Solitary long ride from farm to the top of Jonah’s Kop, the highest peak in my hood. A thousand metres altitude gain, but will be more total gain. Distance 14km. Making it very similar in profile to Alpe d’Huez. Only, Pantani made that ascent in 37’ and I take 1h14’ for this…

My doubles partner from last year called me up to race the 28km flat-water with him. Thankfully he’s been spending time on the water and pulled us through. Not the most competitive race, but loved the racing. A few hard attacks. Plenty fun. Finished third.

Pieta Swannepoel asked if I’d join him on a small adventure race. Explained I wasn’t in form, but he agreed. Mtb, run, mtb, run. The mountain bike was on trails I knew in Jonkershoek, which I really enjoyed, and the run was mainly in the rocky river bed of the Eerste River. We came into the first transition second, but caught up in the river bed, seemed I’d learnt something at Coast. But Pieta and I didn’t have the fire power to stick. Next time. Incredibly encouraging seeing masses of fun athletes, parents and kids there.