Post-Sani2c 2014

I love keeping track of my memories, and in this case specifically my “on-the-bike-memories”. Looking back at the year it all seems so far, yet is still so close that it is vivid in my memory. I feel that I finished stronger in 2014 than I did in 2013. Perhaps the Berg & Bush was a great contributor to this. 3 consecutive days of riding do have a big impact on you physically. But, being out there, I loved every second. The tough days, the fast days, the days that you find yourself lost in your thoughts as your legs keep an instinctive cadence. These are my times…

 

Sani2c was once again a massive success. This year we rode well and I was as keen as ever to stay on the bike. I did however take a two week break where I didn’t touch my bike. The next race on the calendar was the Nissan Trailseeker – Diamond Rush in Cullinan and I felt my body deserved a bit of rest before then. I did a couple of short high intensity rides on the spinning bike a few days before the race, just to wake the legs up again, and by the Saturday, 31 May, I was on the start line rearing to go. As always, Erno and I would be riding together.

 

The Diamond Rush is always a fun race and snakes its way through a number of game reserves in the northern Gauteng bushveld. It’s a scenic trip where riders get to experience some singletrack, farmland and even a crossing through a narrow gorge and cave. The race doesn’t have any major climbs, however, there are a few short steep bumps en route, coupled with the usual windy conditions and an inordinate amount of loose sand makes for a fast but challenging day out on the bike. We rode really hard from the gun. Something we hadn’t done in a very long time. Our Sani2c training centred around long distance where we rode at what we termed “stage race pace”. The idea being that we are riding well within ourselves to make sure that we take in every inch of the Sani2c experience. The Diamond Rush was very different though, as we were pushing hard from the outset. As we started to make our way closer to the end I realised that we could go under the 4 hour mark. We pushed on hard…so hard that Erno started cramping. Grabbing him by the sleeve I pushed on as hard as I could go. We were riding together and Erno was coming whether he liked it or not. We made it home with a minute and a bit to spare in 3:58 after the hard pace took its toll on Erno. Still, we were happy. It was an awesome day of hard and fast racing!

 

A week later I decided to ride the USN MTB Cup at the Big Red Barn. It was a bitterly cold morning with temperatures under 0. Still I braved the cold and went out to smash some trails whilst my normal riding partners were snoring away. The further and further I rode the more I was impressed. The trails were superb. Even the trails outside of Red Barn was awesome. The singletrack just kept on coming… on and on and on. Nearly 90% of the race was sweet singletrack. I pushed hard from the gun and a combination of fatigue and bad brakes caused me to take a tumble a couple of kilometres from the finish. I was pushing to come in under two and a half hours but just missed it riding a 2:33. Still, it was a super awesome race and one that I was dead keen on riding again.

 

The following week we moved on to Van Gaalens. The Van Gaalens race, that up to now had occupied a prime spot in the Nissan Trailseeker series, had been promoted to the MTN National MTB Series for the first time in 2014. This meant that an already tough race had to be made a bit more challenging as it now formed part of the National series. We were a little weary but quite confident as we were in good shape after Sani2c. With Van Gaalens being a hard one we once again reverted back to our good ol’ faithful “stage race pace” where we were much more at ease. We ended up grossly underestimating the race! We expected the first bit to be hard and we were right on the money! 1000 metres of rocky and rough climbing in the first 30 kms lead to a downhill, aptly names “Jou Baas”, that was ready to break the camel, the rider and anyone else who dared to ride it’s back. After taking a not so scenic trip over the handlebars for the third time I decided to get off my bike and take a not-so-leisurely stroll down the mountain. I decided beforehand that I would go for the “not-so-leisurely stroll” option… why I decided to try and ride it is still beyond me. The downhill is steep, rocky, sandy and just plain scary. There were people that rode it and I’m sure for the more downhill and #Enduro inclined riders it was par for the course, however, for me… not so much. A flattish middle section of the race lead us to the infamous Oom Piet’s trail. The trail drags it’s way into the Magaliesberg mountains before striking a harsh gradient towards the end. It’s all rideable, except today the organisers added an additional 1.5km and 100 and something metres of climbing right at the top… right at the steepest point where you are convinced that it can’t get much steeper but get swiftly reprimanded by a gradient that nails your rubber to the floor. We ended the race with the full river route  - 10km of flowing riverside singletrack… bliss, even with fatigued jelly legs. We eventually crossed the finish line in a time of 6 hours and 13 minutes. A long day on the bike that made you check your limits again, but enjoyable none the less.

