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The last day. Karel woke up wondering how he would move the pedals with his exhausted body, let alone gather the energy to get on his bike. Ever since the first stage, he's been struggling but somehow he finds the strength to give his best. Compared to 2023, he is actually performing better overall (and on each stage) thanks to improved skills and having prior experience at this event. However, today was rough for Karel. Although "shorter" in terms of time, distance and elevation, he had no more fight left in him. He tried to give his best but his body had other thoughts.
I dropped off Karel's bag at the aid station 2 drop off at Beaver Run Lodge (although he didn't end up stopping for it) and then I drove to the rec center. I swam from 6:45-7:45 and managed to get in 3000 yards. I was very tired this morning. Although I can't compare to what Karel is going through, my body is in need of some recovery days after a solid week of "exercising" (non-structured training) at 9700 feet.
After my swim, I went back to the Airbnb for a quick change and got on my bike to head to the ice rink for the stage start. The start was a time trial start, 10 riders at a time. Karel set off at 8:36am. I saw Karel before he got into the corral and reminded him of all that he has accomplished and today is all about getting to that finish line.
Once Karel was off, I went on my bike for one last ride. I rode on the bike path to Dillon and back (1:51, 33 miles). Although I am looking forward to getting back to Greenville, SC (I miss the humidity and being at 1000 feet), I have really fallen in love with this area and I've filled my cup with happiness over the past 10 days being in the mountains and in nature.
I arrived back to our Airbnb, took a quick shower, made a recovery drink and had a snack and walked a mile to the ice rink to see Karel finish. Karel finished - appropriately, done and dusted.
Although stage 6 was Karel's lowest age group placement, he ended up staying in 8th in the GC (general classification).
KAREL'S STATS
Total mountain bike miles: 222 miles
Total warm-up/cool down miles: 27.6 miles
Total elevation gain: 34,574 feet (including warm-up and cool down)
To help with Karel's recovery, he did few things each day:
A bottle of tart cherry juice (concentrate + water) immediately after each stage.
A bottle of Skratch recovery (mixed with water) immediately after each stage (from the aid station).
Sitting in the normatec boots for up to 10 minutes before each stage and using them throughout the afternoon/evening after each stage.
Morning mobility + foam rolling.
Warming up and cooling down before/after each stage.
Eating before every stage and having two meals after each stage (post race and dinner).
Staying hydrated throughout the day (this is hard for Karel as he isn't a big fan of plain water so he drank seltzer water and tea).
Using sport nutrition for every stage. Karel consumed around 90g carbs per hour and at least 26 ounce fluid. He used his hydration pack (he brought two with him) as well as a bottle in the frame of his bike. He relied mostly on sport drinks (ex. INFINIT Fructose, PH 60g) and consumed some gels/chews as needed.
Staying positive. This was a hard one as he was very exhausted and sometimes mentally broken, but he tried to focus on the positives and not waste energy on things out of his control. Although he questioned his abilities before each stage, quitting was never an option.
I helped Karel out as much as I could so he could focus on each stage. I dropped his aid station bags off in the morning, I did the laundry, I rinsed out his hydration packs, I got groceries and made sure he had food to eat (sometimes laying a plate of food in front of him when he had no appetite to eat) and offered support on each course as much as I could.
I picked up a few yummy eats from Clints Bakery and Coffee house
I would say that this was a very successful trip. Karel completed his second Breck Epic and I was able to get in a lot of great "exercise" in the mountains. If you are in the area and are interested in cycling, here are my favorite routes:
The trail system here is incredible. I highly recommend bringing your bike or renting a bike if you come to visit Breck. This town is very kid friendly (especially if your kids love to ride bikes/MTB/Skateboard) and the weather is perfect in August - 40-70's but it feels much warmer. The air is dry and the altitude is rough but this area is very beautiful. The downtown is filled with lots of shops and places to eat and it's very easy to get around (walking) if you are staying within a mile of downtown. The rec center is a little costly if you are purchasing a day pass so I recommend a 6-visit pass (which can be shared by others) or a monthly pass. There is also a rec center in Silverthorne. The pool is small (4 lanes) but I never found it to be too crowded. There is also a nice indoor play area in the pool for kids (at both rec centers).
