Korea

The final racing chapter for this year was two 70.3 races in Korea. This was going to be a good test because of the fact that the races was only 2 weeks apart and this will be the first time I attempt this. Balancing the races, recovery as well as being a tourist was going to be difficult, but I thought I could manage that.

The first race was in Incheon, where it was very hot and humid. This was a very tough race as South Africa just came out of winter and I wasn’t prepared for the heat. The swim was in a canal and was quite enjoyable. The cycle was a bit technical in the first 8km as we had to navigate about 8 U turns and several 90 degree turns. This hurt the legs for the run and the rest of the cycle. To make matters worse we had to do 3 laps of the bike. I felt good for the first 2 laps and then suddenly I started to cramp a bit. But nothing too bad, just the body’s way of saying listen here you are on the limit. I was glad when the cycle was done and was eager for the run to start. My running felt good in training and I was happy to start the run. The first 10km was good and I felt that if I can keep this pace I will be very happy. Unfortunately the wheels came off and I suffered the last half of the run. I ran slower and slower and I was in a lot of pain. I managed to soldier on and finish the race in 7^th position.

It was a good learning curve, but I felt drained emotionally and physically. I wanted to go home and even asked my mom to change my flights so I could come back and rest and start to prepare for next year. She talked me out of it and I had to stay and focus to get my mind back on track for the next race. 

For the next two weeks the focus was just on recovery and enjoying the city. My brother and I one day went to Everland just to clear the mind a bit and have some fun. It was also good to bond with my brother for 3 weeks, some quality time together.

The second race was in Gurye in the south, a beautiful little town in the mountains, luckily we didn’t have to climb the mountains in the cycle leg. I went into the race with a little bit less stress knowing that whether it a good or bad race, the whole mission of this trip was to gain experience and learn how my body reacts to what I’m putting it through. The cycle is still my main problem with the longer distance races, I know I need to pick it up quite a lot. During the race there was a group of about 6 athletes cycling together. I told myself, you can crawl the run but you have to push and stick with the group. And I managed to do just that, sticking with them was very hard but mentally it was a huge boost. Surprisingly the run was quite good until the last 5km. I was sitting comfortably in 6^th position and was only overtaken in the last km to finish in 7^th.

 This was a great trip, with a huge mountain of experience gained and three weeks bonding with my older brother. It was emotionally and physically draining, but I feel like I came out of this a stronger athlete.  I feel like I am improving with regards to race experience and strategy with every race.

I have some off time now and in a few weeks I will begin to prepare for the 2016 season.

Cheers

Rudolf

70.3 Durban

Since the announcement of the Durban 70.3 race in January, racing this has been high on my priority list. It would be a big race in my home country and all my friends and family could be there for support. This just added to the hype for the race and also made the nerves grow even more. This would have been only my fourth ever 70.3 distance race and the 3^rd one for this year.

The pro field was small with only 6 athletes but the competition still strong. The race favourite was Stuart Marias, having won a 70.3 during 2014, coming second in the 70.3 East London in 2015 and winning Knysna big 5 challenge recently.  However, I was still determined to have a good race and perform well. The race started early in the morning and there was a chilly wind blowing. Coming from an ITU background, my swimming was my strength and I had to use that strength to the full potential. As I am still lacking some power on the bike, I needed to have a good swim. As the hooter went, we were off and the 4 hour adventure started. I felt good during the swim and pushed the pace the whole way, until the last buoy when I swam a bit off course, but all in all I was happy. This means one of the 3 disciplines was on par. But the big test was coming now the cycle leg.

It was the most amazing feeling that I have ever had, leading the bike on an official Ironman 70.3 race (even only for a while). The feeling was surreal, but I knew I had to focus and concentrate. I felt good and was feeling like I was going at a good pace until Stuart caught up. He came flying past like I was looking for parking. I knew then that the real race was on and I tried sticking with Stuart, but after about 1km I realized that I wouldn’t be able to handle that pace. I backed off a bit and the settled into my pace again. Just before the halfway point the rest of the pro’s caught up. I stressed a bit there because my 45second advantage in the swim had been wiped away quicker than what I had hoped for. For about 10km the pace was really high and I was struggling a bit to keep with the pace, but luckily the pace settled down and everyone relaxed to more “normal” pacing on the bike. I think everyone realized that Stuart was in a race of his own and we were competing for the minor places on the podium. 

