rudi-h, on 27 February 2012 - 04:00 , said:
You clearly didn't read my post or maybe you just never had the opportunity to ride a really enjoyable race. Take something comparable in terms of physical effort, say day2 of Sani2C. It's similar in terms of time in the saddle, similar in terms of total ascent etc. But Sani2C day 2 is 10X more fun! Why? Because it's "all about the riding" and not "all about the suffering". Having a good time and a enjoyable day in the saddle is what it's ultimately all about for the majority of us riders out there. Plodding along at under 10km/hr average and pushing your bike in the mud just isn't on my list of top 10 features that a MTB race should have.
This was a UCI marathon event designed to a world class standard. Finally we are getting exposed to events that compare internationally. Historically here in SA we have had relatively easy events with not much technical challenge and not enough climbing. I don't think that you can compare Sani2c day 2 to this ultra route. Sani day 2 is under 100km and just about 2000m climbing. This ultra was at least 10km longer with 3000m+ climbing, thats a whole extra 1000m vertical.
Having a good time and an enjoyable day in the saddle is not about the event but rather about your preparation and expectation of the event. The event is what it is, you need to make sure that you are prepared properly and have realistic expectations.
The ulta was one of the hardest days out ever for me but I learned some valuable lessons just like I did many years ago on my first Sabie marathon.
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