This month is really hectic for me; it's one of those where you’re just hanging on and praying for it to go by soon and then you’ll be able to take a breather, pheeeew!
From the end of May to the end of June there is racing every weekend for me. Not that I'm complaining! But it’s also June which means exam time for me. I really enjoy the adrenaline and the edge of always being ready for whatever comes, I think it’s a factor that makes life worth living.
My training has changed a bit since joining the HPC and being coached by Devlin. It has become more about numbers – getting them up and keeping them high- and more about power, which is something these skinny legs of mine need!
Anyway, now to the business, starting with Nissan Trailseeker #1 Bundu Bash. I'm not one of the best riders on the flats so I was doubting whether to do this one or not, but I ended up thinking it would be great training for the SA XCM Champs.
The start was so dusty I couldn’t see a thing except for the wheel in front of me, but luckily I had my Bike TailWind glasses with bigger lenses to cover my eyes properly- excellent protection for those conditions.
30 km in, a big group of about 10 was still together in front- I was surprised I was still there! At the 50 km mark the first 6 made a split and Guylin and I were riding hard to chase back. On the last climb I rode away from him, but he caught me as if I was standing still on the last flat section to the finish. I finished 6th overall and 3rd senior men, but most importantly, I improved my time by 13 minutes from last year.
Then last weekend was the Ashburton National MTB Series and SA XCM Championships. Now this was an interesting one for me, not much to tell… It was my first ultra-marathon this year and the Momsen VIPA was just perfect for this race. I was well prepared and I thought I was ready for this beast of a race.
I started very well and got myself to the front ground. Obviously the plan was to stay there as long as I could, but 60 km in (about halfway) I popped so bad I even thought about getting off and pushing my bike- my legs really left the party! I lost my concentration and made small mistakes, but luckily at 90 km my legs decided to come back a bit, just in time to get me to the finish. I was kindly reminded what an Ultra feels like- next time I will be ready.
Thanks to everyone for the support and keeping me motivated all the time. Special shout out to Brandon Whitely for the tech support at SA XCM Champs.
Thank you to the Kargo Pro MTB Team and all our sponsors for still making my dreams a reality- couldn’t do this without you.
‘Til next time. See you at the Gauteng Provincial Champs this weekend!
Photo Credit: Zoon Cronje Photography
From the end of May to the end of June there is racing every weekend for me. Not that I'm complaining! But it’s also June which means exam time for me. I really enjoy the adrenaline and the edge of always being ready for whatever comes, I think it’s a factor that makes life worth living.
My training has changed a bit since joining the HPC and being coached by Devlin. It has become more about numbers – getting them up and keeping them high- and more about power, which is something these skinny legs of mine need!
Anyway, now to the business, starting with Nissan Trailseeker #1 Bundu Bash. I'm not one of the best riders on the flats so I was doubting whether to do this one or not, but I ended up thinking it would be great training for the SA XCM Champs.
The start was so dusty I couldn’t see a thing except for the wheel in front of me, but luckily I had my Bike TailWind glasses with bigger lenses to cover my eyes properly- excellent protection for those conditions.
30 km in, a big group of about 10 was still together in front- I was surprised I was still there! At the 50 km mark the first 6 made a split and Guylin and I were riding hard to chase back. On the last climb I rode away from him, but he caught me as if I was standing still on the last flat section to the finish. I finished 6th overall and 3rd senior men, but most importantly, I improved my time by 13 minutes from last year.
Then last weekend was the Ashburton National MTB Series and SA XCM Championships. Now this was an interesting one for me, not much to tell… It was my first ultra-marathon this year and the Momsen VIPA was just perfect for this race. I was well prepared and I thought I was ready for this beast of a race.
I started very well and got myself to the front ground. Obviously the plan was to stay there as long as I could, but 60 km in (about halfway) I popped so bad I even thought about getting off and pushing my bike- my legs really left the party! I lost my concentration and made small mistakes, but luckily at 90 km my legs decided to come back a bit, just in time to get me to the finish. I was kindly reminded what an Ultra feels like- next time I will be ready.
Thanks to everyone for the support and keeping me motivated all the time. Special shout out to Brandon Whitely for the tech support at SA XCM Champs.
Thank you to the Kargo Pro MTB Team and all our sponsors for still making my dreams a reality- couldn’t do this without you.
‘Til next time. See you at the Gauteng Provincial Champs this weekend!
Photo Credit: Zoon Cronje Photography