Go to the amazingly well updated AmberMonforte.com

The reasons why Amber beats me a blogging:

– She blogs with iMac, which allows you to write a blog while off line, and then just hitting “post” when there is internet.

– She types much much faster.

– She has way less admin. Sponsors, fan mail etc

– I’m the bike mechanic. (After Wales, there is A LOT of work to be done, believe me)

– Maybe she is just less “slap gat”. There is the Afrikaans riddle of the day…

– Maybe she is just the best at blogging!

We are currently in Czech Republic, getting ready for Sunday’s XTERRA Czech race.

Wow, what a race.

It rained the whole time, (I think) the course was super scenic – green and lush (because of the rain) and thankfully the trail drained well and the mud as quite watery. (Instead of sticky)

The race featured a crazy amount of climbing- 1200m on the 36k bike and 500m in the 10k run! The single track on the 2nd part of the bike was nice, but not that challenging really, especially with the 18 narrow gates on had to get off and push your bike through at the beginning and end of each single track. (To keep the dirt bikes out) That meant a lot of mount and dismounting and one couldnt carry speed in or out of the forest.

There were some crazy parts at the very end, a steep little river one rides down. Nothing but rocks and water. (I think it was a single track once but then it rained. And it has been a little river ever since. I came off the bike with about a 1 minute lead (dont have results just yet) over former World Champ Nico LeBrun.

Nico is a formidable runner, and is widely known as a mountain goat. So I knew I had to pin it on the run. Felt pretty good on the 1st 1.5kthrough the flat, muddy trails. But then we crossed a river and scrambled up the far back with the help of ropes. And thats where the climbing started. We zigged and zagged up varied pitches and types of footing- but all uphill and more or less muddy. I held my lead and ascended well. But when I though we’re probably done climbing, we actually just started. Nico passed me in a 200m section of forest that was so steep and muddy, one had no choice but pull yourself up by the ropes. Of course the forest was beautifully green and lush, and after another excruciating nothing but rocks climb up a dirt bike trail, the trail flattened out and started going down. Nico was just a handful of seconds ahead and I thought I could swing this race around. After about 1k of going straight down, we made a U turn and of course went up another endless dirt bike climb, and that when I knew -this is Nico’s course- custom made form him. He won by about 50 seconds.

What an amazing experience. XTERRA Wales is quite something and I’m really happy to have come.

Amber and I have a day off before our next travel to XTERRA Czech next week, and we are visiting a Welsh castle.

Visit again for some photos and real results.