{"id":5694,"date":"2015-05-20T21:12:53","date_gmt":"2015-05-20T19:12:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conradstoltz.com\/?p=5694"},"modified":"2015-05-20T20:30:14","modified_gmt":"2015-05-20T18:30:14","slug":"life-in-the-life-of-caveman-dealing-with-xterra-grabouw-build-up-to-nz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conradstoltz.com\/index.php\/life-in-the-life-of-caveman-dealing-with-xterra-grabouw-build-up-to-nz\/","title":{"rendered":"Life in the life of Caveman. Dealing with XTERRA Grabouw & build up to XTERRA NZ"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is my last year racing as a professional.<\/strong> I’ve known it for a few months, but somehow avoided putting it on paper or ether. It all started with sponsorships imploding, but that is a story for another day.<\/p>\n

Our next chapter is very<\/em> exciting:<\/strong> A baby girl – any day now!<\/p>\n

Also, a unique new online coaching business<\/strong>, a unique racing series<\/strong>, Caveman Racing & Adventure training camps,<\/strong> Caveman Skills Clinics<\/strong>, an autobiography<\/strong>, building pump tracks, single tracks<\/strong>, riding motorcycles, less travel, more family time, more home time,<\/strong> (even) less swimming,\u00a0 slower lifestyle, training for fun.<\/strong> And my first winter home.\u00a0 More about that later.<\/p>\n

Missing XTERRA Grabouw due to a lung infection was a great disappointment. Watching my last “home” XTERRA from the sidelines was really really hard.\u00a0 If you’re not in the know, XTERRA in South Africa has really taken off in a big way. The Grabouw race has become a significant global event, with a legion of foreign athletes, big prize money, big media, and for a home boy, big King of the Hill points.<\/p>\n

\"Conrad<\/a><\/p>\n

My most memorable experience at XTERRA Grabouw was during course practice. Watching a rare Berg Adder\u00a0eating a mouse. (easily confused with the more lethal and much more common Puff Adder)<\/p>\n

In the weeks after Grabouw,<\/p>\n

To get my mojo and health back, I made sure to hit the “fun button” :<\/p>\n

\"Conrad<\/a><\/p>\n

Raced #PrincessHotstuffs’ Fatboy <\/a>at Perdeberg Winery Fun Ride<\/a>. After being told the fatbike tubes “never flat” I did the #Caveman test on them and the result being… they’re not #CavemanProof. (for Swartland goat head thorns, you need to go tubeless- or inject\u00a0 some sealant into the tube & patch the syringe hole)<\/p>\n

\"Conrad<\/a><\/p>\n

Fitting six 2 litre Coke bottles in the wheel instead of a tube seems plausible. Given more time and desperation I think I could have made that wheel tubeless, and the ultimate desert crossing machine… 12L of water per wheel,\u00a0 plus 3 bottles on the frame and a large Camel Back\u00a0 =\u00a0 30L or 7.5 gallons of fluid. Thats a lot of pedaling.<\/p>\n

\"Conrad<\/a><\/p>\n

Made sure to hit the legendary Gspot Trail in Stellenbosch regularly! My Specialized Enduro bike with 160mm travel, dropper post and gravity geometry allowed me to push the boundaries of my skills- and work on my lacking flying capabilities.
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