Training this week

Have been working quite hard this week, started off with the most insane MTB race on Sunday.
The Mid Illovo Eston 75km Marathon was supposed to be the best MTB ride on the calendar, I have another opinion! We had been invited to ride the route a couple of weeks ago, even then we complained bitterly about the route and the amount of climbing and soft sand, the event organisers said they would consult other riders and then make a call, clearly they weren't interested in what we had to say!
So the team (Simon, Nick, Pete, Mark, Rich, Andy, Brett B, Ivor, Brett H and Clayton) headed off there early Sunday morning, the ride as I mentioned consisted of a LOT of climbing and lots of soft sand, even in the forest single track! We had a ridiculous number of mechanical issues from broken derailers to punctures, loose seats, twisted chain's and broken bearings, at the end of the race everyone except for Pete finished but our times were slow and all of us felt the pain of a long ride.
Monday was rest day.
Tuesday was a 55km hill climb come sprint across the Northway Bridge, and then today was a small spin session which turned into a very hard climbing and strength building class.
Tomorrow is a rest day for me as Friday the team leave to conquer the Sani Pass Road a small 130km on Friday from Notties and then 90km up and over the pass into Lesotho on Sat. I may have a few interesting stories on Monday.

Day 7 back to CTN on the Argus route

What a perfect way to finish off the tour finishing on the Argus route. Hopefully the weather will be on our side and we will glide around the Cape over Smitswinkel around Chapmans, past Hout Bay, up Suikerbossie and home into Cape Town.

When we reach the waterfront we would have completed over 900kms in the aid of charity, what an awesome acheivement.

So now you know what we are in for, time to dig deep into those pockets and start donating. Details of how to deposit money will follow in future blogs.

Day 6 - another mountain stage including Hellshoogte Pass

This ride is beginning to sound like the Tour. Another mountain pass, will Simon Hunter the tough and gritty sprinter from Durban make it through the tough mountain stages?

We head back for the cost and to Simonstown on this the penultimate day. The sight of the ocean will be a good motivator for the tired riders, with only one day to go.

Traditionally the last day means a big meal and a lots of talking about the tour, will it be the same this year?

Day 5 and more pain through the mountains.

The end of this day brings us to Paarl http://www.paarlonline.com/ My favourite wine farm Nederburg is here, it will take some self control not to get carried away drinking red wine when we get here.

We pass through the mountains including Franschoek Pass and up and down du Toits Kloof Pass this day could be the tough one even for the hardened cyclists.

Day 4

Welcome to the Overberg........and to Villiersdorp the stopover point for Day 4.

http://www.overberg.co.za/content/view/31/27/

A rewarding trip is over Mitchell's Pass, on a road originally built in 1846 by Andrew Bain and improved in more recent times, which runs through the Rex River Mountains (2,249m/7,379ft) to Wolseley (pop. 6,700), 18km/11mi from Ceres. I am a bit nervous about the climb which rivals some of the climbs seen recently on the tour de france.

Day 3

Now that you are worrying about the amount of training I thought I would carry on with the route maps. Here is day three.

We finish in Ceres check out the Tourism blog http://www.ceres.org.za/tourism.htm.

More training

Sunday Aug 24th - rest
Monday Aug 25th - Interval ride 1.5 Hour
Tuesday Aug 26th - Easy Ride 4.5 Hour 60/70% of max heart rate
Wednesday Aug 27th - rest
Thursday Aug 28th - Uphill Intervals 1 Hour 40 min
Friday Aug 29th - Spinning intervals 3 Hour
Saturday Aug 30th - Long ride 6 Hour (make it 3 hour hard ride if you can't get in 6 Hours)
Sunday Aug 31st - rest
Monday Sep 1st - Interval ride 1.5 Hour
Tuesday Sep 2nd - Easy ride 5 Hour 60/70% of max heart rate
Wednesday Sep 3rd - rest
Thursday Sep 4th - Uphill intervals 3 Hours
Friday Sep 5th - Spinning intervals 4 hours
Saturday Sep 6th - Long ride 6h30 60/70% of max heart rate
Sunday Sep 7th - rest
Monday Sep 8th - Interval ride 1.5 Hour
Tuesday Sep 9th - Easy ride 5.5 Hour 60/70% of max heart rate
Wednesday Sep 10th - rest
Thursday Sep 11th - Uphill intervals 3 Hours
Friday Sep 12th - Spinning intervals
Saturday Sep 13th - Long ride 5 Hours 60/70% of max heart rate
Sunday Sep 14th - rest
Monday Sep 15th - Easy ride 4 Hours 60-70% of max heart rate
Tuesday Sep 16th - rest
Wednesday Sep 17th - Interval ride
Thursday Sep 18th - rest
Friday Sep 19th - Spinning intervals 40 minutes
Saturday Sep 20th - rest
Sunday Sep 21st - WE RIDE.

