As my alarm went off at 4 something AM I
had sudden visions of been back in my dark tent in Joberg2C then the nerves
really kicked in at the thought of racing without my team mate. I’m not sure why its less daunting with
a team mate and it made me wonder if those people lucky enough to be good at
team sports ever have the same nerves as those in individual sports.
Anyway, Mabalingwe reserve was only an hour
and half away and soon the sun was out and warm up underway. Setting off with the ultra marathon
guys I knew it’d be fast so did a good warm up. Sandy flat twisty tracks are definitely my weak point;
both Leana and me said we could do with a training camp here (hint hint!!) as I
rode from one thorn bush to another to avoid any lean of the bike. However, after putting Belgium crit
racing to full effect I stayed with the lead girls, Ariane and Theresa and soon
we had re grouped with the front guys.
I moved through the pack until I realised I was on Kevin Evans’ wheel
than backed off knowing I really didn’t belong there!! Soon we hit the first climb and I just
dropped off the other 2 ladies.
Chasing alone I kept the distance then had a little help as a group of
guys came past. My cornering on the
flat stuff again was terrible and I had to do so many sprints after every
bend.
Thankfully the climbing started again and
as we rode past a high fence I spotted a white lion (rare I’m told). Just after that, as if I was
distracted, I managed to take a wrong turn and ended up following the half
marathon signs. Dropping down I
nearly rode into 2 Kudu I think you call them, and then saw some wild hog (I
think) and monkeys (pretty sure of that one!). Soon I thought it very odd that I couldn’t see the two girls
even on the straight sections and soon after I decided to turn round. Re passing the marshals who gave the
same expressionless looks the first time I passed them I retraced my tracks. Going backwards on a course isn’t easy
and in the single-track section I got lost ‘in the bush’. Hearing the hog/pigs (?) running around
and a load of monkeys made me panic and I made the nearest exit. I imagined the story now, ‘rider lost
in bush mauled by pig and finished off by monkey’ didn’t seem the best way to
go so I rode as hard as I could to rejoin where I went wrong. It took 25 minutes to retrace my tracks
and I knew then it was race over.
Still, I could still have a good work out
pre Sani2C and once over the disappointment of throwing away a podium finish I
enjoyed chasing the guys back from back of the field: firstly the couples who
were clearly on their first and last race together, then the struggling weekend
warriors, then the camlebak riders.
It was a frustrating climb in the traffic but then for some reason a
completely empty descent allowing me the full rocky track to bump over and no
one in ear sight to hear me talk myself down (try it when scared, it really
works!!)
The route after that was pretty dull to be
honest, sandy jeep tracks and not a lot on the horizon, I think I have been too
spoilt lately!! Soon the guys I
was passing got second breathe and I chatted to a few. One told me we had 10km left so you can
imagine the feelings when a marshal shouted 30km left. We’d just re climbed the Vodacom climb
and I was completely out of water, the adrenalin of the lion and pigs was
wearing thin and my back was killing from that rocky descent and by the fact I
am no longer in my 20s, therefore have inherited the family back issues!!
Once I knew I was on the wrong course again
I slowed down, refilled my bottle at the next stop and enjoyed the bits of
single track now filled with the 20km riders. I slowed down to ride with a few
guys on the verge of cracking as they moaned on about finishing with 90 odd km
in their legs until I informed them of what must have been well over 100km on
mine. Finally nearing the 5 hour
mark I came into the field, contemplated exiting the finish by the side then
thought better of it as there were some delicious ice lollies waiting on the
other side of the finish chute and I thought what the heck, I’m not one to quit
a race if I’ve been dropped from the pack to save my results been seen and
wasn’t about to start that habit now.
It turned out most of the marathoners had
90 odd km on their clocks and I fear the email box of the orgainsers will be
full for a long time!! Though it
is set in a unique venue (when do you otherwise cycle past a lion) it looked to
me that there were just too many races on one day when most of the other series
races are based on two days.
Have to say sorry to Conrad who thought I
was lion feed and to Bizhub for messing up a possible podium finish. Leana finished 3rd we
thought but then wasn’t mentioned in the prize presentation so who knows!!
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