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. 🤞😃

Training, working and enjoying life

So for the past week I was training and getting myself conditioned for what's coming in July.  Really pushing the limits on my trainer and going for long out rides.  Spectacular, what more can one ask for.

This week I am off to Knysna to work at the Oyster festival on the Thule stand.  Pack the truck and off we go.

If you are down for the festival come visit.

So work, cycle enjoying life is what it is all about.  See you all soon.

Week of rest, training and Katberg Quest

So I was told by my coach that my indicators are all in the red and I have to take two days off.  Okay, I can do this.  Not.  It is so weird not being able to get onto my trainer or my bicycle.  Had to find things to do to keep my mind off from getting on my bicycle.  Not easy, let me tell you.

So after a chilled two days it was back to business as usual.  Have to get my physique and brain all ready for the up and coming SA Marathon and XCO champs in Grabouw and Bloemfontein.

https://www.cyclingsa-events.co.za/app/

On Thursday Gemma and I left for Katberg to go and take part in the new stage rac,  Katberg Quest run by Mountain Events.  Wow what an awesome time.  Check the footage below.  The accommodation and scenery was just fantastic.  Gemma and I had a very nice time and my partner Harry and I rode as TEAM THULE and we managed to be the first team home.  I reckon this will be a stage race that will get sold out very quickly in the years to come.

Highlights from Day 1

 

  Some photos of the scenery and hotel, really beautiful place that you can take the whole family with.

 
 
Thank you Mountain Events this is definitely a stage race to write home about.
Thank you Harry Abourizk from Thule PE.  I had a great time.

Trans Elands 2018

Saturday 9th June 2018

Travelled through to PE and stayed over at my parent's house on Friday night, we had to be at the Gamtoos Ferry Hotel at 6 o'clock to register for the Trans Elands 2018.  Gemma and I got up at four o'clock to begin the journey down to the Gamtoos valley.  Arrive there safe and sound and the vibe is electric and there are a lot of people all registering for the 60km lite and the 160km extreme races.  Gemma had decided she was going to do the lite.  Registered and got ready.

07h00 the extreme race has begun.  

A very entertaining race, even managed to throw my toys out of the cot at the end.  Apologies to one and all, this was pure frustration and adrenaline fueling the fire!  

Just before we turned off the tar road onto the gravel road, Steven decided to go off into the front with a couple of other riders.   I thought this is fine, I will catch up to him later.  How wrong I was, Steven decided he would stay in the front.  By the time we got to the East Cape Cycles water point at Loerie, Steven had four minutes on us already. I had a bit of a dig at trying to catch him, I managed to see him, but decided that I was not going to put myself into the red like I wanted to.  I could see that he was on a mission and travelling rather fast, we decided to keep the pressure on him though up through Lex's monster, which we did.  We kept it at the four minutes. On the downhill after water point 2 with a 24km head wind Steven put more distance between us.  At water point 3 the cheese farm we were told that he was 15 minutes ahead of us. Jason Peach decided he was going to have a go and try and catch Steven, Yolande and I decided we needed to up our pace and start to try and chase. By the time we got to the top of the hill at Mast, Steven had 8 minutes on us.  We knew that the last bit was going to be hard and really tough, I was a bit blown, so hung back a bit to regroup and try and recoup my energy.  When we got towards Zuurbron my energy came back and I was told that Jason Peach was only 3 minutes ahead of me and Steven was four minutes ahead of him.  Interesting.  I decided to catch Jason as my legs had returned fully, I managed to, then we had an amazing sprint for the finish.  I overshot the turning and ended up coming in third place instead of second.  

That's racing for you.  Lesson to learn,  listen to rider's briefing in the morning at the start of the race.

👀💪🙈

Well done Steven and Jason.  2019 beckons, 

    Awesome trails and terrain     

Day 3 - Moments of Truth - 1 Zambia MTB 2018

So now Francois is feeling much better and ready to go and wants to ride.  106km today.  Great downhills, the flat sections were fast and really great to ride on.  Wonderful trails and scenery all the way to the finish.  Elephants on the river banks, crocodiles, out in the lush bush having a jol with all this great nature around you.  You can't ask for anything better.  Our GPS stopped working so we had to follow riders as we did not want to get lost.  Sprint finish and we finished in second place. Great way to end a fantastic race.

Elephants on the river bank.

Prize giving was on an island.  Stunning.








                         Video footage of day 3.  Thanks to Dropkick Media.  No words needed.

So now on my way home, sad to be leaving, but happy to go back to my lovely wife, I really missed her.

Thank you everyone in Zambia for a very memorable time.  

Thanks Paddy and Jay, you are the best.  Meiring and Francois, great to meet you all, I had a lot of fun.  Watch out for AMS Attack, we will be back.

Day 2 - The Nankanga Tour - 1 Zambia MTB 2018

So now Francois and I have some serious cycling to do to catch up the 8 minutes that we need to give the other team a run for their money.  So all gung ho and ready to go we leave early in the am.  But alas tragedy struck, my partner became ill with some serious runs and feeling rather sick, so he went back to base camp and I carried on.  

69km to ride today with about 1100m of climbing in it. A lot faster and flatter. Really nice awesome single track in the beginning, then opened up into some jeep track, gravel road then the fun began, we went down into the gorge. 6 river crossings to get through, the gorge was just pure single track, pure enjoyment. Lush and green environment, beautiful scenery.

Great riding with all the others and not a care in the world.  Wow this is a fantastic place to ride. I cannot wait for tomorrow.

Congratulations to the winning team.  Unfortunately we cannot catch you now.  Never mind there is always next year.  Hopefully.  👌😞

Awesome company and scenery

                                           

                                    

                         Video footage from Day 2.  Thanks to Dropkick Media.  Pure enjoyment.

Day 1 - Double Espresso - 1 Zambia MTB 2018

Up early, nerves are rife as I am in totally unfamiliar territory.  Met up with Francois Burger, my partner in Team AMS Attack.  Love the new kit and the colours, so me!

Lime green and bright blue, hello this goes so well with my grumpy socks.  The colours are great and all match and are very bright, still making a statement mum.  LOL  👍👀.

The terrain is fantastic, bumpy, rocky and one of the best I have ridden in a long time. Hard and you need your wits about you, beautiful single track.  Francois and I did great for day 1 and managed to come in second place.  So stoked.  Tomorrow is another great day and stage 2.  We are 8 mins off the leaders, got to try and make up time.

Video footage from Day 1.  Thanks to Dropkick Media.  Now you can see all the awesome trails.