Die Burger MTB 2014 - 75 km

Being quiet is an understatement.  It has been a very wet winter up until now and as I am sitting here writing, it still continues.  After my previous race, Darling Brew, my wheat season (real job) started to pick up some real momentum and I was forced to train a bit less.  The weather didn't help to motivate at all.  With the poor weather a couple of us joined Hildegarde's gym classes which mostly consists of training against your own body weight doing lots of strength and cardio.  We started the beginning of June and I can definitely feel the difference on and off the bike.

On Saturday it was time for Die Burger MTB.  We entered the 75 km race with about 2 000 m of vertical climbing.  Build up to the race was in no way ideal and the nerves where really high on raceday.  The fact that Hildegarde was up all night with a stomach bug didn't help at all.  The forecast for the day was sunny with a maximum of 18ºC, that didn't happen.  We got to Stellenbosch just before 07:00 and there was a light drizzle.  Hildegarde were dressed in winter kit, but I had no warm clothes - rookie mistake.  Luckily Johann Rabie from Bike Addict had an extra windjammer which I borrowed.

By start time we were feeling fine and went off for the long route.  I could immediatly see that Hildegarde had no power and the unpleasantness of the night returned.  After 8 km she told me to continue on my own.  She were pale and felt really bad.  This was something new for me as I had already made the decision to ride with her for the day.  She assured me that she would be fine and I can go.  I was about 15 min behind the group that I would have liked to ride with and flew away.  I soon realized that riding at this new pace was going to kill me and slowed down a couple of beats.

The mud and wet conditions were something else to deal with and when we hit some singletrack I went down a little hill over a bridge, but didn't make the other side.  It was so slippery and my front wheel made a decision to leave the bridge.  I went down really hard and felt very sorry for myself for a couple of minutes.  After a while the legs got warmer again and I could pick up the pace a bit.  One thing that happens on a cold rainy day is that you forget to take enough fluid.  I started cramping at 50 km, but rode through it and it went away just as quickly as it came after I took some gels.

I finished quite strong over the last 10 km, but as far back as I was I had to deal with all the other riders.  There were more than 3 000 riders participating today and it felt like I got all of them under the last bridge.  Certainly not ideal, but all part of the fun and games!  I finished in 4 hours 30 min.  The race was won by Waylon Woolcock, 2nd Darren Lill and 3rd Johann Rabie.

Hildegarde on the other hand somehow got hold of Lood on the route and they decided to take the 42 km turnoff.  She finished that route, but was still not her energetic self for the rest of the weekend.

The next race is The Asics Dirty Double on 30 August 2014 in Wellington.  This consists of a 10 km Trail Run and 25 km MTB.  Hildegarde will be doing that solo with me and the kids being her second.

Talk again soon!

Cheerio,

JG