Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 10: Bucklands to the Osseberg

Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex Photography

11:26pm. Back on the bike. We'd been on the go for almost 18 hours. As you'd expect we were starting to fatigue. The aftermath of the mad dash from to Bucklands was still evident in my legs. I wasn't too concerned as the ride out the back of Bucklands through the neighbouring farm of Tretyre wouldn't be too taxing. Or so I thought. 

We had 12 hours to cover the 96km to Kudu Kaya. That would give us time to eat and refresh before ambling off to the gate for a 1pm start. Sounds simple enough. 96km's at the average speed we had managed getting to Bucklands - 16.2km/h - that's less than 6 hours which means we could catch the 6am shuttle from the gate. If only. 

I broke the route down into bite size chunks. We were tired so I added wiggle room. 

Passing Hadley (42km) 03:30AM

Crossing the river in the Grootrivierpoort (52km) 04:30AM

Start of Osseberg (65km) jeep track 06:30AM

First river crossing (75km) 07:30AM

9th and last river crossing (87km) 10:30AM

Kudu Kuya (96km) 11.30AM

If we could keep to that schedule we'd be fine. For me it was important to get to the start of the Osseberg jeep track around first light. If we got there earlier it would take slightly longer to get across the mountains and down to the first river crossing because the track is perforated with holes dug by every critter from aardvarks to dung beetles. These bike size holes are easier to spot in daylight. But earlier was always going to be better than later. 

There was more soft sand than usual in the crossings over the Grootrivier on the back exit of Bucklands which had me pushing my bike. Once away from the river the going improved. Soon we were through the boundary gate between Bucklands and Tretyre. I've always found the section through Tretyre a lot harsher than Bucklands. The veld thinner and it's rockier.  I'm always amazed that sheep can find sufficient grazing. 

We had progressed no more than a few hundred metres when we found ourselves trying to pedal through a sandpit. Roger was a lot more determined than I was. I saw him mashing his pedals and forcing his bike through the sand. I yielded quickly and walked. For the next few kilometres we encountered sandpit after sandpit. I don't recall ever  having to ride through sand on this section. I concluded that runoff from  the recent heavy rains, in an area that has been in the grip of a drought for the best part of a decade, had deposited the sand onto the jeep track. 

I was walking more than I was riding. Roger was riding more than he was walking but he wasn't getting away from me. At one point I saw him attack a deep section of sand which ended with him toppling off his bike head first into a bush. Clearly the sand had won that skirmish. I chuckled loudly before regaining my composure enough to ask if he was okay. He was fine. 

We eventually made it to the final farm gate out of Tretyre that emptied onto a good district road. It had taken us 90 minutes to cover 20 flat but sandy kilometres. The next 20 kilometres to Hadley would be on a good district road but from here on out there were a lot of hills to be climbed with what seemed a lack of corresponding descents. 

Cresting a climb I looked back and Roger was nowhere to be seen. Apparently sleep monsters were in the early stages of laying siege.

I arrived at the gate to Hadley at 02:30AM which put me an hour ahead of schedule. I could see Roger's light in the distance. In this part of the world you can see lights forever. He could have been 1km behind me or 10km. I couldn't tell. At least he was still moving. 

It was only 10km to the river crossing at the bottom of the Grootrivierpoort dropping 400m over the last 4km. It should have been a quick pedal but the terrain is such that it took 45 minutes. The exhilaration of the final 4km descent was tempered by the knowledge that I would have to regain the altitude I'd lost in the 4km's after I'd crossed the river. 

I plodded through the river and started the steep climb up the other side. I guess a reasonable cyclist could ride most of the climb out from the river on fresh legs but I wouldn't know because every time I've gone up that climb it's been on tattered legs. This time it was no different. I turned and watched Roger's bike light tracing a line down the mountain toward the river below me. He wasn't far behind. 

The track flattened out sufficiently for me to get back on the pedals. The start of Osseberg jeep track lay 10 tiring kilometres ahead. 

At the top of the final climb before dropping to the start of the Osseberg jeep track I stopped and scanned the valley below looking for signs of life. If Roger was out there he was either running dark or he was lagging. 

I rolled to the start of the jeep track and stepped around the NO ENTRY sign. It was 5:15AM.

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 9: Bucklands

Llewellyn Lloyd- Reblex Photography 

Arriving in Bucklands ahead of schedule took pressure off and gave us wiggle room. However, Bucklands wasn't the place to cash in those credits. I'd rather get within spitting distance of the gate before throttling back. Things could still go wrong and I didn't want to rue wasted time in Bucklands if I was a few minutes late for the gate. 

