Argus Aventure! FINALLY!

BEFORE...

Just a bit of background: The Argus has been a "bucket list" item for me (and for George) for many years. I'd always been uncomfortable about taking a weekend off for a race on a Sunday and so when it turned out that I would be on long leave this year and that March made the most sense, it was really exciting to be able to think about doing the Argus. Even more so when I realised that my long time co-conspirator and partner in crime and madness (aka George) was on Sabbatical at that time too.

So, Sunday morning 9h16 found us on the starting line with me swallowing a huge lump in the throat having fulfilled a dream of doing a road-camping-cycling trip through some of the beautiful parts of our country and then having the Argus as a cherry on the top.

The weather was amazing!,After having gale-force winds yesterday, today was breathless by comparison and although it was very hot, heat is something us Gautengers know about and so we were not too phased by that!

We had a super ride!

Being unseeded meant that our starting group was a long way back in the field and we were among stronger and weaker riders. Throughout the ride we overtook more than we were overtaken and on the three big climbs we dodged and weaved around riders who were losing the vooma in their legs. Up Smitswinkel we were even dodging Baboons!  The congestion on Chappies was so bad that the marshals forced us to walk for about 500m. We finished with a time of 4h25 which we are very happy with especially considering the "traffic" we experienced. My average pulse-rate was 146 which meant that I was functioning very much within my limits for the ride...

In any case we had decided beforehand that enjoying the ride was more important than getting a good time and we really made time to enjoy the views and chat to each other about what we were seeing and experiencing.

The Boyes Drive diversion (due to road works in Fish Hoek) added a steep climb to the mix, but provided some amazing views. The section through Simonstown was lovely and the climb up Smitswinkel was a great experience. The section along Misty cliffs was amazing because we got a gentle cool, spray filled breeze hitting us and it felt just like someone had turned on the Air Con.

It was really amazing to see our dear friend Carol (she snapped this cool pic of me and George) along the road through Noordhoek and then we headed up Chapman's peak. Unfortunately just as we started up the slopes, another cyclist weaved in front of me and our wheels touched. I had a major challenge staying upright and got my feet out of the cleats just in time, but it the process my chain caught between the chainrings and a link got kinked causing the chain to jump. The best way to deal with this was to climb the rest of Chappies (and half of Suikerbossie) in my big chain-ring which caused the muscles some serious exercise. But that was the only mishap along the route. Chappies was beautiful, but very very crowded.

The descent was much better as people thinned out and then we pulled out our passports as we entered the republic of Houtbaai before hauling ourselves up Suikerbossie. The crowds were fantastic and we made use of the wide road to get past a number of folk. The descent into Camps Bay was beautiful and suddenly we only had 11km to go!

The last part of the ride was flatter and we chatted to a chap with his young daughter on the back of a tandem and then with a dad who was riding with his twin sons (12) who were riding with him - an amazing achievement!!!

Then the finish line loomed and we were able to tick a huge tick on a bucketlist item...

After

We phoned Uncle Johan from the finish and we went off to meet him for a very welcome lift back UP to Oranjezicht.

When we arrived there we were thrilled to see Theo's Oom Kerst and Tannie Marieta who were joining us for lunch. After a quick swim to cool down, Nienke and Johan served us with a feast fit for a king and we had a wonderful afternoon together.

Tomorrow we head off to PE and Grahamstown and then on Tuesday we head back to Pretoria.


Before I end this blog and close the chapter on the Argus Adventure, there are some important thank you's to say (and I think George would concur...)

• THANK YOU!!! To our God and Father who gives us healthy bodies that are capable of doing amazing things and who paints His creation with diversity, beauty and splendour. I praise You oh Lord with all my heart!
• THANK YOU!!! To Brenda and Caleb who released me to go off and have this adventure with such gracious enthusiasm - I've missed you terribly but thank you for letting me chase a dream! You're coming with on the next road trip!!!
• THANK YOU!!! To my amazing family for their support:
  My parents who looked after Brenda and Caleb while I was away.
  My amazing Aunt Nienke and Uncle Johan who have hosted us with such gracious generosity and shared in our dream with us.
• THANK YOU!!! To our amazing congregation who made the long leave possible and especially to Craig and Susan who have filled the gaps, taken up the slack and encouraged me to use my long leave well. Thanks guys.
• THANK YOU!!! To all those who have supported, encouraged and prayed.
  We appreciate it soo much!