The first race was the first of the Sasol Cross Triathlon series which was held on the banks of the Vaal River in Sasolburg.

After only two weeks of training I just wanted to go and have some fun on my new mountain bike, but I knew that the race was going to be a killer.

Theo = fat + unfit

Oh well, you can only race as hard as you can and then a little more.

I took this race as a training race as it was not even on my list of B races for the season, so I just took it as an opportunity to get a good brick session under my belt. With this in mind, and trying to get fit quicly for more important upcoming races, I had three training sessions to do the previous day. So my legs were pretty broken before even starting the race.

At the start my team mate, Pieter van der Mescht, and I pulled away from the rest of the field. I entered T1 in first place with Pieter close on my heels. We headed out onto the muddy, wet and loose sand bike course and stayed together for the first couple of kilometres. That was when my legs started indicating that they were rather unhappy with me after the previous days training! I kept on pushing, but nothing was forthcoming from my stubborn legs. Pieter started to pull away and after that it was a bit of a lonely bike course, but I had fun drifting the corners in the loose sand, almost coming down once or twice.

I went out as hard as I could on the run, but still my legs were giving me nothing. I seemed to be holding a steady pace though. My INOV-8 X-Talons 212 made my job easier as they were great for the offroad terrain. Seeing the grip on those shoes you would be forgiven for thinking that you could run up a tree!

Just before the end of the race there was a little river crossing. A very wise man once told me that the best way to attack a technical section is just to let go and hook it! So that was exactly what I did, but the river was deeper than what I had anticipated and my leg just kept on going down when I expected it to hit the river bed and I ended up face planting! It was so funny!

I ended up second to Pieter, but I was happy with a good training day done and dusted. Well done to Pieter, you raced like a champ. Keep it up.

Also well done to Carla van Hysteen – she cleaned up on the girls side and finished 4th overall.

What a fun way to kick off 2012! Now it’s head down and the big training is coming up.

Praise God for a great sport.

Keep on

It is so nice to end of the years racing in paradise. I cant wait for the race tomorrow. It is going to be great fun racing here again.

I am feeling good about the race and will give it my best shot. There is a nice, strong field here compared to last year so it’s going to be hard work to defend my 3rd place from last year.

I am busy keeping my legs up and rested for the race, but it is really hard not to do a lot of the activities that are availble here at the hotel. Luckily we have some time off after the race so will do all the stuff we want.

Here is my bad boy Argon18 for tomorrow’s race. Going to fly arout those corners. Really now, it’s the best bike I have ever riden. A big thanks again to Argon 18 South Africa for this amazing bike.

Here is a little clip I have put together of some training in paradise.

All the best for all the other South African athletes racing tomorrow. Do your best and God will do the rest. A big shout out to my best friend in the whole world for her first ITU race. Good luck Robs- have a good one and enjoy!!!

Will see you on the flip side. Keep on

It was a great day for racing in Pretoria. The previous two years that this race has been held have been ridiculously hot, with temperatures going up to 35 degrees. This perfect Sunday it was not too hot, with a bit of a breeze. I was so over the wet weather from the previous two weekends races.

I was feeling good leading up to the race and so I was keen to have a good one. It was also the first time that I was going to race with the CycleOps Carbon G3 wheels. They are very nice and stiff, as well as super light! Just point them and they go!

I no longer try and swim in the front. So I just fight for a nice set of feet to follow and what do you know? I am in the front pack every time. In this race we were about 6 guys who were swimming together. We completed the 1500m in about 18min.

Just out of T1 and Abrahm Louw, Erhard Wolfaardt, Rudolf Naude and I had dropped the rest and we already had a big gap. Boy, were we hooking it on the bike! I took a quick look at my CycleOps Joule to see that I was riding 580w sitting at the back of the pack!!
That first hit on the bike was hard!

About 2km into the bike leg I hit one enormous pothole and my back wheel popped and that was the end of my race. I was extremely upset, but unfortunately that is racing.
The funny thing is that last year I also had a flat, but had to walk a lot further back to the start compared to this year. So that was a small improvement HAHAHA.

In the end it came down to a sprint finish between Erhard and Abrahm, but Erhard took the win with his long giraffe legs going super fast in the final 50m.

Well done to all the guys who raced that very tough route.

Next it was time for the final race of the BSG Energade series which was held at Emerald Casino in Vanderbijl Park.

A lot of tired and broken athletes came together on the banks of the Vaal River at the end of a long season. Just one race left in which we would try to kill each other and then it would be time to have some fun in the sun.

For the first time this season there was a bigger field with some international athletes racing with us.