8 Weeks to go

We have 8 weeks to go before we leave for Cape Town and our next tour around the fair Cape. I really hope it is the fair Cape and not the windy Cape we experienced last year.

I thought I would try and get the team motivated by putting together a training programme, this doesn't have to be a strict schedule but if you try and stick to it you should be fit and ready to tackle the 900+km in September. If you have HRM this will really help you get your training right. Here is the first two weeks training programme

Monday Aug 11th - Easy ride 2 Hours - 60/70% of max heart rate
Tuesday Aug 12th - Medium ride 3 Hours - 60/70% of max heart rate
Wednesday Aug 13th - rest
Thursday Aug 14th - Uphill Intervals 1.5 Hours
Friday Aug 15th - Spinning Intervals 2 Hours
Saturday Aug 16th - Long ride 4 Hours 60/70% of max heart rate
Sunday Aug 17th - rest
Monday Aug 18th - Interval ride 1.1 Hour
Tuesday Aug 19th - Easy ride 3.5 Hour 60/70% of max heart rate
Wednesday Aug 20th - rest
Thursday Aug 21st - Uphill intervals 2 Hours
Friday Aug 22nd - Spinning intervals 3 Hours
Saturday Aug 23rd - Long ride 5 Hours 60/70%

Whats in store for us on day 2

Day 2.

This day is the day that you start to worry whether your legs will get you through the next 5 days, you are sore from riding too hard on day one, your butt is sore from sitting on your saddle and best of all you probably ate and drank too much for supper the night before trying to recharge for the next days ride (remember I like to carbo load with beer which is not always a good idea)

The route from Vrendenburg to Reibeek is a long day going inland from the sea.

The route - Day 1

Day 1: 120km Cape Town to Langebaan.

Not quite sure what to expect this year, the West Coast Wind may be a factor on day one and I think I will need to start investigating weather patterns for this time of the year. Seriously don't want to repeat the lovely driving rain from Day 1 of last year.

Who's in the dream team for this years tour.......

Selection for the Dean Black / Simon Hunter dream team will be open once we have seen who has put their names forward.......hopefully we will be getting some more Investec Durban staff involved and I have been told that Vicki Nolan (aka the Queen of the Mountains) is a definite, Siphewe Morajane (aka - the PMB Flyer), Hans Pakendorf (Village Idiot or Mr Iron Man2), Deon Burger (I will value your property if you sponsor me), Anthony Church (I am Mr Iron Man), Andrew MacKenzie (I am new to cycling - ja right) are all up for the challenge. Haven't heard too much from the other regions however there is still time.............

Training has started

So I have been on holiday, carbo-loaded on bread, wine and lots of meals so I am ready to rock and roll. This last Saturday the training started with a 65km MTB ride on the coldest weekend. Properly under-dressed we finished our on-road, off-road adventure with freezing cold feet, hands and anything else exposed to the elements by dropping down into Giba-Gorge http://www.gibagorge.co.za . This excellent facility built in the old Stockville Quarry has been custom built as a MTB centre for beginners through to experts. Partnering with the local community this is the safe and fun way to get into MTB. Cycle Lab have recently opened a store there and run the bike hire service so there is no excuse for the whole family to give the sport a try. When you have finished riding the restaurant offers good value food and drinks, go check out the site for more information.
Back to the training, have ridden Tuesday with the hills climbs in Durban North followed by a wicked spinning class at Virgin Active on Wednesday and finished off today with a few circuits on the Durban Beach Front.