The 2012 Sani2c Trail - Part 3

I was worried! Getting into bed on the eve of day 3 I could feel that I already had 180 kilometers in my legs. We had come a long way to where we were and the signs thereof were palpable. Despite recovery shakes, good meals, massages and countless Super M chocolate milkshakes our bodies felt the effects of an awesome but strenuous previous two days. As Kalla had to pull out due to his knee injury I would be left to fend for myself on the final day.

Somehow everything seemed to pull together over a good night’s sleep and I awoke that morning feeling fresh and ready to roll, so much so that I was up too early and found myself having to wait quite a long while outside the start chute for my batch’s starting time to arrive. We were again allocated to batch J. The vibe again was electrifying as everyone was looking forward to riding across the beach in Scottburgh, a mere 74 km away. After a longish wait we were set off by the SA Champion skeet shooter, which was a pretty cool way to get going.

From the moment we set off I felt good! Even though the combination of the previous two days were tough we were riding conservatively and well within ourselves and never “wrote any cheques we couldn’t cash”. This all resulted in my good legs on Day 3. I decided early on that I wasn’t there just to ride conservatively and decided to “write some cheques”! Even though our original plan was to keep the pace easy and take in the whole experience, on Day 3 the plan changed. I felt good and was looking to race!

The first part of the race was fairly undulating with some short but steep climbs. At the foot of the first climb I was sitting in a bunch of about 8 riders. I got up out of the saddle and eased past them up the climb. I was surprised at how good I felt and kept on pushing. Starting in the J bunch I quickly dropped my group and within the first 5 km caught up to batch I. I kept on hammering and by the 10km mark I found myself in the middle of the H group. The short steep climbs through the sugarcane fields burning the legs but recovery was quick and the pace was high. A climb called “Work to be done” brought the idea home that we weren’t on the beach yet. I kept on slowly making my way through the field, albeit at a slower rate as the G bunch riders were maintaining a steady pace as well. I felt so good that I blasted past the first water table, and in doing so, made up a fair amount of time on the rest of the field.

After the first water point the route flattened out and I was riding solo for quite a long time. I was flying! Long and flat dirt roads, sheltered by the forest canopy, laid stretched out before me and I was gunning it! Writing those proverbial cheques with every pedal stroke!

We soon made our way into the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve. Another spectacular part of the race! The trail rolls over the hills of the KZN coastal bush abundant with game and birdlife. As you enter the Nature Reserve there’s a small but steady climb bringing the sting back into your legs and as you crest it your eyes fall upon a long strung out line of riders making their way straight up the steepest climb of the race. As the road went over the hill it didn’t snake or curve it just went straight up. Most riders were reduced to a push whilst I tried to make it to the top. Just before the top the gradient just became too much and I lost it when I tried to get out of the saddle. I fell right onto another rider and came to land on his pedal. After a brisk push to the top, and some discomfort from the pedal I just fell on, I set off again but was starting to feel the effects of going hard so early. A loud screeching noise every time I touched the brakes enlightened me to the fact that I no longer had any brake pads left but I pushed on.

We soon enough arrived at a sign reading “Baby Heart Rate Hill” and halfway up couldn’t quite understand why this hill was being referred to as a “baby”. It was still a noteworthy hill and the thought that it’s big brother still had to come made many a rider shudder. Soon enough we started descending and took a right turn in the valley past a sign that read “Heart Rate Hill”. We knew that this was the last big climb of Sani2c and also that it would take some climbing to get over. The slogan of Sani2c  “Life’s not all downhill” rang true throughout these three days, even though it hasn’t been overly tough. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a walk in the park, but we were well prepared and at no stage did I feel that I just wanted to crawl up and die next to my bike. However, thinking back over the three days the two big climbs that stick in my mind are Lamb Legs of day 2 and Heart Rate Hill. It’s possible that with all the climbing of day 2 there are some climbs that are just a blur in my mind, but those two remain crystal clear! Heart Rate Hill is long and steep twisting through the sugarcane fields. A “nice” reminder that you weren’t on the beach just yet. I think this was the closest I was to pushing my bike on a rideable climb, but I made it to the top without dismounting and stopped at the last water table of the race.

Heart Rate Hill took a lot out of my legs and I knew that the last 20 odd km was going to be tough. As we left the water point area someone said “Once you are over this hill, it’s all downhill from there!”. He lied! The thing is, I didn’t want Sani2c to end but after pushing that hard during the first part of the day and then barely making it over Heart Rate Hill, I was more than ready to see the finish line. There were no big climbs left but we definitely didn’t go downhill for the rest of the route. Even though I wasn’t in the red zone, I was suffering a bit but still wanted to finish within the 4 hour mark. I kept on pushing as hard as I could!

Anticipation grew stronger as the kilometres ticked by and soon enough I could smell the ocean! Riding across the beach in Scottburgh was a surreal moment. Early Saturday mornings and late afternoons have finally  culminated into this… an experience of a lifetime. We’ve been talking and dreaming about this for years and riding across those blue pallets on Scottburgh’s main beach just reaffirmed that I was there and I had done it. What a feeling!

However, I wasn’t quite there just yet. The route description spoke of a small bump in the road taking us to Scottburgh High School where the finish was. After crossing the beach I was already close to shattered after pushing the pace early in the day but the thought that we were there had me keeping the accelerator pedal down as a sub 4 hour ride was on the cards. I kept on pushing after crossing the beach but then made the last right turn into the road leading to the school.  I tilted my head upwards following the incline in the road and it just kept on going and going. A dead straight road leading to the high school… right at the top of the hill. What made it worse was that it was completely unexpected. I’m still not sure whether it was only a mental thing, but it was the hill that I found the toughest to get over of the whole race. Even though it wasn’t a small hill, it definitely wasn’t the biggest!

Pedalling through some slight cramp (the first and only sign of cramping of the entire race) I made it over the top and onto the finishing straight at the school in 4 hours and 3 minutes. It was an unbelievable feeling and I was overcome with emotion going over that finish line. It wasn’t because it was the toughest thing I had ever done. I had never done 250 km in three days before, so it probably was the toughest race I had ever done, but looking back at the race it wasn’t overly tough. Yes, day 2 was a monster but I never went so deep into the red that I even remotely considered quitting. Even though there are always a couple of “inner demons” to fight towards the end of a long day to mentally push yourself to the end, I never really had to dig so deep that just finishing was at risk. The reason why crossing that line meant so much to me was that the realisation once again set in of how fortunate I am to have been in that position and to have been able to experience what I experienced during those three days.  You cannot be anything but thankful for riding the best trails around, beholding the most stunning scenery and being part of a race organisation that is truly making a difference in the world. From the pine trees and indigenous rain forests of Day 1, to the Umkomaas Valley and coastal bush of Day 2, and the sugarcane farms and Scottburgh beach of Day 3, it has truly been a captivating and incredible journey. One that has changed my perception of mountain biking forever.