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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

What a Great Week for the Team

This week has been great for the Pennypinchers AR Team for various reasons. Firstly we have renewed our sponsorship relationship with Helly Hansen for this year. What this means is that we have been supplied with racing and training tops by the world leader in technical clothing for hot or cold weather. We now have only the best in this department. One cannot underestimate the importance of staying warm when it is cold,cool when it is hot and dry when it is wet. This balance can be the difference between winning a race and losing,finishing or retiring or even life and death in an emergency.

The second big plus came along with the sponsorship of race nutrition from GU. GU is what Hoover is to vac um cleaners in the energy gel market. GU now also has a full range of race nutrition options and we now have access top another brand leader in these products. We have the GU gels , the Electrolyte Replacement drinks and also the Energy Chomps to make sure we stay fully fueled during races and training.











With the news of these great deals putting wind in our sails Jeannette and myself headed down to Theewaterskloof Dam for the Quantum Adventures Tri Challenge. The race would start with a 10 km paddle on the huge dam ,then a 24km mountain bike leg through the apple orchards and on to the mountain behind Villiersdorp and finish with an 8km trail run again through the orchards and along the dam.



About 180 competitors took part in the race which had different categories allowing pairs and relay options as well as the solo entrants. We lined up for the start of the paddle looking around for the competition and also for strong paddlers who we could work with on the paddle leg. paddling would be our strongest leg so we knew we needed to have a good lead going into the next two legs. The paddle went well and we were the second boat off the water and with a quick transition were on to our bikes and heading along the edge of the dam. My legs were dead for the first twenty minutes of the bike due to a lack of brick session training . With some fun river crossings and sandy and muddy sections we finished the bike leg in 1hr 05. Another super quick transition saw us onto the final trail run. Jelly once again over took the legs for a bit as we wound our way through the apple trees and then along the waters edge back to the finish. With that leg taking about 36 minutes we were first in the Mixed Pairs category and second in the overall standings as well only 10 minutes behind solo winner Rory Cole from Cape Town.Our total time was 2hrs 34 min.


Well done to Jeannette who showed her huge racing experience and put her head down and went like the clappers for two and half hours in a race that was most probably 200km to short and three times to fast for the training we have been doing.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Mid May Weekend Fun and CX Press clues




With the year scooting past this weekend saw the Team spread out from Cape Town to The Crags.

Check out the new stadium WOZA 2010


Chris headed down to take up a prize of some luxury accommodation that he had one and got himself onto Table Mountain to do some training in between smoke salmon breakfasts and high teas.As always he was branded to the hilt.

Don't look down Che che

Jeff shed the Polly Shorts and lumo green running vest of the Knysna Marathon Club and headed thru to George to take part in the SA Cross Country Mountain Bike Champs. He pulled of a third place in his age group so found himself on the podium for a bronze medal.


Jeannette and I spent Saturday doing Mountain rescue Training with the SA Air force helicopters in the mountains behind The Crags. It gives one a great view of the mountains and some of the potential training runs and rides that we can do in the future. Sunday morning saw us doing a great multi sport session. We started with a hard surf ski paddle which a pod of dolphins cruised in to make sure the pace was right.We then rode up to the edge of the Knysna Forest and put in a quick run on Robberg. This in preparation for the Theewaterskloof Tri Challenge this coming weekend.


The Google feature in this weeks edition of the CX Press is the biggest man made body of water in the Plettenberg Bay area and would look completely different if you flew over the dam today.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Homtini Mountain Bike Race and a Run at Goukamma

With Tuesday the 27th of April being Freedom Day Netski took the opportunity to head out to the historic Goldfields area of Knysna and took part in the Homtini Mountain Bike Race a long standing favourite among local bikers. Jeff Wilcock was alos there along with a host of other multisporters making the most of the public holiday.

Netski wrote

"What a stunning cycle Homtini was it had everything district road, stunning forestry paths thru the natural forest and some nice and fast downhill single track and instead of being a 65km we scored an extra 5km as well making it a 70km mnt bike race thru the natural wonders of Knysna which to me is the forest. Being a holiday the race was well attended and the girl’s field was super competitive with two of the strongest mnt bike girls having come up for the weekend from the cape Hanniel Booyens and Tatum. Needless to say I was left in the dust but I’ve got an good excuses my good old back decided to cease up from 15km mark onwards so I would like to blame that for my 4th position!!!!!!…..I must say I did wish I wasn’t in so much pain because it is a stunning route and well worth it even with the two hills in-between without them we wouldn’t have such great downhill’s. That’s all for now over and out"


Saturday morning saw the old Team Knysna (the roots of PpART) join up for a run through the Goukamma Nature Reserve from Buffalo Bay to Groenvlei. Jeannette came along as did one of the party goers from a local 40th that I had mentioned the run to the night before.Chris as usual had a trick up his sleeve and added a stunning 5 km loop onto the run which meant I would definitely be scratching for water with my small bottle and one Gel. The run took us through Milkwood forests and over sand dunes and along the beach to Lake Pleasant where we were m by Gizzelle Crewdson and giving a well deserved lift to the Farmers Market for a great brekkie.
It was great to spend time with Hanno Smit and Christine and shoot the breeze while running thru another of the Garden Routes gems.