Having been away from England for 2 months now I’m finding anything English like very exciting so was pretty chuffed to find the KwaZulu-Natal area full of rolling green fields, thatched cottages and Tudor style houses, the only difference been the humid weather.
The race was down at Inanda Dam, no longer English like with looming mountains and a couple of Zebra wandering around the start area.
Our race started at 7.30 and by 7.35 I was sweating and out of breathe! The first 30km were mainly jeep tracks up and down the hills surrounding the dam. The area known as 1000 hills should be renamed a 1000 mountains!!
1000 mountains/hills later I was riding on my own. I’d stayed with the leading group of Cherise, Yolandi Speedy and Candice for as long as I could but found that chasing after the descents and after a few single track sections took its toll and I dropped off. Along a section with one of those persistent headwinds and some dodgy looking locals I missed the company of the other three when I heard I was actually in front. I argued there was definitely three in front but was told they’d gone wrong. Not for long I thought as I made a hash of the single track we’d now turned on along the edge of the dam.
Though a definite improvement in my technical skills I’m still struggling to get through single tracks with a lot of speed and am still stuck with the ‘Right Foot Syndrome’ whereby my right foot clips out as soon as I see a few sharp rocks!
60km in and I was still in the lead and was now pulling back a fair few of the men who had set off 5 minutes before us. I was priding myself on getting this far without falling when suddenly I looked to my right up a short steep climb and seeing a big drop down into the bushes immediately found myself down there. Unhurt apart from jarring my neck it took a while to scramble back to the track. It’s so true that you normally end up where you look!!
Unsure how the terrain was I stopped at the last feed for more water and was still in the lead. Panic had long since set in about been at the front and I was looking back at every opportunity dreading seeing the lead three chasing me back. With 12 km to go I think the final gel kicked in and on a jeep track I started going as fast as possible. Then we turned onto more single track. Blowing now the terrain was constant up and down, steep climbs that were just about ridable and downhills that I didn’t even bother trying to ride! On top of that the whole course had been very difficult to follow with only small bits of chalk on the floor and loads of different goat tracks around. Four or five times I went the wrong way so wasn’t surprised the lead three had gone wrong. When your alone you quickly realize there’s no more chalk and turn round but when your with 2 others its easier to just carry on.
On and off these single tracks we went, my feet were both cramping up and my hamstring was threatening to until finally we approached to finish field and I crossed as first woman much to the surprise of the spectators as to myself. I’m sure people say that when you win you don’t feel how tired you are, well that wasn’t the case here, I was completely shot, a warm down didn’t enter my head with the only activity to follow was a float in the dam!
Karien van Jaarsveld came in 7 minutes later to take the National Title very closely followed by Cherise then Candice whom I was pleased to see take a medal even though I’m sure it wasn’t the color she had in mind.
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