  

It would all come down on the run for the rest of us. We all entered transition almost together. Once I started running I had a bit of extra adrenaline and went out a bit too fast and eager to run. Luckily after about 2km I realized this and decided to slow down to what I think would be a good race pace. During the run I slowly moved up in the field and after 8km I was in 3^rd position. I thought this would be an amazing result if I can hold on. This would become quite tough as I felt more fatigued with every step that I took. The last 6km of the run was pure pain and torture. I suffered a lot, but couldn’t slow down as the 4^th place was hunting me down. At the last km of the race I was only 30sec ahead of 4^th place but I still pushed to the end, just for a bit of insurance. I am really happy with my performance. This was the best race of my life thus far and I felt on top of the world.

Changing to longer distances has been a real challenge but it seems quite successful thus far. I am enjoying the triathlon more than ever.

My next race will be 70.3 Incheon followed by 70.3 Gurye both in Korea. This will bring an end to my successful season, but hopefully I can end it on an even higher note.

Cheers

Rudolf

Sun City Ultra

Last weekend at Sun City I started my triathlon long distance journey. After talking to my coach, we decided that the long distance triathlon will be a better option for me, as I have lacked the top end speed needed for ITU racing. This was a big step up as long distance racing is completely different to ITU racing. There is a lot more tactics involved and pacing plays a crucial role, if you go out to fast on the bike and blow, it will be a very long day of racing. Also nutrition plays a vital role, as the distance is a lot further and you race longer, timing of your nutrition as well as the amount that you will take on race day plays a big part in your performance.

At the start of the race there was a bit confusion as the race started late due to traffic cops being late and safety was a priority. This meant we would start at any given notice and made warming up for swimming a bit hard. I was very nervous for the race as it was only my second ever long distance race. I was and am still very inexperienced with this type of racing, but was confidant in my swim. Coming from an ITU background I knew my swim was strong and I can rely on it to give me a bit of breathing space for a smooth transition and an opportunity to settle in on the bike. Luckily that was the way it panned out. I was first out the water after the swim and was still feeling anxious and exited at the same time. Leaving transition I knew this is where the race would really start - whether I would have a good race or a great race.

The first few km on the cycle felt very comfortable. I was feeling good and was pushing the bike a bit. But at the back of my mind I kept thinking to myself that am I going to hard? Will I pop in a while? And where is the rest of the competitors? The cycle was a 2 lap route consisting of 45km each. So I could see the other competitors at the turn around points. This gave me a bit of insight to how I am doing compared to them. I was racing athletes who has done a lot of these races so I knew form them how I was doing and how the day is going. As expected they kept closing the gap on the bike at every turn point that I looked. I took a chance and decided at the last turn around I would wait for them and stay with them when they caught me. This meant that I could save my legs a bit on the run as well as that I would start with them. This was a risky gamble as I might have given them a big mental boost by letting them catch me. But it was a risk I was willing to take. I thought if I cycle 1min slower I might be able to run 2 faster. They caught me with 10km to go and I stuck with them till the end. It was a lot easier for me to pace myself of them then what I had to do when I was on my own. Still a lesion that I have had to learn.

When we entered transition again, I heard there was a mix up with the swim and that some athletes missed a buoy. The organizers decided to discard the swim and only take the run and bike time. This meant that my full advantage that I gained on the swim was now a disadvantage, as I had to run 4 min out of the competitors. If I had known that now then I would have not waited for them on the bike. This was a big mental blow for me, but also a challenge. I knew I had to push myself as hard as I can to see if I can make up the time as well as how hard and far I can push myself on the run. I started the run and felt quite good. I did start a bit too fast and thought I need to keep pushing but also I need to hold back that I don’t blow. The run route was quite difficult as it was around two golf courses and there was a few hills to get from one to the other. Also there was a few twists and turns to navigate. In the end I managed to complete the run and was able to run the 4min I needed to win the race. This was a good confident booster for me and I am grateful that I could have done the race and got a positive result out of it.