Thanks for following us along over the past ten days.
Our "cup" is filled and now it's time to return home to our furries in Greenville, SC.
I hope these blog posts inspired you to challenge yourself. Life is too short not to work hard and try new things. Challenging yourself drives personal growth. When you step outside of your comfort zone, you develop yourself in ways that wouldn't happen if you stayed in familiar territory. Growth comes from discomfort, struggling and sometimes failing. Achieving something difficult proves to yourself that you are capable and stronger than you thought. When you question your abilities, you are staying within a mental boundary. Pushing those limits expands your capabilities. Challenges are important because they give you a sense of purpose. Whether it's in work, sports or any area of life, challenging yourself helps you become a better, more resilient and more capable version of yourself.
Today was my "recovery" day and I was really looking forward to a break from training. The altitude makes everything so tough!
I woke up a little before 5:45am and Karel got up shortly after 6am. Around 6:45am I drove up the street to drop off Karel's aid station #2 bag w/ a bottle inside and then drove 1.2 miles to the rec center for an easy swim. I once again wore my snorkel for most of it although I did feel better with short intervals without the snorkel. I swam a total of 2500. I drove back to our Airbnb and then walked to Main Street to watch the start of stage 2.
Karel was feeling pretty good this morning. He took some extra time to do mobility and sit in the normatec boots to help his body warmup. He then went out for a 16 minute warmup. He was hoping to get a bit closer to the back front of the corral but ended up further back than he wanted. It was a bit cooler this morning in the low 40's but like usual, once the sun pops up, it really warms up.
After Karel set off on his adventure on the Colorado Trail, I went back to the Airbnb for breakfast, got some work done and then around 10:30am I got on my bike and rode to Aid station number 2 (which was around 32 miles in the stage) to see Karel. I arrived a bit early as the top riders were just coming through so I spun around the road until I was feeling like Karel would be coming. Around 20 minutes later, he rolled in. He made a quick stop to pee in the porto potty and I refilled his hydration pack and topped off his bottle. He looked really good and he didn't appear to be struggling.
After Karel rode off, I biked back into town and the up to the B&B trailhead to see Karel finish (~3 miles out of town). It was a nice steady climb with beautiful views. Some of the road turned into light gravel but otherwise, it was a nice ride up.
I waited a bit for Karel and he finally came. He looked to be in good spirits and I was happy that he had a good day. After he told me about his day, we rolled down to the post race tent so Karel could get a Skratch recovery drink (sponsor of the event) and some snacks. We then rode back into town. I went back to the Airbnb and Karel went to the Beaver Run resort (race headquarters) to rinse off his bike.
Karel was pretty tired this afternoon. The stages get more challenging as the event goes on so he is hoping that he can recover the best he can tonight so that he can do the best he can tomorrow.
I woke up at 6am and Karel got up around 6:35am. A little after 7am, I walked up to the Beaver Run resort (~8 min walk) to drop off Karel's bag (bottle of sport nutrition) for transport to aid station 2. I then started my run. My plan was to run ~10 miles while spectating Karel but I ended up running a bit longer (and a lot more elevation than planned).
It was another cool morning in the upper 40's but as soon as the sun comes out, it warms up quickly. Karel did a 25 min warm-up around the ice skating rink/stage start and I ran to the point on the course where I would be seeing Karel for the first time. I continued to run on the trails and road for the next 40 minutes. I then ran to the start to see Karel. I then ran back up the hill to spectate. It was nice to see Karel in action.
Using my navigation on my phone and looking at Karel's stage 1 in training peaks from 2023, I found a spot on the course where I would be able to see Karel cross trails. I didn't realize it until I plugged in the navigation that in the 4 miles I would be running to see Karel, I would be running on trails and up a long climb. 1300 feet in 4 miles! The picture above is from the run down but it was a looooong gradual incline for many miles on the road. It reminded me of Zombie Hill at Norseman so I just focused on keeping myself moving forward. I was nearing 11,000 feet starting from Breckenridge (at 9,700 feet).
