Oh, and it was like 5 degrees last night when the sun went down. And everything was wet this morning from the dew. Brrr. But 10 minutes of sun and was dry and 20 degrees at the start.
So Ide say 90% of the first day was completely dry. Odd deep mud puddle here or there. I was really surprised at how good the single tracks were today. It should be fine by Friday. But tomorrow (day 2) is where the mud will really count...
1100 people finished yesterday. How many non-finishers do you think there were? They said about 1800 people entered, but I know a few who didn't pitch up because of the wind on the day.
Flip, today was the last day I wanted to get dropped by the bunch. But I dropped a chain with about 60kms to go and lost it. Ended up standing at a water point for 10 minutes waiting for the next group. Ended up with 4:50 something...
What's the race etiquette w.r.t. stopping for supplies? Starting in C and don't want to lose the bunch, but also I know I will have to stop at least once somewhere along the line, maybe half way.
This makes all the difference. That and pacing your effort. Another question: Take 2 similiarly trained athletes. Set them off on a 4 hour race. One takes an excess of carbs and the other too little. Which one will win?
Tuesday organized by PPA - more of a fun ride. Wednesday organized by De Al - more of a race vibe with points and stuff. But both are pretty much the same format and you are welcome to ride both.
I've heard Specialized owners give just as much trouble as the bikes themselves. Nothing stays brand new and perfect forever. There will be creaks, grinds and loose parts on a mountain bike!
The cheapest USN (CytoPower) works out to R25 a bottle. Not worth it. It's also better to use the same products for training and races. Bananas, PVM bars, Energade and a chocolate milk FTW!
Which one is everyone doing? Hermanus Whale Festival MTB? http://www.pedalpower.org.za/event/hermanus-whale-festival-mtb-challenge-new-event/ Pieketberg MTB? http://www.piketbobergcyclechallenge.com/