Getting through support stations quickly is key to moving down the trail efficiently. Henry's assertion that he and Pieter are able to ride quicker is not without merit but by getting to Bucklands 50 minutes faster than them we'd demonstrated that we were able to move faster. Moving time is the sum of riding time and time spent at support stations. Last year Pieter and Henry lingered in Pearston and Toekomst. To be fair their strategy was to stop and sleep at Bucklands. They had a plan and executed that plan to perfection. They were never aiming to make the 1pm gate. 

Getting through support stations quickly is an art. Unmanned support stations are easier as you can focus on getting yourself ready. Manned support stations present an opportunity to interact with the hosts. This interaction, unless you're being completely selfish, takes time and adds a few minutes to your turn around. But it is possible to get yourself ready and converse at the same time. If it takes a bit longer to chat then spend the extra time. Support station hosts play a critical role in the functioning of the race and without them there is no race. Besides, you're in their home and it behoves one to be respectful just as we'd expect that courtesy if we had people moving through our homes. 

Over the years I have refined my support station routine:

Park my bike and take empty water bottles and trash inside. 

Sign in

Dispose of trash

Find my resupply box

Refill my bottles and return them to my bike

Take out the snacks, spares and things you need from your resupply box and pack them away on your bike or in your backpack. 

Get Food tea/coffee 

Pack padkos if available 

Bathroom break if required 

Sign out - take photo of sheet for post race analysis. 

Get back on the bike. 

There are a few other considerations. Find an exclusive space where you can place your helmet, gloves, glasses, backpack and anything else you remove. Don't mix your stuff up with someone else or put it in a cluttered space. If you start with an exclusive clear area when you leave it's easy to ensure you have everything when the area Is clear. 

If you need to charge a light, phone or powerbank leave something critical next to the device being charged. It could be your helmet or glasses or even gloves - something you know is missing when you're ready to leave. Too many devices have been left tethered to a plug point when it's owner has long since left the building. 

My routine has evolved over many years and regularly adapted to address inefficiencies and mistakes.  Figure out what works for you. You don't have to get in and out in 10 or 15 minutes but you do need to leave with all your stuff, full bottles and adequate nutrition. 

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 8: Toekomst to Bucklands

Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex Photography 

Toekomst to Bucklands is a dozen pedal strokes shy of 100 kilometres. The intermediate target was Kleinpoort 30 kilometres short of Bucklands. 

Kleinpoort is a settlement that exists for no obvious reason. It's most prominent feature is the Kleinpoort Padstal that serves as a halfway stop for travellers driving the R75 between Uitenhage and Jansenville. Arrive during the day and you can get something to eat and drink. If a good fry up is your thing the Kleinpoort Special breakfast will tick that box. For later in the day the menu offers an array of toasted sandwiches and burgers including the Blondie Burger. Weird but memorable name. 

Last year I arrived there mid afternoon during a heatwave. The owner is used to exhausted riders staggering through his door. I plonked down in the cool interior and ordered the usual fare - toasted sandwich, coffee and tea. Then I looked in the fridge and saw they had Wafer Wizz ice cream—a small block of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between 2 biscuit wafers. It was the perfect solution to cool down. I asked the owner If I could grab a handful and then tally up the wrappers once I'd had enough to satisfy my need. He was amicable to that idea. The same arrangement was made for Coke as Bruce had arrived and between us we were getting through a good number of those as well. I think 5 or maybe 6 Wafer Wizz wrappers was the final tally... for me. 

We left Toekomst with 45 minutes of daylight left. By the time we got to Kleinpoort Padstal it would be closed. There would be no Wafer Wizz binging this time. 

The route is flatish for the first 30km which sounds fine except that flat terrain in that part of the world is generally paired with wind. That's great if it's a tailwind but is it ever? It wasn't. The wind that had started earlier had intensified. We had a cross wind for the first stretch so it didn't impede our progress. The moment we turned the fun drained out. This race was a numbers game, distance and time were paramount. The numbers looked bleak. 48km to Kleinpoort at 15km/h. It was 6:25pm. ETA Kleinpoort 9:45pm. But we were still on the flat bit. There was considerable climbing to be done to get to Koffielaagte and then a long climb before dropping through the poort after which it was a climb all the way to Kleinpoort. I consulted my till slip timetable. 9:10pm. That wasn't going to happen. We'd be lucky to get there before 10pm. Bucklands by midnight didn't look promising.

It was dark by the time we started the slog up toward Koffielaagte. The wind, a faceless foe, hammered away one slow kilometre after slow kilometre. At one point I stopped, ostensibly to lube my butt and chain but it was actually just to have a few moments respite from the wind and the ache in my legs. I watched Rogers winking tail light climb up the mountain until it was out of sight before I got back on the bike. 