I made my way on to a gravel road and a mile later, I was finally at the point where I would be able to see Karel.
I wore my hydration belt (Naked Running) w/ two flasks and refilled the flasks before heading up the mountain. I loved being able to give Karel a cheer as he was riding. He looked good in a small group of other riders.
I then made my way down the mountain. The views were incredible.
2 hours and 5 minutes later, 13 miles, 1800 feet elevation gain and averaging 9:40 (with a lot of stops to catch my breath and to spectate), I made it back to our Airbnb. I did a quick shower and change, had a recovery drink and snack, prepared Karel's recovery tart cherry juice drink in a bottle and walked over to Carter Park to see Karel finish.
I was super proud of Karel and he looked happy at the finish line. He was a bit frustrated that his legs were cramping and he couldn't push harder (this is a chronic issue for him, 10+ years of inner thigh cramping coming from his back issues and tight hips), but he was happy to learn that he was 10th in his age group. We joked that he is first in the "sea level" category in this age group.
Karel spun out his legs for ~15 minutes and I walked to Clint's bakery to get some bagels and then checked out the local market in downtown. We really love Breckenridge (minus the altitude). The people are really nice and there is so much to do around here - especially for those who love to live an active lifestyle. And everyone at the Breck Epic staff and all of the riders are very friendly. It's a really cool atmosphere here.
Karel and I had lunch (bagels w/ eggs and fruit) back in our Airbnb and Karel relaxed the rest of the afternoon in the normatec boots. He wasn't too sore or depleted, just tired. Around 4pm I went to the rec center for a 4000 yard swim. I did most of it with the snorkel as I was struggling with my breathing in the water after my morning long run (and tired). But it felt good to loosen out in the water.
We had pasta and veggie burgers for dinner and around 8:00pm we were tired and ready for bed.
On Saturday Feb 22nd, we participated in 6 Hours in the Ridge. After Hurricane Helene, we weren't sure if our favorite mountain biking trails would ever open (or be the same) again but local organizations and volunteers have worked tirelessly to get the trails back in great condition.
However, over the past few months, our winter conditions have not been in our favor for staying consistent on our mountain bikes. We've had a lot of rainy and cold days which means closed trails. I've done very little mountain biking in 2025 following not being on my mountain bike since May 2024. Although we registered for 6 hours on the ridge a few months out from the race (it sells out at least a month out) I was feeling very unprepared. Karel and I did a 2:20 hr ride at The Farm (a great new trail system a few miles from where we live) on January 5th and then I did a panic recon ride at Pleasant Ridge (race venue) on Tuesday of race week. We also did a 1-hour pre race ride at The Farm the day before the race.
My last "long" ride was in September but I wasn't as concerned about the duration of the event as I was about my skills.
On the day before the race I felt horrible. My legs felt tired and heavy and I was not in a good head space. I fueled like I would for an Ironman (carb loaded) and trusted my body that I would be ok for the event. However, the night before the race was a very poor night of sleep for me. I barely slept an hour. I was tossing and turning. I woke up exhausted.
I felt like everything was going against me.
The race started at 10am with packet pickup ended at 9:15am so we left our house a little after 8:30 (20 min drive).
This was our third time participating in this local MTB event at Pleasant Ridge but first time completing the race in the counterclockwise direction. Thankfully, this course direction worked in my favor as it was a little less technical in the last mile, whereas the clockwise direction is very technical (and requires a lot more effort to get over rocks and roots) in the first mile.
The concept of the race is simple.
Complete as many laps as you can (want) in six hours.
Each lap is 6.3 miles, ~760 feet elevation gain.
For the 2025 edition, the course was counter clockwise.
Start at 10am.