This was a good learning experience and I am happy for the positive outcome and I am confident that I will be able to improve in future races as I gain more experience. This success of the race is also attributed to the great support system backing me up. It goes down from my family to my coach and all my sponsors. Without them none of this would be possible. I really do appreciate it.

My next race will be the 70.3 in Rapperswil, Switzerland on the 7^th of June. This will be my first international 70.3 race and I am quite excited for the race and the whole atmosphere of racing overseas at a new distance as well as the fact that my whole family will be there to support me. Let’s hope I won’t let them down and that I will have a good race and most important of all, have fun.

Cheers

Rudolf

WTS Cape Town

I injured my shoulder 9 days before this very important race was held for the first time in Africa. We tried all possible – physio, rest, ice. I nevertheless arrived in Cape Town on the Thursday before the race.  I was still very positive as my injury was much better, but still not 100%.

The water was an icy 12 deg C, but the officials decided that the normal 1500m swim will be on the cards. The swim was crazy fast and the pain in my shoulder really handicapped my stroke and overall rhythm.  I exited the water way beyond my normal position and also vomited and felt dizzy on the first cycle lap.  My coach and I then decided to call it a day.  I was very disappointed as we were anticipating this race and the quality of the athletes to compete for many a month.

A few positives also came out of this weekend.  South Africa (Cape Town) is now on the map with regards to hosting a high profile race.  My colleagues from SA did an amazing job with 3 men in the top 20 and 3 girls in the top 30.  Richard just missing out on podium in 4^th position.

For now, I need to focus on rehabilitation of my shoulder and trying find out what is wrong with my body overall.

Until next time

Cheers  

Africa Championships, Troutbeck, Zimbabwe

Africa Championships were held in a beautiful little place called Troutbeck in Zimbabwe this year. I have raced there previously so I knew what to expect. The route was hilly both cycle and run disciplines. Both routes were uphill to the turning point and then downhill to complete the lap.

On a wet Saturday noon, the hooter went off and the race started. The swim was not too fast and I was able to sit on the feet of some athletes and just stay there. As my climbing abilities aren’t on the standard of the smaller built athletes, I cycled out my own tempo for 3 laps until Richard and Eddie caught me. From there on we cycled harder but it was a bit easier since we were sharing the work load. We then didn’t lose too much time.

When I passed my coach, told me I need to dig deep to enable me to get some ITU points. So for me the whole run was about limiting the damage and as I lost out on points at SA Champs, I was determined not to spoil the opportunity again.

I managed to obtain the points and was also 4th overall and 2nd in the u/23 elite category. So it was a good day out for me, really hard but worth it. I was very happy with my results and my performance.

Next up is the WTS in Cape Town in 2 weeks’ time

Until then

Cheers  

Sasol Cross Off Road Klipbaai

The second leg of the Sasol Cross Series was changed to a duathlon, due to heavy rain and the river being flooded. This means that the triathlon and duathlon series points will be combined for this race.

I didn’t know what to expect on the first run as I haven’t done a duathlon for a very long time.  I went hard out hard and I managed to get a 30sec gap on the 2^nd placed athlete. I had a smooth transition and started the Off Road cycle leg.

As it was the week before SA champs, I didn’t want to take any chances on the bike and risk a crash, so I raced the technical parts very easy. A few athletes caught me and I decided to sit on their wheels and just be safe. I felt confident of my chances of winning because I managed a good first run leg. 

Again I had a good transition and started the run in second place, but after 1km I caught the first placed athlete and pulled away from him. I managed to get the win and with that also seal the win for the series.

This was a final and good confidence boost before the next weekend, I’m hoping my form will stay there and I will have another good race.

Until then

Cheers 

Sasol Cross Off Road - Emerald Casino

As always early in the new year, the Sasol Cross Off Road Series is taking place very close to my hometown, Vanderbijlpark. I raced the first series some 4 years ago and it was fun, so I decided to race it again this year. The races consist of 1000m swim, 22km off road cycle and 6km trial running. 

