Spring Break 2012 (Merrel Eden Duo and Salomon Sky Run)

Spring Break 2012.

With the highly successful Pennypinchers AR Teams Spring Adventure Race in the bag and chest infections, injuries ,floods, and other home life distractions out the way the Team was finally able to focus on  getting out and doing a couple of races. With all this and the longer days of Summer on the way we decided to enter the long standing local “adventure race” the Merrell Eden Duo and then a week later the “must do” Salomon Sky Run.

The Merrel Eden Duo.

This race is raced in pairs as the name suggests and is a 165km multisport route starting and finishing with a short paddle on the Touws River in Wilderness on the Garden Route. The rest of the race is made up of another paddle leg, two hiking legs, two mountain biking legs and a kloof leg up the Kaaaimans River. In a break from the normal Netski and Garth decided to race together and Jeff and I would actually race in a pairs event together for the first time. The weather on the day was cloudy and cool as forecasted as the field started on the water for a quick paddle down the Touws River to the beach at Wilderness. With the big focus of the race moving to the relay option it was the Merrel Paddlers who took the lead early.

Off the Paddle and onto the beach at Wilderness

The kloofing leg up the Kaaimans was great fun with the river about a meter fuller than it normally is  creating some challenges for people who were not comfortable in water. After a quick transition at Saasveld Jeff and set about catching up with Garth and Netski who had left the transition before us. The cycle leg over the Montagu Pass is mostly uphill and we caught our teammates just where it seems as if the whole world is pointing upwards. Spinning up the hill trying not to blow before I had even got half way Jeff rode easily next to me also saving energy for the hike back over the mountains to Saasveld.

Kloofing up the Kaaimans River

 After a quick transition and compulsory kit check we hit the hiking trail back to Saasveld. Having not pushed too hard on the bike we kept up a good pace and it took Garth and Netski an hour to catch up. Once we were together again we settled into a good rhythm again a made reasonable time back to the Groenewiede transition where our trusty seconds Erez and his daughter Inca were waiting with cold drinks and our bikes. Jeff as usual was in a hurry to get on his bike and Garth and Netski's transition was cut short by us saddling up and hitting the Seven Passes road. Garth hit the wall properly here and he and Netski had to take some time out and start the slow recovery process that gets one back up to speed. Garths experience from adventure racing for a long time now helped him slowly refuel and regain the fluids etc that he had lost and stay in the race where many would have felt they could not carry on.

 

Montagu Pass (ouch)

Drying Kit at T3

After the paddle across Swart Vlei Jeff and I hit the beach at Sedgefield for the 21 km run/hike back to Wilderness. The tide was out and the sand hard and we got into a really good running rhythm. About an hour into the run Garth and Netski caught up again. We then stuck together right to the end of the race  after a short paddle back up the Touws River to the Ebb and Flow campsite. The race was won by Merrells Donovan Simms and Hano Smit who knocked of half an hour of Hano's old record and rounded of a very successful year for them. At the end of the day Jeff and I finished second in the big Vets category and Garth and Netski were second in the Mixed category.

As a team we never set out to race against each other or with each other because we knew on the limited training we had all had through winter we would not be able to do this. The plan was to race our own races and keep a little in the tank for the Salomon Sky Run a week later (another story below).

What transpired was that we ended up spending more than half the race together. What this really showed me was what great Team we have, the banter, helping, slagging, sharing food, sharing experience and making sure at the end of the day that we all arrive at the finish line in one piece.

Our special thanks on this race go out to Colin, Erez and Inca who cheerfully but forcefully got us in and out of transitions all along the way. Brandon and Martell who popped up along the beach to give us huge encouragement along the way and of course to organizer Jan Hennop who has put on this race for the past 12 years.

 

Part Two of the madness

So Eden Duo finishes and the next race begins. The race to recover from 16 hours of racing in just 6 days before taking on the monster 100km Salomon Sky Run. With all the banter of Lance Armstrong’s demise we joked about finding the “magic bullet” that would take the lead out of our legs by the next weekend.  With the basics of RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) under the belt Garth, Jeff and I arrived in Lady Grey on Friday afternoon. Jeff had invited Svelka Sharp his Knysna running partner along to run the Sky Run Lite . Also at the run would be co founder of the Team Chris Crewdson to run his second Sky Run.

