Birthday Time!

Wow, how time flies the older you get! This year my birthday completely crept up on me unexpectedly. I think I'm just so focused on getting through this year that I didn't really think about turning another year older (by the way, I'm still 29 and will be for the next 4 years until Jaco turns 30!). So I woke up yesterday just like any other day and we decided to go for a tandem ride round Cape Point. The weather was misty and cloudy in the city but out by the Point, it was sunny and glorious. It was so fantastic to be outside and doing our favourite thing: cycling! After 120kms we thought it was enough for one day and had to take a nap before getting all dressed up for High Tea at the 12 Apostles Hotel!



It was really great sipping tea and coffee and politely stuffing our faces with lots of yummy goodies with 16 of my friends. We tried to make the effort to all dress up (well at least I got in the mood - don't you love the hat!)and we spent a wonderful 5 hours chatting and eating and eating and chatting. I was really spoilt with the most wonderful gifts including a mosaic course (I'm going to learn how to mosaic in 2 weeks time!), gift vouchers, stacks of beautiful flowers, clothes, a beach bag and cutesy pyjamas. Thanks to everyone also for all my SMS's and facebook messages. You really made my day!

Settling Back into Life as a Married Couple

Well it is so great feeling like we're married again ! I mean, its REALLY great to have my hubby back and playing housey housey back in CPT. Jaco has dived right back into work and is very busy with Greenpoint Stadium and work for me has been busy as usual. On the cycling front, Jaco took 2 weeks off the bike to rest his knee and get a bit of beauty sleep in the mornings instead of waking up at the crack of dawn but Sunday 20 September saw the first race of the Spring season with the Tour de Worcester. We both rode and had great races although J started cramping at the end so he missed on out in the sprint but his team mate came 3rd, so that was great! I enjoyed the race in the unseeded category and finished with a good time, and it was a great indication that more training is needed for our epic CPT to JHB cycle in December. We have also started practising on our tandem and did a 120km ride to Cape Point and back on Heritage Day - our bums also told us that more training is needed indeed.

This last weekend we decided to visit J's parents farm in Piketberg cos all the beautiful flowers are out at this time of year and they were having their farmer's market on Saturday morning. Everything from milk tart, to pancakes, to fresh bunches of Protea Flowers to Springbok pies! Despite the freezing weather it was great to go around to all the stalls and taste the yummy food they had to offer. Of course spending time on the farm is always a treat since his parents always spoil us with delicious homecooked meals and there is plenty of time to read and chill. Although my time these days is taken up with studying but exams start end of Oct so I am just wishing the time away!

Final thoughts

Wow. I probably sound like a kid in a sweet shop, but wow. I am so so thankful that I have been privileged to experience what I have over the last 4 weeks in Belgium. To everyone that has played a part in making this possible: moral support, financial contributions, advice, blog comments, Thank you.

What I learnt and then some arb facts:

Would I return; Can I perform better; Can I race at a higher level; Can I do this for an entire season (6 months); Can I do this for a living… All questions I guess I asked myself before coming here. I am embarrassed over how ridiculous my thoughts were only a mere 4 weeks ago.

We live in complete oblivion to the real world here in Belgium, cycling all day. So to answer the questions I posed I need to delve into the experiences one is challenged with here. Is there more to life than riding your bike? You come to realise first hand what the sacrifices are you make to be a full time cyclist. What you sacrifice and the relationships you start to neglect. Cycling is a very selfish sport – not because of who we are, but we become a product of the full time cycling environment.

I further discovered just how small and almost insignificant we are in our racing in SA. Jhb compares, Cpt – no comment. I raced 1.12B races for riders without contracts and got beaten fair and square. Next is 1.12A without contract, 1.2 with contract or closed invites, then you also have inter-clubs before you get to pro-crits and 1.1’s. I guess you just see the bigger picture and realise just because your fish bowl you living in is small doesn’t make you a whale in the ocean – you still a tiny fish.

The challenges are hard for guys trying to make it. People say “Belgium cracked him” but I’d rather say “Belgium opened his eyes”.

Pursue your dream. My dream has been achieved, it is now time for us (Chris & I) to set our dreams and pursue them… Don’t be left behind, live your life on the tightrope!

