MUD, Rain and more MUD!!!!

The last few weeks have been quite challenging, it has rained constantly for the past 2 weeks. Greg and me have managed a few short rides in the mornings (which are very dark and cold) and the weekends we have managed a few longer ones with plenty of mud.

On Saturday we joined Justin, Wynand and Garreth (pictured below), Greg and me did almost 60km and we chased a few hill's to get warm and shake off the layer of mud on our bikes. On the ride home going through Government Village (for the second time in a week) Greg rode past a few dogs and they gave him a curious look - but when I came past they barked like crazy and chased after me. Nothing like warm dog breath on your heels to get your heart rate and cadence up. Not having much luck with dogs this year.....


Wynand and Greg

 

Garreth and Justin

Monday 25th of April, Andrew joined Greg and me for a really misty, wet and muddy ride. Visibility was extremely poor and the jeep track was very muddy and slippery. Below is a short video of the fall I had - you can't see much because of the mist, but it was a goody. After dunking the bike in the river we managed to find a Wimpy for a coffee to warm us up.

I downloaded my Garmin today here are my MTB stats for the last 4 months (I got the Garmin as a Christmas present from my beautiful wife). My goal for the next 4 months is to get the average speed over 20kms per hour.
Distance: 2,370.68 km
Time: 126:33:26 h:m:s
Elevation Gain: 14,775 m
Avg Speed: 18.7 km/h
Avg HR: 137 bpm
Calories: 88,318 C

Now I just need to find out what supplements Greg is taking as he is riding like a champ....

Route42 race report

Another big milestone in my short mountain biking lifespan has been accomplished: I completed the John Deere Route42 Suikerbosrand classic race yesterday and no, not the short distance but the full 75km race (entered as the 85km but we were fortunately short changed).

I rode with Jacque and Darren the entire distance which was an awesome experience. It made the race a lot more enjoyable as we chatted and chirped the whole way and helped each other out with mechanicals (not to mention the customary stop for lunch under a tree - potatoes, eggs and minute steaks). There was no monotonous battle with yourself and this made the route much more enjoyable. I had a big fall near the beginning - similar to the one at the Epic this year on the following link: (yes you must click on the word)Except I didn't cry so much and nothing was broken besides my pride (nice roasty on the arm and bruised hip).

The route itself was fantastic: loads of jeep and single track with a few climbs mixed with forrests, sand and mud. The water points were great with friendly people and there were marshals at every turn showing you the right way. I was impressed by the helpers that  carried our bikes across the canal crossing and had them ready for us on the other side. Congrats to the organisers.

In summary it was the best and longest race I have done. Our moving time was 4:12 and my average heart rate was 164 beats per minute for the duration of the ride - so we never took it easy.

After the ride (I was leaning on the bike as I couldn't stand properly after my fall)