Micheddie has done the Challenge.

Goal 1 achieved, finished the event. Goal 2 achieved, finished in around 11 hours. Goal 3 achieved, goal 1 and Goal 2 achieved, so no need to do another. I have decided that having done this event there is no longer any reason I need to continue doing triathlons anymore. I am going to sell all of my stuff and just be a mountain biker. I hope none of you are disappointed to hear this. It is my decision and I just don’t want to do triathlons any more.





Just joking. I am glad to have finished the event in or around my goal time.

Now for the race report. Day started early 4.15am. I slept really well until about 2am and then I just lied there thinking about the day. Arrived at transition at around 5.30am, quickly pumped up the tyres and placed bottles onto bike. Problem 1 I think my sports drink has gone off. It tastes disgusting, will have to deal with that later. Put first transition bag into the right spot and then stooged about for what seems like ages. My wave doesn’t go until 6.50am. But you’re allowed to hang around in the transition area so its no big deal really. Go over and see Chelle a few times and then decide to put my wetsuit on as I have to hand in my finish bag. I was trying to put off putting on my wetsuit for as long as possible. Wet suit is on by about 6.30 and then I have to wait around for my wave. I was just watching what was going on and not really paying attention, my wave was lining up in the start area and I didn’t get to the front of the queue like Michelle said. I was right at the back, it’s ok though as by the time you enter the water and then swim the 50m or so up to the start line I am in the front row. I didn’t know how rough the swim would be but when the gun went off it was only rough for a little while as about 10 people cleared well away from the others quickly. So all good. There was this one guy next to me swimming about my pace but he kept running into me every few strokes, I could see another swimmer ahead so I quickly moved up and sat on his feet. I’ll let him do all the hard work and make his way through all the other swimmers and I’ll just follow. This was a good idea and the swim went by really easy, I didn’t do any work at all and just sat behind him almost all the way. Coming towards the end I lost his feet as there was heaps of other swimmers around from the other waves. But there was only about 400m to go anyway.

Swim finished and I get out of the water to get my bag. I picked it up and went into the tent. I thought they would have a male and female tent, but no this is not the case. People just get their gear off and get changed into their bike stuff. Changed into my bike jersey and got my gels out to put into back pocket. Problem 2, lost one of my gel bottles running to my bike, have to deal with that later as well. Running my bike out to the start area and getting on I see Michelle again. Problem 3, out onto the open road I see that my computer has decided to stop working, I have to deal with that sooner rather than later as I kinda need the cadence info and time to make sure I don’t go out to fast. After about 10km I come to the top of a small hill and pull over and fix it. Only takes a few moments and then I’m off again. That’s better, I feel reassured now I can use the info to ensure I don’t blow up later on down the track.

The cycle course really is excellent. If you’re a big strong cyclist who can keep momentum up going over the undulations then you could do a really fast time here. I know I am going to get passed by lots of riders but I am only focused on doing my pace and not getting caught up trying to stay with everyone else. The day is overcast and this is good weather for the tri as the last few days have been extremely hot. More than 30 degrees. I had been really worried about the weather but this will be perfect. The course is fast going towards Greding.(about 40km’s away from the start) You’re able to maintain the speed easily. So without putting in any extra effort I was able to go along quite quickly. Because this didn’t hurt at all I think to my self “make hay while the sun shines.” So I keep up this pace for as long as possible. At Greding is the first big hill. You come down towards the town and then make a sharpish left turn and then the hill is right there in front of you. It is reasonably steep. An out of the saddle job. I just go up nice and steady passing a few of those people who passed me earlier. There are lots of people on this hill shouting and calling out and it is encouraging. When you arrive at what you think is the top the crowd has dispersed and then you are left with a false flat that goes for about 20km. Uphill all the way and into a headwind. Mental note, take it easy on this section next time around. Once you finally arrive at the real top of the hill there is a really fast descent with switchbacks. Top speed for me about 65km but I’m sure others went much quicker. The only scary bit is each time you come to a corner you have to slow right down to make it around and they seem to come up onto you really fast.

That section over, next stop is Hilpolstein and the Solarer berg climb. It comes at about 75km and 160km. All along the course you are passing though little villages and they have tables set up along the road side and there is lots of people cheering the athletes on as you pass through. A few minor climbs prior to Solar these were all lined with people cheering. That was nothing compared to Solar. I come into town and then swing right onto the climb proper. I see Michelle and Danni there. The first few hundred metres is barricaded so its ok. Then the barricades stop and you have to ride basically single file up the climb. The crowd is so close to you on both sides and the noise is incredible. Deafening. You get a real buzz on this climb. I think to myself this is crazy what’s it gonna be like on my next lap. (the next lap there wasn’t quite as many people as some had made their way over to the run course).

I eventually come back into Hilpolstein and past the starting point, lap one done. Look at my time, better slow down. I make a conscious decision to slow right down this lap to ensure I still have some running legs for later. As I head towards Greding though it is still easy, and in the back of my head I keep thinking “make hay, make hay!!!”. So I push on and have decided I will go at this pace until Greding and rest for the entire climb out of Greding. That should be better than having to push up the hill into the headwind. I am starting to get a bit tired by the time I come to the climbs prior to Solar again must eat and drink anything I can get at the aid stations. I had already tasted what was on offer and it was all ok. So I was able to solve problems 1 and 2 without any worries. You don’t feel tired when you make it to Solar the second time even if your legs are sore. The crowd makes getting up the hill easy.

