TheJ

Before big events I usually sit in the open plan office with a buff pulled up to just under my eyes. I don't care what people think. Before in the past, knowing that I'm days out from a big event, a few morons would literally playfully cough in my direction and then laugh about it. Big joke you see.

One thing I've realized is that if its your time to get sick, you'll get sick. No amount of ViralGuards or eating oranges or whatever will stop it. The best you can do is to try avoid sick people, wash your hands often and NO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE.

I've luckily had quite a healthy spell this year. Usually I get a cold at least once every 2 months, if not more often. Then its super sore throat for 2-3 days, general groggy feeling for a week and then the 2nd week you slowly start feeling better - but your nose is still running for a week at least. This year I've done quite a few "big" events that you'd expect it to take it out of your body and leave you a bit vulnerable for a cold to get you. Nothing. The worse I've had this year was a bit of a dry throat for one night and a runny nose for a few days. The whole halflife less than a week, not a 2 week down and out thing.

Rode with my mom on the tandem. We went past the scene. Just as you drop onto the blue route (?). That stretch of highway was littered with pileups that we went past. Rest in peace buddy.

Lets see... Shoes : Inov-8 TrailRoc 255 + New Balance road shoes for the last 60km. Pants : Nike 2-in-1 shorts Shirt : Very soft running shirt from Mr Price Sport Socks : Injinji (and possibly swop out at CP11 with fresh socks) Cap : Trucker cap from UpAndRunningStore Backpack : 15L one from AliExpress Trekking Poles : K-Way Compact (169g each) Nutrition : Tailwind drink. If hunger strikes I'll eat real food at the tables. But if between checkpoints, I have at least 10 FarBars on me (salted apricot), and 2 Salted Caramel Gu's for emergency. Apart from that, the rest of the required gear as per the race rules.

The heat kicked my ass last year. Nausea + heat isn't a good combo. At 102km I was DONE. Medic came and pulled me off the route as I didn't want to quit. Finished it fine in 2016. People think you are adding tails to the story when you say it was 50 degrees. It really was. Some of the checkpoints had to delay packing up as the tent poles were too hot. It was insane.

I have a 161km running problem starting tomorrow at 2pm.

I own about 10 sets of that sweet, sweet cheese. Not a problem, from even the oldest 26er set.

Wens ek kan 'n paar AM Classic Wide Lightning rims raakloop. Hulle erens tussen 399 en 410g. 29.3mm internal width, vs Lyne se 495g @ 30mm. Lyne Pulse 25mm @ 440g, American Classic Race rim, 24mm @ 360g Steeds, afhangende van prys sou ek 'n Lyne Pulse consider, 25mm is breed genoeg, maar moet 32h wees, nie 28h nie.

Don't think Lyne was quite expecting the demand for loose rims... Still rate they should offer the Pulse in 32h as well, otherwise its pretty useless on the "loose rim" market with 28 holes.

I rolled my right ankle 4 years ago while watching the TdF in France, same situation. Blue foot. Healed fine. No roll is similar to another one I know.

Dude walking with crutches is a serious workout... I'm planning on doing Addo with trekking poles so I'm literally seeing the positive in the bad situation that the crutches is making my upper body stronger which I'll need for the trekking poles. Plus my one leg is doing double duty. I wouldn't call the time "injured" completely lost.

Cutties looks like a spoke detroyer

Getting sick is part of my life. A sick person looks my way and I'm sick. But no, went into the 2017 event fine in terms of health. Nutrition started going bad real soon and was puking from about 20km in. Bad news if you have 140km to go. It was RIDICULOUSLY warm, around 50 degrees, during the event. I couldn't really keep food or drinks down, even my plain water started tasting like warm bath water. Eventually at 102km the next day, the medic pulled me off the route. Fit enough, no doubt. Let down by nutrition (no petrol reaches the stomach, nothing reaches the legs), and the heat. Really hoping this year its cooler and going to try TailWind sports drink. Finished the event fine in 2016 on pure water, honey, and a few snacks along the route.

I am way to hard headed to quit or give up. I'm drawing motivation from the injuries now, now I have something to prove.

