Wednesday, February 17, 2010

TRANSFORM!!!


I wish I was a Transformer. Though, if I was one Id like a better name than Bumblebee.

I am in the process of moving from Paarl to Somerset West. However, I still have my business in Paarl and soon I will have to commute everyday between these two towns. I have been commuting on and off for the last two weeks by mountain bike. It is one way of getting some hours in the saddle.

Wind is one thing to deal with, but peak hour traffic can be fatal. I know most people reading this ain’ t cyclists and you may have strong views on cyclists taking up the road. This topic is after all a age old debate. All I can say is that I have come close to being run over on four different occasions within two weeks. I keep in the yellow, I keep aware of vehicles around me and I don’t jump traffic lights. That said, it really does feel like a battle field out there on the roads and respect for each other is lacking big time. I don’t want to dwell on this topic for much longer (I might start getting hate mail), but know this; If I was a Transformer ( Bumblebee or not) there would be a certain truck driver, driving a certain truck with a certain number plate s#$&*ng his pants right now.

So the Epic is 31 days away. That is one month. For some it will be too soon. Others (mostly Pro’s) will not be bothered. For us, well we would want to start next week if we could. Every year we get to this stage where we just cant wait to have a crack at it. Yes, we are tired from putting in all the hours. I am personally hurting at the moment and need some tlc for my legs (Im a bit of a wuss when it comes to massages). All in all though we are ready. Nico is on the up and is clearly stronger than ever before. He has dropped a bit of weight, and whilst I was initially sceptic, the people at PVM has helped him with his diet and it seems to be working wonders.

If you feel you are not ready yet, I can honestly say, you will struggle to get there within 31 days. There will always be the guys who will have a go at it with minimal training behind them…only talent and awesome genes (not the levi type) will get them through it. Every year numerous teams drop out. Not just because of mechanicals, bad luck or injury, but because they didn’t put in the hard yards. I always say that anybody can finish this race. Some people disagree. But if you are willing to train hard and be dedicated you will finish the Cape Epic. It truly is a beautiful race in many regards. I wish more people had the opportunity to take part in it.

This will more than likely be our last Cape Epic for some time. Whilst the Epic has been a priority for us the last three years we now have different ones to consider. We want to make this our best one to date. That’s a shame for Nico, because he can only go as fast as the weakest link in the team…and that’s me! I will give it my all to keep up though!

Happy training boys and girls. A Epic time is around the corner!

Jaco