Sunday started off lazily – our start time for the prolog was after lunch. Luxury! Here we are outside the Turnberry lodge in Oudtshoorn.

Onto the rivet! As usual, the maxim of start off slow and get slower is often thrown out the window when the race actually starts. Team Eleven Wise Monkeys hit the start line of the 15km prologue at 13h31 this afternoon and heart rates were soon red lining. On the first short climb Emily called “uncle” and we backed off to a more reasonable pace. Or at least I thought so!

The course was at least 70% single track. Loose and rocky, typical of these parts, with some nasty off camber sections next to equally nasty slopes. Emily took the lead at about the 6km mark and I had to concentrate to be left behind on the downhills. It’s probablyher technical skills but I console myself that it’s possibly the invincibility of youth.

After a looooong 52 minutes we crossed the finish line, respectably placed in the middle of the small mixed category field. But it’s the stats that tell the true story of the day. Emily hit her max heart rate at some point on the route and averaged 94% for the duration. That’s like a 52 minute training interval. Which is normally only held for, like, 5 minutes. And then it feels hard. 52 minutes? Good grief. No wonder she became slightly less chatty for the last 15 mins.

Nonetheless less, job well done. Respectable time, no mechanicals and all blood remaining inside where it belongs. Awesome day out.

The winners were, predictably, Kevin Evans and David George of 360Life. In a time of 37m02s. Ridiculous.