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Vallende Vaandel

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Everything posted by Vallende Vaandel

  1. Vallende Vaandel
    Did a marathon end last year with the week leading up to it having the worst stomach bug of my life plus a cold. I trained with tailwind naked drink mix (unflavored) and Maurten gels + bars also ran the marathon on it. Imo worth the hype since this didn't put ANY stress on my already delicate gastric system and no flavor fatigue. Since I was knackered I ran longer than anticipated but the boost from the compact carbs helped me through. I also make a point now to include probiotic (Rawbiotic Gut) and immune boosters from the start to the finish of my training plan and I can happily report as someone who's destined to always suffer one of the two so far so good.
  2. Vallende Vaandel
    A bit late to the reply - as snowflake as I am to the cold - shorts, mohair blister resist long socks, decent longsleeve breathable running shirt and in heavy rain my Salomon Bonatti pro waterproof jacket. Thin gloves to help with wind chill and early mornings I might opt for leggings. Base layers, wind breakers and thermal tights make me feel like those Robinsons Cook-in Chicken bags and imo not needed here. And as a female runner alone, I plak myself full of reflectors and lights - you will be shocked how 'polite' the cars are here and especially in our omnipresent downpours and fog it's best to mimic a krismis tree. But I can't think of any better time to run than in the winter rain here in the cape. Enjoy!!
  3. Vallende Vaandel
    '24 sanlam marathon to qualify for '25 two oceans followed by hopefully '25 Comrades. Now with all this running ahead, last year I had enough problems with electrolyte and magnesium deficiencies and want to avoid this. I sweat profusely and know I can't get around this, even in winter. But the price of specifically Slowmag and Rehydrate are insane when you add up the months - is it just as simple as popping into the pharmacy and asking for any generic no-name alternatives? Or is there truly a reason for the pricier better known brands? Yes I'm a cheapskate.
  4. Vallende Vaandel
    So apart from the disrupted schedule and knee injury, I had a 6 day stomach bug followed by a cold. And since I'm not mature enough to know when to call it quits I still rocked up to the start line sniffling into a tissue and fearing to cough should something cough back... Loved it, hated it, a lot went wrong and none of you irresponsible people told me how addictive marathons are. But the worst was having only 1h20min of interrupted sleep the whole friggin night. I'm happily addicted to coffee - drink 2 cappuccino's a day. We have a Simonelli Oscar 2 and consider it our marriage councilor and closest thing I have to a personality. I can - and often do - drink a cup at 21:00 and still fall asleep within 5mins. Had a cup at 5 the night before because I'm convinced I'm somehow invincible. Ate an early dinner, popped a Slowmag... and my close to deceased GI tract gasped it's second invigorating breath and my heart decided it's time to join the sokkie jol into the wee hours of the morning. I eventually fell asleep at 03:21 from exhaustion. Lekke. Veeeeery lekke. Don't know how I got to the start line but I fell asleep sitting in my batch queue waiting and only realized I was actually attempting my first marathon when my watch gave the first of many little buzzes - 1 down 41 to go. Then my tired party animal of a stomach decided to reminisce about bfast and brought it back up for discussion, at the 4km mark. Twice the taste, zero the callories I guess? I just kept going, slow as hell but going. I swallowed some tears at 14km as I force fed myself Maurten bars and gels - worth its over priced hype for me - and went into elevator music mode. The supporters, fellow sufferers and lays chippies on offer were my saving grace. At 25km I realized there is no way out of this and at 30km I had an internal dialog that will make Charlize Theron blush. Anyway I did it. It was a terrible intro to the game but I loved it? At least the shoes, nutrition and gear were on parr with no hassles. Just stupidity that won't get solved anytime soon, but that's why I married a smart man so I can ignore his advice. Already signed up for next year and then some. Def have to see how far is too far. Literally.
  5. Vallende Vaandel
    Thanks Jewbacca, gonna stick to that sage advice.
  6. Vallende Vaandel
    My first marathon is hopefully coming up 15 Oct - the very flat Cpt Sanlam. Been training for 18 weeks, started off beyond unfit to 30km on my long run feeling kinda good. My speed is internet explorer on dial up slow but I'm happy with that. My last long run (the 30k) was 2 Sept and due to personal problems and work schedules I only did 5 short runs the last 2 weeks, missing my 2 most crucial long runs. My question for the seasoned runners - is 770km base km's over 22 weeks going to be enough; have I unavoidably already started tapering beyond salvation; can 2 weeks of slacking iow 50km vs the goal of 95km make or break my fitness? Was at the physio today to sort out my stress spasms and she slapped me on the back saying to keep faith, don't try and make up for the missed runs and make the call closer to the race, depending what my runs add up to this last 3 weeks. My poor husband is gatvol hearing running complaints and advise me to rather get back on the mtb or stick to trail running.