The swim went smoothly until the last bouy when I was kicked in a place where no man wants to be kicked. It was the worst feeling I have ever experienced. I was still with the front group, but I saw that I was dropping big time and I was planning to stop as soon as my feet hit land because I was just in so much pain!
As I got to the end I saw that I was still in the group and then made the decision to stay in the race even though I was still hurting.
Onto the bike and our group was a bit off the pace which meant that the first 5km were going to be a nightmare. After a while of hooking it in the big blade we all came together. Unlike my race in Potch where I just sat at the back resting my legs for the run, this time I did some big turns at the front. With about 4km to go Pieter and Abrahm got away and made a small gap on us, but all of us left T2 together.

Out on to the run and the first 1.3km was all uphill. Oh my greatness that was some crazy, legs burning like a bonfire and feeling as though they were going to explode running.

I ended up 6th in the race and 5th overall in the series. I am really happy with this as that is my best ever placing in the BSG tri series.
Praise the Lord for a great season. It didn’t start too well, but the ending was great.
Thanks to INOV8/Rebel for all the support. It is really a blessing to be a part of the team.

Here is a slide show i have put together. All the photos was taken by Chris Hitchcock. well done Chris really good photos. Thanks you so much for them.

Now it is off to Mauritius for the last race of the year and I hope to end it off with a big one!

After a short flight we arrived in PE and it looked as though it was going to be a good racing weekend. I tested my legs to make sure that they were ready for action, but unfortunately this was not the case. My legs were sore and I was really tired from a really busy working week with lots of late nights. I knew it was going to be a hang tough race, but I was positive.
The South African special forces have a saying – where the mind goes the body follows.

I also got my first ever bike sponsor and I was so keen to try out my new Argon 18 and to have a good race. God has blessed me so much these past few weeks. Praise him for that!

Here is a clip about my bad boy!!! it says it all.

Race day
And what do you know? It was wet! I was not keen to break in my new bike in the wet weather, but it was just like that. I got everything sorted and my bike was ready to hook it after the swim.

Off we went into into the choppy waters of PE. We all swam together except for little fish boy, Henri, who had a bit of a lead, but we all came together within 2km of the bike. I was sitting at the back of the pack for most of the bike, but flip, I wasn’t resting! I was just holding on for dear life. I had already been tired in the swim and now I was just byting vas.

After about 5km of the bike I started to feel a bit better so I went ot the front for a couple of times, but I still was not feeling all that good. After the turn around I went to the back again to try and rest a bit for the run, but I was so broken that it didn’t help at all.
Coming into T2 I took the inside line because I knew that it was wet and there were quite a few white lines that we would have to cross. From previous experience I know not to turn on a white line when the roads are wet. You will go down and it will hurt.
So I took the inside line and was first into T2. As I dismounted I heard on the loudspeaker that someone had crashed. Abrahm had gone down on those same white lines that I had been worried about. I really felt sorry for him because I know what it feels like. He was a true champ – he got up and just kept on racing and ended up 3rd overall. Well dome mate!

Out of T2 and the gazelle from the ‘Ville was flying and was gone! We were about 3 guys running for 3rd place, but after the 1km mark I popped so badly and was just trying to survive. I finished 6th. Not too happy, but that’s racing. You win some, you lose some.

Well done to the top 3 guys, Richard Murray, Claude Eksteen (Team INOV-8) and Abrahm Louw. Nice races guys!
And a big well done to my team mate Pieter who came 5th. Keep up the good work Pieter Planter.

Off to Cape Town this weekend for the second last Energade.
Let’s hope the race goes better this time.

Keep on

It was the fourth weekend in a row that I was racing and the fatigue was starting to show, but you know what I say “you have to race your way into shape”.

At the previous weeks race I was really concerned about how I ran, as well as a hamstring niggle that I was struggling with. I sat down with my coach and we decided to do a little test to see where my weakness was. I wasn’t sure that it would turn out very well, but the plan was to swim with the pack and then sit at the back of the group and to do no work and then to see how I would be able to run.

The swim was like trying to swim through an underwater forest. Instead of pulling water we were pulling grass. It made for a very interesting swim that was lots of fun (*not*).

Around the first buoy and I was on my team mate Claude Eksteen’s feet. No, really I was jamming his feet with my hands the whole way. The swim was really nice and I was enjoying just sitting on people’s feet and having a free ride. My Sailfish G-Range wetsuit made it so much easier. Exiting the water was pretty dodgy as there is no slipway out of the dam, but thank God for the big brute who grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the water.

Onto the bike and the little fish Henri Schoeman was already gone, but we caught him before we even left the town. I did about two work turns at the front and then it was time for me to go and have a coffee at the back. The guys were not happy with me, but that is racing. I had a plan to stick to. Towards the end of the bike legs some guys tried to get away, but they were unable to. We were all together except for Richard who got a flat tyre. Ah sorry boet, but really I was like “yes please,” because you know that when Richard is in the front group then you are racing for second place.