 

In stark contrast to the race two weeks earlier we headed to Sondela Nature Reserve next where we were to race the flattest race I’ve ever ridden. With 230 metres of climbing over 60 km the race is pancake flat with some fast bushveld singletrack snaking its way through the dry winter bush. We put the hammer down from the gun and rode a hard and fast race crossing the finish line in a time of 2 hours and 29 minutes.

 

2014 also saw the return of the Mabalingwe Lion Man. This was our very first race we ever did back in 2009 and seeing it return to the calendar after a bit of a break was a welcome sight! We had missed the last race before the race was cancelled for a year as the race was held the weekend before Sani2c. This year it was etched in on the calendar for mid-July which suited us perfectly. As per our tradition we once again made a weekend out of this one but decided to change the tents for a chalet this time. The race started off flat as the first 15 odd kilometres criss-crossed the Limpopo bush. I had heard of the infamous Vodacom Hill climb, but as the last time I did this race I still rode the half-marathon I was yet to meet this monster of a hill. It did not disappoint. What an awesome climb! Rocky, steep and hard with small intermittent pieces of cement on the really steep parts on the bottom section of the climb. This climb must be right up there with my favourite climbs. It’s long and hard but the views are breath-taking and makes every pedal stroke worth it. The race went over the mountain and we were treated with some more scenic bushveld riding on the other side. The hippo waterpoint was a highlight, with hippos peacefully chilling in the dam right next to the waterpoint. The race then returns back over the mountain for a final fast 20 km stretch to the end. It seems simple, but clearly it wasn’t. Less than 4 km from the finish Erno, who was leading a pack of about 7 of us at the time, missed a marker and lead us in the complete opposite direction to that of the finish. We hit the 75km mark and found ourselves stranded in the middle of the bush, instead of at the finish line, confirming the suspicion that we had missed the boat somewhere. Turning around and retracing our steps we ended up on just under 80 km in a time of 4 hours and 24 minutes. Despite the little mishap it was still a great day out on the bike. The Lion Man is definitely on the cards again for next year!

 

A week later we went down to Bultfontein to ride an old favourite that I hadn’t done in years. Babbas Lodge. This has always been a flat, fast and sandy race, however, had changed a bit since I last rode it. The fundamentals of the race however remained the same… lots of sand and lots of flat fast jeep track, with a small rocky hill thrown in about halfway into the lap. We still did two laps of 30 odd kms. Despite having to vere way of course to avoid a freak veld fire and stopping to for a couple of minutes to try and find a way through the smoke, I finished in a very respectable 3 hours and 5 minutes. I was aiming for a sub 3, and was sure that I was going to get it, up until about 200 meters before the finish line, when the organisers decided to turn us away from the finish line and send us on a new singletrack loop. For a race with very little singletrack, every addition is welcome, but the timing of it was a little unexpected.

 

The following week we took on the inaugural Dam2Dam Stage Race. Erno, Wichard and I and our families made a weekend trip to Buffelspoort where the race would start on the Saturday morning. With a 74km first stage and a 60km stage the following day, we didn’t expect this to be the exceptionally hard, even though the organisers warned us that Day 1 was not going to be easy. It wasn’t. We climbed over 1000 meters in the first 30 kilometers, but the climbs were rideable and the views were awesome. The big climb was the actual Monster climb that you find in the annual Magalies Monster race. It’s long, rocky and grassy twisting its way up the Magaliesberg mountain. A tough climb in anyone’s book, but rideable. Wichard was doing his very first stage race and this turned out to be a baptism of fire. It was a tough climb to the King of the Mountain spot, only to reach it and see that the road tilted upwards again. The subsequent descent off the mountain was again something special. The views were awesome, the trail challenging but fun but the rocky terrain was hard on the body. There weren’t much time for recovery after scaling the monster. Making it over the mountain meant that we had some flat terrain to negotiate before a couple of bumps would test the legs again towards the finish line. What followed was not fun and left a bit of a sour taste in our mouths. When we reached the 74km point we found ourselves in the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills. After a challenging day, we found ourselves with some more climbs to negotiate at the point when we thought that we would be finished. Although this takes a lot away from the enjoyment factor, it does make your head strong.

