At the break of dawn, a little over two weeks ago, the Wintergreen BarrierBreakers team set off on an epic 5 day adventure. The Namibia Border Dash, a 1400km bike ride from Cape Town to the Namibian border and back.
In preparation for a Cairo to Cape Town ride in early 2022, Tegan Philips had the full distance of 1 400km on her schedule
With the goal of the African Jersey at Absa Cape Epic next year, Tyla Setzkorn and Elrika Harmsen-Pretorius would join Tegan in stints and using the training as preparation towards this.
They were joined by Rae Trew-Browne who also rode and documented the trip.
Inevitably, there would be some challenges along the way. From the buffering wind, to the searing heat, saddle discomfort, crashes, dehydration and rough roads, the ladies certainly had their work cut out for them. They took it in their stride and bravely embraced the challenges head on.
With challenges also comes the rewards. The sense of achievement from completing such a brutal challenge is just one element to it. There were also daily victories which they savored and will treasure the memories for years to come. From quiet open roads, majestic mountain ranges and ocean vistas, the team would take in some remarkable scenery. There were also the quirky memories, like working out how to put a straw into a fruit juice drinking box while still riding, and importantly no crashing!
The Barrier Breakers route and daily distances are nothing to be sneered at.
Day 1: Friday 19 February
324km / 2 710m
Melkbosstrand – Elandsbaai – Clanwilliam – Vanrhynsdorp
Day 2: Saturday 20 February
262km / 3 250m
Vanrhynsdorp – Springbok
Day 3 – Sunday 21 February
232km / 2 000m
Springbok – Vioolsdrift – Springbok
Day 4 – Monday 22 February
262km / 2 489m
Springbok - Vanrhynsdorp
Day 5 – Tuesday 23 February
324km / 2 719m
Vanrhynsdorp – Clanwilliam – Elandsbaai - Melkbosstrand
Check out Tegan's Strava profile for the full route.
Some thoughts from the ladies on their nutrition strategy:
Understanding that your nutrition strategy should extend to recovery, the team reached for their trusty serving of Revive to provide the sufficient protein and carbohydrates to repair muscle breakdown, speed up recovery and restore glycogen stores – as preparation for the next day.
“I love how the Revive gives a feeling of fullness and prevents me from grabbing for unhealthy foods after a ride.” – Tyla Setzkorn
“The CarboFuel is not too sweet or overwhelming while riding at a high pace, but it definitely fuel one on the bike. I don’t mind a hard workout as I know some delicious Choc melkie (Revive) is waiting at the end for me. ” – Elrika Harmzen-Pretorius
“My coach Reece McDonald introduced me to Cadence a few months ago and I’ve been ordering Cadence products, especially the bars, by the box ever since! I love that it’s sports fuel that will keep me going through rides of any length, but it also tastes like dessert! My teammate Renata and I are always discussing the problem of trying to save the bars for the bike and not snack on them throughout the day, because they’re just so flipping tasty.” – Tegan Phillips
Inspired to take on your own challenge? Let us know about it and we can feature your story on the blog.