Somewhere around the 100km mark Mia and Hein Mocke came cruising past Seamus Allardice, with Hein at the head of a small peloton tapping out the pace, and Mia looking comfortable on his wheel, while behind her the ragged line of riders hung on for dear life knowing if they fell off the pace the last 20km of the Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge would be hellishly tough.
Moments earlier I’d been in a desperate hole, but the sight of familiar faces got me out of my slump and I jumped onto Mia’s wheel, commenting as I did on how strongly the two of them were finishing. With a smile Mia responded: “Ja, but men don’t know how to pace themselves. They’ve got ego”…
As I write this I know she’s right, but on the day I thought I’d done well pacing my race. But let me back track a bit more first: When you tell old hands at the Attakwas that you’ll be attempting your first Atta the advice is all the same.
“Take it easy for the first 60km.” “Leave lots in your legs for the district roads at the end.” “Don’t race the Attakwas section.”
It’s far easier said than done.
Starting in E Batch with most of the other first timers I soft peddled with the bunch as we traversed the hard packed farm jeep roads towards the Outeniqua Nature Reserve, but for some reason – I’m guessing it was the nerves – I just couldn’t keep my heart rate down. Every time I checked my monitor on flat roads it was up near 160 BPM…
By water point two at the start of the Attakwas mountain section I was feeling good. From the route profile I knew this was where the proper climbing started. The road surfaces also change for the worse in between water points two and three. The jeep tracks become increasingly rugged and while the valley floor sections were bumpy but fast the climbs and descents were very rocky. This made it difficult to take it easy as the terrain keeps you working even when you’re freewheeling.
At the highest point of the race I stopped for a chat with Steve Smith and Craig Kolesky, took a few photos of other riders posing with the “King of the Attakwas” sign and then got going again. But there was a problem, I couldn’t bring myself to eat as I was beginning to feel super nauseous from the sweet energy bars and tabs.
By the third water point I was so nauseous that the smell of the Spur burgers, a saviour for many, physically repulsed me. So I forced down a few nuts and refilled my hydration pack.
Teaming up with Craig and Steve, the first district road phase wasn’t too bad. The rolling hills and the hard packed gravel roads made for easy going, but then the monster Di Carolin had warned me of, appeared through the trees at the far end of a valley.
The monster was a long, fairly steep (I have a feeling that none of the climbs in the second half of the race would be that bad on fresh legs) climb up through a pine plantation. I slogged up it as far as I could and then dismounted about 300m from the top and pushed out the rest with the vast majority of the riders around me.
Getting off my bike must have triggered something psychologically because after that I struggled for rhythm. I kept following Di’s advice and soft peddled the downhills to keep my legs turning over – which worked because I never cramped once in eight and a half hours. But on the remaining flats and hills I just couldn’t get any force into my pedal strokes.
Seeing my girlfriend, Tarryn, at the second spectator point, at the 95km mark, gave me a massive lift and I even managed to eat a gel there, hoping that the spike in energy would off-set the inevitable nausea. By the time Mia and Hein came past I was not doing well – to say the least. But seeing them gave me a massive lift and I found that riding with them I could easily keep up, so my ails were certainly more psychological than physical.
I rode with them for a few kays and even did a turn at the front of the bunch, but then the elastic snapped when we hit a steep climb which only Mia, Hein and one other rider in the group managed to ride out. From there on out it was me against the road, solo to the finish for 15km or so, passing the odd rider and being passed – but never able to team up with anyone of a similar strength. But I was beyond worrying by that point, it was just head down and keep peddling my little squares in a gear very close to granny.
Without much warning suddenly a little board appeared at the side of the road saying simply “6km”. I didn’t let myself believe it could mean 6km to go. But then sure enough a while later there appeared a “3km” board and I let my spirits lift slightly.
Dropping out of the hills above Great Brak, Craig and Steve caught me and I again found the reserves to give chase – rolling onto the long awaited finishing straight just behind them.
I don’t usually take medals at the end of a race, but I took the Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge medal and it’s up on the inside of my cupboard already – until next year when I break 8 hours…
And as for pacing and ego… well next year I’ll be riding with a lady, because I’m clearly hopeless at managing my own race!
Atta Tips
Tips I Got from Old Hands
- Save yourself for the last 60km (easier said than done)
- Keep peddling on the downhills to avoid cramping (this worked like a charm)
- Eat real food (I took real food but was in too much of a rush to eat it – stupid)
My Tips for 2016 First Timers
- Team up – get a group together to do the race and stick together, you’ll need friends for the final 40km especially, to work with and to keep your spirits up.
- Seconds – get someone to drive you to the start and to meet you at the spectator points, seeing a friendly face at the 95km mark helped me make it to the finish.
- Eat real food – I’m not sure what will work but stay away from sweet stuff, even the not particularly sweet Future Life Protein Bars (the peanut butter ones) made me feel exceptionally nauseous. Next time I’m making sandwiches and taking potatoes with.
- Don’t rely on the water points for food – while they’re well stocked, they don’t always have what you feel like, so rather carry your own.
My Top Tip
Get strong – I rode for 8:30 and I felt it was far too long to spend on the bike. I have more respect for the riders that took longer than me than I do for those that finished faster – honestly! Train hard, put in the hours in preparation and aim to finish in under 8 hours (that’s an average of 15km per hour) not because you want to be fast and place well, but just because you’ll enjoy it more if you spend less time out there!
Would I do it again?
Yes, unequivocally yes! But I’d do it with friends, not solo and I’d make sure I’m fitter to do it faster. I loved the Karoo and mountain sections of the route and it’s well worth it just to ride those 60km. The last 60km isn’t special but it’s a challenge and you’ll feel great about yourself for finishing, so I’d suggest you start training now.
Where Are We?
The Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge crosses from the little Karoo to the Garden Route coast, it’s a race of diverse scenery from sparse Karoo scrub to Karoo Mountain fynbos, and pine plantations to coastal pastures. It’s a hard race, but it’s one I’d strongly recommend to any mountain biker – with the Atta under your belt you’ll feel ready for just about anything. For entries and more information visit www.atta.co.za.
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