The Cape Epic Journey

So my first race since the Epic this year and I must say even though I was not feeling 100% it still went pretty well

The race started and finish on a sports field in Grabouw. The 50km route was a lap race with two very different 25km loops and it was FUN!! This was my first race with my cousin Kevin in a long time and the 2 of us were both hoping for a good race and feeling rather punchy after a strong (but short) ride on Friday evening in Tokia.

When we arrived at the race venue (just before 8am) it was only 7 degrees!! I was freezing!! Kevin and I got through registration quickly, kitted up and went for a warm up ride (much needed!). The start for this race was different to anything I have ever done and good fun! It was a Le Mans start! You but your bike down about 20m ahead of you (behind a red line) and you walk back to the start line (behind the yellow line), wait for the starters orders and run for your bike and go!!!

The first 25km lap was pretty flat and fast with some really nice single-track sections, a river crossing and fast downhill’s! We ended up doing a very short section from the last day of the 2009 ABSA Cape Epic and then a bit from the last day of the 2010 ABSA Cape Epic in reverse (but only a very short section ). I finished my first lap in 1hr 30mins and wasn’t feeling too bad.

The next 25km lap was a monster! We just climbed and climbed and climbed some more! There were a few awesome technical sections and portage over a river but on the last climb of the day (about 38kms in) I noticed I had a slow puncture in my left lung! I felt horrible! I didn’t have any food with me on the ride and was starting to pay for it badly! I stopped for a minute on the climb to have a Hammer Gel and let my heart rate drop a bit before I continued with the climb that just seemed to go on forever…

The climb did end eventually and on the way down we hit some great rocky single-tracks! We had around 5kms left at this point of the race and I miss-judged on of my turns…lost the front of the bike and took a tommy-tumble! No damage from the crash except for this triggering the cramps…not fun. We ended the route riding some single-track that we had to walk on the Stage 8 of this year’s ABSA Cape Epic (really enjoyed this section) and started to find some sort of rhythm again.

My stats for the race are as follows:

Time:  3hrs 23mins

Distance: 52kms

Climbing: 1195m

Average Speed: 15.8 kph

I’m not sure where I finished in the race….my times have not been captured for some reason…which sucks!

I just wish we could have races like this in JHB – what an awesome way to start the day!

Since the Epic I have not done that much mileage on my MTB….and that is all down to the weather in JHB at the moment. That said I have been doing 3 rides a week on my road bike and I must say I am feeling super strong at the moment! I am down in CPT at the moment for work and I have entered a 50km race in Elgin/Grabouw this weekend (8^th May). Epic country!!! I am itching to get out there again!

I am going to get some nice rides in this week in Tokia forest to make sure all is well with the bike! Updates to follow!