Day 3 Still no sun although the announcer made claims that he saw something that looked like the sun at some point during the morning . When I got up I knew it was going to be a long day . Back was killing me , knees creaking and then to top it I had on mother of a head-ache . But it was the last day and nothing gonna stop us now from getting to that finish line to claim yet another Nando’s meal .
Luckily they decided to seed us again and we ended up in the E bundle . They warned us that the first single track starts 1km into the race and with this in mind we took up our positions right at the front . Very good move because not even 200 meters into the race we rode straight into a muddy field that saw most people pushing their bikes . So much mud so early in the race means that mechanical problems are going to hit you at some stage . But we were the 4th team in our batch to enter the single track and we went flying through there , halfway down we lost one team as one member lost control and disappeared into the bush . I also managed to pick up a branch that bend my front derailleur making sure that I will not be able to use granny gear anymore . Now this was not what I had planned for the day , but like I said nothing gonna stop us now . Mud was really starting to grind away on the chain and after about 40km the bike started to sound like a coffee grinder . Plenty of oil did not really help a lot and I decided to rather run it dry to the end and see if there’s maybe some lubrication in the mud . Like on the previous two days the single track was just fantastic and being a bit slippery made it even more fun . The tires I had on work beautifully and even though I went sideways through most corners I always felt more or less in control . Even managed to go around the notorious corner staying on top of the bike . I did not however stay on the road but had to crash through the forest , destroy a few Durban Poison plants and kill a snake or two before I got back onto the road . All I was waiting for now was Heart Rate hill , once I am over that I knew the medal was in the bag . But back pain was getting very bad and legs were also getting heavy . I knew there was only one way I will be able to get over that hill and that was to numb the body a bit . And so I decided to stop at the bottom of the hill , take out my little bag with al my pills and pop a few pain killers . Gave it 5 minutes to kick in and off I went . At about the second corner I really started to miss the small blade and by the last corner I was speaking in tongues and blessing the tree that throw their branches on the trail . At the top of the hill I got helped of my bike and they lay me on the ground . I was really getting very comfy when my partner kicked me in the ribs and throws my helmet on the ground . The 10 minutes rest did wonders and I also think at this stage those pills really kicked in . We took of like a bat out of hell and passed all the suckers that passed me on the uphill . The wind started to pick up and we quickly found another team that we could use as a shield . Roadies will know this practice as wheel sucking . We very soon arrived on the beach and I was disappointed to see that the floating bridge across the lagoon has been removed . Now the long uphill to the school started and this year the hill did not end at the school gate , it went all the way to the top and the race finished with a short fast single track onto the field . After 5:20 we crossed the line to a hysterical audience that cheered us all the way to the toilets . Great to see so many spectators at the finish line and it really made all this even more worth it . Last year the chicken meal we got at the finish was like we would say “ok” , this year it was , WOW I did not know chicken can taste like that . Well done to the Nando’s chefs for an awesome meal . I am glad I had the opportunity to experience San2C in the mud , it really made it a totally different race . So I think I will hang onto my entry for another year . Damage to the bike after all the mud is minimal . After a complete strip yesterday I found the BB bearings to be shot . Derailleur just moved on the frame and that was sorted quickly , bike is ready for Babaas on Sunday !!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ South Africa's premier free email service - www.webmail.co.za ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For super low premiums, click here http://home.webmail.co.za/dd.pwm -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DarkAndDirty" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/darkanddirty?hl=en.
