The Munga 2016

[The Munga]

Have just entered he Munga.

Looking for someone to possibly start training with.

 

I ride every weekend both MTB and Road however will now have to start doing a lot more MTB training.

 

Just to advise that I am not a youngster but have the drive to complete and finish this, as I am doing it as a personal challenge as well as to raise money for charity

Hi Wadem

 

I would suggest posting this question on our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TheMungaMTB/

 

There are many people wanting to hook up for training rides etc. 

 

Also, stay tuned as next month we begin the mini-munga rides!

[The Munga]

Sitting behind my keyboard, the Munga sounds so romantic - man and machine against the elements. Mind over matter, knocking the kilometres off one by one, riding bikes and forgetting about the rest of the world.

 

Reality hits when, after completing a long ride (and I've done a few this year), I've been more than happy to get off my bike and not look at it again for a while. How much more hardcore do you have to be to take on the Munga? How strong do you have to be mentally?

 

Hats off to all those just considering doing it.

'How strong do you have to be mentally?' - well thats a tough question;)

 

In fact, it is this very thing that lies at the heart of the Munga's DNA. A belief that all of us have deep within us, the capacity to tough it out. To keep going so to speak. If the right conditions are in place. So the question is, what are those conditions? Well this question has been a personal obsession of mine for many years. What are the set of factors that will motivate someone to really dig deep?

 

In creating the Munga, this question was at its heart. If you remember the beginning of this journey there was some big prize money. Yes, money is a motivator. But its not the only one. People want to know they are part of a journey, hence the format. They want to be able to tell stories afterwards, hence the bragging rights. They want to know in a finite kind of way, that they can really stretch themselves, but that there is some kind of safety net so they wont die in the process. They want to have a sense that they are experiencing something authentic and exciting, hence the location. When all these things are in place, you have the ingredients of something compelling. When that happens, people will dig deep. They will find something more within them to keep going, just to get to the next water-point or race village. Its a fine line and one that we will continue to refine. 

 

Eventually you get to a point where you realise it will be easier just to keep going and finish this thing, than to come back and start over again!

 

One kilometre at a time, one hour after another. Thats what mental toughness is about!

[Slowbee]

Sitting behind my keyboard, the Munga sounds so romantic - man and machine against the elements. Mind over matter, knocking the kilometres off one by one, riding bikes and forgetting about the rest of the world.

 

Reality hits when, after completing a long ride (and I've done a few this year), I've been more than happy to get off my bike and not look at it again for a while. How much more hardcore do you have to be to take on the Munga? How strong do you have to be mentally?

 

Hats off to all those just considering doing it.

Oh you have no idea of the pain that waits for you. I might ask for some training tips and also for you to join me on a 4 passes ride. But riding with me will be slow for you. ... painfully slow. Maybe I should challenge you to lap me. Do two laps for my one ????

[Velouria]

Oh you have no idea of the pain that waits for you. I might ask for some training tips and also for you to join me on a 4 passes ride. But riding with me will be slow for you. ... painfully slow. Maybe I should challenge you to lap me. Do two laps for my one

Don't always knock slow - a race like this is definitely more of a tortoise than hare event. There are no such things as race snakes here - just slightly faster tortoises.

 

As Mr Harris alludes to above - you're only really racing yourself. You have to find a sustainable rhythm, both for the body and for the mind. You need to discover where your happy place is. If that means 12km/h, then so be it.

 

I'm always up for long rides, so if you want some company, just yell.

[Slowbee]

So we managed two gym sessions, doing 1xcircuit, 1x stretch routine and 1xsomething that resembles a core routine.

 

Also getting 30 minutes on each IDT session now and I can feel the time is coming to get back on the road again. Maybe next week I will try one or two road sessions. The weather is looking good.

[jimmycool]

So we managed two gym sessions, doing 1xcircuit, 1x stretch routine and 1xsomething that resembles a core routine.

 

Also getting 30 minutes on each IDT session now and I can feel the time is coming to get back on the road again. Maybe next week I will try one or two road sessions. The weather is looking good.

Good to hear. Hopefully the bumps won't hurt too much.

[The Munga]

Folks, the first Mini Munga rides are up on our Facebook page as events. Open to all, no charge, and a chance to win some cool prizes!

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheMungaMTB/

[Slowbee]

right, so now the riding on the IDT is progressing somewhat nicely.

 

But soon I will have to don the makeshift winter gear and brave the cold to go for a real ride.

 

In the meantime, my mind is heading towards how to power the GPS and lights.

 

I currently have a garmin 705. I would prefer to use equipment I have rather than buy something just for the event. BUT, a GPS is critical as are lights.

