Generali Mercuryman Triathlon – Grand Cayman Islands

January 27, 2015

By Kimberly Schwabenbauer From Fuel Your Passion

The week before I left for the Grand Caymans, it was 8 degrees for a day or two. Yes, you heard that correctly, 8 degrees. One morning when I awoke, it actually said the words “feels like -3” on my weather app. I looked at it, did a double take, and got my swim gear on to trek out to the car (which would barely start) to fire it up and head to the pool. Winter in PA isn’t for the faint of heart. It hurts your face, cracks your skin and generally, is somewhat miserable. When I heard about a chance to get a break from the cold and do a race which contributes to a great cause in January, I was on it like white on rice.

Fellow pro triathlete, Lisa Roberts, was kind enough to reach out the end of 2014 to provide all the details. She was a wonderful ambassador last year for Mercuryman, and soon after, the race director, Trevor Murphy, also reached out. The best part was that the proceeds of this event go directly to the Estella Scott-Roberts Foundation which advocates equality for women and young girls, along with many other areas. What I found surrounding this event, was a very tight knit group of individuals who love the sport of triathlon and enjoy empowering each other to do great things. It was fairly small, so everyone was cheering for each other and obviously, many of them knew Estella. This was a perfect way to honor her legacy and raise money and awareness for the charity. Please take a moment to click on the link and learn a bit more about the cause.

This scenic half would take place on the Grand Caymans touring around the East side of the Island for the bike course and then transition to a three loop run course that was very spectator friendly.

My good friend, Alyssa, was also pretty excited about getting out of the cold so we packed our bags and made a run for it! A short plane ride to Miami and then a final leg with a little over an hour to Grand Cayman and we were there!

The two loop swim was absolutely gorgeous! We were blessed with calm waters so it was perfect to get out there and just do some open water after being in the pool for months this early season. The water clarity was fantastic and very similar to Hawaii and St. Croix. Luckily, somehow I found Charisa and like a true friend, she pulled me around most of the course! I tried to lend a hand a couple of times and do some of the swimming, but I always seemed to pick the wrong times and she and another fellow were doing just fine so I sat back and enjoyed it.

Photo Credit: Jason Lentzke

You know it’s a low key race when you and your “fellow competitors” are chatting in transition! After the swim, Charisa and I talked about how amazing the water was and then headed out on our bikes virtually together. There was almost no wind so this flat course was set up to be fast! I enjoyed just riding outside again for the first time in months. It was really just a chance to go hard and practice the getting the execution right again. I didn’t worry much about my watts or heart rate. I just focused on how I felt and having fun on this long training day!

Heading into T2, it was all smiles, but I could already tell it was going to be a VERY hot run!

What I found out very shortly after starting is that 8 degrees in PA doesn’t prepare your body well for 80+ degrees and humidity! I’m especially heat sensitive so this was a long hard

run. I wanted to walk many a time, but I knew with every step I would gain more fitness and I wanted to honor the race and my fellow pros by giving it my all! It wasn’t pretty, but it got done!

After the race, we all got right in the cool water and laughed and visited! It was a wonderful low-key celebration of empowering women and athletes all out there doing their best!

Posing for a few shots! Many people asked me about the results, and the honest truth is that it didn’t much matter to be where we all came across the line. This race wasn’t about prize money or a place, it was about supporting each other and being thankful experience this event. We were so Blessed to have this opportunity to get to know the people of the Grand Caymans. Everything about the event was just top notch from the welcome dinner, the race itself, to the post race food and awards.

I hung out with Flat Stanley a bit since Alyssa brought him along in her bag (he travels well being flat and all).

On Monday, it was off to Stingray City on a glass bottom boat! The water was just breathtaking! Photo Credit: Rafael Goncalves

When we finally arrived and saw the stingrays, everyone was at the edge of their seat! I couldn’t wait to get in and meet these creatures (ok, I was a little scared at first, but they are 100% fine to swim with under supervision from the guides).

If you’re ever in the Grand Caymans, this is a must do trip! You are literally up close and person with these amazing creatures. They are not scared of you at all. After years of being conditioned that squid is coming when the boats arrive, they are very excited to hang out and get their breakfast.

Our guide was fine with giving them a smooch. Me, not so much!

On Tuesday, we headed to Seven Mile Beach, which is labeled as being one of the top ten beaches in the world. The sand is so incredibly soft and the water was fantastic. With a final meal with our group, we ended a simply perfect trip. I didn’t even get sunburned which is a miracle of sorts considering my pale white skin at this time of year.

The Reef Resort was a spectacular host to this event and our group. They had every amenity we needed and our room was clean, comfortable and the staff went above and beyond. I highly recommend this resort if you are traveling to this part of the world. I also liked that this side of the Island was a bit more quiet and not at all crowded. It made the whole experience more relaxing.

I can’t thank Trevor, his girlfriend Claire, the Reef Staff and Volunteers enough for being the hosts for this race and treating us like family. It was truly one of my best race experiences thus far! If you are looking for a race early season to do next year, this is a great choice for so many reasons. It reminded me of all the things I love about triathlon and why I first got into the sport. In just three weeks, I’ll be off to QT2 Pro camp so this was a perfect way to get the ball rolling!