STRETCH 2009

It’s a “long goodbye” as we bid adieu to Dan at 9 a.m. (heading off to Kruger National Park for a hunting expedition).  We bid adieu to Grayce at 10 p.m. (Grayce is staying in Capetown for an additional day).  We bid adieu to Todd at 10 a.m. Tuesday (in Amsterdam), and we’re waiting in the airport (at a McDonald’s, breakfast of champions) for the last leg of the journey to Minneapolis.

Kudos to Jayna and Grayce for orchestrating a “stretchy stretch”.  I think we all learned a lot, laughed a lot, and have a new appreciation for “riding into a headwind”.  I’m proud to say 8 of us made it safely and soundly on the “toughest tour ever”.  (Note the headline on the Cape Times newspaper 3/10/09.)

P.S. As I reflect on the first 11 STRETCH Expeditions, it gives me great pride to say:
•  We got 12 of 13 participants to the top of 19,340 foot Mt. Kilimanjaro (1999).
•  We got 13 of 17 participants to the 18,000 foot basecamp of Mt. Everest (2001).
•  17 of 17 participants (including 9 first-timers) completed the Paris Marathon (2005).
•  8 of 8 participants completed the 68-mile Cape Argus Cycle Race in 50-60 mph headwinds (2009).

The Cape Times Cover Page

Click here to see a video of the havoc the wind caused!

We went on a gorgeous tour of Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope peninsula.  We drove in a car most of the route we took during the race and were able to relive some of the highlights of our windy adventure.  “That’s where it got really tough” and “That’s where someone got knocked off by the wind!”

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at a South African restaurant that was a little touristy, but we had fun.  At the restaurant we were able to show off our new African drumming skills. 

Group at the Cape of Good Hope

Jeff following the beat of his own drum

Today was the big day.  The Cape Argus Race is the culmination of our hard work and the end of our bicycling adventure.  Let’s start off by saying it was the worst headwinds the race had ever seen.  We were experiencing 50-60 km headwinds!

Jeff and Mike went out early (6 a.m.) to see the elite cyclists start the race.  These racers actually had to get off their bikes and walk the first 200 meters to get out of the area because people kept getting knocked over by the wind.

Dan got a flat tire the first 2 kilometers of the race and Paul was a HUGE help with repairing it.  Jeff, Grayce, and Jayna, on the other hand, were standing by for Dan’s moral support.  After two tubes, some friendly bicyclists with an air pump, and one hour later, we were back in the game.

Many of us got in a draft line with a bunch of really good cyclists and that helped us unbelievably to keep up our endurance.  We don’t think we can say this enough, “GRUELING HEADWINDS!!”

The 2009 STRETCH Expedition team made it to the finish line between 5 hours and 10 minutes and 6 hours and 15 minutes.  At the finish line, we learned that the headwinds were tacking on 45 minutes to an hour and a half on people’s normal finish times.

Of the 32,000 cyclists participating, only 75 sustained injuries and only one person was blown off the mountain and down the cliff.  One of Jayna’s worries was that she would fall off the edge.  She came out victorious safe and sound.  Great Job Jayna!

We ended our bicycling adventure with some celebratory drinks!  A job well done.
We want to give a BIG thanks to Greg and all of the training to help make this day happen.

**A note from those still in Minnesota at basecamp:  GREAT JOB EVERYONE!  WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!

Just a few of the thousands of cyclists getting ready to start the race.

Ready to start...bring on the headwinds!

We made it!

Today was a day to relax before the big race.  We registered for the Cape Argus and looked around the expo.  We then took a tour up Table Mountain and enjoyed some sight-seeing at the top of the mountain. 

Talking race day strategies at the top of Table Mountain

The only way off of Table Mountain is down these cables! Eeks :)

This was probably the best ride of the tour as it followed the coast the entire way – small climbs, but no challenges.  Just under 99 kms from Grootbos to Gordon’s Bay.  A VERY hot ride, but lovely scenery around us ending at the Cape Winelands.

A photo taken in motion by Todd as he enjoys the views around him.

The team at Boschendal Winery relaxing after a long ride

It was 110 degrees in the shade when we were cycling.  We biked about 60 kms from Bredasdorp towards Graansbaai on the coast of the Indian Ocean.  The countryside is gorgeous with rolling hills and mountains.  The heat took it’s toll and we didn’t go as far as we expected, but everyone is healthy.

A water break on the side of the road.

Beautiful South African coastline - you can almost see the heat in the air!

Today we had our big climb - 10 km at a 7% grade.  The summit is 800 meters high called Outienqua Pass.  Grayce hit the summit first after one hour of pure climbing.  Jeff was 10 minutes behind, followed by Todd 5 minutes later (only because Todd and Stephano - our biking guide - stopped in George at a famous golf club), then Chuck, Mike, and Dan as a trio, and a few minutes later Paul came cruising down the hill.  The photo (with Jayna in the day’s prize South Africa jersey on the left) is all of us just below the Pass.  The next three hours of biking were considerably easier - but much more harrowing on the road without a safe shoulder.  We received some positive honks of encouragement from cars as well as some fists.

STRETCH 2009 Expedition Team

We went to the Ostrich feather capital of the world.  We learned about the significance of the Ostrich industry in South Africa.  Below are Mike and Chuck taking an Ostrich ride!

This is definitely wobblier than my bike.

Chuck is showing this ostrich who's boss at the ostrich farm.

On Tuesday morning, we departed Knysna (pronounced Nyz-na) and biked about 60 kms to George, through lovely, undulating hills and along the Indian Ocean.  It was challenging and we were ready!

 Mike and Grayce showing big smiles after a challenging ride.

Drafting experts!

On Monday morning, we departed the Shamwari Game Reserve and drove to Stormy River to begin our bicycling adventure.  The headwinds for the first three hours were incredibly strong.  We created a peloton (which is when all of us bike really close together, in a draft, to increase wind resistance) that helped keep the team paced at about 16 miles an hour.  Our awesome trainer, Greg Hayes, taught us how to do the drafting and it was very helpful. 

We biked through a lovely park called Nature Valley.  This course had a steep ride downhill to the Indian Ocean and then a steep 6-7% grade uphill battle.  It was grueling on our first day!

Mike getting his bike fitted before they take off for the road. (Good thing their luggage arrived in time for him to change shoes!)

The team in front of our HUGE “Sag Wagon”.  This is us as we prepare to depart on our first leg of the trip.

We arrived safely in Johannesburg 30 hours after we left and after a three hour delay leaving Minneapolis due to the snow storm.  While we arrived safely, our luggage did not.  We looked at each other and our clothes and joked about biking in jeans and khakis.  We are keeping our fingers crossed.
 
On Saturday morning, we flew from Johannesburg on to Port Elizabeth to begin our safari.  We were very “lucky” according to our awesome guide, Conrad.  We have seen lions, cheetahs, elephants, one lonely submerged hippo, numerous zebras, five prehistoric rhinos, and a few giraffes.  All have been spectacular and we have to remind ourselves that this is not Disneyland!

Imagine how much wind one of these could block if we took them with us bicycling...

An inspiring sight to help us "think speed" for the upcoming race.

The team and our awesome guide, Conrad, after our last game drive.