Ashburton National MTB Series #1 Meerendal

The Tulbagh leg of the National MTB Series used to be one of my favourite races. Tulbagh is a tough but beautiful place to mtb, however it seems Capetonians are adverse to travelling a 100km north to mtb when they have a choice of awesome trails in their own backyard so the organisers decided to bring the race directly to the Capetonians backyard in a bid to attract more participants.

Meerendal - co-incidently the place where I started out mtb'ing and still often ride at, also the 2015 venue for the Cape Epic finale was the choice of new venue. A national series race in your own backyard is not something to be scoffed at, however recovery from my little "heart-mishap" was slow so I opted for the shorter half-marathon distance to ease back into the racing/funride scene.

Beautiful morning at Meerendal

The starting grid of a national series half-marathon is very different to what I'm used to, the usual racing snakes with expensive bikes at the front, just about 10 years younger and all of them still in high school, with their team managers aka moms faffing all about them making sure water bottles are full, dispensing last minute race tactics and analysing the opposition of the day. Further back are us older okes, the has beens and never beens who don't quite have the form or desire to suffer through a full marathon.

On paper my seeding compared quite well with the "champions-of-the-future" accompanying me on the starting grid, but when the race announcer sent us of, the young bucks literally left me in their dust on the first little climb, quickly shattering all illusions of me being able to keep up with the front runners for at least a while.

The first couple of kilometers the route took us through the wine farms on the northern slopes of the Tygerberg Hills, avoiding the famous Tygerberg Trails thus taking us to places close to home but out of bounds for our normal training rides. I was feeling well and making good pace but quickly noticed my heart rate was ridiculously high, not wanting to risk another visit to Panorama heart-unit I took a deep breath and slowed down, allowing a number of slower riders to pass me (and taking some more deep breaths with each passing rider).

Just as my heart rate settled to a less life threatening level we hit first big climb of the day, the cement road up to Bloemendal restaurant, also off-limits to cyclists the rest of the year so it was quite a special moment to take on a challenging climb you usually only get to contemplate from afar.

When we got to the top, the route finally linked up with the Tygerberg trails I know well. We descended quickly down the Contermanskloof trails. I'm usually that slower rider pulling over for superior skilled (or idiotically reckless depending no your perspective) riders on singletrack but this is my hometown and this day experience compensated for skill as I was flying down the trails with slower riders pulling over when they hear the familiar clicking sound of the Giant's Hope rear hubs approaching  .

Too soon we were at the bottom of Contermanskloof and now it was the long climb up over the mountain to get back to Meerendal and the finish, but by now my curtailed post-hospital training schedule was starting to tell and muscle memory was.. well, just a memory. The switchback climbs back up Tygerberg hill were just never ending torture and just like earlier in the race people were passing me. Only difference was that now my deep breaths were not to stay calm, but to suck in as much as possible air to survive the climb.

Finally we got to the top of Contermans, and now it was a only quick downhill ramble back to Meerendal and the finish line, Fully recovered I was racing confidently back to Meerendal, only for the leading ladies from the full Marathon distance to come rushing passed me like a was standing still, could merely stare in amazement.

Biggest disappointment of the day was that the half-marathon guys (and girls) missed out on the famous Meerendal Dorstberg climb and descent - a ride I have done 100's of time but never in a race. Also the realisation that is a long way back to a level that resembles full recovery but on the plus side -  my fragile heart survived the punishment that was dished out without any complaints.