Tagaman Triathlon 2006
by Kate Bevilaqua

When Andrew mentioned the possibility of competing in the Tagaman Triathlon, the first thing I had to do was find an Atlas and see exactly where this place was! Saipan is located in the Marinara Islands in the South Pacific. A 60 minute flight south of Guam or a 3 hour flight north of Tokyo. My mother and I took what was supposedly the best way to get there, Perth, Ayers Rock, Cairns, Guam then Saipan, 24 hours all up before we arrived on the tropical island. It reminded me alot of a Phuket or Penang with the temperatures to match. It was 30 degrees by 7am with it peaking to 35-36 during the day. The humidity was also going to be a
factor hovering around 80-90%!

Arriving on the Tuesday afternoon after traveling through the night it was straight to the hotel for an afternoon nap. After waking I took my time in putting the bike together and ventured out onto the streets for a 60 minute spin and check everything was in working order. The next 3 days before the race mum and I hired a car and took part in some Saipan sightseeing. We were able to drive from one end of the island to the other in under an hour! There is alot of history on the island as Saipan played an important role in World War II. There is an American and Japanese War Memorial, however one of the most popular tourist attractions was a place called "Suicide Cliff". It was a huge cliff the Japanese would jump off rather than becoming prisoners of war. It was very eerie and scary to peer over the edge and imagine what would have been going through their minds!

The Friday before the race was when all the formalities took place. I met the manager of the host Hotel where all the athletes were staying. He was an Aussie living in Saipan for a few years and glad to hear I had made the trek to race. The race director Bill, was also very friendly and offered plenty of advice on the course and the competition! Registration was quick as easy, as was race briefing. There was a carbo loading party that took place however, it was on the Friday night before the Saturday race and I am quite pedantic about what I eat the night before the race. So it was back to the hotel for my own special meal.

Now, if you were unable to register on the Friday you had the option of registering on the Saturday morning but at 3am! I passed on this choice and opted for more sleeping time! It was a 5.30am race start anyway, in a hope most people would finish
before it got too hot! The Tagaman Triathlon was to be held over a 2km swim, 60km cycle and 15km run. This was my first race as a Pro and the nerves were definitely high. But I always try and tell myself that being nervous is just a waste of valuable energy I could use during the race. We all know a little bit is good, that for me was excitement!

The Pro's were to go first 5 minutes before the age groupers, with a non wetsuit swim. I was quite amused by the fact that I was standing next to Olivier Marceau for the beginning of the race. He had won the event the last 2 years. The gun went off and we were on our way although the first 1km loop there was a slight problem of not being able to see! Yes, the race started early but the sun wasn't exactly up at that time. For me it was a matter of following the splash and the feet in front. Saipan is surrounded by a reef which made the swim very enjoyable with plenty to look at on the bottom. After 30 mins I was out of the water with 3 other woman and running to transition area. I was last out of transition! I have become used to running into a tent and taking my time that I seem so slow over the short distance races. Onto the bike and it didn't take long before I started to feel comfortable and holding a good pace. About 10km in a guy cycled up behind me and told me just in time I was about to loose my spare (it was one of those bulky singles!) from the back of the bike. I grabbed it just in time then had to decide what I was going to do with it! I could throw it to mum when I passed her on the way out of town but I really should hold on to it in case I get a flat. But where was I going to put it?

It ended up down the top (I was wearing my Orca Suit) for the next 50km and it was quite funny as I looked like I had a bulge where I shouldn't! About 40km into the bike I realised I had passed the leading female. It was then a matter of head down and time trial as best I could for the last 20km. The race director had told me how well last years top three could run so I knew I would have to try and put some time into them on the bike. Coming back into transition I had 40 seconds and a 15km run separating me from my first win! The run was flat, out and back, however once you reach the finish line you have a 2km loop before you actually came back again to finish. It was starting to get warm and I was grabbing sponges and water at every aid station. For the first 6.5km I had no way of knowing how I was going. It was all new to me. I was running scared! At the turn around I checked my watch and realised I still had the 40 seconds I had gained off the bike and this was encouraging. It picked me up for a few km's as I concentrated on my technique and staying strong. I came back toward the finish line before the last 2km loop and mum was on the sideline. I had looked back a few times but couldn't see anyone too close. I yelled at mum, "I don't know how far in front I am?" Her reply was "Just run!!"!

The last kilometre takes you through the American War Memorial then back out onto the main road before the last few 100 metres to the finish line. They were so sweet!! I was able to hold on and actually gained another minute on the run during the return journey. The awards ceremony that night was great! It was held on the beach under a huge tent with a beautiful sunset in the background. It was all a little overwhelming but alot of fun! Just when I thought it was all over, there was one more surprise! At the end of the night they asked three of us (myself included) to come back on stage for a special presentation. There was another girl from Mexico and a guy from Guam on stage with me. Before I knew it a waiter was carrying out a massive birthday cake, big enough for everyone in the tent to enjoy a slice. It had our names on it and a big "Happy Birthday". Everyone sang happy birthday to us and we all blew out the candles. Now this might seem normal to you, but it actually wasn't my birthday. My birthday is on the 4/8 (4th August). So I went up to the race director and thanked him for the kind gesture but explained it wasn't my
birthday. It didn't take us long to realise that in America they do things differently and according to them the 4/8 is the 8th of April!! We both had a laugh and he said I was allowed to celebrate it twice this year!!

Overall it was a fantastic experience and a well run race. The locals were so friendly and I hope to return to compete in the Tagaman one day again soon!