The house at Koffielaagte loomed. I knew there was a good climb ahead followed by a lengthy descent. I caught up to Roger and passed him on the climb. Once over the the top the wind abated. The bike rolled effortlessly down the mountain. With the headwind gone the only sound was the pop of rubber tyres over gravel. 

We regrouped at a gate and continued on toward Kleinpoort without a headwind. Roger needed to replenish his water bottles. He said he would see if he could get water at the house that operates as an interim overnight stop. I told him there is normally water at the Padstal in the Jojo water tank on the side of the building. He would try the house and I'd check the Padstal and we'd let each other know which one had water.  With that he rode off ahead.

As I entered the settlement there was a huge Jojo tank right next to the road. I tried the tap and there was water. Had Roger ridden past this without noticing? I went to the Padstal and as expected there was water available. Roger had messaged me to say he'd found a tap at the house so I crossed the tar road and headed off toward Bucklands another 30km ahead. It was 09:50pm. Maybe we could get there on time. 

There wasn't a breath of wind and the road surface was good. We were making good time. I checked my watch. No only was midnight doable, it seemed that we'd be there before my till slip prediction of 11:38pm. Mood buoyed I pressed harder on the pedals. 

It was 11:10pm when we pulled up at the cottage in Bucklands. I hoped Pieter and especially Henry where still up and dot-watching. 

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 7: Toekomst Ponderings

Llewellyn Lloyd -Reblex Photography

This time the support station was the Toekomst farmhouse rather than the lodge. I've only been to the lodge once and it was a fleeting visit. I arrived well after dark on a cold winters night to find a car sized fireplace ablaze and a number of riders luxuriating in its warm embrace. It was tempting but I had my mind set on moving through to Bucklands overnight and on to Cambria the following evening. I replenished my bottles, grabbed some food and left the lodge. I pedalled less than a kilometre and sat on the ground to eat, change my clothes and rearrange my kit. I knew that if I lingered in the comfort of the lodge my resolve would have cracked.  

This year we were at the house. No one was home but we found the dining room set up for us. We ate, had a cup of tea and replenished our supplies and maps. All the while keeping an eye on on the clock. 

Why was it so important to get here at 5pm or as soon as possible after that? It wasn't critical but it was a timeline checkpoint that I had established and calculated in the months leading up to the race. Would it have mattered if we got there an hour later? Probably not but it would have put us under pressure. I was a little uncertain of how long it would take to get through to Bucklands particularly as I have encountered headwinds on that section before but was confident that getting to Toekomst by 5pm would be safe. 

The thing about defining smaller incremental targets rather than fixating solely on the bigger target is that they are short enough to keep you focused on moving forward. If you do slip on your estimate you can always try make it up on the next section. I find that I need to stay focussed on each smaller deadline and don't fall into the temptation of giving up as that becomes a house of cards. Each small target matters. 

The other problem that I've face over the years is setting a critical intermediate target without a primary goal. For example, one year I was riding the Race Across South Africa with Trevor Ball. Our objective was to get to Rhodes under 3 days. Today that sounds simple enough but back then it was a big deal. Anyway, we left Vuvu with about an hour of daylight left and ended up going up Lehana's Pass in the dark. We make it to Rhodes at 5am the following morning one hour short of 3 days. It was close but we had achieved our goal. That very goal turned out to be a problem. Our only goal played out only as far as Rhodes. Beyond Rhodes there was no plan. We trickled down the trail for the next 3 days overnighting in Chesneywold, Moodenaarspoort and then Kranskop. These days I and many others routinely ride from Rhodes to Kranskop in a day. 

For Race to Willowmore I had a primary goal and a few critical sub-goals. The sub-goals, as mentioned many times before, was Bucklands by midnight and the Gate by 1pm. The primary goal was to get to Willowmore in 44 hours or less. The sub-goals were critical if I wanted to achieve the primary goal. 

The next issue I'd like to touch on is pacing. Roger and I have had numerous discussions on this very subject. One school of thought is that you start conservatively and keep some gas in the tank for later in the race. My strategy is to ride like crazy out of the starting gate and hopefully build up a lead over my competitors. A few days in everyone is tired. Then I do whatever it takes to defend my lead. There is a caveat, don't shred yourself. Riding hard is one thing. Riding to destruction is another. 