 

 

Garth,Lettuce,Jeff,Svelka,Marco,Chris moments before the start

 

Lady Grey is a small town that rests in the shadow of the Witteberg Mountains and once a year gets shaken into action to host 250 crazy athletes who try and run/hike/crawl their way along the mountains to the War trail Country Club some 100km away. With some major climbs, decents and narrow ridges the race is a huge challenge to every athlete. This year would see Ryan Sandes on the start line for the first time. The trail running legend would knock 2 hours of the race record by finishing the course in 12 hours 30 something.

The race starts at 4:00am and after a quick snap of the Knysna to Storms River contingent we lined up at the back of the pack determined to start slowly. After a moment’s silence the race starts in the main road of Lady Grey and for 400 m you run on some tar road before heading of road for 100km.

The first 12 km of the race is uphill and along a very stony hiking trail so after an hour and half when the first check point comes into sight and the route opens up onto the mountain top the frustrated runners all set off like rabbits across the saddle to the next piece of ridge line. Garth and I had been split from Jeff and  Svelka at this stage and decided to carry on at our steady power hiking pace, both nervous of going too fast and not finishing the race. We felt that the Knysna pair would catch us after check point 2 where there is a jeep track and most people run this section. Having asked Jeff for his comments to put in the race report and not received them Garth and I will make our own assumptions as to why he did not catch us on the jeep track section. It was later discovered that he had also joined another lady runner Vicky wife of Alex Wagner (old team mate of Netski) and he had taken on the “mother hen role” not that either of the girls needed this!!!

 

With the weather being very cool on the mountain we were not carrying and drinking nearly as much water as normal and for a change our packs felt reasonably light on the climb up to Avoca Peak the highest point on the route. Here stopped for the first time to sort out some “shoe Sh###t” (stuff that somehow gets into your shoe and can give you blisters) and restock our food supplies. Wedgewood Nougat had given us all samples of their Race Food nougat bite sized bar which went down really well at this stage. I had bought a whole box before Eden Duo and really enjoyed them as a replacement to the energy bars I normally carry. From here on it is all “downhill” to Balloch the 65km mark. Downhill on Sky Run means sore knees and aching quads. Deon Braun and Sean Wisedale had joined Garth and I and at exactly 16h00 we arrived in Balloch at “tea time” as I had told Deon from Go Trail and Go Multi about 6 hours before. Having popped 2 GU Fizzy Electrolyte Tabs into my bottles in the last 40 mins before the medical check I whizzed through the medical with none of the signs of dehydration that had seen me nearly pulled from the course last year (I was fitter then and our time was the same????)

Balloch is an amazing campsite below a huge overhanging sandstone cliff on one of the very old sheep farms in the area. Here athletes get to refuel, see loved ones, rest up and stare at the next obstacle in their way to the finish. Balloch Wall is an almost sheer climb up a mountain that separates Balloch from the rest of the route. The decent is just as steep and takes some serious bum sliding to get down. Garth dragged his heels a bit here and after threatening him to get Netski on the line to get him to move it we headed off for the next part of the race with lights and GPS ready to guide us after dark. We left Balloch at 16h30 so had a good few hours of sunlight left which does make life easier on the steep Eastern side of “the Wall”.

