to the hill and I try to push up it but the lead stuck to my quads is almost pulling me backwards... I hear Jared yell 12seconds... I'm hoping he means I'm 12seconds behind third... It sounds so close but there's no bridging that gap now. Problem is he's telling me 5th place has caught back up and is now only 12sec behind... 

That was tough! But also really fun. And different. I liked the diving start and the laps. The bumpy road wasn't cool - maybe I'll have to decrease my tyre pressure next year. But the constant line of spectators and the fact we could also see our competition was really cool. I definitely know what to work on for next year with this race - my swim. And my bike handling skills.