If you arrive at the start in race shape you can afford to push hard. As I've said before, fitness is not the absence of exhaustion but rather the presence of recovery. I didn't mind charging up the 20 kilometre climb out of Cradock because I knew I'd recover quickly once over the top. The ride through Grootvlakte was going to be hard but I'd be well recovered by then so there was no point in keeping myself for a later effort. 

In order to make the Gate there was no point in starting slow and warming to the chase. The chase started the the moment Chris Fisher said, "Off you go!" He also said, "I don't want any of that gentleman's agreement rubbish when you ride over the finish line together. This is a race."

Anyway it was 5:30pm and time to leave. As we pedalled back down the driveway I hoped the leg cramps were a thing of the past. 

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 6: Pearston to Toekomst

Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex Photography

The ride from Pearston to Toekomst on the banks of the Darlington dam is 80km. The first half, along district roads, was undemanding and was knocked off in just over 2 hours. The only minor hitch was when Roger started cramping which meant I had to ride on ahead all by myself  while he suffered through the leg spasms. As I made my way up the rocky ridge behind the Karoopoort farmhouse I saw Roger had recovered and was weaving through the outbuildings a short distance behind. 

From Karoopoort to the main entrance gate of Koedoeskop, which is how we exit the reserve, it's only 20km. Typically a 2 hour ride. It's slow but spectacular. The rock strewn jeep track behind the Karoopoort farmhouse is as gnarly as is gets. I scampered up there as quick as I could because I knew that the equally gnarly descent that followed would be slow for me but riding candy for Roger. I managed to get over the ridge before Roger caught up and was through the game fence into the back of Koedoeskop when I was finally joined by Roger. In the course of the day he had lost a water bottle so had stopped at the previous farmhouse to top up his remaining bottles. 

The track through Kudoeskop threads along a valley floor hemmed in by steep sided cliffs. You could describe it as riding through a canyon carved out by the river that runs through it. It's a visual delight. Years back it was teaming with game. There followed a period when the game had been cleared out and only the occasional buck could be seen. It would seem that the new owners are restocking. On a ridge to our left a herd of giraffe watched as we rattled over rocks and snaked through sand pits toward the first of 4 river crossings. By the time I reached the river Roger was way ahead and out of sight. The river is wide but mostly dry so crossing it was a matter of riding over compact sand and stones and picking a line over what water there was. It was the first time in 14 years that I'd seen water in the river. Getting up and down the banks wasn't as simple. A recent flood had eroded the sandy banks so it was a bit of a push to get out. 

As I approached to second river crossing Roger came riding back toward me. "That crossing's not great. Let's use the old one." The recent rains had altered the layout of the river resulting in the jeep tracks altering course to take advantage of better crossing points. We scrambled down the old disused and eroded track to discover why the track had been rerouted. A huge pool of water lay between us and the track on the far bank. We walked along the sandy bank and made our way over the rocks at the new crossing point. 

As we approached the farmhouse that marked the end of our trip through the Koedoeskop Reserve we disturbed a large herd of giraffe that galloped off ahead of us. Although it's a gallop it looks like a movie played in slow motion. We backed off and watched as they weaved across the track ahead of us. They are odd but magnificent animals. As soon as they were well off the track they stopped and watched us pedal off. 

Roger stopped to get water while I pushed on. It was already 16h17. If we wanted to keep to the scruffy till slip timetable we had to cover the next 16km to Toekomst in 43 minutes. The first few kilometres were easy enough and then the wind picked up. 

When you're on a tight schedule a headwind is not a minor inconvenience, it's an flippin' annoyance. The hands of the clock don't tick any slower. We still had to make Bucklands by midnight and the gate by 1pm. These are immovable goals. The only option was to pedal harder. 

As I turned into the driveway to the Toekomst farmhouse I started cramping in my left leg. I was so close to the farmhouse that I didn't want to stop. It had just gone 5pm and I needed to sign in as close to schedule as possible. I unclipped from the left pedal and used only my right leg to properly myself forward. 50 metres later the right leg started cramping. I wasn't going to stop so switched over to using my left leg which had settled a bit. The driveway is over 500m long and by alternating legs I was able to get to the gate and dismount just as Roger pulled in behind me. 

We signed in at 17:08 which means we were running 8 minutes behind schedule. 

Was getting to Toekomst at 5pm that critical? Yes and No. I'll discuss this and other time/performance issues in the next post. 

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 5: Pressing Pause in Pearston

The last time I was at the Pearston Hotel the vibe was very different. Last year I arrived well after dark. After knocking on what I assumed to be the main entrance I was directed to another door a few metres further down the veranda. Keys turned and door bolts clattered and the outer door swung open. If memory serves I entered through some batwing doors (saloon style swing doors) and found myself in a bar that was rocking. There was music blaring and the TV screen was playing something completely unrelated to the sound emanating from what seemed every corner of the place. I had a moments hesitation as I took this in. We were in lockdown and as far as I knew bars were not supposed to be open. It took a while but I figured it out. There were only two patrons and strictly speaking neither was a customer. One was the barman and the other the proprietor of the establishment.