  7. Vallende Vaandel
    I think it's always wise to get the direct info 🙂 The debacle was discussed right at the end, no longer than 10 / 15 min
  8. Vallende Vaandel
    After suffering through 30mins of ads - so glad we don't watch dstv anymore - I had to wait for the presenters to sign off to make sure I hadn't missed the actual story... the coverage felt like an afterthought to pacify the running community. Where was the prompting and questioning we came to expect from Cart Blanche? The 'water under the bridge' comment was taken as a legit explanation, and the full extend of the blunders made still left as swept under the carpet. Lat night's coverage was just as anti climatic as the last minutes of the comrades itself
  9. Vallende Vaandel
    Nic from Ballistic Bike Armour (ballisticba@gmail.com) although not here in WC, super fast service and his products never disappoint. He also sends a draft to make sure color / fit / expectations are met and for me it has always been on par. The decals and stickers have survived many harsh washes, mud and neglect.
  10. Vallende Vaandel
    Nic from Ballistic Bike Armour (ballisticba@gmail.com) is situated in your valley and I have ordered multiple times from him - everytime the decals or frame kits were above expectation and quality. Any color or shape you can think of, he can give you in the perfect size.
  11. Vallende Vaandel
    ^^ This solid piece of logic makes a hellavalot of sense. On a busy / narrow road I would rather quickly overtake smaller bunches of riders at a time than having to extend my overtaking exposure on a long single file where there is no room to react for an oncoming vehicle. The key word to make this argument work is : patience from all parties. The 3 abreast vs single file on that corner in a way acted like a slow vehicle and was suppose to take away the temptation from the Getz for a tight squeeze overtake. Anybody willing to overtake on a solid line blind corner speaks volumes of their integrity. I wasn't there to see whether they fell into single file when the road opened up nor can I understand the brilliance of Mr Bikermice from Mars for flirting with Duane's number plate and being rewarded with a kiss from the bumper.
  12. Vallende Vaandel
    Jip, had a 2015 camber comp carbon with internal cable Lyne dropper. New bike has a X-Fusion dropper and I'm missing the Lyne.....
  13. Vallende Vaandel
    Leatt's glove fit did change, and not in a good way for me - new generation gloves feel way shorter between index and thumb - just for the fun attached comparison of old vs new gen gloves, on both sizes S and XL - not the best or mathematically accurate comparison I know but visually the difference is there.
  14. Vallende Vaandel
    I had a suspicion the higher end bibs would have thinner padding - but I'm a touchy feely kinda girl - so unless there is a shop I can go to and feel the chamois on them I won't drop my dollar. But, if they are in 100% actual fact thinner than the Corsa's I will order a pair today. The fit and feel on these woman specific bibs are mind blowing. My only gripe is that they are on the post-honeymoon size. Not too chunky to put you off but you kinda wish for thinner
  15. Vallende Vaandel
    Also a Ciovita fan and I have a Corsa bib. If it's a grand day out I go for my pancake-like spez shorts, and if we do another shorter ride the day after a I go for the Corsa option. Me and my husband have the same experience with the corsa bibs - the padding is thicker but not so as to want to overly complain. But I do get that numbing annoyed feeling if saddle time surpasses 2h or during a long climb (which I don't get with a thinner chamois)- if they were just 20% or 30% thinner I believe there would be no numbness involved and I would happily blow my budget on them.