It was a tough day for Wichard as this was by far the hardest riding he has ever done. Not knowing how far we still had to go we pushed on and made it over the final climb, a long climb scattered with loose slippery rocks making the climbing tough, compounded by fatigued and sore legs. The following descent saw more of these loose rocks making it technical and requiring lots of concentration in this late stage of the race. Reaching the foot of the climb we couldn’t hear an announcer or any sounds associated with a finish line and knew that the day wasn’t over. We pushed on… we had to. We eventually finished a day advertised as 74km with 1200m of climbing on 81km with 1600m of climbing. It was a tough day in anyone’s book but the unexpected 7km and 400m of climbing at the end of the day made it a really hard mentally. Wichard did exceptionally well to finish. This was way tougher than anything he has ridden before, but knowing that you were able to push through gives you a great sense of achievement and belief. You now know that your body can handle so much more than you ever thought. We spent 7 and a half hours in the saddle that day. By the time we got back to Buffelspoort it was time for massages and after that the kids went to bed. I decided to skip Day 2 and spend the morning in the pool with my boys. It was a super weekend.

On the 7th of August I decided to do my first Night Rider for the year. I’ve had a couple of top 10 finishes here in the past but this time things didn’t quite work out. As I arrived my light stop working and I managed to borrow one right before the race started. I started right from the back, had a bit of a tumble on a new section and still managed 12th place in 1:03. It was one of those races where I never really found my legs and suffered throughout the whole race. Still, Rosemary Hill at night is a very fun place!

Later in the month we moved on to the Nissan Trailseeker at Curro College. The race starts less than 10km from my house and traverses our local trails that we ride almost weekly, inclusive of Rosemary Hill. It’s as close to a “home game” that we can have. It’s also flat and fast and Erno and I put the hammer down right from the start. The fact that there are no real climbs also means that there are no real downhills so the pressure is on for most of the 70km race. We pushed hard right from the gun. It’s not a tough race, but pushing this hard makes it really hard. Erno’s lack of high-intensity training post sani2c came back to bite him and he blew up badly in the second half of the race. I pulled him home and we finished in a time of 3:30. It was a good day on the bike characterised by so many trails I’ve never ridden right there in my backyard.

Two weeks later we headed to the quaint little town of Parys situated on the banks of the Vaal River in the Free State. Parys hosted the Crater Cruise, an 85km race in the Vredefort Dome close to the town. After being seeded in A bunch, which doesn’t happen often, I decided to drop back to E to ride with Wichard and Andre, both would be doing their longest ride ever. The ride was characterised by lots of jeep track , very little climbing and only a small section of singletrack on the banks of the Vaal River. Too many that would sound boring, yet it was a very enjoyable race and one that I would definitely do again. It wasn’t overly tough, but what made it challenging was the extreme heat. 39˚C during the middle of the day… It was a scorcher! We rode at a steady pace but halfway through Wichard took a tumble and fell on his knee. The impact injured the gout ridden knee once again and he battled his way through the heat and the sandy track to the 58km where he and Andre decided to throw in the towel. I had 27km left to the finish and pushed on, finishing in a time of 4:51. It was a long and hot day in the saddle but thoroughly enjoyable. It’s not the most exciting race in terms of the trail but the scenery makes up for that. I’m looking forward to doing this one again with a bunch of mates.

 

I was planning on riding Babbas Lodge again on the 28th of September but after a stupid fall close to Red Barn I had stitches in my knee and decided to rest it out for the upcoming Berg & Bush Descent. This was going to be the first time I was riding this race so I needed to be in tip top shape. More about that in my previous post.

 

My first race after Berg & Bush was the USN MTB Cup event at the Big Red Barn two weeks later. I did this one earlier in the year and, as I mentioned, was thoroughly impressed. Despite the weather being much more milder than the previous time I rode, this would still be a good way to compare my current form to that of mine in June. This time Erno would be joining me and the company would help a lot too. We started right in the back of A bunch, after arriving a little later than we should’ve, but quickly started to make our way through the field. At some point, though, I looked back and Erno wasn’t catching up. Still pushing for a good time I didn’t want to stop and wait and just sat on the wheel in front me, hoping that he’d chase back. Eventually I had to stop and waited a couple of minutes for him next to the trail. He had hit a tree with his shoulder and was battling. After sticking with him for a while we decided that I should go as this was not going to be Erno’s day. I was worried whether he was going to finish as he was clearly taking strain from the knock on his shoulder. By now I had lost lots of time but still pushed on vehemently. This time, no crashes! And I finished in a time of 2:16. 17 minutes faster than the last time I rode, despite the hold up early on. In retrospect, the hold up could’ve been a blessing in disguise, as due to taking it easy early on while waiting for Erno I didn’t burn my legs and felt good right towards the end. It turned out that Erno also found his legs a bit later in the race and he finished only 11 minutes behind me.