Some facts:
1. I have managed to rack up just short of 3000kms in the 29 days I have been in Belgium. To those that asked “You won’t be riding your bike everyday, will you?” I have to admit – I did take 5 days off: 2 because I didn’t have a bike, 1 because my knee was sore and 2 to rest. That is an average of 125kms a day, everyday… I only managed 11 races in the 4 weeks with steady placings between 26th and 40th at every race.
2. My Continental Gator Skin 25C tyres did an excellent job over the cobbles, at times terrible bike paths and the glass riddled shoulders of many E and N roads without bikepaths. The tires probably had around 3000km on them and were over 3years old at the start of the trip – I am well impressed!
3. 1 bottle of Mark II chamois cream helped keep mall them baddies away ha ha ha
4. The new MTN Cape Storm shorts were not up to the challenge: They caused blisters from the rubber on the shorts, the chamois is not the most comfy and they are rapidly deteriorating after a mere month of use… Don’t buy Cape Storm pants. My old Vermark MTN shorts, over a year old, performed steadily and was a pleasure to ride in – go Belgian shorts!
5. I slept an average of 11hours per night – that would explain why I could ride as much. I love not having the stresses of real life ;)

Home time

I'll do a final post tomorrow, but just a quick update:

I hurt my knee in Saturday's race and need to take a few days off. Pointless sitting here and doing nothing, I'd rather come home, be with my wife and start adapting to real life (oh no).

The flights this week all had costs associated with them except this evening's flight. So at 12:00 I decided to take tonight's flight home. I needed to pack all my stuff (clothes, food, bike) and leave at 16:00. Some quick prioritization and I set off to make tuna bake for an early supper, had some oranges in the sun. Packed the bike, packed clothes, changed bedding and cleaned the room and all ready to go.

Final post tomorrow...

Race # 11 - St Truden to Bousalle

It was good to race again after having the last 5 days off. It sounds so little but it has felt so long. The wind was howling as we set of for the 55km from St Truden to Bousalle where we did 8 laps of a very hilly circuit. The strong winds made for hard guttering from the gun.

The group split at 36kms and we all rejoined again at 50kms just before a 3km steep climb. I took strain on the climb and settled in a chasing group of 9. The font group was probably around 35 riders, so I knew we were out of money for the day - paying up to 30th. Each lap of the circuit I however noticed more and more riders having pulled out so I knew we could just just be in for some prize money, lol.

I had set aside all my money for the last week - air change fare, taxi money, rent money, and race money and used the remaining money almost to the cent on some groceries this morning. So I knew I had no money left and it was pretty important I get some money out of 1 of these 5 races. Well, I'm glad to say I just managed coming 29th and taking 12 Euro home for the efforts. We did a hard ride into the wind and over many more hills home making for a 180km day.

I will need to do some hill training when I get home - my climbing has deteriorated big time..

Race stats: 110km, 2:54, 37km.h, 142bpm ave, 171 max, 22C ave, 24C max, 900m climbing

Tomorrow it is off to Kapellen, about 15kms away for a 117km race. Will update again tomorrow night.

Wrap-up of Holiday week

The last 2 days of holiday week...

Thursday
What a rushed day. Seriously, I have very little time to kill these days. I got up at 11:15 (ja ja ja), decided impromptu to do Begijnendijk before riding to Tijl's parents, so quickly had breakfast and left home at 12:15. Popped back briefly at 14:30 for some warm stuff and then left for Hoeilaart. Tijl left out it was a hilly area with no cycling paths, so at times I had a string of trucks and cars behind me - all very patient I must add.

We had a lovely South-African / Belgium evening, you decide: KWV Roodeberg, South African Chenin Blanc, Boerewors, Steak and Jupiter beer that tasted like Castle. The only Belgian thing was the young Gouda and some radish/cabbage veggie. It was a lovely evening - thanks Tijl - and I got home at 21:30. The journey home was a difficult one as the wines and beer churned around my stomach making for some awkward moments. I couldn't say no to Belgian hospitality...

Friday
Ok, I messed up with the location of today's race and it was further than expected, hence taking the day off. I made good use of it I can tell you...

I got up at 9 to get to the bike shop an hour away before the close at 12:00. Unfortunately it rained so I had to hang 10 until the weather cleared up. Left home at 10:15, got to the shop, bought pedals, a big blade and some tires for the tandem and then continued to a coffee shop in Westerlo. A quintessential little place filled with books, the aroma of coffee and the ambiance completed by 60s music playing softly in the background. I walked in and was greeted by some people in the shop, sat down, and we all - owner, fellow townies and myself - continued with conversations about Belgium, South Africa, diamonds, Mandela, Tom Boonen, cycling, Obama, rooibos tea and philosophy. 3 hrs later I left there and rode home. What a relaxing day. Well, I was a little jittery from all the coffee after that ;)

After all the coffee it was time for some Rooibos tea. The coffee and tea gets served with a slice of lemon sponge cake. The coffee however gets served with some liqueur (occasionally with cream on the liqueur) of some sort. Interesting...