Lap two finished you still have about 15km to ride to get to get to Roth and transition 2. My legs are sore and I am thinking “how am I gonna run?” I make it to transition and Danni is there (she is a volunteer in the transition zone) and has my bag and waiting for me. She helps me get changed and then I’m off onto the marathon. Legs feel really good actually. I’m surprised. I set off at a pace which I think I can keep up for as long as possible. After only about 3km into the marathon I think I have already passed more people than I passed for the whole entire ride. That’s encouraging. I see Eneko Llanos running down the hill towards Roth in third place. Then I see Pete Jacobs. Then 2 more athletes, then I see Chrissie Wellington, she was running really fast! She is in 7th place overall.

At the second aid station at about 4km (this is a big aid station, you pass this area 3 times during the run) I see Michelle and Danni and Mika and Kimi. They are all working at this aid station and I run straight through as I am feeling really good. Gunter runs up to me and asks if I am ok and I give him the thumbs up. You then run out onto the path that goes along the canal. I have a good rhythm and I am able to keep on running through each aid station. When I reach the end of this part of the canal you have to run down the hill and then into Eckersmuelen and do a lap of the town and then you come back onto the a path again. 10km covered 52 mins, this is going good.

I decided that I don’t want to have coke until I reach aid station 28km. My plan was that this is 2/3 of the way through the marathon and I should be able to do the last 14km and not bonk. 21km covered 1hr 52 mins. All good!!!! Coming back past the 4km aid station you then head out in the other direction and back onto the canal again for another out and back portion this goes for around 14 km. I take coke at aid station 24km. It tastes so good, I don’t care if I’m drinking it earlier than I thought. Still no walking, apart from every second aid station. I don’t walk until 29 ½ km. Not because I feel that I don’t have any energy this section is slightly up hill and I feel a few twinges in my left leg and don’t want it to get any worse. Once I hit the turn around I run back down the hill no problems. I wanted to reach the 35km marker at 10 hours so that would only leave me 7km to go and 1 hour to do it in. That way I could enjoy the last part of the marathon and walk if I wanted to and just look at all the spectators cheering. I reach 34km by 10 hours. That’s ok I think to myself. The whole time I am running I am doing mental arithmetic with kilometre times and how long I have until 11 hours. I wish I could stop doing that!!!

I finish the second canal section and come back past the aid station again, I see Mika and Kimi and they run up to Danni and call out that I am coming. I see Gunter and I give him my fuel belt (don’t feel like carrying this anymore) I take out the magnesium spray (I might still need this even though there is only 4 ½ km to go.) Michelle comes up to me and cheers me on and takes a few photos. She ran down the course a little to take a photo. Just like me in Hawaii trying to get a pic of Melissa but obviously without the burnt feet.

I still feel ok even tough my pace has slowed. I run down the hill through the forest and decide I will walk up the little hill coming into Roth. It is quite steep and I am still conscious of my legs cramping up. I come into Roth with 3km to go, they have diverted the run through the town this year and it is an awesome idea. People are cheering everyone on, the atmosphere is excellent. It is a this point I start to get really painful twinges in my calves. I take some magnesium spray and this calms it down for a while. I ran and walked my way through town (I ran of course mostly where the people were). It is good that you have you name with your start number, you also have a pic of a flag of your country of origin as well. People are cheering my name and calling out aussie, aussie, aussie!!!! I run towards the finish shute and see Michelle and Danni, the boys Timon and Mika, and Muddy and Rose. A quick high five and then I enter the finish stadium, I just start walking soaking up the atmosphere of the crowd, waving and looking at everyone there at the finish line. I have done it. Rather, Micheddie has done it!!! I run the last 10m or so over the finish line and then I am done.!!!!!!!

My finish time is 10 hours, 53 mins, 32 seconds. (8 hours, 173 mins and 32 sec, hahaha). Couldn’t be happier. I am proud of this finish time as I have finished close to my goal time, just a bit under which makes it all the better.

Now for the thank you’s in no particular order. Thanks to ;

Ryan for the swims you accompanied me on during those weeks when the water and weather was cold.

Hoss for the long runs we went on.

Sinclair for the long bike rides.

Anyone else that accompanied for part of my long rides, Muddy, John, Kath, Cath, Phil, Diana, Barry, Norman, Rod, I apologise if I have missed you.

Thank you to Leanne for those massages and the ability to ensure I was able to keep going.

Thanks to my friends “Hads and Sinc” for your messages of support.

Thanks to everyone that sent me messages of support, I really appreciate it.

Whilst I am thanking people, thanks to Andrew Wellington for signing up as a follower on the blog!! My number one fan.

Thank you to Julia for letting us stay in Zurich for the last 2 weeks, and for wearing your 26 degrees and overcast shoes on Sunday.

Thanks to Kath Porter for your words of encouragement, and believing I could do it.

Thanks to Muddy and Rose for taking the time out of their holiday to come and see me finish and be with me at the end of the event. I am grateful you were able to do this.

Thanks to John Fuller for those kind words you said to me at the jetty that morning when I was on one of my last runs prior to leaving for o/s. I kept thinking about what you said as I was going around the course.

A special thank you to the Schmidts (Gunter, Danni, Timon, Mika and Kimi) for being the best host family ever. We have only been here 3 days and already we feel like part of the family. Without your support over the last couple of days and the months/weeks/days leading up to us coming to Germany everything would not have gone so smoothly. Michelle and I both really, really, really, appreciate the time you have taken out of your normal lives to ferry us about to the various events over the weekend. (Vielen Danke!!!! from the wurst mann!!!)

And of course, thank you to Michelle. You entered me into the event, I probably would never have bothered, even though it really is the only long distance event I have ever wanted to do. Thank you for swimming with me or being with me on the board or the ski on all those mornings. Thank you for coming riding with me. Thank you for coming on almost every long run with me on the bike. Thank you for making me get up early, especially for feeding a constantly hungry athlete for the last 17 weeks. I couldn’t have done this without you, so when you think about it, it wasn’t me that completed the event, it was us.