His and Hers
With six weeks remaining until the start of the 2019 FNB Wines2Whales Shiraz, Joanne and Sean Badenhorst of Team TREAD once again had two very different training weeks! They’re a married couple with full-time work and family commitments. They have been cycling for over 30 years and are tackling some mid-life bicycle riding challenges together. This won’t be their first stage race as teammates; but it will be Joanne’s first Wines2Whales. Sean has done three previously.
His
Since I had to have a gash in my left knee stitched the previous Saturday, I obeyed the ER doctor’s orders on the Monday of the new week. “No exercise until the stitches come out.” Well, mostly obeyed. No training at all for six days in succession was killing me. My knee wasn’t killing me.
I had little choice by the time the weekend rolled around. I needed to launch the first Mugg & Bean Cycle Lab Safe Training Ride in Hillcrest, KZN, so decided to do the 40km distance. Knee was fine. It felt good to pedal again! Then, on Sunday, I needed to teach road skills to the Absa Tribe Novice Group with Cycle Lab Active in Joburg. I did a short solo pedal beforehand and ended up doing 45km. Knee was fine.
Jeez! Not a great week of training! The only good thing was that I was quite strict with my eating and managed to not gain any weight…
Mine and Joanne’s training for the past three weeks:
| Me | Joanne | |
| 8 weeks to go | 115km/4h25m | 172km/10h14m |
| 7 weeks to go | 135km/5h15m | 177km/ 10h43m |
| 6 weeks to go | 85km/4h2m | 159km/9h42m |
| Average | 111km/4h34m | 169km/10h13m |
One of us is achieving some solid training time. I’m naturally stronger than Joanne, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be trying to get in at least eight hours of training a week! So, with no planned work travel this coming week; I’m on a mission to up my game! Yes, I did have the knee wound still quite fresh last week, but that was still one pitiful week to add to the tally, but here it is anyway:
My ‘week’:
Saturday: 40.23km, 2hrs06min very easy ride with the Mugg & Bean Cycle Lab group
Sunday: 45.06km, 1hr57min – 25km of that on my own, the rest teaching skills to a novice group…
Total distance: 85km
Total time: 4hrs2min (the shame)
Hers
I went into this week of training, not really knowing how my legs would cope, and also struggling with a bit of muscle spasm in my upper back and neck. I had 2 visits with the physio, which released my neck and back spasm nicely. My lower back has not been bothering me too much, so hoping that the body is healing to some degree. I am the first to admit that I have neglected my body, a lot, over the years. Injuries, that just had to heal, because finding time and money for physio, was not a priority. Besides not looking after my physical well-being, I don’t believe I have looked after my emotional well-being either. My mother passed away, rather suddenly, about 11 weeks ago, and I know I am still trying to deal and cope with this gigantic loss.
I had no big training plans for the week, just wanted to maintain my momentum and start building up again. With Sean travelling over the weekend, I knew I had to make my own plans to ride. On the same day, within an hour I received two invites to ride with friends. The first was to do the Marathon at the Van Gaalen edition of the Nissan Trailseeker Series. A tough 70km with a fellow entrant of FNB Wines2Whales, Rihanna Vermuelen: “It will be a good test for the event,” she said. I knew she was right. Then an offer to do a 40km at Modderfontein Reserve’s, Two the Core trails. I was so tempted to take the easier option. I would not need to get up early, drive for 50mins and suffer for 5-plus hours. The fear, once again, kicked in; it caused me not the think in my usual way, and I committed to the Nissan Trailseeker.
So, on Friday, I dashed around gathering spares and nutrition for the event, and warned her that it was going to be a long day. I was not wrong. The route was marked really well, the water points were well stocked and manned by a friendly crew, and the event was great. What made it all possible was Rihanna. She was my hero, a true wonder woman, and oh so patient. I kept telling her to go her own pace, but she insisted on waiting for me. I will be eternally grateful. The race village was basically empty when we came in, but I didn’t care. I had conquered a fear and I was as proud as punch with myself.
My week:
Tuesday: 30km, 1hr2min HIIT session at Power Lab
Wednesday: 17.35km, 1hr21min CLAW Ride at Avianto, plus a pre-ride 11km 30min
Thursday: 22km, 50min 30/15’s session at Power Lab
Friday: 10.6km, 57min Single Track Session at PWC Bike Park
Saturday: 67,7km, 5hr15min Nissan Trailseeker at Van Gaalen – Marathon
Sunday: REST
Total distance: 159km
Total time: 9hrs42min
Limited entries are still available for Wine@Whales Pinotage and Shiraz, https://wines2whales.com/riders/entry-information
