The good news is that I finished, the bad news - it took nearly ten hours. I thought I better write a post to so my Epic partner does not dump me!
So what happened. I think the Latin phrase, Diem Horribilis (I think that means a horrible day - though Latin's just not me) is an understatement. Check the heart rate and ride time screen shot. It basically says the following:
1) Total race distance = Km 135 over 10 hours
2) Section highlighted in yellow = 3 hours to complete 13km
3) Distance of section in yellow = 13 km
What happened in that 13 km section was a comedy of error and the biggest lesson I have had in puncture repair! It sort of went like this:
1) Slow flat due to not having tyre topped up with Stans at the start - hey I have not had a puncture in months!
2) Bomb the tyre to bring up the pressure
3) Valve unscrews with bomb and all air lost
4) Remove tyre to add Stans
5) Cannot get tyre inflated with hand pump
6) Remove tyre and give Stans back to donor
7) Fit tube but forget to check for thorns in tyre casing
8) Ride, but, slow puncture from old thorns and then a snake bite due to loss of tyre pressure
9) Attempt to repair tube, but air continually lost - goes flat every few hundred metres
10) Attempt to go back to tubeless by using plugs and a borrowed bomb
11) Plugs come loose after a few kms and will not hold air - no Stans
12) Get tube from fellow cyclist (Berhard Beutel), and finally it holds and I gingerly start the remaining 80km of the race
Yes folks, over a period of 3 hours I managed to cover 13km - all because I never checked my Stans sealant at the start, did not carry sufficient spares (valve core tool) and most importantly - did stupid things.
All in all a timely wakeup for the Epic which emphasized the old boy scout motto - Be Prepared and the adage of less haste and more speed!
I will show you my revamped tool box in the next few weeks.
Oh, and for the record, Kevin Evans won and you can read his blog for a review.
The Attakwas is really a fantastic and well organized race and I'm really thankful that with the assistance of fellow competitors (I will try and track down Bernhard and Bertus to return the tube and bomb) at least I finished on my bike and not on the back of a bakkie (did you sit in front or on the back Burry Stander!) and I have felt what it feels like sitting 10 hours on a bike saddle!
All things considered, and having lost say 2hrs 30 min in race time, I dont think the day was a total disaster! 10 hours riding is 10 hours in the bag towards Epic training!
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