Sasol Cross Off Road Triathlon Emerald Casino

It was the 3rd leg of the Sasol Cross Off Road Series, and this time I was happy to have home ground advantage. It was a fine and hot day, with no wind …. Perfect conditions. I was the home town hero and was hoping to win the race in front of many local spectators – even my grandma.

The swim was 250m downstream, 100m across and 250m upstream. After the gun went off, myself and Rodney(who was participating in a team) went full out on the swim. After T1 I had a comfortable 1:20 lead. My wish for today was that I wanted to survive on the bike leg and not get caught like at the first to races. I went flat out on the bike – I managed to open the gap with a few more seconds. The cycle was AMAZING …. just being in nature is a wonderful experience. I went through the course like a rocket …. everything was working for me. Maybe I’m getting used to my MTB now.

Leaving T1

When I started the run I had a comfortable gap and that allowed me to take it easy. But soon my competitive nature kicked in and before I realized I was running harder than anticipated. I was feeling good and I ran according to how my body felt …. and it felt good. I was running like the Springboks that I could see in the distance. I also saw a wildebeest run across the road and I was wondering whether this thing is dangerous? Can it charge and kill me? With these thoughts I ran a bit faster to get out of the reserve and into the safety area of the finish.

I was happy with my performance on the race and felt good. This was 2 weeks before SA champs so I was hoping I could carry my form over from this race to SA champs in PE.

Cheers
Rudolf