Into T2 and it was the two Rebel Kamakazis, Claude and me, attacking the dismount line. Once again the no-fear switch flipped! I racked my bike and had my INOV-8 F-lite racers on in no time. Thanks to my Xtenex laces I was first out of transition. I was telling myself “don’t go out too fast, don’t!” Just before the 1km mark Erhard came past me and made about a 50-60m gap and then I was just waiting for the other guys to pass me like they usually do, but they didn’t! I was running my heart out and I was so dead! At about 1km to go Erhard looked around to see where I was and then he put his long giraffe legs to full speed and just pulled away from me like a BMW will leave my little 1400 witblitz golfie behind. I hung on for second place!

This was the best result that I had ever had in a triathlon. I ran 15:58 on a hard 5km run route. So, so happy. I just love it when a plan comes together.

Praise God for this awesome result. I could hear Him running with me and breathing down my neck the whole way. Like the word says: He will never leave you, He will never forsake you. He was there the whole time. All glory to God when I race well and when I race badly. He is on my thrown.

Now we have a weekend off racing and I plan on doing some hard training before heading down to the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands for the 4th race.

Have a blessed week and well done to all the athletes who raced. You guys did great!

A big thanks to my mom who came all the way from Mafikeng to support me! I love you Ma. You are my hero!!!

Here is somthing that i got from work this week. i love it!!!!

Keep on and Never Give Up!!!

The swim was pretty unusual as we swam in the canals, the bike was a 25km loop and we ended off with a nice cross country run in the estate.

It was a non-wetsuit swim as the water temperature was above 20 degrees. The fish-like boys pushed the pace right from the start of the swim. I had a really good start and was in the front pack with a big smile on my face. Okay, I actually wasn’t smiling – the pace was too fast for that. I exited the water with the front guys and was happy to see that I was with all the main players.
Onto the bike and we flew out of the estate and onto the road. Once we all came together we started working well with Abrahm Louw, “big blade Roberto”, keeping the speed up. We started off with 7 in the front pack, but before long we were down to 5. Towards the end of the bike my legs started burning like a bonfire, but I was still taking my turn at the front and hanging on for dear life. At 20km I looked down at my CycleOps Joule and saw that it had only taken us 26min to cover the 20km! We were seriously hooking it!

Entering the estate again there was a nice sharp left-hand turn followed by a railway line. Knowing that I have some MTB skills I knew that I could make a bit of a gap on the other guys. I went to the front, left the breaks, left knee out, pushing down with my right leg, my “no-fear” switch flipped. I jumped the railway and what do you know! I made about an 80m gap on the rest of the guys.
I had a fast T2 thanks to my Xtenex laces and exited in first place with Rudolf Naude.
Out onto the run and …… about that……… Not quite sure what’s going on with my run at the moment. I was killing myself and still the guys were going past me as though I was looking for parking.
I hung on for 5th place. Was disappointed with my run, but happy with my 5th place. I just want to be consistent throughout the series.

Praise God for a great sport like triathlon. It was an awesome day spent out in the sun doing what I love.
Thanks to my team- team INOV-8/ Rebel and all my sponors for being behind me and believing in me. You guys are the best.
Now it’s time to put on my Compressport gear and recover as fast as possible for this weekend’s race in Potch.

Keep the wheels turning – in the big blade!

Love this photo. thanks Chris for the amazing pics.

Keep on

Thanks to Inov-8 RSA so proud to be part of the team.

Keep on

See you soon!!!

Leading up to the race I was really keen for a good one after my disappointing 48th place at World Champs in China. It turned out not be so good but it’s still early in the season and I am looking forward to race the next 9 weeks.

We started about 10min behind the women . This meant that we needed to be on the look-out for ladies with a wide breaststroke kick. It can be brutal when your face is the receiver.

After fighting through the breaststroke kicking ladies it was myself, Erhard Wolfardt and Rudolf Naude exiting the water just after Chris Felgate and Abrahm Louw.

In T1 I kicked off my Sailfish wetsuit in record time – it was much-needed in the chilly 17 degree water.
The first lap of the bike was okay, but halfway through the second lap I lost my legs and didn’t really find them again the whole race.

During the bike leg I lost a couple of places and was in 7th place into T2. I slipped on my fast Inov-8 road-x 155 with my bright green Xtenex races and I was outta there! I was really keen to run a fast 10km as I have really been working on my running. Unfortunately my quick 10km didn’t materialize, but I passed one guy and finished 6th. Happy with that considering that it wasn’t a great day for me. It’s not the end of the world.

The big guy up in Heaven, who I call my King, has a plan for me and it was that I didn’t have a great race. It is not my plan, buti t is the best plan for me. So just trusting in Him right now.

A big well done to the top 3 – you guys were flying. Abrahm Louw, in particular, showed that he is in really good form. Very happy for him. Baie mooi ou maat.

Next race up is the BSG Energade series race at Roodeplaat next weekend. Looking forward to it!

Until I blog again, keep on smiling