Training Log Archive: nmulder

Kinetic Full Moon at Qwantani Resort, Sterkfontein Dam, Free State

Team Cyanosis with Mac, Lance Kime and Jackie Moore

108km race, the final of the A1 series. We had to finish 1st or 2nd to win the series, but tough competition from Jabberwock, Red Ants and Neverest Key Health.

Started with a sprint down to the boats on the shore. Very hot conditions around 30'C.

Paddled with Lance. Got a poor start but caught up the gap on 2nd bunch. Mac and Jax missed it however, so we dawdled on the back waiting for them to come through with Andrew King's team. Leading pair were Rory Scheffer and Andrew Houston with Neverest, Red Ants and Jabberwock all up there.

2 CPs on a peninsula, in any order. We went the other way from the top teams. Seemed to be okay, but getting back to the boats they had opened at least a 5 min gap on the run on us.

Hooked the 2 boats together and started chasing down the teams ahead. We just missed catching Rory/Housty and Neverest in the lead by the end, and got Red Ants / Jabberwock about 1.5km from the end of the leg. So great paddling.

I had to plot CPs in transition, but still very quick. Finished the maps before the rest of the team was ready. Lance had to do a SUP leg during this transition. He left in 3rd and came back 1st, but Neverest were first out of transition, with us leaving in 2nd about 2 mins later.

Technically easy MTB stage, essentially riding 3 sides of a square. Lots of undulating to start and then some open dirt roads before mild climbs back towards the Berg. The heat was the only thing that made the ride difficult. We kept Neverest within 3 mins for the first 1/2 of the stage, but then they started pulling away when they seemed to speed up at the same time that we slowed a bit. No sight of teams behind us most of the way. Mac took a bit of strain towards the end and Jax looked tired as well.

Av 20.0
Mx 58.0

Got into transition as Neverest were leaving. Had a quick one, which included plotting again. Got out in 7.5 mins which was excellent, about 5 mins faster than the other teams. So only 7.5 mins behind Neverest and we saw Jabberwock approaching as we exited.

Long trek, with a technically easy first half up a long ridge to higher altitude and Babangibone Mt at 2327m, before a more technical descent back down to Qwantani in the dark.

Started off okay, trying to keep cool in the heat, but I was blown going up the first steep climb onto the ridge. Started recovering along the spur, but the speed was low and Jabberwock could be seen catching behind us. At sunset I was getting much better but suddenly Jackie started feeling very bad. Just after dark Jabberwock cut a corner and got within 5 mins of us and promptly accelerated to pass at phenomenal speed going up the mountain. Neverest had opened up to 30 mins at this point, but we'd seen their lights struggling up the hill and knew they were in trouble. When we got to the hill itself, we needed numerous lie-downs so that Jax could try and recover, but it didn't help. The descent on the other side was a bit better, but not by much, slower than standard walking pace and still with numerous breaks. In the end she struggled all the way to the finish and wasn't able to recover. Could see in the distance that Jabberwock had closed on Neverest and later found out that they diced each other almost all the way to the finish, Jabberwock finally breaking Neverest for the win about 2km out and thus taking the Series title as well.

We kept plodding on down the hills and were soon passed by Red Ants as well. Eventually dragged ourselves over the finish line in 4th place, 2 hours down on Jabberwock, 90 mins behind Neverest and 40 mins behind Red Ants. Rory and Housty were next team in about 30 mins later.

Phenomenal form by Jabberwock in the 2nd half of the last trek to catch that much time on all the teams.

Out via Lanseria. Back via Elandsdrift.

Av 26.0
Mx 63.6

9 laps.