2013 Freedom Challenge Updates

[tubed]

Hi there

 

I wonder if someone can help, I know its late, but I have sent 3 emails to admin over the last 2 weeks and no reply at all as far as I can see and certainly no action,

 

this thread now has 17000+ views and part of the daily insights was to try and feature the race beyond just its normal following

 

so if anybody knows how to change its listing or feature it in the NEWS thread rather than the EVENTS thread to get it on the front page I would be most grateful

 

perhaps I am just missing a trick here

 

thanks

 

(PS: it just irks me a bit to see the fantastic BC race featuring better than our homegrown one)

Edited July 2, 2013 by tubed

[Nancy Drew]

I'm loving the updates, please keep them coming

[jaxtun]

I'm loving the updates, please keep them coming

 

looking for a partner Nance??

[Nancy Drew]

looking for a partner Nance??

 

You available Jax?

This event is on my bucket list for a few years from now when my boys aren't so dependent on me and I can afford to take time off work/retirement

[Slowbee]

Hi there

 

I wonder if someone can help, I know its late, but I have sent 3 emails to admin over the last 2 weeks and no reply at all as far as I can see and certainly no action,

 

this thread now has 17000+ views and part of the daily insights was to try and feature the race beyond just its normal following

 

so if anybody knows how to change its listing or feature it in the NEWS thread rather than the EVENTS thread to get it on the front page I would be most grateful

 

perhaps I am just missing a trick here

 

thanks

 

(PS: it just irks me a bit to see the fantastic BC race featuring better than our homegrown one)

let me see what I can do ... no promises ..

[tubed]

Day 22:

 

 

The now customary link to birthday boy Glenn’s race update – wow what a large bunch of finishers.

 

http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/

 

Another biggish batch set to finish today too – things are busy down at Diemersfontein.

 

Daily ritual:

 

Yesterday I mentioned coffee at McGregor, coffee is an essential part of our daily lives, we are loyal to our local, addicts, snobs, aficionados and many other things when it comes to coffee and this simple ritual makes its way into the FC in a number of ways.

 

Coffee represents a moment of pause and the Freedom Challenge offers many of those worth taking. This is unfortunately the one area where the racers miss out on, they eschew the weight of the brew and the time it takes for the relentless pursuit of seconds and daylight time, the rest of us indulge our senses and appreciate the pause.

 

It is difficult to describe a brew made on the side of some non-descript piece of gravel road in South Africa, but when your hands clasp that mug, the steam fogs your glasses and the aroma hits your nostrils, the world and its pain ease for a moment. If you are lucky enough to have the sun on your back - well that’s just nirvana.

 

This ritual takes place at about 11am and for quite a few it defines part of the day which may be a slog, when the call is made to stop you know you have deserved it. Bags get dropped and the anticipation mounts as the kit is unpacked and the boil begins. I will add that we are not talking about a special Arabica blend discharged under immense pressure from some fancy Italian machine; nope it is likely to be a sachet of something as luxurious as Nescafe cappuccino or perhaps even a Ciro basic from some hotel room. But in that moment, it is about the moment.

 

This ritual is of course a personal one of may represent that adopted by groups, Trevor Ball and Ugene Nel had their own daily ritual which at times became a survival one more than a moment, (see Ugene next to the fire). Chris and Julie Fisher have added rusks and enamel mugs to their honeymoon ritual. Sean with the big grin waited about 1800km before he showed us his prowess and technique in the Karoo. Eric Tollner will no doubt be choosing his spot (with Pete – that the name of the stove) this morning, I would bet good money it will be at the top of the Leer, looking back at the Hel and forward to the majestic Towerkop above Seweweekspoort – knowing he is ‘home’.

 

Back to the race, although it too has a coffee angle, Robbie Mac was greeted by Johann Rissik and lovely young lady out in the veld yesterday en route to Prince Albert, Johann was taking coffee and rusks out to Robbie, who was finally in the big blade and down on the tt bars, it proved a difficult task to stop him at 45km an hour it is reported, but given his recent escapades in the Hel, when Johann says halt, you obey, Robbie obliged was served his coffee and is on his way through the Hel this morning.

 

So to all of us having a brew somewhere this morning – raise your mug, you are in good company.

[tubed]

As I suspected, Erics brew after he climbed up and out of the Hel via the Leer.

[Shebeen]

As I suspected, Erics brew after he climbed up and out of the Hel via the Leer.

what does it say on the sign with the smallprint??!!

 

you forgot about all the coffee you can drink with farmers. best one is the old tin kettle that sits on the AGA stove.

[tubed]

what does it say on the sign with the smallprint??!!

 

you forgot about all the coffee you can drink with farmers. best one is the old tin kettle that sits on the AGA stove.

 

You are right - buts that's not roadside coffee, that's like vetkoek and biltong too

 

See the 'other thread' for sign details.

[johannrissik]

what does it say on the sign with the smallprint??!!

 

you forgot about all the coffee you can drink with farmers. best one is the old tin kettle that sits on the AGA stove.

 

Under one of those stones is a small bit of paper that says "Jan Boom was hier"...because he was

[tubed]

Die Leer at the Hel/ Gamkaskloof:

 

there has been a LOT of talk about this spot, this is the best photo I can find, its pretty much straight up to get out

[tubed]

Day 22:

 

Another large group finished yesterday, with exceptional heroes in it for me, Charles Mansfield and Avril Meterlerkamp (I do hope we have a rider profile on her in the next couple of days). I have posted Glenn’s rider profile on Charles below – an inspirational guy.

 

http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/ - see Glenn's race wrap up here.

