Well I have finally found the strength to relate the stories from my third consecutive Cape Epic.
Firstly we did it, Tasch and I managed to finish in 47hrs 54 min which placed us 40th in our mixed category and 317 overall. Not bad, but all things considered it was a damn miracle. The miracle being my partner Tasch who with no build up hopped on my bandwagon a month before and completed this years Epic. No small miracle there, anyone who has any idea of how hard this race is will testify to my blowing her trumpet a bit.
The race itself changed drastically in that the normal route of riding from Knysna back home changed to round about route which barely left the mountains ever. So we climbed around the Western Cape. Heading out from Gordon's bay on a perfect late Cape Summers day we headed up and over the Hottentots Holland on a 115km 2800+m absolute brute of a first stage. We never seemed to get a break and when cycling into water point 3 and finding out we still had 30kms to go and just under a 1000m to climb our minds began to wobble. Seeing guys lying on the floor with drips in arms and eyes rolled back from exhaustion and dehydration just made everyone realise this years route was not going to be a holiday. We battled home and finished Stage 1 in 8hrs 45 mins. Just think about that, try fathom sitting on a bike for that amount of time, most of it climbing up serious mountains. Your butt feels like its going to split from pain and your back went numb way back when. I am not trying to scare you, this was honestly one of the hardest days I have ever had, now imagine coming into the race without adequate training and your mind will play all sorts of games with you. The thing with the Epic is just when you think you cant go any further, you remember that tomorrow brings its own set of uphills and downhills both mentally and physically, which somehow snaps you out of your self pity and focus' you on getting today done. Focusing on the present, not the future gets you through this race.
So Stage 1 slipped by and the mental side of things kicked in at the start of Day 2, both Tasch and I were pretty spent. It was about getting through it, set your pace and don't worry about the rest of the "race". This strategy is pretty much what gets you through if you are not adequately prepared to race it. We decided early on that we were going to try enjoy ourselves, take it slow and watch the sun rise over our beautiful country, stop at the top of mountains and have a look around. Will we ever be in the position to do it again ?
Its tough being philosophical and soulful when you are being pushed to the edge of your physical, finding the energy to take a deep breath and enjoy vineyards tucked away in the folds of our beautiful mountains was not your easiest task but I think we did quite well. I couldn't find half those places again if I tried, which is part of the Epic's magic.
Over the last three years I have been lucky enough to experience the backwaters of our beautiful country, not in a car, but on my bike. The tops of mountain ranges the bottom of our deepest kloofs " waar die kranse antwoord gee " Sorry just getting a bit carried away here, it was not as romantic as it sounds but it truely is very special to traverse our amazing country like we have done.
Back to this years race. it was far more technical than previous years due to the route change we never had any free km's. This made it shorter in distance but added so many more taxing metres which strains the brain but adds to the fun for the real mountain biker. Technical means harder climbing on all sorts of terrain as well as single track and the best for the true mountain biker, hair raising descents down slippery and rocky trails which quickly separated the men from the boys. Watching Tasch descend was a privilege, coming from a fearless Wind surfing background and having learnt to ride with the boys of Table Mountain she has no fear which is what it takes to descend the gnarliest tracks. Its funny but faster is easier. Some of the pro's were clocking 80kph, my fastest was just over 60kph. The chances of braking at that speed and actually stopping in the next ten metres are pretty much nothing so there is alot of trust involved. In your ability, your equipment and your fellow racer.
Over the next five days we went up and down the most scenic spots in the Western Cape. Unfortunately our legs couldn't carry on forever and thank heavens for our bums the finish at Lourensford was give or take a day or two away. The Epic proved once again that every km deserves your respect, riding past guys stricken from dehydration, broken collar bones and wrists really shows you how lucky you are to be able to get through this race. A guy was heard saying that " to make it through the Epic your guardian angel had better be able to fly faster than you can ride " Having done 3 now I can honestly say its true, its heartbreaking watching people have to give up their dream of finishing. I have seen partners not finish and its not easy watching it, living it is far worse.
I am glad its over. I loved the experience, the adventure, the focus. Its brutal while it lasts, like being held under a heavy wave you question whether you will ever get out from under it but when you do it's the sweetest breath you ever took.
www.cape-epic.com I dare you too enter the lottery and see where the Epic takes you...
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