Riders must finish the last lap by 4pm for the lap to count (example, if you start your x-lap at 3:20 but arrive at 4:05pm, that lap doesn't count in the results).
6 hours is a long time on the mountain bike. My brain was trying to protect me from possible future discomfort. I had already battled so many thoughts to get myself to the start line and now I needed to stay focused for the next 6 hours.
All morning I told myself “prove your thoughts wrong.” Although I didn't feel super excited for the race, it was a lot better than riding the trainer on a cold dreary day. I told myself that I get to play on my mountain bike all day!
After the pre-race meeting, we lined up at the red banner start and we were off at 10am.
We started off in a mass start, up a newly (somewhat) built trail to get on to the course. The race had over 60 individual riders and several teams. I was amazed by the number of younger riders, especially females. It was so great to see so many young female mountain bikers.
Karel found himself near the front with a few other guys for a few laps, but the eventual leader took off immediately. Although there was not a lot of room to pass in the first few miles, I found myself able to ride a comfortable effort in the first loop and I was only passed by a few guys. The course included part of the long loop (and down the "rock") which I am very familiar with. Knowing the course really helped. After the first loop I found myself riding mostly by myself and not dealing with any traffic from other riders.
The conditions started off very muddy and slippery. This had me a little worried as I didn't want to crash. I had one slip in the first loop when my wheel got stuck in the mud on a tight turn but other than that, I didn't have any falls, crashes or major issues.
It was in the 30's (F) for the start and never got over 50 but it felt comfortable all day. As the sun continued to rise, the trails started to dry out a little. I started off with leg warmers, gloves and arm warmers but eventually took off my leg warmers.
Nutrition:
I started the race with my USWE Hydration pack filled with 2.5 bottles (~64 ounces) with each bottle containing 90g carbs from INFINIT Fructose. I started off with the orange flavor. My plan was to finish my hydration pack within the first 3 hours and then refill my pack in our "aid station" at half way. I prepared 2 more bottles of INFINIT Fructose (Grape flavor) and had a bottle of water to top off my pack. I also nibbled on a Clif Bar throughout the ride and a Rice Krispie Treat. Karel also used his hydration pack (He used Maurten) and instead of refilling his pack he brought along a second USWE pack for a quick change).
Lap Splits: (each lap was 6.35 miles and ~760 feet elevation gain)
47:04
44:47
46:04
47:34 - stopped to refill my flask
44:49
43:45
44:35
45:21 (I barely made this lap to finish the race in 5:58 - with less than 2 minutes to spare)
(total: 6:04 ride time, 52 miles, including a 10 min warm-up, ~6000 feet elevation gain)
Riding for 6 hours is a long time but riding 8 laps on a 6.3 mile course is mentally challenging. I tried to use every trick I could think of to get me through this race. The first loop was more of a recon loop to get to know the conditions. The 2nd and 3rd loop went by somewhat quickly but on the 4th loop, I started to realize that I had only been riding for 2ish hours and still had 4 hours left! I was really looking forward to my aid station stop as that was my first goal. Get 4 loops done and then reset.
The motivating part of the race was getting half way as this gave me a better idea of the number of laps I could possibly get in over the next 3 hours. I left my aid station with 3:02 on the clock which meant I was going to cut it close. With each lap taking me around 45-47 minutes, I really needed to stay committed to keeping my laps under 45 minutes.....and not having any mechanical issues or accidents.
I continued to tell myself "controlled is fast" so that I wouldn't make silly mistakes by trying to go faster. I tried to use the non technical sections and uphills to try to pick up speed and to stay controlled on the more technical sections. With less than two hours left in the race, every minute counted.