In the first race I wanted to do well and build my confidence for the season so I went out hard. I exited the swim with a minute gap. My brother was in a team and he managed to start the cycle with me, so it was a lot of fun having him there, keeping me company and focused. We worked well together keeping the pace fast. 

 After a quick transition the 6km trail run started. I felt good on the run and was able to open a gap quite quickly. I ran hard and felt good after this race. This was good for me and my confidence at the start of the ITU season. 

The next race will be the 2nd leg of the Sasol Cross series, one week before SA Championships. 

Until then

Cheers 

IM 70.3 Buffalo City

This year I took part in my very first 70.3 race. I could imagine this was going to be a really hard race. I have never done these distances before.  Looking at the Pro start list was scary – I even saw the name of a previous IM World Champ amongst them. Racking the bike on the previous day, race briefing and warm up, was all things I haven’t experienced before. But luckily my dad and brother was there to help me and keep me focused for the race. My mom was there as always to support. On race morning I was feeling good and focused but also very anxious.

The swim was very similar to a normal Olympic distance race as the pace was quite fast but not too bad. I exited the swim a few about 20sec behind the leaders. After the swim the big test started with the undulating 90km time trail. I was stressed   because I have never done this distance before in a race and the field was very strong. I managed to get to a good transition and was out on the bike in 3rd position. It only lasted for about 10km until the group caught up to me and I was content to sit at the back as I was still new to this. At about 25km there was a huge increase in the pace and I tried to go with the group, but after about 5km of hard effort, I dropped back because I knew I can’t keep up with the pace. Doing a time trial for 90km on a difficult route is physically and mentally demanding, but it was fun, I enjoyed all of the cycling. The 90km didn’t feel that bad and I was glad I could start with the run soon.

On the run I felt kind of fresh from the cycle. I started out at a too fast pace, which was a bit of a mistake. The race was longer than what I was used to so I had to hold back a bit. I felt good until about 5km to go when my legs started to fall of quite badly. My legs felt like jelly and I was tired, I kept on counting the meters down one by one until I reached the finish. 

I was really happy, as everything went almost perfect for my first race. The weather was perfect and also my body. I couldn’t have asked for a better race considering my limited experience in this and also with the amount of training I did. I ended up in 15th position in the Pro category, with a decent time as well. I took a lot of positives out the race and also it was a great boost mentally for having a good first race of the season.

That was the perfect building block for the rest of the season, I just needed to focus on the races and take it one race at a time.

Thank you to my parents, brother, coach Lindsey and all my sponsors.

Cheers

Rudolf

Rockman Off Road Ultra Triathlon

Doing the Rockman Off Road Ultra Triathlon a few weekends back, was a completely new challenge for me. It would be the first time I would be racing anything longer than Olympic distance. This race consists of 2km swim, 70km mountain bike and 18km run. I had no idea what to expect or how I would manage these distances. During training I did quite a few longer runs than 20km, but I have never even run a half marathon road race. I just wanted to go out and have some fun in the mud. 

Ruan and Rudolf discussing tactics before the race

The swim was nice and easy, I swam hard to get a little gap on my closest rivals, but only at about 75% effort. The 70km cycle, was going to be a real challenge, as it was far and it was very muddy as it rained continually for the previous week. The first 10km was good and I felt fine, then the mud part started. It was a clay/mud combination, so it got stuck to your tyres if you didn’t race with slicks. Unfortunately the mud built up was so bad that my wheel locked and I had to stop to try and get rid of some of the mud. Once I started cycling again I saw an athlete in front of me and when I caught them I realized it was someone who had swam quite a bit behind me. I was confused - either I took a wrong turn somewhere or he did. That made things quite interesting. I cycled well until we hit the mud again. There I was stuck again, but saw my brother in front of me. When I caught up to him he told me that a lot of people took a wrong turn. So we stopped again, cleaned the bikes and off we went to finish the first cycle lap. At this point I had no idea in which position I was – I only knew I was about 10th on the road. I just put my head down and cycled flat out. After a while my friend, Markus caught up to me and we cycled together for a while and then he dropped me. I was starting to think that this could end up being VERY long day and I still need to do the run. 

