XTERRA BUFFELSPOORT 2013

Result: 7th Overall

XTERRA Buffelspoort had finally arrived. Seemed like forever that I have been training for the 2013 XTERRA season and was great that the first event was now here. I had decided to slightly train through the first XTERRA in the hope that my XTERRA Grabouw would be my focus race. In hindsight I needed all the tapering and energy possible for the course that lay ahead.

It was a confusing morning with South African Cross Triathlon Champs being incorporated into the XTERRA event, this meant good old TSA rules, I was stumped most of the morning trying to figure out what I was and was not allowed to do. The first unfortunate thing for me was that the water was to warm for wetsuits to be allowed and the apparent TSA rule when I asked was the kit you start in you have to finish in which meant no swim skins either. I ended up going "old" school and tucking my race shirt into my cycling pants and swimming like that, FAR from hydrodynamic. Once in the water I looked around and realised a few of the top guys had taken a stand against the rule and wore swim skins anyway allowing themselves to wear their usual XTERRA kit and maximize sponsors exposure. By this time it was to late for me to grab mine and I was left wishing as my swim time was quite off the pace.

I exited the water and set about making up some of the time lost. I tried to hold back slightly as I had heard the run course was fairly tough and wanted to try have something left for the run. I felt comfortable and was slowly but surely reeling in the guys ahead. About three quarters of the way through the bike course Stuart Marais caught me and I jumped on his wheel for the remainder of the bike, he had a strong pace going and we got into 3rd and 4th position respectively by the end of the bike.

We were now into the run and I was keen to see what this new route had to offer. I got through the old dam wall climb without any issues and was feeling good but unfortunately by about km 4 we started the new section of what felt like "mountaineering" I certainly hadnt trained for hills that steep and my slightly fatigued legs were not coping well. It was torture watching guys come past in what seemed like slow motion up the climbs and not being able to do anything about it. I managed to drag my body across the finish line in 7th Overall and winning my Age Category in the South African Cross Triathlon event which was a very small consolation for my dismal run.

I look forward to XTERRA Grabouw which will be back to the usual XTERRA rules and a run route the legs will enjoy a lot more