I soon bumped into Arno who had arrived a few hours earlier. He had developed a condition known as Shermer's Neck. It's a condition where fatigue of the neck muscles result in the muscles failing which means you can't lift your head. It's a riding thing. Onset from first symptom to looking like a freaky Middle Earth servile minion is typically only a few hours. As I stood there talking to Arno who did his best to lift his head it occurred to me that he was the perfect prop to complete the aesthetic of that space. Introductions made I was shown to a room before heading to the dinning room where I was presented with a plate of food as delicious if not better than anything I’ve had in a city restaurant.

Roll forward to 2021. The proprietor let us in through a side gate into what I think is a fancy beer garden. It was the perfect space for the riders. There was food and other refreshments on tap. The proprietor sat at the head of a long table and said nothing. I mentioned that I'd been there a few months previous at the same time as Arno. He acknowledged Arno (that servile minion look is hard to forget) with a nod of his head when he heard the name but the glaze that followed showed he had no recollection of me ever being there. Well it was midday and party time was still many hours away. Maybe he has bat tendencies and only comes out to play when the sun disappears.

We had only been there 7 minutes when Roger asked, "Are you ready?"
Wow, I'm supposed to be the master of lightning fast in and out of support stations. Roger had taken it to a whole new level. So 10 minutes after signing in we put pen to paper, got on our bikes and hastened out the gate into the street with Toekomst as our next objective. My till slip timetable urged us to get there by 5pm.

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 4: Cradock to Pearston

Llewellyn  Lloyd - Reblex Photography

I lined up beside Roger Nicholson, Peter Roux and Ingrid Avidon. Roger's strategy was transparent, he would stick with me. At least that's what he said. Peter had a good race last year but did scribble a bit after leaving Bucklands so was back to get revenge. Facing off against revenge is like staring down a Cape Buffalo. Not that I've had to face off against a buffalo even though that was a possibility in the not so distant future - like the next day. 

I was fairly confident that I could make the 1 pm gate in Cambria the following day and was fairly certain that Peter and Roger would also be there. 

Roger and I ride together fairly often and had discussed the race. We have different ride styles so knew we would more likely spend time riding around each other rather than with each other. As a rule I'm quicker on the sustained climbs and portages and Roger has a downhill death wish. His bulkier frame aids this wish. I knew that I'd have to put some distance between myself and Roger on the long climb out of Cradock as once we were over the top he would chase me down like a ground to air missile. 

Roger and I are competitive when we ride together and it's all good fun. But one thing we were very clear about was our sole focus on making the gate cutoff. Nothing else mattered. We would feed off each other's momentum if we could but wouldn't be distracted by the need to be tethered to each other. 

I bolted out the starting gate eager to get at the first climb. It's not that I have a T-Shirt that reads All I Want for Christmas is a Monster Climb. It was more of a case of the climb was there and needed to be dealt with so rather sooner than later. Oh, there would be lots of laters that would extract pain but I'm all for the concept of eating pain one bite at a time. Right then Swaershoek Pass was on my plate. 

Roger was at my side as we turned off the tar onto the dirt road that would be be our race track for the next 57km. I had 17km to put as much distance between myself and Roger and hopefully Peter before the summit. Peter was an unknown force. I had no idea if he was a downhill kamikaze or mountain goat. Or even worse a combination of both. I increased my speed bit by bit until a gap opened between myself and the other two. Looking back I saw that Roger had managed to get ahead of Peter so that answered the mountain goat question. Once they were out of sight I had no idea if I was getting away or getting hauled in so I pressed a little harder. As I neared the cloud shrouded  summit Llewellyn pulled up next to me and out of the window of the car he shouted, "Roger said you must wait for him... in Willowmore."  We were racing but that didn't mean we couldn't have fun. 

Once over the top I scampered down the other side craning my neck at every twist in the road to see if Roger was catching up. Eventually he pulled up next to me and commented that he had to ride at threshold to catch me. I tutted and said something about the silliness of using a heart rate monitor in an endurance race as it's never going to say anything to please you. We pressed on to the next objective of Grootvlakte farm. 

