Catching Up

We're well into March and there hasn't been a shortage of goings on especially on the cycling front.

The Alchemy Trail is two weeks away and we spent the weekend checking out the BIG day.  What a difference to September last year - green and lush and very overgrown.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

In quick order, these are the events done and lined up for the year.

Alchemy is the big one for the first half and I surprised myself with being very motivated to get fit. I upped my game with at least 11-12 hours a week of spinning/cycling. This included a 90km race in the mielie heartland from Frankfort to Reitz. It poured in the night and we had short squalls of rain come hissing through the tall mielies to drench us. Although flat, it more than made up for difficulty with the soft squelchy mud. The Bielie Mielie festival was a hoot and we indulged in all sorts of local fare.

Around about the same time, @gardengodmother and I entered the Wild Run - a 3 day trail run in September from Kei Mouth to Hole in the Wall.  This required a good hard look at our training or lack of and tendency to injuries.

So its been 6 weeks of intense work at the biokinetiscist, a visit to a running expert for assessment and an exciting structured training schedule. Its really nice to have someone else do the thinking for me.

There was also the obligatory membership of the FFC.  Fat Friends Club or any other version you like. December had been good to many of us, too good so we decided to motivate each other to get rid of the lard.

@GadgetRules finally joined the gym and when not making excuses, pitches for spinning. @Kennaugh has been running and spinning a bit and we'll all made the effort to get out on the weekends.

The weekend's recce up in the heat of the Oliphants River valley is for another post. But what a great riding and characters exist in the area.

Stay tuned.

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Rushing to 2011

The last month has flown past and there were three significant 'moments'.

It was the beginning and end of Nanowrimo - National Novel Writing Month. Would be authors from all over the world enter a frenzy of writing. The goal - 50 000 words in 30 days. South Africa had roughly 780 authors registered. I wrote 53000 words last year and this year, scrambled to 51000. My characters fortunately are more creative than me. Grabbing every spare moment to write puts every thing else under pressure.

Its the final run up to the 7th Sabie Experience mtb stage race and this month is always a wrestle with suppliers, budgets and late entries. We also through in the traditional pre ride where we give the routes the once over. This completed my training for the World Fun ride Champs as we like to call it. The 2nd largest time road cycle event in the world, the Momentum 94.7. Base I had in plenty but speed an intensity??? Not even my favourite friend, USN's Anabolic Nitro could maintain the headlong rush. I faded towards the end but thoroughly enjoyed owning the streets of Jozi for one day.

One other notable event was the arrival of my book on the Freedom Challenge's Race across South Africa. That was a proud moment to see that huge adventure in print.

Tomorrow is December! Then it is 2011.

Its all too fast!

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Busy, busy!

Its been a hectic couple of weeks but it ended with some great riding in Sabie.

Every year we host a pre ride for the four day Sabie Experience where we test the race routes for the event in December. This year we also had the Sabie Experience Lite route options.

I arrived earliesh on Thursday to do some admin and meet with the race office. Glenn, the race director for the Lite, also pulled in and the team assembled over dinner to run through the millions of details that make up the successful hosting of a stage race.

The weather was hot and dry and we headed off the next morning through town to tackle what would be Stage Two of the race. The banter was soon replaced with heavy breathing and cursing as the riders sweated their way up the first climb. And the group soon splintered all over the plantations.

I struggled with a hectic heart rate and worse than useless energy levels and eventually I suffered the ignomy of calling it a day and getting into the back up vehicle. As the temperatures soared there was a lot of bartering for my seat but I hung on for all I was worth. The upside was that I converted to riding the Lite routes which gave me some insight as to what these riders were in for.

Great decision. We were finished before the heat of the day kicked in and we had many hours of extra R&R before the others staggered back, hot, weary and thirsty.

The last day saw a quick shower as we were about to start but 5kms up the road it was dry and stayed that way until we started on a mean climb. Then it was a fine drizzle which kept us cool and hydrated. Our group was somewhat larger on this day with a lot of riders opting for the shorter option.  A hot shower and a snack brought three great days to an end.

The Sabie Experience remains one of the toughest events on the calendar and located on the edge of the escarpment means there is no respite from the climbing or the weather of that region. The Lite will also test riders who will have dramatically improved their riding when they complete these four days.

It comes down to mental tenacity. Why do something if its not a challenge.  We have to go out of our comfort zones to feel alive.

Do you agree?

Posted via email from Go Cycling