Yeah so I *was* training for the Addo 100 Miler that is 36 days away. 2 weekends ago we're camping at Tsitsikamma - I decide to go try see how fast I can get to the Waterfall and back, so I nail it. The Otter is a coastal trail so very rocky. About half a kilo before the waterfall, I violently roll my LEFT ankle on slanted rocks, and I mean badly. I sit there for a few minutes, pain, but manage to get up and "walk it off". Turn around back to camp, or soldier on? I didn't turn around. Got to waterfall, took a quick photo, and started the run back. Was actually able to run ok, hopping from rock to rock where needed but just a bit more cautious this time because the ankle wasn't feeling lekker. When the route became more open near the end I could nail it, even managed to get a time of 57 minutes I think, Strava Top 10, chuffed. If not for the ankle it might have been 5 minutes or so faster. Walk back to camp, ankle a bit sore, but all good. Swam a few times during the day and the cold temps helped the ankle. That afternoon my 3 year old daughter INSISTS on "trappies klim", she wants to go walk the 1mb Loerie trail, so off I have to go. Walking semi ok. I even carry her down the steep and high stairs on the other side, so its my body weight plus her 25kg. As we exit onto the tar road, the coldness of the swimming has worn off and the ankle is hurting. Walking back to camp with her and my dad, each step gets more and more painful. I eventually can't put any weight on the ankle. My dad and my daughter go up ahead to fetch the car to come pick me up. Get back to camp, PAIN. Wife loads me into the car, and we drive through to MediClinic Plett. Long story short, I walk out of there with a leg in a plastercast, on crutches. Doctor can't really dx anything, so just wraps it up till we're back in PE. Few days later we're back in PE, and I'm sitting in the ortho's office. Longer story short, xrays looked like possible ligament OFF plus ankle fracture. "Better" doctor looks at images, no fracture and partial tear of one ligament with another overstretched. 2 weeks moonboot non weight baring, 2 weeks without boot, light weight baring. Foot night and blue from blood pooling on the outside. Even got bruising halfway up my leg for some reason, think I did a number on the entire lower leg. Today is moonboot week 1 done. Now appreciate this. On this past Sunday, I'm crutching around the house as I have to, you put your crutches down infront of you, and you swing your legs through, "landing" on your good leg, then repeat. There was a cushion or a heap of towels on the floor as I was trying to crutch past, so I had to narrow my crutch's position to make it past. On the "swing through" of the legs, I catch my RIGHT foot's pinky toe on the crutch, bending it 90 degrees away from the foot to the side, bang. Broken. Admittedly, I haven't had a doctor look at the toe, but I Googled plenty and it looks exactly like every other broken toe images I could find. Swollen, a bit red with lots of blue and purple. And DO NOT try to touch it. So now I got a left leg in a moon boot, and a right foot with a 99% probability broken toe. And Addo is 36 days away. Addo will be 2 weeks away by the time I'm supposed to be able to walk normal again. I am not withdrawing.

If that Pulse 25 rims came in 32 hole options, I'd be all over it - if the rims were available loose. It would be perfect for an upcoming wheelbuild I have to do. Old school American Classic hubs stripped out of unused 26er wheels with Boost conversion axles sourced from EVOBikes, probably DT Swiss Revolution spokes... and the jury is still out on the rims. These would have been ideal, but would have had to be 32 hole to match the hubs. The AMP30 is also nice, but probably a tiny bit too heavy for me. Granted, I don't know what any of these rims weigh. Lyne, what are your rim weights?

I asked them that same question yesterday. Answer was a preliminary no for now.

I rolled my left ankle last Saturday while running The Otter Trail in Tsitsikamma. I'm 41 days away from the 100 miler that I was training for, now my left leg is in a moonboot with a torn ligament, with me walking with crutches. So today, crutching along barefoot, I manage to catch my right pinky toe on the crutch as I swing the "good" leg through to walk. Highly suspect I broke the toe, that entire front part of my foot is very sore. How am I supposed to walk now? My good foot is now also fooked. FML.

So basically after every 2nd rear shock service... you've spend as much as a new shock costs? I'm too poor for this sport.

Sorry what did Braan Rood say?

So precious

I tried setting up campaigns for friends before and the general problem was that they can't/don't want to set up funds for non-USA based people. Maybe it has changed in the meantime.

R1460 seemed like such an arb amount so I have rounded it up to R2000 for you. Hope it helps the parents a little bit.

Did I miss the banking details? If financial help is welcomed we need where to send it to.