1. Wash hands often - have a hand sanitizer close by - like the pandemic
2. Wear N95 mask - DO NOT KISS OR HANDLE CHILD (not practical or emotionally viable)
3. Gargle with salt water and rinse nasal passages and sinuses with saline solution
4. Take Vitamin C and Echinacae for the placebo effect
5. Keep a bucket of dettol in the car and cold immersion for child whenever collecting it from playdates / nursery school (Not legal, may involve provincial welfare department)
6. Wait 20 years for it to leave home
Edit - Only 1, 2 and 3 will be effective and as noted - 2 will cause emotional damage and delay 6
When I started riding in about 2015 there were a lot of local western cape one day MTB cross country events around. The trail seekers were mostly in Western Cape, and there were lots of other smaller 45 to 70km long XC style events ... I remember lining up in Philadelphia, Napier, stellies, ....
Most of these seem to have disappeared? Have they? My dance card is empty until transbaviaans....
Aha that was you headed up the road and then we chatted at the end @BuffsVintageBikes... Was a lekker day out... That little batch cooperated ok for a bit, better than I've seen in C group at the PPA funrides.
Lekker event this. Fast route, lacks a proper climb to make it excellent.
Fell in with a group that was slightly too fast for me in the first half and definitely felt the effects of 36one over the second half.
Gorgeous countryside riding and my alu 2019 checkpoint with tiagra groupset, Lyne dropper and 45c cinturato m carried the 92kg mamilian bulk over the corrugations with only minor cursing.
These new bone conducting shokz open runs add a whole dimension and mess with my pacing. Strongly recommended.
Mamil tip for people with very long legs, dropping the saddle just 5cm when hitting the sinkplaat really helps control the bike.
Finished exactly mid pack in 6hrs and change feeling like I'd achieved something and only stopping for 3 mins at 3rd water point courtesy of 3 liter USWE.
Didn't stay for beer due to other commitments.
I'll do it again for sure.
My third one - slower than my first which was disappointing - At control point 2, I thought a sub 21 was on the cards which would have seen me starting conversations with people about their times hoping they'd ask me mine but I'd gone out too fast and just couldn't keep the power pumping for the second half.
The problem is amnesia - I forget how damned tough the hills are up to Rooiberg and somehow my memory had flattened Rooiberg to a pimple -- which it obviously isn't.
First class water points and control points - every 30km someone greets you like a long-lost friend and offers to lube your chain, carry your bike to the bike stand and fetch you a chocolate and a cup of coffee.
The route as always is very clearly marked so the cognitive burden of navigation is lifted - it's a terrific way to fall in love with overnight ultra distance riding.
Dryland really does know how to put on a first-rate event.
Highlights included a little field mouse that popped out in front of me while I sat admiring the view and scoffing a handful of jelly babies to celebrate hitting 300km. He gave me a quizzical look, cleaned his whiskers like he was auditioning for a Disney movie, and then we each went on our way.
Also waiting for a mate doing his 5th one on too little training and seeing him cross the line at 10pm Saturday getting his black medal.
I'll do it again for sure. I also want a black medal.
Ha Ha ja I may have thrown a few expletives at the mud - Standout memory is a group of about 20 people after the horrible half meter deep drif full of mud just before rooiberg standing around cleaning the mud from between everything so that the wheels could at least turn and one guy was having a complete sense of humour failure!
Looks ike we won't get a lot of rain but I anticipate that some of the roads will be wet.
I'm very curious to see what that 500m patch of mud looks like just before rooiberg.
I have a tippett with pepper and nylon bullets loaded under the bed - I practice with it occasionally - who knows if it would be any good in a crunch situation.
I also have various weapons around the place - nunchaku which I am proficient with - sprays etc.
I have had an intruder before and had only my fists and despite how inexpert I am everyone got out of that mess safely mainly because he was largely relying on stealth rather than violence and was very keen to get away.