Tomorrow
I am racing in Wallogne again in a town by the name of Saint Trond. The race finishes in Bousalle 30kms away but I managed to get a lift with 1 of the guys in the house. Race is 120km and we riding the 60kms home. Will update the blog tomorrow night.

Have a good weekend all! Some photos to make your mouth water...

Holiday time

Ok, so the post is titled holiday time as I have taken a break from racing. I needed some head rest. I have nevertheless had a busy time the last 3 days, so catch it all below!

Monday
Ok, maybe not such a busy day, ha ha. I woke up in a cleaning mood today - can you believe it. So I vacuumed and mopped the lounge, entrance hall, kitchen, bathroom and my room. I then cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen. Washed my bedsheets (not for the first time), washed some other washing, shaved my legs, shaved my beard, went shopping, read a few chapters of my husband book and then cooked supper. Wow, what a domesticated day!

Luke and I then left for Leuven at 16:00 and had coffee and deep conversations about the meaning of life and cycling for 3 hours in the town square before coming home for supper and some veg-in-front-of-the-TV time. We discussed the role of cycling in our lives, the priority we give to it, what else there is in life and what we are sacrificing. It is really difficult to explain to people, cyclists and non-cyclists, about what you discover when you come over to race here. We tend to get so consumed in our little worlds we are exposed to - our local office, our local cycling community, our local church, etc that we miss so so so much. They always say an overseas trip is an eye opener in ways you don't always expect. And even if this trip was just to do that it was successful. Chris and I have gone through tough times the last few weeks and have been challenged in many ways. Allthough many couples would prefer not to have such an experience of being apart, it reveals many things to one another of yourself, your relationship with each other, your goals, your existance. Sjoe, I'm getting way to philosophical now. Be sure to read my "final thoughts" I'll post when I end the trip in 10 days' time.

It was really good to have a relaxing day of no stress, no time limits, just take it easy. Yes, I am on a 'holiday' here but it is by no means stress free and relaxing. Work is a 5-day commitment, cycling over here is a 6-day 8hr+ commitment which is physically and mentally very draining.

Tuesday
Ok, so today was going to be a big day. I had planned to go to the Ardennes on Wednesday with Helen, but she received a last minute invite to a tour so I was left home alone. The Ardennes is a region in the South of Belgium stretching into France, Luxemburg and some of Germany covered with hills, rivers and lush forests. It is apparently a must-see area and great for riding so I decided to go see it. Easier said than done except if you take a train. As the crow flies the Ardennes 60kms South, so to ride there gives you a 80km ride 1-way. I sat on GMaps and planned my route. A there-and-back route would be a waste of time: If I am going to ride 160kms I may aswell do a round trip and see some of the country. Well, 230kms and 9hrs later I got home but boy, WHAT A DAY!

Map of my ride - Brussels included in the top left for reference.



First stop was Namur. A bigger than expected city on the border of the Ardennes. I originally planned to go more South but the French road signs were getting to me and I was starting to get annoyed with not really knowing where I was going. All I had to navigate on my 230kms was 1/2 an A5 piece of paper with "Tielt-Tienen-Namur-N90-Liege-N3-Sint Truden" written on it. That is not a lot if you are trying to navigate through highways, side streets, random points of interest etc. Saying Namur is big implies that I was forced to veer off the main roads to get into the City and see some lovely spots. Photos below of my having a bit next to the river in Namur and with a castle in the background, little tunnels I had to ride through to get to the top of the hill where the castle is and then views from the top. Remember, where I stay in Flaanders it is all flat, so this is serious stuff for Belgium!







Next stop was Liege. It was a long stretch but with the well-known Liege-Bastogne-Liege race starting and finishing in the town I had to pay tribute to the town. En-route some photos. It was beautiful with the road meandering along the river on the left and the cliffs on either side. It reminded me a bit of the cliffs of Dover / driving from George to Wilderness / the mountains at Harties. If you have been to all these places I hope you can see the resemblance... Also see the vineyards and the shades of greens on the river bank.




On the way I past through a STUNNING town: Huy. Wow, why does no-one speak of this town. See the photo below of the fort, the cable car going up to it, the bridge over the river in the forefront. Wow, what a beautiful town.


