First mountain bike race!
Sat 17th April
I completed my first ever mountain bike race this weekend and had a fantastic time. This was the first time I’ve ever ridden a bicycle off road, as well as my very first bicycle race, so it was rather exciting. It was a Bonitas organized event held at Spier wine estate in Stellenbosch, with a 15km family fun ride. First of all, I had completely underestimated how difficult it is to ride a bike off road, and how far 15km is! It took me only 10 minutes quicker than it usually takes to run 15km on the road. My upper body felt quite battered afterwards and I was surprised at how hungry I got after 1 hour of riding. I need to learn to make the same nutrition and hydration plans when cycling as I do for running. I hadn’t had a substantial breakfast, though I did carry a camelbak for water; but fortunately there were welcome fruit stops along the way, which kept me going. Some sandy bits and quite a few hills meant that it was tough going, but I enjoyed every minute of it and I can’t wait for the next one!
I completed my first ever mountain bike race this weekend and had a fantastic time. This was the first time I’ve ever ridden a bicycle off road, as well as my very first bicycle race, so it was rather exciting. It was a Bonitas organized event held at Spier wine estate in Stellenbosch, with a 15km family fun ride. First of all, I had completely underestimated how difficult it is to ride a bike off road, and how far 15km is! It took me only 10 minutes quicker than it usually takes to run 15km on the road. My upper body felt quite battered afterwards and I was surprised at how hungry I got after 1 hour of riding. I need to learn to make the same nutrition and hydration plans when cycling as I do for running. I hadn’t had a substantial breakfast, though I did carry a camelbak for water; but fortunately there were welcome fruit stops along the way, which kept me going. Some sandy bits and quite a few hills meant that it was tough going, but I enjoyed every minute of it and I can’t wait for the next one!