Edge Hill farm is the next welcome check point. A farm that straddles the road and gives one a break if you need it for the next big climb .The Bridal Path. This climb was used to get horses and livestock up onto the plateau on the Lesotho border and is an amazing piece of history but also a real slog. We crossed the river and bundu bashed our way onto the old path and up the ridge to a very cheerful bunch student who ticked off our numbers as we headed up the hill. Once on the plateau the route is flattish and takes up to the top of the horse shoe leg of the race. On the plateau we were met with a howling icy wind which forced a stop to put on some warm clothes. Garth and I were quick to put on our jackets as we had packed with this move in mind. The others which now also included longstanding team mate Chris Crewdson took a bit longer and Garth and I started to get cold and we told the other we would start along the path slowly. After 20 minutes we were all back together or so I thought but Deon had made a late call to put on more clothes and told the others he would catch up. He had looked up and could not see a light anywhere. We were worried and waited a bit but were relieved to see two lights coming along and were able to move on. The check point at the turn looked like a military hospital with the cold and terrain having taken its toll. There were a pile of shivering, dehydrated runners there who had clearly under estimated the second leg of the race. After a great cup of coffee and a Marmite roll or two and putting on all the rest of our warm clothes we headed out into the wind and cold again. With my Oregon GPS in hand and the AYUP lights shining far ahead navigation was easy and we kept moving  at good pace and kept the cold at bay ,just. Our group was now about 11 as we had picked up some wounded at the checkpoint and then some more along the route who joined us from a rather strange angle on an invisible path! Halstone Peak was the final climb and decent of the race. The wind was howling and it was quite scary climbing up the exposed rock face knowing that the cliffs on the lee side of the mountain were about 300 meters high. The marshals on the Peak were amazing; they were lying in sleeping bags smeared onto the rocky peak by the wind. They cheerfully checked us in and explained how to get off the mountain without killing ourselves. Down we went into a really steep gully and then for the first time in 24 hours I veered off the track that would take us to the finish. It did not feel right and after a couple of minutes and some prompting from Scott Haywood I sat down and looked at the landscape and not the GPS. We turned back and within 5 minutes were happily heading back on familiar turf. A fuzzy moment after being on track for so long really  “p###ed me off” but that is just how I am and nobody seemed to mind much considering how far we had gone through the night together.

Day break saw us cross the river and up to the finish line were we crossed the line together. All savoring the moment for different reasons and at different levels. We all knew that finishing the SKY Run is a huge achievement. A realization of different personal goals, a journey like no other.

For the Team it is a real l privilege to be fit and healthy enough to go out and realize these goals with the support of all our family, friends and sponsors. Pennypinchers makes it possible for us to travel across the country, create a great team and live our dreams. GU keeps us going with a whole range of products that give us energy, replace electrolytes and then recover faster after the event. Earth Scout in Knysna provides us with the best brands of foot ware, and gear to make sure that we stay warm, dry and comfy out on the mountains, rivers and coastline of our magnificent country. Blue Steel anti chafe was shared amongst our little group of stragglers in the mountains to keep blister, hotspots and chafe at bay and Pletts own CX Press is always keen to cover our crazy exploits.

Thank you all for your support and as the year winds down we look forward to our Kurland Summer Trail Run to give people a small taste of what it is like to be out under the big sky of our beautiful country

 

 

 

 

 

Eden Duo 2011 - A race report

Leg 1- Paddle from Ebb and Flow to Wilderness Beach on the Touws River

The long wait between packing,briefing and the start was finally over and after a quick prayer by Jan Hennop (race director) we ran down to our K2 and hit the water for the first paddle. Voit and I were second behind the Merrel Relay Team and more than comfortable as we hit the beach and headed into the Kaaimans Kloof. Brandon and Nick didn't start well, with an embarassing capsize as they entered the river, they entered T1 with Jeff and Garth.



Leg 2 - Kloof from Wilderness to Saasveld

Garth enjoyed this leg the most and said if it was just for this leg alone it would have been worth the 600km from East London. Jeff and Garth came into the kloof not far behind the lead pack which consisited of Voit and Lettuce and the juniors and two Merrel relay teams. We swapped positions up the kloof until the juniors put the hammer down leaving a trail of blood on the rocks for the rest of us to follow where Brandon had fallen. Jeff also missed his footing in the kloof leaving him short of puff when they hit the bike.



Leg 3 - MTB from MNNU Saarsveld to Herold Wines
Coming out of the Kloof in first place, Brandon and I, made a hasty transition, which was hampered by forgetting the clip card as we were about to check out. Recovering from this embarrassment ungracefully, we sped out of the transition, at the same time as the first of the relay teams were arriving. For Brandon, having injured his knee upon the kloof leg, this was an opportunity to recover.
Wending our way through a small sampling of the single tracks around Saarsveld, we clipped CP1 and then emerged onto forestry roads, which led us to a hiking trail, which was in my opinion unrideable. As if just to disprove this point, Brandon cruised over most of the obstacles. At this point, the first relay team caught us, and as ours was not their race, we didn't try to stay with them. The route took us past an extra-ordinarily large amount of cyclists and a number of dog walkers. The dogs stared at us as we went past with beady eyes and were remarkably well behaved.
The hiking trail emerged onto the now defunct railway and the promise of terrain far more traversable. Picking up speed here, we were able to reach the devilish Montague Pass in good time. The pass's steep gradient presented Brandon and I with a challenge. I, mostly due to a lack of cycling experience and Brandon due to the racing bike he was using, which only had two blades on the front gearing system and thus presented no granny gears, meaning that he ground it out, till the top of the pass. The view, has to be mentioned, if only because it is compulsory on such a devastating climb; the view, was splendid and made more splendid by the fact that down below, many would have to ascend this @#%&!@#$ of a hill. In transition, we grabbed all the necessities, I took reams of cramp block and we went to confront the mystical ou tannie, the gate-keeper to The Outeniqua Mountains. Barely passing muster, with our minimalistic kit, we set out for the hike. Voit and I hit this leg feeling good and I thought that I would catch up on the bit of energy I had used in the last bit of running from the kloof to Saasveld. Instead my legs deserted me and must have spent the rest of the day in a cold pool in the kloof because from then on I struggled on the bike and on foot. Jeff picked up two punctures on the ride and was starting to have a testing day.