 

The USN MTB Cup’s time was very significant to me. I was starting to build up to the 94.7 road race. The only road race I was planning to do in the year and even though it wasn’t one of my main goals in the year, it still is a race that I want to do well in. It’s a special race in the sense that you get to ride your bike with 33 000 other people, even if it is on tar and skinny wheels. Anyway, the 94.7 route for this year had changed due to a new, bigger, starting venue and the overall consensus was that the route was 10 minutes slower than previous years. Now, this was quite significant for me as I only made a sub 3 hour ride last year by 37 seconds. But, the ride at Red Barn gave me hope that I was stronger than I was last year and that a sub 3 hour ride was on.

 

I woke up to an awesome morning the morning of the 94.7. I was on my way to the race even before 5 and with some weather gurus predicting rain for the day I was excited to wake up to clear skies. The weather was perfect! I started in the G batch at 6:45 and tried to start towards the front of the group. I managed to swim up to close to the middle of the bunch by the time we started. The race this year started with an uphill and gave me a chance to get out of the saddle and move closer to the front. But at 6km into the race the front bunch dropped me and I caught another bunch coming past. My reasoning was that if I start towards the front I’ll be able to let go of bunches and just catch another bunch as they come past. It worked and soon we started to pick up more and more riders as we made our way towards the N1 highway. By the time we hit the highway I was still feeling well and on the highway I even contemplated breaking away from the bunch but as soon as I moved towards the side of the bunch the wind would bludgeon me like a Tahir long-hop and I decided that the potential minimal gain was not worth the effort. The bunches split as we hit the climb past St Johns College and I quickly started hanging on and moving on to other smaller bunches forming before and shortly after the city. I averaged 29km/h in the first half of the race and knew that the second half would be quicker, and it was. The pace was high and I worked together well with a number of groups that I passed. Towards the latter half of the race I was sure that the sub 3 was on. I was most definitely stronger than last year. But then came those last climbs… Cedar Road, Steyn City and the drag up to the finish line. Each proper climbs in their own right, but hitting them after close to 90 km is tough in anyone’s book. I pushed hard on those climbs but didn’t have much left in the legs. Towards the end of Steyn City the focus was just on keeping the legs ticking over. By this time I had to climb seated as I cramped when I stood up. At least the cramp was only there when I got out of the saddle. The drag up to the finish was just as tough. By this stage there were no more bunches. Most riders in front of me were shelled from earlier starting groups and they had resigned themselves that their sub 3 was out the window. I got over the line in what was, according to my Bryton, a 2:59. The same time as last year. The official results however showed my time as 3:00:01. 3 hours and 1 second. I needed 2 seconds for an “official” sub 3. Harsh, I guess, but it is what it is. I remember thinking when I crossed the finish line that if I had gone over 3 hours I would be ok with it as I just couldn’t have gone any faster. That was before I knew I needed only 2 seconds.

 

Still, the new route was much tougher than last year. In 2013 140 riders out of the G group came in under 3 hours, in 2014 I was the first from the G group to go over 3 hours and I came in in position 61. Still, timing I guess is purely academic. What makes this race so special is that you get to ride your bike with 33 000 other people through roads that are more often than not gridlocked with traffic. Again, an enjoyable day out on the bike, even if it was the skinny wheels.

 

I thought that the 94.7 would probably be my last race for the year but late in the following week I received a free entry to the Unite4Mandela road race. A second road race in two weeks. Having already spent an inordinate amount of time on the skinny wheels (by my standards) I decided to push some extra air into my mountain bike’s tyres and have a nice joyride through the streets of my hometown, Pretoria. The race started at Loftus Versfeld stadium (one of my favourite places) and made its way through the city and past some of the most iconic landmarks of the Capital City. Before I could find myself I was sitting in a bunch, surrounded by road bikes, on my mountain bike. I had planned to ride with some of the members of my MTB club, who organised the entry, but as I could not find them before the start, just got on my bike and rode. It turned out the legs felt super and what was supposed to be a leisurely end of year ride turn into another full out race. The MTB did not disappoint and I finished the 67km ride in 2 hours and 17 minutes. A really fun ride finishing in front of the iconic Union Buildings. A great way to end of the 2014 cycling season.

 

From here on out chilled rides are on the cards until we start ramping things up again towards the end of January for the 2015 Sani2c.

 

Throughout the year my bike has once again taken me to places that I never would have seen or experienced if I never took on this awesome sport. One can but only be grateful for the amazing experiences, friendships and memories that can only be brought about by a pair of pedals attached to two wheels. Until next year, keep 'em big wheels turning.