Yay back on track again.

Did you miss me?  Well I certainly did.  I missed riding,  the race vibe, excitement, adrenaline and all good things for your body.  Where have I been?  Well it was no picnic let me tell you.

The gist of it is,  I was man down (should we say legs down) with a serious secondary infection in eczema on my legs.  Sjoe was it painful and iiiiiiiiiitchy.  😢  The infection was causing major havoc with my immune system and my entire body was run down and left me with no energy.  🙈

  Not very nice, let me tell you.  But all better now.  👍 

             

So Makro Bestmed road race was supposed to be my return, boo to the rain in spoiling things, but considering I had been so sick before I decided to give it a miss.  Wait for the following weekend to ride the MTB side of the Makro Bestmed instead.

What a race, people getting lost, muddy, cold but enjoyable.  Sprint finish to the end and Marco Joubert pipped me on the line.      

Yes man I am back.  Almost back to normal and now it is full speed ahead.  Check this space for the future, back to writing my blog up every Sunday.  Back to long rides with my beautiful Gemma, back to the cycling world, the world I love and belong in.

On the line nervous and anxious about the race.

Back in race mode (mind and hopefully my body too.)  🤞

                 Ecstatic and happy with my 2nd place.

                 Congratulations Marco, next time dude!

                 Well done Grant.  This is the EC podium!

                                          🎆🚲 😁

                                            

Training and Hayterdale Classic

So a huge setback, been told that I have to take a break and a back seat as my eczema that will not go away for the last few weeks now has a secondary infection and I need to go on a serious course of antibiotics and cortisone to try and clear it up.  The cycling shorts are no help apparently. 🙈  

So no Hayterdale for me.  Not even allowed to train.  Have you ever seen a hamster on a wheel in his cage without moving the wheel.  Well this is me for the next week or so.  I do not know how I am going to survive.  Well nothing but to wait and see. 🐹🎡😁🤞

SA XCO Champs - Final

And so race day dawns.  Had a nice lie in and decided to do a warm up around Reynecke Park (where we are staying).  Not too cold, turning out to be a nice day.  Dad and I leave for the track.

Got dad to wear Grumpy Monkey Socks, sooooo cool.  Don't you think?Love these socks. 👀💛

Got to the track milled around checked the layout of feed zones etc.  Time to get changed.

The stomach butterflies are all ago.

    





2018 SA XCO Champs has begun.

Coming down the rock garden.

Dad was my feeder and managed to take a really cool video for me to show Gemma when I get home.  I have included it, not too shabby dad.  Gemma will love this as she couldn't be here.

Really chuffed with my lap times and very happy to be in 7th place.  Great weekend all in all.  Time for some R and R, early to bed and it is off to Pretoria to see my ailing grandfather.

                        

SA XCO Champs - Arrival

Brrrrr. It is freezing and my dad and I are on our way to Bloem.  We left today at 4 and we have travelled through minus degrees and suffered the cold so that I can take part in the 2018 SA XCO champs.  

           Look at the car reading   

Home for the next couple of days

Everyone is here.  Met up with my good friend Hanna Oelofsen and we went around the track for a few laps.  Sjoe this is one tough track.  Fell a few times.  No pain no gain right.  🤕 🚲

  Awesome track.

So I had heard a little about the eliminator race.  Decided to head on over and see what it was all about. 🤔
What the heck, I am entering this, it looks like fun,  It was  loads of fun.  Had a blast.    I managed to come in second place.  Bonus.  😁

                                     

SA Marathon Champs 2018 Grabouw - Final

Well it did not let up.  Need wellingtons for this gig. 👢☔

Check out all this mud. 

We started the day wet, cold and freezing, ooh I just do not know how to keep my body warm no matter whatever I layer on.  Got to work on this.  

Any ideas fellow cyclists?

A really difficult ride.  Enjoyable, but difficult.  Just could not get going too cold.  Pleased to at least be in the top 20, should have done much better, but will just have to check the stats as to why,  I could not get my body warm enough to shunt it.

 Well done Gert Heyns,  SA Champ, you deserve it.

Me I am going home to have a long hot shower.  See you next year Grabouw!!  Hopefully a lot warmer.  🌞🔥

SA Marathon Champs 2018 Grabouw - Arrival

800 km later and we have arrived in Grabouw.  A wet and freezing Grabouw. 😓 I hope it clears up for tomorrow. 🤞 

                    

 

Staying at the Elgin Country Club guest house.

           

Did a small warm up and training ride then joined my dad and Gemma for wine tasting in the area.  Not too bad, found a really nice bubbly winery and had fun tasting them.

Had muligatawny soup for dinner really nice.  Thanks mum, really helped in this cold.   

Lovely place all warm and toasty with a roaring fire.🔥

So got a really nice message and surprise from Grahamstown today.  Apparently I have been chosen as the Sports Hero of the Week.  Thank you Pick 'n Pay.

July begins with Ups and Downs

So this week we were still at the Pick 'n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival working with Thule.  Was feeling a bit DOWN and mis at not being able to compete in the racing over the weekend, but you have to choose your battles, racing the Knysna cycle tour was not my battle this year!  

Having a bit of a much needed break at the same time.  We went wine and whisky tasting.  Some really great wines and whisky on show this year.  Gemma and I had a ball. A big UP.

On Wednesday decided to support my coach Richard who is doing the Big 5 and did the Feather bed Trail with him. Another UP.

Back to training for the up and coming events in July. 

I couldn't leave Knysna without doing something competitive, so I had heard about the MTBX race and decided to see what it was all about.  What absolute fun, An obstacle race and mountain bike race all in one.  One of my fellow cyclists Dylan Rebello had decided he was doing it too.  What a great race.  Pitting myself against Dylan I couldn't ask for better training or competitive ride.  Dylan edged me out in a sprint finish to take the win.  Stoked with my second place. A Massive UP.

On a high Gemma and I headed for home.  Arrived in Grahamstown to disaster. In the freezing cold our water pipe had burst and our house/kitchen is flooded.  So definitely a DOWN!  We were busy cleaning, sorting and arranging quotes with plumbers etc. when I get a call from "In The Bunch" asking me if I was planning on entering G2C 2018 and was I going to try and break my 2014 record.  At that moment I decided "what the hang" I am going to race G2C.  Up until that moment I wasn't going to ride it at all.  Possible UP maybe DOWN??? 😔🤞

Ah well back to serious training!!

On Sunday morning it was freezing, what was I thinking.  Yeah never mind the cold you can do this I told myself.  And we are off.  Great ride, great terrain (although very familiar!!) I was being tested and pushed by Jason Peach (defending champion) and CJ Bosman (up and coming junior), nice tight racing, good competition.  I knew that in order to win I needed to hit the single track first, so I accelerated and got there first.  I had tried to break my record from 2014 but a blocking head wind put paid to that idea.  So stoked to win.  A huge UP to end the "UPS and DOWNS" week I have had. 👍

So it's back to serious training, as we are off to Grabouw, Western Cape for the SA Marathon champs this weekend.  Will keep you posted of the results. 🤞😃