The first gate was an easy affair as it wasn't  locked. The second gate was a tall game fence that was locked. Without hesitation we hooked our bikes on the gate and scrambling to the top swung them over the other side. After we had manhandled our bikes over the fence we stood and looked at each other before Roger said, "Maybe next time instead of us each doing our own bikes we work together." This was a consequence of us having no firm agreement to ride together. For the rest of that day we would assist each other with gates and fences if we were in sight of each other. If not we would close the gate and leave it for the other to negotiate on their own. 

Once over the nek Roger was soon out of sight as I carefully picked my way down the rock strewn jeep track. Roger probably didn't notice the rocks. For me they loomed large and menacing. I'm very conservative when it comes to risk. Mostly because I'm a sissy and I cover that up by saying I need to ride carefully because I mostly ride on my own and can't afford to crash and get injured. Truth is, I'm not a great technical rider. 

Lumpy bits helped even out our pace and when Roger dropped a pack of tissues I was able to get ahead when he went back to retrieve them. The final climb up to the old farm house that marks the start of the Struishoek portage is one of those roads that has massive water bars every 20 metres. They seem to go on forever. I was thankful when the old tangle of gate hove into view as it signalled that end of the torture. Well... the end of that particular torture. The next manifestation of unpleasantness was waiting around the corner.  

At the start of the Struishoek portage I thought I would be able to go a lot faster than Roger. Well, that didn't happen. He picked up his bike and headed into the rocky jumble like a rock rabbit being pursued by a civet. Struishoek is a rockery. Every step is an invitation to roll your ankle, stub your toe or trip and face plant. Twice I misjudged my step and jarred my knees. The pain in both took a while to subside as we continued our charge down the valley. 

My race timetable dictated that we needed to be in Pearston by midday. A glance at my watch suggested that was optimistic. We were still 20km from Pearston and it was already 11h15. Still, whether we got there on time or not the 1pm gate the next day was immovable. We kept at it until the ground levelled out and we were able to remount and make better speed. 

Once on good farm roads we put our heads down and mashed our pedals arriving at the support station in Pearston at 12h03. So far so good.

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 3: The Preparation

I'd been in Cradock for a few days before I started prepping my bike for the race which was starting the following morning. Llewellyn Lloyd, the official race photographer, was bemused by my lack of race prep. He asked, "I don't mean to be rude but why are you only getting your stuff ready now when you've had days to do it?" That's a fair question.
My answer, "It's all part of the race ritual."

There are a number of pivotal steps in the journey from 'what a nice looking event' to actually applying pressure on your pedals in said event.

It's easy enough to head on over to the event page and click on the enter race button. It's equally simple to peck your way across your keyboard before confidently clicking again to confirm your details. However, after you've played your fingers over the number pad and entered what seems like far too many trailing zeroes there is normally a moments hesitation before you're able to click on the confirm payment button. This is the start of the journey which is immediately followed by a sense of trepidation that hopefully eases over the next few weeks.

The next this-just-got-real moment is when you've closed up your 2 litre resupply tubs and you watch as courier tosses them in the back of their van and seals the deal with the clack and squeal of closure bolts. Before you know it they fire up the engine and soon the van is around the corner and out of sight. What follows is a tingling sensation in the pit of your stomach as you start questioning if you put the right maps in the right boxes. Eventually you realise your fate is as sealed as the boxes that are now well out of reach.

Thus the race ritual has been set in motion. For me the choreography dictates that I leave everything until the last minute. I'm good at this. The last minute thing that is, not necessarily getting everything right and ready in time.

I'd just finished Race to Cradock and my bike and equipment were not up to scratch as I shared on the Whatsapp group:
The Freedom Challenge fraternity is a special family. After a muddy Race to Cradock combined with a total lack of forethought on my part I found myself at the start of Race to Willowmore with a bike that was suboptimal. Without hesitation the FC family came to my rescue.
I thought the problem I experienced with my light on RTC was to do with the lamp. Colleen Cawood, a RTC mentee, immediately offered me hers.
Nicolle Weir, another RTC mentee, had a new spoke which was gratefully accepted and fitted to a wobbly rear wheel.
Peter le Roux, a RTW competitor who I'd never met before, quickly offered up his spare battery once I realised that my bike light issues were due to a faulty battery.
Janine Stewart stripped bits off her bike after her win on RTC so I could replace a broken bottle cage, fit a speed/distance gizmo and fit enough bike bags to avoid taking a backpack.
Roger Nicholson supplied me with a new shifter cable, inner and outer after mine got sticky from the RTC mud.
Best pit crew ever. Thank you one and all.

My bike was ready but apart from Bucklands by Midnight and make the Gate by 1pm I hadn't figured out how the race was going to play out. Sitting in a coffee shop in Cradock I scribbled down a basic plan on the back of a till slip and the die was firmly cast when I posted my predictions on the Whatsapp group.