In the hurt box

It was 18km trail and I was feeling the effort on the bike in my legs. I ran a decent first lap, still doing good times. But the second lap took its toll and I started to run slower and slower. The last 5km was painful and I felt like dying, but I kept on running – I just decided not to walk, not to walk…. I am glad I didn’t. In the end I raced just under 5hours, more than double of what I am used to. It was the hardest race I have ever done – I felt like crying like a baby. I was happy that I finished and in the end I was 2^nd overall. This race was a huge confidence booster. 

The podium

This was the last race of the year. I am planning on doing the 70.3 in Buffalo City in January. For now it’s a few days off and then base training starts.

Cheers

Rudolf

African Cup - Kenya

The race on 10 November 2013 in Mombasa, Kenya was my last scheduled race on the ITU calendar for 2013. I wanted to end off the season on a high note after a disastrous season and obtain some points. I arrived on the Friday morning in Mombasa. The hotel was quite small but it had everything that I needed. I unpacked my bike to see if everything was in order and ready for race day. It was quite warm and humid so that would definitely play a part in the race on Sunday.

Saturday started with a swim in the sea on the race course. I felt quite good in the water and was confident with my swim. We then had breakfast and relaxed. We then cycled the route which was flat and fast, but I notice quite a few potholes in the road.  I realized it will be hard to make up ground if you lost time in the swim. The afternoon was just an easy run to loosen up the legs and get ready for the race.

On race day the sea was flat and everyone looked focused on the start line.  When the siren went I jumped onto eddies feet and followed him for a while. Two athletes had a small gap on us, but we were 5 athletes in the pack and I was comfortable on the feet of the Italian in front of me. The transition from the swim to the cycle was very quick. After half a lap we caught two athletes, but one athlete got dropped from our pack. Everyone was working well, except for one Polish guy. He only did his turn once per lap. On the final lap he tried to come to the front and dodged a pothole by swinging to the left side. Unfortunately, I was on his left and also had to swing to the left to try and avoid him. I hit a pothole and came down pretty badly; my body was full of scratches and my bike out of action.  That was the end of the race for me.

It was a disappointing end to the ITU season, but I still have one more race left for 2013. I am hoping to end the year on a high note at the Rockman Off Road Race.

Until then

Cheers

Rudolf

World Champs - London

The ITU WTS World Championships were held in London. I really wanted to visit London so I was really excited to be able to participate. We were lucky enough to fly straight to London without a transfer. We got there safe and sound and after good night’s sleep we were ready for a few days of normal routine before the race.

On race day the nerves were high. I just came off a relatively good 5150 in BelaBela, so I was hoping to continue on the good form. The race was also emotional, because the Olympics were held here just over a year ago and it was magic to race at the same venue. I had a good start in the swim, I started on the side so I did not get bunched in form both sides. There was a downside to this too; I was forced wide around the turn buoys. I worked hard form there till the end of the swim lap and gained a few places. The second lap was a lot better and I found my swimming rhythm. I exited the water in about the middle of the field.

The lead pack had about 21 athletes and the second pack had about 5. I just missed the second pack but was in front of the 3rd pack. I waited for them on the cycle and then we worked hard to get up to the 2nd pack. The first 3 laps were raced at an incredible fast pace, unfortunately I lost both my water bottles during the first 2 laps…. After we caught the 2nd pack I sat in the group saving energy and working every now and then. We finished the cycle leg at about 35s behind the front pack. It was all down to the run now. I knew this was my week point, because I had a nasty injury and missed a lot of running the past few months.

I went out and gave it everything I had in the run. During the last lap I faded a bit, which could be as a result of the injury and the lack of water on the cycle. I finished in 37th position. I am happy with the result and I was glad I had the opportunity and privilege to race. I was hoping for better but on the day that’s all that I could do.

Thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to be able to race World Champs. Also thank you for everybody who has supported me during my years in triathlon. I will be taking a break from training and start again in October. Racing will start in November with the African Champs 5150.

Until then

Cheers

Rudolf

5150 BelaBela

The 5150 in BelaBela would be the first time I was racing since the African champs in May. I was very excited, but at the same time very nervous. I really wanted to have a good performance to boost my confidence before I leave for the World Champs in London a few weeks later.