Each loop included roots, rocks, twists, turns, punchy up and downhills. Every loop required a lot of my attention and sometimes I found myself making mistakes and I would tell myself "ugh that was a bad line." It was fun to pass some of the lapped riders and to cheer for others (and receive cheers). I really love the mountain bike community as everyone is supportive. I really looked forward to returning to the start area and getting a boost from the spectators and other riders who were resting/refueling. Lap 6 and 7 were my make or break laps and although I felt like I could get in my 8th lap within 6 hours, I knew I was cutting it close. It had to be a perfect lap with no major slowdown. Lap 7 was my toughest lap mentally and physically as I really wanted to quit as I was getting really tired but I told myself "you didn't come this far to only get this far." The hardest part was knowing that I couldn't make lap 8 a victory lap. I had to keep pushing and giving my best all the way to the finish line.
I was hoping that Karel would lap me so that I could see him but after a few laps, Karel experienced his normal cramping in his inner thighs (thankfully he didn't experience his normal back pain). He admitted that he started out way too hard and that probably caused the early onset of the cramping. However, he wasn't going to quit so he adjusted the best that he could and also finished with 8 laps. Karel was waiting for me at the finish and watched me roll through the finish line.
Whew. That was hard in so many different ways. I placed first overall female and Karel placed 1st age group and 4th overall.
We received really cool wooden awards. After the awards we packed up our stuff and headed home.
Our bikes were extra muddy and required a super duper deep clean from Karel.
As you can see from our aid station area, Karel brought extra wheels, a tool box filled with everything we needed in the case of a mechanical, a pump and we also had a bag of drinks, snacks and extra riding gear (ex. gloves, arm warmers, etc).
As I laid in bed on Saturday morning, I had so many thoughts "I am not prepared. I didn't sleep well. I won't perform well. I should skip the race."
Thankfully, I didn't let my limiting beliefs win. I worked through them and told myself to just start the and see what happens. 6 hours on the ridge is always a true test of grit, strength and endurance and I’m proud of myself for showing up.
We enjoyed our experience at PE Plett. Instead of writing a recap of each stage, I'll provide some thoughts on our overall experience from this 4-stage MTB event.
COST
Total cost: $2171
Event: $690 per person (includes 4 days of riding, 3 nights luxury tent accomodations and 10 meals)
No hassle package: $134 per person (shuttle pick up/drop off at Port Elizabeth airport, pre-event luxury tent accomodation, dinner and breakfast)
Hotel in Port Elizabeth (Courtyard Port Elizabeth): $93
Hotel airport shuttle: $12 each way
Bike transport: $96 one way (bikes and bike case transferred from Cape Town Giant Bike Store so we didn't have to fly with the bikes to the event)
Flights (Cape Town to Port Elizabeth): Safair $280 ($140 per person, round trip)
Safair Bike fee from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town: $30 ($15 per bike)
LOGISTICS As with most stage races, the start and finish are in different locations. I would say that most people who were local had someone drop them off at Kurland on Wednesday morning before the start of stage 1 and then pick them up at Zwartenbosch on Saturday, at the conclusion of the event. The distance was 84 miles between the two locations. There was also an option to drop off your car at Kurland and pay someone to drive it to the finish. People who were not from the Plett or Port Elizabeth area used this option. Then there was the shuttle bus option (which we used) which was very convenient and affordable. The drive from Port Elizabeth airport to Kurland took about 3 hours (140 miles), which includes a 30-minute stop for road construction. From Zwartenbosch to the airport, it took a little less than 2 hours (64 miles). We opted to use a service to transport our bikes (and bike cases) from Cape Town to the start of the event (instead of flying with our bikes) because we didn't want to risk anything happening to our bikes or dealing with the hassle of transporting them around. We had paid for our bikes to be transferred back to Cape Town but there was an issue with not having enough drivers so we ended up flying back with our bikes, which wasn't an issue. Cape Town holds the biggest timed bike race in the world in March (35,000 cyclists) so the smaller airlines (like SAFAIR) are used to transporting bikes. We were allowed one luggage each to be transported from stage to stage. We packed one suitcase and Karel brought his Trimarni transition bag. We left our other suitcase of items we didn't need at our hotel where we would be staying for 3 nights in downtown Cape Town after our event. With over 200 athletes participating in the event, I'd say the staff did a great job with organizing everyone with all of the logistics of this stage event. We flew into Port Elizabeth on Monday evening and it was nice to see the area (home of IM South Africa and the host of the 2018 IM 70.3 World Championship).