 

Would you opt for a penlight battery operated GPS? If not, how do you hook up a 705 to run off a powermonkey ? Is it a simple case of plug and ride ? Then charge everything when you get into a overnight stop ? Does this then limit you to skipping a stop if you have to because you need the power to charge things ?

 

I would be keen to hear what the other riders are thinking of doing ?

[Kranswurm]

right, so now the riding on the IDT is progressing somewhat nicely.

 

But soon I will have to don the makeshift winter gear and brave the cold to go for a real ride.

 

In the meantime, my mind is heading towards how to power the GPS and lights.

 

I currently have a garmin 705. I would prefer to use equipment I have rather than buy something just for the event. BUT, a GPS is critical as are lights.

 

Would you opt for a penlight battery operated GPS? If not, how do you hook up a 705 to run off a powermonkey ? Is it a simple case of plug and ride ? Then charge everything when you get into a overnight stop ? Does this then limit you to skipping a stop if you have to because you need the power to charge things ?

 

I would be keen to hear what the other riders are thinking of doing ?

From what I can see the distances are long so you need to be doing plenty of Kms over weekends rain or shine.Personally I would train on the road and get up to 150km rides going regularly.Do a few 200km stretches as well.If you do not have the long km in your arse you will die

[vroommm]

Morning Slowbee,

As far as lights and gps are concerned, a fully independent dynamo hub system is first prize. Expensive though ...

 

I'm going for a simple, cheap(ish) setup with a mix of penlight and rechargeable power:

 

- Garmin Etrex 20 with set of batteries for every day.

- Cellphone running OsmAnd as backup gps.

- Amped Avid-X 10000mah power bank to charge phone and ipod shuffle.

- Main light (still need to buy): probably ExtremeLights Core, apparently good for 40hrs on low.

- Backup light: LedLenser B7 using 4xAAA.

- Headlamp: undecided but probably also LedLenser 3xAAA

 

The key is to recharge at every opportunity. Even for an hour if possible. The Avid-x takes forever to charge from empty (like 10 hours) so best to keep everything topped up.

 

Possible complications:

- lots of chargers, cables, adaptors and batteries to carry.

- number of power outlets at support stations, might all be occupied.

 

Anyway ... my 2 cents ..

 

Sent from my SM-J500F using Tapatalk

[taito]

Jo been lekka sick,but it's time to start the longer rides.I also feel the roadbike is a easier training option.

will be trying to do some 200to 250K weeks in July and Aug and then bumping that up in Sept.

 

But the clock is ticking

[Slowbee]

 

Possible complications:

- lots of chargers, cables, adaptors and batteries to carry.

- number of power outlets at support stations, might all be occupied.

 

Anyway ... my 2 cents ..

 

Sent from my SM-J500F using Tapatalk

ja, that is my worry - to many cables.

 

I want to keep costs down as much as possible to show that you can do this ride with minimal outlay. So trying to figure out using what I have.

 

I like the idea of battery operated lights as back up. The ride is summer so true dark hours are maybe 6-7 at most. That extreme light could work for the entire trip at night.

 

As for headlight - there is only one. Tikina Petzl 80. It weighs next to nothing (almost the exact weight of the 3 x AAA batteries) and lasts like days! Used them before and it was awesome.

 

I might have to go the route of the battery operated GPS and a normal battery operated computer that I have lying around. But lets see.

[Monark]

What about those solar powered power banks that recharge using the sun? You can hang them off your back pack during the day and are cheap

[Shebeen]

Way too much worrying about lights!

You're not on singletrack here. So many dudes will over illuminate the road ahead - you can get by with way less and the eyes will adjust - then when you hit the hairy stuff you turn up the lumens and it looks like daylight.

 

You could get by with a single tikkina headlamp. not ideal, but it will work so would have that/or similar as my backup/headlamp. Would reckon that you'd want to use the headlamp to read GPS too, as backlight would kill the GPS battery, spare batteries in your bag/pickups.

 

For the occasional downhill stuff, the extreme light will do the trick. just save the battery at all opportunities and charge when you can.

[Shebeen]

What about those solar powered power banks that recharge using the sun? You can hang them off your back pack during the day and are cheap

I've tried them. meh. They've probably got better and cheaper, but do the sums on them and remember that all their charging times are 'optimal' add at least 30% in the real world.

 

easier to just have a AA/AAA single use system.

 

(hub dynamo is first prize - got to be my next upgrade)

[Slowbee]

What about those solar powered power banks that recharge using the sun? You can hang them off your back pack during the day and are cheap

nice idea !

 

I wonder if you could plug this directly into a GPS? and run the GPS off the panel during the day ? ok you might be a bit lost if it clouds over - but then a power monkey could cover that.

 

Shebeen, was thinking more along the lines of how to power the GPS I have rather than having to buy one.