It was an aggressive timetable not least because I'd penned in Bucklands by 11:38pm. Although my plan was to be there by midnight I decided I had to get there before that as Pieter and Henry had made it to Bucklands at midnight and I had to show Henry that it could be done quicker.

The last pre-ride ritual is race briefing. This was my 19th Freedom briefing and it brings closure to preparation. We all paid attention as the details of the changes we could expect were discussed. While this was going on I decided that I should make up a condensed navigational guide... Jakkalsfontein 31, Pearston 20 Straight, Grootvlakte 6.2 right...

All that remained was one last big sleep before it’d be time to deliver.

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 2: The Plan Evolves

Planning precedes execution. I need a plan. A reasonable plan. It can and must be flexible but it needs to be planted in reality. One of the hallmarks of my racing is the ability to execute to plan—not perfectly but normally very close.

Over the last four yearsI have watched the record for Race to Willowmore (RTW) get faster. Each year I analysed the various times and wondered how long it would have taken me.

Men's winners the last four years are:
Tim James (2017), Bruce Hughes (2018), Casper and Casper-John Venter (2019) and Henry Angove and Pieter vd Westhuizen (2020), the last pair also holding the record of 2 days 9 hours and 41 minutes. Freedom sorts are familiar with these names. They're all proper athletes and any attempt to better the current record was going to be a big ask.

Like the other events of the Freedom Trail there are bits you'd rather not do at night. For RTW the tricky part is the Osseberg section mentioned in Part 1, the section we call Mordor. Mordor is positioned immediately before the support station at Kudu Kaya in Cambria.

No one has crushed Mordor at night. Most who attempt a dark passage have either a disappointingly slow time getting through or end up sleeping rough waiting for the sun to illuminate their way out.

Then there's the unique challenge of The Gate. Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency only allow FC cyclists to traverse the Baviaanskloof Reserve if they are accompanied by a support vehicle. The support vehicle is a precaution against the cyclists being confronted by Cape Buffalo which were reintroduced to the area a few years back. Apparently there are loads of them although I've never seen one. The logistics of providing vehicular support isn't easy. To simplify the operation there are only 2 times a day that riders may venture into the reserve - 6am and 1pm. Arrive after 1pm and you get to spend the night in Cambria at Kudu Kaya while you wait for the 6am start time the next day. The Gate is the boomed entrance to the reserve which is about a 20 minute ride from Kudu Kaya. Kudu Kaya is a support station so riders need to sign in and out before heading to The Gate to complete the permit paperwork and start the traverse with the support vehicle.

The duel challenges of Osseberg and The Gate need to be factored into riders plans. The practice over the years, whether doing RTW or the Race Across South Africa (RASA) is to either start your day in Bucklands, the support station immediately before Kudu Kaya, to finish your day in Kudu Kaya, or start your day from Hadley Guest farm, an interim support station situated between Bucklands and Kudu Kaya, to start the Osseberg section at first light in time to get to the 1pm Gate. Either way it makes sense to leave early. Leaving from Hadley shaves almost 4 hours off compared to starting from Bucklands. A 4am start from Hadley should have riders getting to Kudu Kaya in time for the 1pm Gate. That being the case it stands to reason that if you want to start from Bucklands to make the 1pm Gate you'd need to leave by midnight.

The Gate becomes the critical component of putting down a fast time for Race to Willowmore. Pieter and Henry set a new record last year finishing well by riding the final 160km from Kudu Kaya to the finish in Willowmore at a blistering pace. They did however overnight in Kudu Kaya which had them stationary for 14 hours but did mean they started their final charge with fresh legs.

At the start of the race 2020 race I watched with interest as the eager bunch ate up the distance out of Cradock. Even though I've ridden most of the RTW route during RASA the first 30km's out of Cradock are not part of the RASA route so I didn't know how long that would take. The first 20km's are a climb and based on the riders times from RTW 2020 it seems that 1h45 was a fair estimate to get over the top.

Early last year on a morning coffee ride the subject of RTW came up. "Do you think you could ride to Kudu Kaya in time to make the 1pm Gate?" someone asked? Simple question, complex answer. I didn't have a sense of how long the various sections would take on fresh legs. By the time riders get to the RTW route on RASA they have well over 1000km's of accumulated fatigue in their legs. I did the rough maths then subtracted a number of hours for fresh legs and concluded that it was possible. However, it would have to be done nonstop. I figured you'd have to make it to Bucklands by midnight. That's 276km in 18 hours. While it doesn't sound too taxing the first 20 km climb and the 20 km off road section that starts at the farm Grootvlakte culminating in the tortuous down portage of Struishoek would cost many hours. If you kept moving and minimised stoppage time I reckoned Bucklands by midnight and therefore The Gate by 1pm was possible. Tight but possible.