Ed: The boys headed on untouched ,mixing it up with the relay teams.

Leg 4 Hike Nick Fence Hopping on the way down to Saasveld photo J Marais

Leg 4 Herold to Saasveld hike/run 25km

This is the one leg that has been the same in all of the Eden Duo Races and it is really the start of the race proper. This is where fatigue kicks in and one starts feeling the pace from earlier in the day.The route follows an awesome path in a series of switch backs in a kloof deep in the shadows of Cradock Peak. on climbs nearly 300 vertical meters in a space of a kilometer to get out of the kloof to a sadle that gives one a spectacular view of George.The water at the bottom of the kloof is cold and the only guaranteed water untill you reach Saasveld. This leg went slowly for me as a battled the "cramp monster" but there was no letting up of Voits inthusiasim and before long we hit the transition for what should be an easy bike leg. Garth and Jeff hit the hike in good spirits but Jeff toiled a bit and Garth soon had his back pack and used his experience to get them through what was a tough leg.



Leg 5 Greonewiede to Hoogekraal Bike 35km

It was nearly "tea time " in the civilised world but not at the Eden Duo- a quick change of shoes and we were on our bikes. The juniors now had a big lead and were doing us proud. Voit and I were hanging onto second place . We both were really ready to get to the end of this leg to get in a canoe and give the legs a break. The ride was fine but we did get passed by two "cycling strong" teams. One got lost and the other we passed again with 2 minutes in our canoe (justice?).

 Jeff 's woes continued as he decide to try and ride his 29er over two Boerbulls. He felt he had a good chance at 40km and hour but the dogs won and Jeff hit the tarmac hard.


Leg 6 Hoogekraal to Gerrikes Paddle 15km

A great leg for all the Pennys Teams despite the incoming tide. Voit and I arrived at the Sedgefield Caravan park all to soon and had to have a quick transition to make the most of the last hour and half of day light. Erez and Incha our trusty seconds were there as always along with a host of other locals including my partner from last year Rhona and her husband Jan, Mike from Knysna Pennys, Hien and Susie who seem to be everywhere. Thank you all for the support and words of encouragement. It defiantly got me on my feet and out of the transition .

Leg 6 - Beach Run (An ordeal)
Ed: Nic's account below shows what an ordeal a 21 km run on the beach at high tide can be. Jeff and Garth got there a bit latter but still had to slog it out. Voit and I pulled back nearly an hour on the juniors on this leg but it was too little too late.

This was in our minds the last barrier to succeeding. To us this was the deal breaker. We'd heard the same thing over the course of the race from our wonderful seconds; that the rest of the field reckoned that due to the blistering (literally for me) pace we'd set at the beginning of the race and our (as youths) developing endurance, we'd burn out in the later half of the race. Our doubters were more than half right...
Injuries sustained at the start of the race, had plagued Brandon and had worn him down, and it was with a supremely brave face that he began the stage. In a change from previous years, we were able to cross a significant stretch of the onerous beach before dark, which was fortunate, as the tide over the rocky sections of the beach was not working with us.Until about halfway, we were able to sustain an acceptable pace but coinciding with night, we slowed down to a shuffle. The malicious streetlamps in Wilderness, our destination, then turned on, as if to mark the occasion. To anyone not acquainted with these lights, know that the reason they are so curséd (with an extra éd) is because they are psychologically damaging. These lamps torment you with their nearness and then laugh when you realise that there is still many clicks to go till the end of the line. What made the run this year especially tense, was the lack of any lights behind us. We couldn't see any approaching teams, and so couldn't moderate our pace. Three-quarters of the way through, we lost much of our hope of a victory, after all we couldn't have had that much of a buffer from the last transition could we?
Shuffling onward, there was still no teams emerging from the dark behind us and so we allowed hope to rise again. Passing groups fishing, playing and walking was quite refreshing, as it indicated that we were nearing the end of our race. We got a massive wake-up call when lights suddenly came bobbing up behind us. Brandon steeled himself for one last effort and we rushed towards the Wilderness bridge and the start of the paddle, with another team hot on our heels. Hopping into our boats, we believed that it would require a supreme effort in the paddle to claim an overall win. It turned out to be the third relay team (but we surprisingly topped them on the paddle anyway), claiming first place