Morning run in Port Elizabeth
Photo from PE Plett
Routes/Courses This was my first mountain bike stage race, my 2nd stage race event and my first time camping. I really enjoyed the experience. Although my mountain bike skills are improving, this course was not very technical in that it was primarily jeep roads with very little single track. The first stage had the most single track, which was only a few miles. The event could have been a gravel bike stage race because of the vast amount of gravel/dirt/forest roads and trails. There was a lot of climbing which I enjoyed. Whereas I really enjoyed each stage and felt like I was able to keep up with the race dynamincs and feel confident with my skills, Karel would have preferred more single track as that is where his strength lies. We both have a lof of experience with group riding (Karel has much more experience than I do but I learned from him) which helped us perform well on each stage. The scenery was beautiful as we rode through the garden route and Tsitsikamma Forests and had many views of the Indian Ocean. Karel and I found ourselves riding with similar people for each stage and we got to know others while also getting to know their strengths and weaknesses. Because Karel and I were riding solo (not as a mixed team), we both had to look out for ourselves, whereas other riders were on a team and could look out for one another. I found myself with 2-3 other teams (one was the leading women's team) and another solo rider so I often had to work extra hard as I knew no one was going to be there to help me out if I got dropped or had any issues. Stage 1 was the most enjoyable stage for me as I felt like I wasn't really racing but just riding my own race. Stage 2 was the hardest stage for me as I felt like it was full on racing and the descends were fast and there were several switchbacks (descending) on loose gravels. Stage 3 was nothing like I assumed it would be as I thought it would be flat and fast until the final climb but it ended up having a lot of technical climbing (loose rocks/steep short climbs). Stage 4 was challenging with the wind and a lot of short steep climbs and with it being the last stage, there was a lot of fatigue in the body. Karel had two mechanicals on stage 2 (seat post dropped down and a chain link got stuck) which cost him a lot of time and he moved from 3rd solo male to 4th. I heard a clinking noise throughout most of stage 2 and after the race when I told Karel he realized I had broken a spoke in my rear wheel. I would have preferred slightly longer stages. Stage 3 was supposed to be a little longer but forest fires caused the route to be shortened. 3-3.5 hours is still a long time on the mountain bike as the miles go by slowly (10-15 mph). The terrain was mostly dusty and sandy. There were a few muddy sections.
Food I had paid a little extra for vegetarian meals throughout the event but at our first dinner (Tuesday, pre event) they forgot to prepare me a meal. So I ate salad and rice. For two lunches I had vegetarian 'sausage' (which was just ok) and for dinners, my vegetarian meals were veggies and cheese (which I am learning is what most people associate with the vegetarian diet). With so much great vegetarian food in South Africa, I was really disappointed with my meals. Breakfast was fine as I could eat eggs, yogurt, granola, fruit and toast but the lunch and dinner meals were really lacking in protein (and flavor). Karel enjoyed his meals and there were plenty of meat options. I had brought protein powder (which I had after every race) and I also had a few Honey Stinger protein and nut/seed bars. There was plenty of food for lunch and I never found myself hungry after a meal but the meals were not well balanced for me. I did enjoy all of the options for lunch, especially the fruit. I was also disappointed in the lack of bottled water. There was always a big jug of water to fill our bottles but there was an endless amount of free Heineken beer (including non alcoholic) and wine but water was not as easy to access.