 

2013 Rider Profiles - Charles Mansfield

 

To say Charles had a tough Freedom Challenge this year would be an understatement. He faced many physical setbacks on his journey, first serious knee issues and later on his neck muscles just stopped working - towards the end he was only able to ride by holding his head up with one hand, while steering with the other. These physical difficulties made the last three days of his ride a bit of a nightmare and when he finally did get to Diemersfontein, there were tears of relief on the finish line.

 

(He's not the only rider to show some emotion at the end - this year's race winners are members of the same club.)

 

Apart from sheer grit, one of the things that kept him going was also a deeper purpose to his ride - he was raising money for Project Rhino KZN, a group co-ordinating the anti-poaching efforts within KZN. His ride has raised in excess of R60 000 for the fight against rhino poaching, a fantastic effort!

 

Coming into the race, Charles had set his sights on the rookie record and was aiming for a sub-15 day finish. He rode hard on the first day, a bit too hard and when he got to Allendale, wisely opted to take a 2-hour break to recover. His plan was still to get to Centocow though, so he rode out into the late afternoon sun to test his navigational ability - a few hours later he was there, having found his way through this tricky forest section in the dark. This was a small personal victory and gave him the confidence to push on in the dark if necessary.

 

Not long after that, he hit a low point in his race - the knee trouble had started and while crossing the Knira floodplains, he encountered mud and slush all around him. He knew that not far away was a perfectly good dirt road but he had to follow the race route and wade through the mud or face a time penalty. Why? What for? It was one of those moments which could have signaled the end. But he dug deep and went on. Later that night he got into Malekholonyane where Jack's Army were all asleep - when they made an early move the next morning, he went with. That arrangement lasted for a good few days, only coming to an end when Charles hooked up with Scott James near Slaapkranz. Scott was racing hard and knew the route and when Christo joined them, the newly formed trio stuck together for most of the rest of the race.

 

Some of the highlights of his ride were going over Lehana's in the gale force wind and the beauty of the Baviaanskloof. One of his most memorable moments was stopping to look at the sunrise with Scott - they saw the sun rising on one side, the moon setting on the opposite side and the silhouette of mountains in between. Despite the racing, these moments forced them to stop and look on in awe.

 

For Charles, this race was very different to the usual mountain bike stage race - as a veteran of many such races, he knew about riding hard and suffering. Only a few years ago he was a workaholic who weighed 140kg but riding bikes had reshaped him into a lean, strong rider. By his own admission though, that speed and strength didn't help much on the Freedom Challenge because it's such a different kind of event. Mentally, the other events are a drop in the ocean according to him and being able to deal with adversity is the crucial difference. He described it as "an unbelievable journey of endurance" which often had him "facing his own personal demons and fighting off the evil forces that wanted him to quit." Clearly, he's learnt a lot from his journey and redefined the limits to which he can push himself physically, mentally and emotionally. Considering the hardships he faced, his finishing time of 15days 19hours 5min is not far off his original goal. But on reflection, his journey has been such a positive experience that the time will be of little importance.

 

Well done Charles, when the aches and pain are gone you'll think back and remember more of the good than the bad and you can be exceptionally proud of what you've achieved.

[tubed]

Chasing records:

 

As if the Freedom Challenge wasn’t tough enough, there has been a trend over the last couple of years for guys to chase these unofficial records, I say unofficial because for the Freedom Challenge it is not really in the spirit of the race to recognise any one particular rider, even the record breaking Dreyers will receive nothing additional to any other finisher. Allow me to explain, because in the world of what we have become, the Strava chasing sub- three defining cyclists, we need places where we can go where a subtle acknowledgement that you finished is enough.

 

When I say that you finished, you should be very grateful for just that, because you are extremely fortunate to have done so. This is not an event for fist pumping, “bro, you dominated that stage!” language, no this is where you pass through quietly and humbly, grateful that you made it.

 

So when Charles set out at being the fastest rookie in 2013 – he had no idea that he was going to have to maybe pay his dues – I mean that in the kindest way, because he will know what I mean and only he will know what he had to go through in Stettyns just to finish.

 

Likewise Tim James – who certainly has paid his dues and was in search of the record to Rhodes this year, he had to succumb humbly. Even Glenn will probably be reticent tell you that his attempt at the record to Rhodes this year was his goal – because he sure knows that records are a sideshow to being able to finish what you started. So if you had to ask Glenn you would probably get it out of him that he does hold the tandem record and the single speed record, but he knows he got lucky too.

 

The one acknowledgement that there is, remains the stone saddle award – this is given to the rider who embodies the essence of the event in that particular year and it is worth reading why Dino received it last year – when you read his remarkable story you will realise just why he was unquestionably the worthy recipient. http://www.doitnow.co.za/content/racing-freedom-challenge-7

 

So if records and acknowledgment is your thing – that’s cool, but here is something equally as cool – just finishing.

[mazambaan]

How's Roy Mottram doing?

 

I hope well for a real super ballie.

[tubed]

How's Roy Mottram doing?

 

I hope well for a real super ballie.

very sad to say he withdrew - read the profile and story here http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/2013/07/2013-rider-profile-roy-mottram.html

[Shebeen]

Hmmm, nice thing about records is that all finishers probably have one.

 

My claim to fame is probably first person to hit a buck on the trail, but everyone remembers me for pioneering the 'get lost at elandsberg in the dark' manouever that hackers such as martin dreyer and glenn harrison have since perfected.

 

As an aside, probably going to head through to diemers this afterrnoon, depending on how late then okes take to get there. if they hurry, then the boss isn't going to look kindly at me knocking off at lunchtime!

 

How's Roy Mottram doing?

 

I hope well for a real super ballie.

Roy pulled short in the baviaanskloof, which is a long way into the race. He did damn well and even got a special mention from the racewinner on twitter for his efforts.

 

edit:see tubed got the answer in already

Edited July 3, 2013 by Shebeen