By: Alexandra Haeussler
On September 25, 2021 I participated and completed for the first time the triathlon competition in Cozumel Mexico called Ironman 70.3. This competition consists of swimming in open water (sea of Cozumel, Quintana Roo), 1.9 kilometers, then cycling 90 kilometers and to conclude, running 21 kilometers. The distance is measured in miles, hence the name 70.3.
I prepared for approximately 6 months for this competition, because the physical and mental effort to complete it is very demanding, and requires discipline, perseverance, effort and commitment. Six of the seven days of the week I had to train twice a day, because the three disciplines require technique and perseverance to be able to put into practice the three on the same day.
The competition was very hard, we started with an unpredictable sea where there was a lot of current. For this first part, the competitors have 1 hour 10 minutes maximum to swim or else they are disqualified and can no longer continue in the competition.
I confess that, of the 3 sports, swimming is my weakness and the one that generates the most anxiety in me. However, this time, although I was very nervous (my first competition in the sea), after a few minutes of starting, I started to get into my own rhythm and I concentrated on not losing my calm and managing my breathing. I felt the current that made it difficult to advance, but the clarity of the sea gave me security and a sense of tranquility that I could not understand. As the meters passed, I began to see that I was “passing” people who were ahead of me and that gave me a lot of confidence. I managed to visualize the starting blocks and swam a little faster. To come out of the water in 50 minutes without being exhausted was an incredible energy boost for me.
I touched the bike, what I love the most. I started pedaling along the coast for 90 kilometers. The sun was already strong. My watch was disconfigured and I could not see neither the distance covered nor the speed per kilometer … only the time, so I had to breathe and accept that I had to pedal based on feeling, but determined to enjoy the ride and save my legs because after those 3 hours on the bike I still had to run under an intense sun 21 kilometers. I took advantage of that moment and thanked God infinitely for the opportunity to have my 2 legs, to be able to exercise, to have a job that allowed me to participate in a competition in a place different from my country and above all, to have fulfilled myself, that if I was capable and could be an ironman (something that for years I thought impossible).
I congratulated myself in terms of time management for training. I knew that every early morning, every sacrifice and taking stock of everything had been worth it. 3 hours 5 minutes later I had finished the bike; I start running and from the beginning I knew it would be very hard. My watch showed that the temperature was 40 degrees and the sun was literally burning my skin…it was hard to breathe. At kilometer 12 (still missing 9) I got heat stroke and could not continue running, so after trying to level with ice I decided, even if it was walking, but finish … and so I did. I walked almost 9 kilometers, as I already had a lot of cramps due to dehydration and heat. Finally, I visualized the finish line and my heart was filled with joy and satisfaction, I had managed to meet the challenge and now I was an IRONMAN (or woman). I did 1 hour more in time than I thought I could do, but I concluded and proved to myself that what we set out to do can be done. The sky is the limit.