"Sweat would not evaporate from our bodies quickly to cool it because of the humidity. Instead it retains the heat and adds another challenge to the ironman race," she recalled in her blog.
Completing the swim leg in just over an hour, Hammond was 60km into the first of two 90km cycling legs when she grabbed an electrolyte drink to fill her bottle from an aid station.
"Then went to drink from the straw ... the straw that wasn't there. I hadn't noticed but it had popped out.
"I can't even describe how torturous that was to have an ice cold electrolyte drink 20cm from my face, sweat dripping off me, and I couldn't drink from it.
"I just had to wait to the next aid station to hydrate. By the time I got to the next aid station I was frothing at the mouth."
Hammond found her straw, still on the course, during her next lap.
Going over speed bumps also meant some of the GU energy gels placed on her bike fell off, supplies running out with 50km of riding to go.
"Usually this wouldn't be of great concern to me, but at the last two aid stations [approx 25km apart] I yelled out for 'Isotonic', 'Electrolyte' but kept getting handed water.
"This then did become a concern. When I rolled into the transition after 5.12 hours to start the marathon I knew I was running on absolute empty."
Sustained by GU gels in her running shoes and drinks of Coke, Hammond recovered somewhat on the running leg, which was six loops of 7km.
She caught and passed leading Australian ironwoman Belinda Granger to gain third spot, but was unable to reach Steffen and Crawford.
"[I] even ran past Caroline Steffen, which to be honest, was the highlight of my day even if she was a lap ahead of me."
Hammond said the number of participants in the triathlon had doubled from the previous year.
