Professional endurance competitor Rebecca Rusch has tackled her fair share of adventure races and 24-Hour mountain bike races throughout the years. Now, the Idahoan is in South Africa, competing alongside teammate Cristina Begy in the Absa Cape Epic, a nine-day endurance mountain bike stage race across the country’s scenic Western Cape. And we’re along for the ride. — Editor

The rhythm of the Cape Epic has finally taken over. We wake up at 5 a.m. and are in bed by 9 p.m. Around six to eight hours of hard riding through South Africa is sandwiched in between. At first I feared the 5:15 a.m. horn blasts that serves as the wakeup call for the Cape Epic’s entire traveling city. I am not a morning person, but I have woken before my alarm every day in anticipation of each stage. It’s more that I love this lifestyle of luxury RV camping with new places to ride every day. Even though it’s only been four days since we left (we’re not even half way through!) it seems as if I’ve been living this lifestyle for much longer.

Today we rode 133 km in six hours and seven minutes, and it was our shortest time in the saddle so far. The stage was comparably easy to the first two days — the hills were a bit flatter, and the terrain was definitely less technical. Still, everyone is now starting show the strain of two really difficult days of riding. Some riders have dropped out. Some have casts on their arms, a limp in their step or the look of pain on their faces. A few of my friends are now out of the ranking and will hopefully be joining us at the Specialized motor home to socialize in the afternoons. Like adventure racing, this seems to be the kind of event where the race really starts on day three.

Today I also had my first wild animal sighting today — three zebras!

Two days ago was really tough. The stage had something like 16 distinct peaks to climb. Yesterday, there was no losing count, as the profile just had two climbs, so I went into the day thinking it wouldn’t be as tough. Two climbs — I could keep track of that! Let me tell you, they were two big mothers.

Rusch (right) and Begy roll through the desert during another stage of the Cape Epic

Photo: Sven Martin/Sportzpics

Our start position was improved from day one, so we didn’t have to weave through as many people. Still, Cristina bombed out of the start like cab driver to get us through the cluster of riders. She must have eaten her Wheaties for breakfast because she hit the first climb really hard and I barely hung on. The first climb was just 6 km long and a bit shorter than the 10km big daddy waiting for us at 100km.

The middle of the course profile was a relatively flat. It was a really windy day and getting caught out on the flats without a group wasn’t fun. Luckily, there were enough small hills thrown in to bring the groups back together again. We spent some time on our own hammering into the hot wind without a tree in sight. Other times we got on a great train and could sit in and relax. Being in a pack meant breathing dust, but it was worth it. We had both mounted little bells on our handle bars and it has been a fantastic way to keep track of each other without having to turn around. One little ding means “it’s all good,” multiple dings means “it’s not all good.” We used this tracking method frequently today to keep tabs on each other in the packs and on the downhills. It’s also a great way to say hello to all the local farm kids who’ve come out to watch the race go by.

Rusch (right) and Begy after another finish in South Africa. Where's the beer?

Photo: Rebecca Rusch

The view was of the the Africa that I imagined from back home. The rolling hills, and vast expanses soared before us. We passed through an ostrich farm and the birds ran around as we whizzed by. Where I come, you don’t see birds as big as people running around. We also rode through a rock farm. No, I’m not kidding, the guy was farming rocks on this property.

I’m starting to feel the long days spent in the saddle. The balls of my feet are talking to me. I am feeling the little bumps in the road reverberating more distinctly on my backside. And I don’t feel quite like the super hero that I did yesterday. Today, I was just a mere mortal riding through 100-degree heat in South Africa. Cristina bought me a beer at the end of the stage. The order of beverage consumption at the finish was water, coke, beer, then recovery drink. Perhaps another beer will be in order after I get my massage!