The race was a normal Olympic distance race but the cycling was non drafting, so this made it fun and exciting. We started in waves and the pro’s and pro-elites were first. I started next to Wian, because he is a great swimmer. I knew if I could stick with him in the swim I will have a good swim. It turned out to happen, as I exited the 1500m swim next to him.

We had a small gap on 3rd and 4th place. After a quick transition we were out on the cycle. Wian was setting a good pace and I tried to keep up with him, but my legs weren’t there on the cycle.

After about 8km Wikus caught me and I stayed with him for a while. I thought then, this will be a long day for me after Travis came flying past me. I decided then not to panic and just focus on the here and now and trying to cycle as well as I can. During the 2nd lap I felt much better and I started to gain some ground on some of the athletes, so I was feeling more confident after the 2nd lap.

The run was going to be mentally and physically hard because I haven’t really ran as much as I wanted. I had an injury and couldn’t run for several weeks. My form on the run was going to be a surprise, but I knew I had to go out hard and hope for the best. Starting the run, I was in 4th place so the race was still on. I felt good on the run and was running a steady tempo. I stayed in 4th position until the finish, but I gained a lot of confidence from the race heading to World Champs. In the end the result might not have been the best, but mentally it was a good race for me.

World champs will be in London in 3 weeks’ time and I am hoping for another solid result there.

Until then

Cheers

World Cup, Ishigaki

The first World Cup which of raced during  my 2013 season, was in Ishigaki, Japan. It was a long, 30 hour travel from Johannesburg, but I was looking forward to the race. The weather really wasn’t playing along on race day; it was cold and rainy so that made for a scary bike on a technical course.

I didn’t have a good start to the first lap of the 1500m swim and was almost last in the swim after 50m. I just couldn’t get out of the blocks fast and that made for a tough swim. I kept to the back of the swim and just hoped that the athletes in front of me don’t loose the feet in front of them. After the first lap I decided to try and move myself up and was hoping that I can have a good race after that. I could see that I was passing a few athletes and gaining on the pack in front.  In the end of the swim I was 2^nd pack and the leaders weren’t too far ahead of me.

The cycle was hard from the start. As the hill was just 50m after transition, I just knew I had to stay in the group. The complete first lap was hard and then my legs settled in and I started to feel good on the bike. We caught up a few athletes that were dropped from the front pack. Because it was very wet and slippery, the main focus was to stay upright, but still go hard. A lot of athletes crashed on the challenging route - there was a huge crash in the front pack taking out 6 guys, so everyone was scared after that and didn’t want to go down. I had a strong bike and I thought my legs were feeling good after the cycle but then on run decided otherwise.

The route was hard but only 3 laps so mentally it was better than a 4 lap run. I gave it my all and hoping to get a good result. But in the end I was 15^th and happy with the result.

There are a lot of positives to take out of this race – which I definitely will.

I thank everyone who made it possible for me to race in Japan, my sponsors and especially my parents who believed in me.

Until next time

Cheers

SA National Championships

During this past weekend, the SA National Championships was held in East London(Buffalo City). I was hoping to have a great race, training and preparation was going good and I was also feeling good.

The swim start was fast, but I had a good position comfortably in the main pack. Just before the end of the first lap on the swim, some athletes caught a wave and I just missed it. I had to run hard back into the sea again to get onto the feet of the front pack. I managed to do so. The run up to transition was long and hard, but I was able to maintain contact with the group. T1 was not as fast as I hoped for, but it was good enough to be in the main chase pack. We worked well on the bike, rotating nicely, trying to reel in the 2 athletes which was about 30sec up the road.  Then disaster struck…  I got a puncture 3km into the cycle.

My race was over and my day ruined as I had to unfortunately pull out. One positive was the way my swim went after some difficulty in the past.

Cheers

Rudolf

Fast triathlon Brazil

I was invited to compete in a triathlon in Brazil together with my friends Wian and Wikus. This was no ordinary triathlon, it was a super sprint. The format was as follows: 3 heats comprising of 200m swim, 3.6km cycle and 1km run with about 10 min rest between the heats. All athletes have to race all the heats. Teams consisted of 3 athletes and 6 countries was taking part.