  16. Vallende Vaandel
    female rider here - Any short / bib with the padding of a a sealy posturepedic mattress will result in pain and misery as it adds way to much pressure on your autobiography. I bought minimalist shorts (pancake like padding) and problem was immediately solved - use them for my Saturday rides and Ciovita (their padding is thicker but not threatening) for the Sunday rides to show some tlc to my rear. Female specific shorts in this case is a must. Spez Myth saddle - had 2 in the last 7 years and never been happier
  17. Vallende Vaandel
    Ballistics Bike Armour. Overnight shipping, always receive the best quality work from him and he's super helpful with any requests or modifications. And best priced imo. Got a custom frame protection kit and decals from him and it looks superb after many washes and tumbles. Well worth looking into
  18. Vallende Vaandel
    I rode solo (30 & 25) and never once had to guess where the trail was heading - the markings were impeccably well done. 30km just takes your breath away and every climb has a reward at the top. The 25km was hard work but for what the landscape has to offer, they made the absolute best of it. Perfectly well maintained routes, what an experience. Also loved the format - the vibe on the trails were so relaxed! I will happily pay again next year whatever price they ask. The riding, the company, the views and the fynbos was a therapy session after 2020
  19. Vallende Vaandel
    Upgraded Camber to Stumpy ST end of July - both photo's taken days apart and the difference was massive. I can't brag with having upskilled - the bike is just so confidence inspiring and bloody fast. The whole point for me as a mediocre mtb'r is to have fun and the stumpy ST is the embodiment of just that. And I truly believe more people will agree after one ride experience - be it fast flowing or janky trails. So for me, the ST filled that gap between XC and hardcore trailbike perfectly and I will lament the day If something happens to my bike and I cannot replace with a compcarbon ST... And no the entry level Alu's specs are a no-no and the Evo makes my wallet gag and it's too burly for me. Will be interesting if I have an insurance claim one day for a full replacement... fingers crossed that day wont come anytime soon. All this said, I understand that trail bikes are a minority in SA and it makes business sense to let it go Elsa. Just glad I now have one beaut sitting in my garage and will give her all the love and trails she deserves
  20. Vallende Vaandel
    I've had the G-form knee pads for 3 years (R600 on takealot now) and used them well and true. I am no technical hero but I fall. A lot. A LOT. And they gave me confidence and basic slow impact protection. Pull them down to ankles for the pedal sections and jank them up before dropping in. Lekker light stretch material so no zips and straps, on a warm day the janking up requires more wiggling... but I cycled with them and didn't rub. Just invested in ION K-pact zip knee guards and can fit them around the handlebar or again, ankles for climbing. But the price matches the quality but worth it when speed and tech increases
  21. Vallende Vaandel
    Anyone struggling with severe over pronation that can recommend a road shoe? I have the Addidas solar boost but they quickly showed distortion and wear and barely made it to 700km Podiatrists made me wear insoles and Physio gave me stability exercises but due to poor natural selection I am somewhat screwed. 1000 miler double lined socks is a helpful aid but not a solution, and not all shoes can accommodate a thicker sock plus insoles. Saucony ISO peregrine for trail running is a blessing and I can do a 25km run in them without any issues, but as soon as I hit the tar in any other shoe I blister at 12km. So if Saucony trail shoes are heaven sent I suppose the road shoe will be my next experiment? But these experiments are becoming expensive since I have brand new (30km max) Salomons I can't run in and new shoes every 6/7 months for someone who isn't a serious runner this for me is excessive. Rather spend it om my bike!
  22. Vallende Vaandel
    I have sellers remorse - sold my small camber comp carbon (exact same model) last month. This price is waaay over inflated, and its in fact a 2015 model not 2016 and also it's a bit misleading since its a 11 - 50 shimano cassette in the specs so not full Sram GX as the description... If the price can drop then I would go for the Camber. I started on my sister's borrowed scott scale 920 hardtail and the camber was my first owned bike. Loved it and it changed my whole riding experience! W2W was a breeze and many 30-40km races were enjoyed and hard raced on that bike. I had the confidence to ride any trail, hit smaller jumps and drops as well as join my friends for gravel grinding. Yes the geometry is outdated but unless you aim for podium or black rated trails this bike I can vouch for. No you can't compare it to an epic, but the confidence makes up for any bit of weight difference. I sorely miss mine... only reason I sold was that the travel and steep geometry hindered me on advanced trails. If I could own both a trails and xc bike, I would've loved to have kept the camber.
  23. Vallende Vaandel
    Don't know if it's common knowledge but if it's pay-as-you-go and no calls or sms's every 3 months from that prepaid simcard it deactivates. Data usage doesn't count. Just a headsup so not to get caught off guard when in need. Just did the same with an old phone and the sales person enlightened us
  24. Vallende Vaandel
    I finaly upgraded to my 'groot meisie fiets'. Luckily old bike was upgraded to GX just before lockdown so could swop out the NX. Maiden voyage is tomorrow, and it krismis in July for me!
  25. Vallende Vaandel
    Coronavirus and cycling outdoors... My quarantine ends this Thursday and sorely looking forward to hit the trails (doc said I will be NO threat to anyone by then only to myself) but my lungs have other ideas... Im not even remotely close to any bucket that I can kick and had it lightly so very thankful. couple of positive cases at work, can only make one guess where I picked it up. My chest was toe soos n drankwinkel and still continues to randomly test my nerves when sitting wrong causes them to ziploc nice and tight. And I believed myself to be in great overall health. I said koebaai to my fitness as I believe my base will be ground zero after this. Not worth getting it, but worth doing anything and everything to avoid it. I still think cardio fitness and fresh air is vital to help prepare yourself for this, but - keep in mind it's not yet Friday - sensibility goes a long way.
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