“Flip, this was tough. Toughest thing I’ve done so far. Insane race! But highly recommendable, says Katja Steenkamp of the 36One Challenge.
I am still trying to understand how I managed to arrive at the finish line. It’s all a bit blurry. I was sure I was going to bail, at least twice, but somehow ended up on my bike again continuing my long way to the finish.
Well, here’s how the race unfolded. It all began with the usual high paced start as if the finish was just a couple kilometres ahead. I was determined to hang on and find a suitable group to ride with, as I wasn’t keen for a lonely 11 hours night ride in the Karoo. At about 8pm and 2 hours into the race temperatures started to drop to 9 deg. I didn’t feel it at first as my heart rate was still going in high zones and I was wearing four layers, including a windbreaker. Once we all got into a more maintainable rhythm I sensed on the first couple downhills that we are in for a chilly night. I didn’t wear leg warmers during the first stage which was a big mistake. I could feel how my muscle contractions slowed down and as a result struggled to maintain my pace. The first stage was much harder than I expected and it was then that I realized that this event is all about reaching the finish, not the podium.
80km and 4 hours later I arrived at the first check point (CP). The rider support crews were allowed only at this point, and at two more later in the route. Pierre (Ed: Katja’s husband) made sure my Garmin and cell phone were charged, light batteries were fine, and that my bottles and nutrition were refilled and restocked. Pierre was keen on keeping my cell phone battery topped up because he’d insisted on loading a tracking app to my phone for him to know at any time where I was. My iPhone drained quickly and hence needed a recharge it at every check point.
After a 30 minute stop at the first CP I continued with the next leg of the event. 103km lay ahead in the darkness of the Karoo. I was motivated, refreshed, and feeling much warmer wearing leg warmers. I brought my iPod along, loaded with old trance and electro classics, and had a great party the next 4 hours while riding through the pitch dark. At the 80km mark I hooked up with a lady named Naomi and the two of us rode together in the cold for the next 2 hours.
I was tired and pretty close to hyperthermia. Sitting by the fireplace, I was seriously contemplating stopping the race right there. After 180km and 2400m climbing I convinced myself that this was a decent workout. No need to continue. Pierre simply ignored my talk of quitting and continued prepping my bike as per usual. He handed me some fresh riding pants, asked me to get dressed and continue. Some words of encouragement along these lines “No worries, sun is coming up in 2 hours. It will get warmer and much easier. You’ll see.”
Ahead lay another 100km with two long climbs and as Naomi had left the CP 20 minutes earlier, I was alone again. The music in my ears dragged me along and it helped that we immediately climbed to keep warm. The biggest challenge during this stage was the sleepiness. I must have fallen asleep many times, just for a second, but enough to land in a bush once and sway left and right on the road many times.
Pierre surprised me at the water point at the 256km mark and seeing him and a good dose of caffeine pepped me up again. But by that time the 180km guys began passing us. These fresh legged guys made me feel like a snail. It was nice seeing Caren Henschel along the way though, she offered some encouraging words my way and went on to finish 2nd in the 180km race.
After Rooiberg it was downhill to CP3, where I spotted this amazingly comfortable looking bench. It took 1, 2, 3 seconds and I passed out. I woke up 25 minutes later, rejuvenated and ready for the last 80km stretch. It was about 11 am and the sun had warmed up to a perfect 19 degrees. I started with a bunch of Joburgers and we rode together for the first hour. The company of human life around me was very welcome! One of the guys had done the Ironman two weeks earlier and didn’t feel too good, so they dropped back and took it easy while I continued at my own pace. I started counting the kilometres down: 50km, 49km, 48km, 48km, 48km, 48km… it just didn’t want to end.
Corrugated roads, headwinds, and being passed by cars, leaving me covered in dust, made the last stretch a bit unpleasant. Every muscle group in my body was aching and every single dent and bump in the road made my body scream to stop the torture.
I finished in just under 23 hours, of which about 20 hours and 30 minutes were spent riding. 250 riders started in the Solo category and 160 finished. 12 ladies out of 18 finished.
The 36One is an amazing experience and shows you the power of mind over body. But would I do it again? Hmm, maybe, but certainly not Solo. A team entry is the way to go!
[box type=”shadow” width=”750″ ]Katja’s Thanks: I need to dedicate an additional note to my incredible husband. He drove over 700km in total to meet up with me at the different check points and made sure to meet me halfway during each stage to see that I was fine. I was pampered all the way and the effort reminded me of the Formula 1 pit stops, lots of people fiddling on the car to get ready for the next round. Pierre did all of the fiddling so I could rest! [/box]
[author ]Katja Steenkamp grew up on a bicycle in Dresden, Germany. But she gave up the commuter bike for the mountain bike when she moved to Cape Town nine years ago. Her next big adventure is the 2016 Tour d’Afrique. Follow her on Twitter at @KatjaSteenkamp. [/author]