It was a great weekend for the Team to go and fill the top two places in an event that saw athletes come in from all round the country.

Our new kit worked really well in its first real endurance test. Voit and I wore our Second Skins running shorts and the short sleeve shirts from start to finish. The others chopped and changed a bit but what was great is that the branding stands out really well .

Eden Duo 2011

With Jeannette heading for Tasmania on Thursday the rest of the Team will be heading through to Wilderness for the Eden Duo on Friday. Jeannette will be taking part in the Adventure Racing World Championships after a late injury to Hanilie Booyens of Team Cynosis.We will be following her with live tracking and I will be "tweeting" this site so keep it on you desk top next week.



We have got three teams taking part this weekend at the 150km Eden Duo. Nic Cuthbert and Brandon Willcocks will be entered in the senior mens divsion along with Garth and Jeff and Me and my new partner Voitec Orchecovski ( no speel check on that word). Voit is a seasoned paddler and has done the Duo twice before so is an able replacement for Jeannette .



Over the weekend Jeff Voit and I went through to George to check out the first two legs of the race . The Kloofing section up the Kaaimans River was really worthwhile as was riding the single track through Saasveld. That was untill I went head over heels on my bike doing a lot of damage to my ego and some to my body. The bike was fine by the way.

Netski steals the limelight.

While our Juniors Nic and his Team from Oakhill were doing us proud in in the final raft building section of the AR Nationals at Baynesfield in Natal Jeannette was tying the another type knot and marrying Colin Wylie on a small holding just outside Plett.With the wedding held amoung the fynbos and the dress code casual it was a great day for the small group of friends and family that were there. The priest Pieter from Knysna who also happened to be a runner and cyclist got right into the spirit of the couple getting married and in his sermon proceded to compare marrage to the Comrades Marathon , with all the ups and downs that one can go through. It was not long before he started talking about the hard times that will confront you along the way and this is where you will need help and one of the best sources of help on the "big hills" is a GU ( this is with out any idea about our relationship with the products) . He proceeded to discuss the differnt flavours and making sure that you used the right ones at the right time etc. As everyone said afterwards "only at Netskis wedding"

Pieter fills us all in on the benefits of Espresso Love flavoured GU

As if this was not enough less than a week after she tied the knot she hit the jack pot. Nic Mulder from Team Cynosis one of South Africas top AR teams asked her to join his team to go to Tasmania to the AR World Championships . This late call was necesitated by a very unfortunate injury to Hanile Booyens who was due to go with Cynosis to the AR Worlds.


Adventure racing being a team sport as well as a very physical one often ends up offering people unexpected these type of oppurtuinities. With less than 2 weeks before Cynosis leaves for Tasmania I dont think they could have found a better replacement. Netski has raced over seas before and kicks into another gear the longer these races go on. We wish Netski,John Collins,Nic Mulder and Nathan Thompson all the best. Team Merrel Adventure Addicts will also be flying the SA flag high in Tasmania and are hoping for a really good finish.We will be posting news from Tasmania on our blog as the 700km race progresses.


As they say one door opens ,another closes and then another will open. This great oppurtuinity has left me (Lettuce) with out a partner for the Eden Duo, also in 2 weeks time. With time an issue as well as the poularity of the race a decsion need to be made quickly. Voitec Orzechovski lives in Plett and comes from a paddling back ground and has done two Duos so he has been roped in to do the race with me. We are definatley looking forward to the extra 5 km paddling leg that Jan Heenop has added to the race. Watch this space as we head out for our first training session together this evening.