Photo from PE Plett
People/vibe We met a lot of people throughout the four stages. It was easy to get to know those who we rode with each day. Most people were from South Africa. We met a couple from Germany and a few guys from France. We were the only people from the United States. The event had a mix of fitness levels. There was a category for E-bikes which was great because it allowed for a variety of fitness levels. There were several couples participating in the E-bike team category and several older individuals who may not have been able to complete an event like this without the added assistance. There was a battery aid station for the E-bikes and most people used the assist on the climbs. The E-bikers were also very nice and supportive to us "muscle" assist athletes. Cape Epic is a popular 8-stage MTB race in March and a lot of teams were using PE Plett as preparation for Cape Epic. This brought the competition level up as there were a lot of very fit and skilled mountain bikers. But there was also a large handful of people who were completers. They were not racing for a podium spot but they were there to have fun, chill and socialize. I'd say the majority of participants were between the age of 40-65. In the afternoon, there was a lot of relaxing happening. This was a little challenging for me and Karel as the Wifi wasn't strong and we really wanted to use the afternoon period to work on the computer. We did a short run of 3-4 miles in the late afternoon of stage 1 and 2 to add in a little more training stress to the event. The weather after stage 1 was cool and drizzly so we didn't take advantage of the pool at the lodge. We dipped into the cold pool after stage 2 as the weather was a little nicer. Stage 3 was hot and the pool was crowded. There were stretch classes in the late afternoon and we joined in for a 45 minute session after stage 2. Dinner was at 6pm (lunch started at 12pm) and the award presentation was at 7pm. We loved the beanbag chairs for relaxing. There was also a charging station for our gadgets (we brought portable charging banks as well). I will say that when I had the solo female leader jersey on for stage 2, 3 and 4, I felt like I had more support/respect in the field as a solo female, compared to stage, 1 so that was a nice feeling.
Event staff The event staff was awesome. With these smaller events, the event staff got to know everyone on a first name basis. As the women solo leader, I received a leaders jersey and got to line up at the front of each stage (2, 3 and 4) and I was often greeted with nice words from people of the staff. The photographers and media crew were amazing and they did an exceptional job with pictures and highlights on social media throughout the event. We received a lot of cool stuff in our registration packet and we also received pillow gifts in our tent in the afternoon of each stage which was a nice surprise. We got a nice water jug, headlamp and drip drop nutrition. Everyone was really nice and really helped to make this event extra special. The courses were well marked and Mike and his family really put their heart and soul into this event (which has been happening for 12 years). This year they also added a Tour (more laid back, non competitive version of the 4 stage event) which started the day after we finished. One of the coolest parts of the event was the helicopeter that followed the racers around for each stage. They took some great pictures!
Camping I really enjoyed the camping experience. It was nice to have our tents set up for us and the tents were large. Karel and I could have easily shared a tent (like the teams did) but we received our own tents as solo riders. We had a cot in our tents and comfortable pillow and beddings. Our tents were assigned to us. It was easy to get our luggage to and from our tents before stage 1, 2 and 4. I liked that we stayed in the same place after stage 1 and 2. Immediately after each stage we went to the showers. The showers were cold and we were limited (encouraged) to a few minutes to help save water. There were several portopotties and they were incredibly clean. There was a company there cleaning after every use. We never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a shower. There was a bike cleaning station where we paid $2 per bike (the money went to the Kwamo cycling academy). There was a coffee truck to purchase coffee, drinks and snacks. There was also instant coffee available at breakfast. The only issue with the tents was where they were placed. They were near the race venue and this meant that trucks would drive through the tent area early in the morning or there would be a lot of noise from staff workers in the evening. I slept just ine but Karel is a lighter sleeper and he really struggled with sleep. The weather was great in the evenings and I was never hot. It was the perfect temperature to snuggle under the blankets. Stage 2 was the coldest night and Stage 3 was the warmest night (but still comfortable).
Overall, we really enjoyed the event. This was such a cool way to see a different part of South Africa, meet people and make new friends, ride our mountain bikes and be competitive in a race environment.
Here are some pictures from the event (I took the most pictures during stage 1, no pics on stage 2, and a few in stage 3 and 4).
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
Photo from PE Plett
RESULTS Karel - 3rd solo male, 11:03.43 Marni - 1st solo female, 11:36.56 157 miles of mountain biking and over 13000 feet of climbing over four days.
Here's a video recap from the event, including our tips for racing in an international event.