This idea was underpinned as I watched Pieter and Henry roll into Bucklands on queue at midnight. They chose to sleep rather than push on so the question of making the gate for 1pm remained unanswered. At least they had demonstrated that Bucklands by midnight was possible.

It would be a big push to better Pieter and Henry's time into a Bucklands. As Henry in his blunt manner told me, "There's no way you can ride faster than we did." This turned out to be a key comment.

I met Pieter for coffee and we chatted about my basic plan. I told him that could probably shave 14 hours off his time. Pieter was happy to bet against that outcome. 5 coffees were offered as the bet and the deal was sealed.

Pieter and Henry unwittingly became the architects of my race. They'd demonstrated that the first part was doable and then they bet against me. They knew it was possible but boys being boys we goad each other into action.

Thus primed with Pieter's bet and Henry's blunt assertion I crafted a plan based on firm data sprinkled liberally with I'll-show-you.

Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 1: Mordor Beckons

Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex Photography 

As I lay on my back in the drainage ditch on the side of the road I became aware of the absolute stillness of the night. The sky above a myriad pinpricks of light. The full moon directly above a majestic heavenly chandelier. I heard sounds close by and popped my head up to see what it was. Over the years I'd had my fair share of nightly visitors in the form of bewildered sheep, curious cows or phlegmatic aardvarks. The flat Karoo that surrounded me was still. There wasn't so much as the the faintest of rustles from the hardened shrubs that extended as far as I could see under the golden wash of moonlight. I lay down and seconds later I heard the sounds again. After another quick look around I realised what they were. The night was as silent as I have ever experienced. In this grand cathedral of the Karoo I could have heard a church mouse tiptoeing down the road, instead what I heard was my own bodily functions—the creak and groan of old plumbing as the toasted sandwich and water I'd consumed earlier wend it's way through my digestive system. 

I'd put my body through the wringer. Save for an hour I spent laying on a bed in Cambria waiting for the vehicle escort through the Baviaanskloof Reserve I had been on the move since leaving Cradock 42 hours before. The road ahead had started to blur as the need for sleep wrestled with my desire to get to the finish line in Willowmore less than an hour away. I'd learnt over the years that the simple act of of getting off my bike and simply closing my eyes for 5 or 10 minutes would allow me to shake off the sleep monsters sufficiently to push on without the risk of falling asleep on my bike. 

As I lay there the journey of how I came to be laying in a ditch in the Karoo at midnight played through my mind. It started a few years back with the genesis of the Race to Willowmore. 

Of all the sections of the Freedom Trail the part that has me tossing in my bed at night is the thought of making my way through the Osseberg. The first time I went through there in 2007 there was an obvious jeep track that ran the length of track all the way into Cambria. The first 10 kilometres that loop over the mountain peaks before dropping dramatically into the river valley are still rideable albeit taxing in places. Once you arrive at the first river crossings the games begin. Over the course of the next 12 kilometres the river needs to be crossed 9 times. 

Since 2007 the track has deteriorated to the point that none of the crossings where 4x4 vehicles used to ford the river are obvious like they were the first time I went through. Standing on the bank of the river it's hard to imagine that the track ever existed. After more than 15 years of disuse and one particularly memorable flood the former jeep track is no more than an occasional strip or animal path with fallen trees and new growth making it a battle ground. 

The flood year in question is the year that Alex Harris attempted to slip through the Osseberg one night. Intent on easing his way through he faced the horrors of the aftermath of a massive flood. Instead of a few hours he spent the night wrestling his way through. His terse message after getting through was simply, "Last night I stared into Mordor." An obvious reference to the evil place in Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. One informal dictionary has this as a definition for Mordor - 'An area of peril, darkness or evil which people fear to visit or explore.'

Since Alex's comment warriors and dot watchers alike refer to this section as Mordor. It's fitting. 

When Race to Willowmore as a separate event was first touted the thought of going through Mordor was all the dissuasion I needed. It's not fun and isn't fun the reason I ride my bike?  Why would I subject myself to that? For RASA it's a necessary evil in order to connect the good bits. It can be tolerated in order to clutch the greater prize. But for a ride of a few days? I avoided this race and took my place as a dot watcher. As many people know, dot watching has consequences. One of those consequences was me finding myself on my bike at first light in Cradock at the start of Race to Willowmore 2021. Mordor beckoned. I was keen to engage.