The travelling was long but manageable, we travelled to Sao Paulo and then to Rio followed by a 3hrs bus trip to the hotel. We were quite tired so sleeping the first night was easy.

The next day we went for a cycle and explored a bit of the country side, it was really beautiful, the sea was blue and the sand was white, it was like paradise. It was really warm during the time we were there so we thought swimming in the sea will be nice and cool. Unfortunately the sea was a bit too cool, it was close to freezing temperature for us. We knew that was going to be a bit of a challenge in the race, but since the swim was so short, we realised that it wasn't too bad. On race day we will just have to swim fast to get out of the cold water.

On race day we didn't know what to expect. We have never done races in this format before. But we were determined to do well. During the first heat, the swim was a shock to the system and the run from the sea to T1 felt like miles. The American Zaferes got a gap on all the athletes as result of a huge wave assisting him.  On the bike Wikus and I rode well together in the first bunch, but the American Zaferes lapped all of the athletes so only he got points. The bike laps was only 600m.

In the second heat I had a good swim, but my transition wasn't to great and I missed the front pack. I was in the 2nd pack and I saw Zaferes was catching us again. Wian and Wikus was in the front pack so I thought if I slowed down the group and Zaferes catches us then we would be the only country having two athletes to get points. But he didn’t lap us so everyone got points and it was down to the last race to see who would podium.

Everyone was giving it all in the swim and the cycle was pretty much bunched up together, it came down to the run and everyone was tired. Our team ended up in 3rd place. We were happy with it but we knew we made mistakes that cost us the win. This has been an amazing journey seeing Brazil and getting to know new people. The county is amazing and the people are friendly.

Thank you to everyone making this trip a reality.

My next race will be national championships in 3 weeks time.

Until then

Cheers

Rudolf

Sprint African Cup, Cape Town

My first ITU race of the year was the Sprint African Cup in Cape Town. After my satisfying race at the Joburg City Tri,  I was feeling confident for another good race. Last year I had a very bad swim in this race and I wanted to clear that bad experience and focus only on the positives.

I did a long swim warm up to get accustomed to the icy cold sea, to avoid this being a shock to my system when I start the race. As the gun went off I sprinted and settled in with a good rhythm. The swim was done in a flash and before I knew it we were going back to the beach. I had no idea where I was in the race, but when I came into T1 I saw that I was in the top 5 and I knew then the race was on - not like last year.

 We formed a big bike bunch and caught the athletes that had a gap on the swim within 3km. It was then playing cat and mouse before we were organised again and worked well. During the last lap it was playing cat and mouse again, everyone wanted to rest a bit before the run. The transition was frantic with all the athletes trying to get out first. I started the run a bit slower than what I was supposed to. But I knew if I go out to fast I blow up so I was bit to cautious. In the end it cost me2 positions, but I still achieved my goal of top 10 in the race. This year has already been much better than last year and it only started now.

 The next race will be the fast tri in Brazil, this is going to be a new experience

Until then

Cheers

Joburg City Tri

The first race of the season was the Jhb City tri at Germiston lake. I was feeling confident, and was excited to see how I would perform with a solid base. I haven't done any real speed work so that would also be interesting to see how that would affect me.

In the swim I felt good, I was swimming with Wikus throughout the 1.5km, we set a good tempo from the start and till the end. We exited the swim together and was starting the 40km TT. I enjoy doing some TT every now and then, so was looking forward to this one. We had to do 4 x 10km laps.  The first lap was fine and we felt good, but from the 2nd lap we started to catch the back markers of the race. This made us to concentrate more as we had to side other athletes now. We managed to do it successfully an got in a good bike split. I was thinking this base is really paying off and I still felt good.

I was feeling really good on the run, but got clear instructions from my coach to take it easy - so I was just ticking over the legs and finishing the race. I felt really good. I was happy with my performance and I claimed the u/23 CGT title as well.

I have a feeling this year is going to be a good year for me.

Until later

Cheers

Rudolf