Then it was time for Liege. Now this was seriously a big town. Goodness me I truly under estimated this place. Personally, it is a scumwhole to be honest. There is really nothing to see, it is polluted, the roads are poorly marked and it is French - I won't recommend it to anyone. Ok, the French is maybe a personal dilemma of not understanding the language... See the entrance to the town below and some Princess' palace. That is the extent of attractions in Liege...




This was also when I reached an ultimate low-point in my ride. I had to dig very deep not to go sit in the corner and feel depressed. Let me paint the picture:
* My road I had been following into Liege just stopped and turned into a new name. The road signs started pointing in all directions. I continued to follow the signs saying "Centrum" through polluted industrial areas with no space for bicycles and big trucks giving me NO space. The "Centrum" signs also got really confusing at times pointing in 3 different directions at one intersection. Random riding brought me back into town and to the city centre. Took the photos above and took a breather.
* I was now properly lost. All I knew was that I was in the middle of a big city.
* I was getting hungry and it was 6hrs into my ride.
* Like a beaming beacon I spotted the universally known green "i" indicating information. The punks couldn't or wouldn't speak English and had no idea where I wanted to go. Probably because I had the Flemish name of a town in Flaanders and I was now in French speaking Wallogne where they have different names for towns in Flaanders. He pointed to a suburb and told me to look get directions there. Also said no-no to cycling there, I must take bus. Big roads. Whatever dude.
* Then it started getting very cold as I tried to weave through buses and unfriendly city driving people.
* Then it started to rain - not the drizzle type, but a serious bucketing of rain. I thought since the rain came so quickly and so powerfully that it would stop as quickly as it started but it continued. Clearly time for the rain jacket. So now I was starting get wet, I'm cold and I'm hungry.
* So I hopped onto the pavement but my backwheel slipped on the wet cobble stones and I wiped out good and proper. Bike lying on 1 side with the classic site of the backwheel spinning and me lying in the pavement ditch where the water is streaming over me down the road. My hip torn open and burning.
Sjoe, it was tough times I can tell you! I got up, picked my bike up and leaned against the wall where there was 1/2m of shelter I wanted to stop in. There was no-one I could blame so a deep breath and go through the motions..jacket on, spin the wheels and pull the brakes a few times, pull my pants together and straight, ride and pray it is in the right direction and don't think about anything, just ride your bike - you chop.

The rain continued for another 20mins before dying down. I rode a bit more to stay warm and then found a food stop and had a well deserved break. I also discovered I was going in the right direction so things cheered up.

Now I haven't written about the following sights yet. Another deep conversation, so just skip it for some light reading.
The photo below is of a, uhm, men's club / brothel or whorehouse for lack of a better word. These houses are on the main rd and girls sit in the windows with lingerie on like shops would demo their clothes, furniture or cars. When she saw me take a photo she bolted off her chair. How has the world become so morally declined that humans decide to sell themselves - not for what they can mentally or physically do, but purely for the selfish desires of other humans. You see these places scattered along the road - I easily saw over 50 of them - all with girls in the windows. Wow, it is sad. No think about this - there this woman sits in the window showing herself off, because a man, who is so desperate for sex that he would pay to have it with a complete stranger, wants to see before going to her and then have the choice of saying "no thanks, even in my state of desperation I don't want to do it with you". Wow, how low must a woman's self esteem go to not just being told she isn't sexy but being told she isn't sexy for someone who is completely desperate - now that is an insult. My word, these people need God.


I got home at 19:30, cooked supper and walked around like a zombie for next few hours before going to sleep. What a lovely day. The other people in the house think I'm crazy, but they don't understand that I don't get time to ride my bike, so when I get the chance I use it to it's full extent, lol.

Wednesday (yes, birthday time)
We decided to go for bottomless pizzas on offer by Pizza Hut from 12:00 - 14:00. So we hit the road at 09:30 for a 2hr ride to get the metabolism going. Went down to Hoegaarden and onto an old train track that has been converted into a 60km long bike path. We were only on it for about 2kms before having to head back - but really pretty and quite. A nice change from fighting for road space with 18 wheeler trucks and tractors with long trailers. In the photo below is Luke from Australia and Rachel from New-Zealand.


We got to Pizzahut at 13:00, ate plenty of pizza, walked around town, went for coffee, walked around town, went for milkshakes, walked around town and got home at 19:00. In the photo Ricardo from the UK.


Tomorrow I am heading to Tijl's parents 40kms away for supper. Looking forward to some home cooked Belgian food! I ate enough during pizza time today so my next meal will be tomorrow night. Friday I race again.

Thank you for all the birthday emails/SMS's