Training for an event of this kind is a long process requiring a fair amount of focus and self-discipline, fortunately these attributes improve with increasing fitness.  It becomes a kind of positive spiral; the fitter one becomes the more one wants to excercise!  Until toe nails start to fall off & "significant others" start feeling neglected.  But, in spite of the challenges and niggles there is very little to beat the feeling of tearing through a long run or cycle with heart heading towards max, lungs driving as much air as possible and the exhilarating sense of strength and power.  Probably a lot to do with those lovely, friendly, addictive endorphins.

Each of the team members have their own training regimes, patterns and challenges.  Nic & Deon initially started training for the Challenge by simply increasing mileage and speed...rapidly.  Being naturally competitive there would be telephone calls and emails bragging about the latest acheivement.  Of course the natural outcome of this was injury, Nic developed Achilles tendonitis and Deon acquired that dredded runner's enemy, ITB or Illio-tibial Band Syndrome.  Nic used a combination of needling, massage, stretching excercises and electric pulse therapy, & is eternally grateful to Dr Caroline Van Lingen (Chiropractor) and Kirsten Vennings (Physiotherapist) for their help.  Deon used a similar approach but has an advantage in that Dr Karen Miller, is not only a skilled Chiropractor but is his (georgeous) romantic partner.

The injuries meant a change in strategy.  Deon, under medical advisement, made cycling the base of his training.  The problem with cycling to keep "running fit" is that one has to put in twice the time...two hours cycling is worth one hour's running.  So Deon currently wakes up at 04h00 - pretty much every day - to put on his lycras & helmet & hit the road.  Deon lives in Drummond, on the Comrades route, and uses the hills to his advantage.  The aerobic flexibility and leg strength created by his cycling training will be of great advantage to him in the Traverse. 

Nic went technical.  Using a framework from www.runnersworld.co.za, initially designed for Comrades training, he designed a running training programme balancing speed, power, endurance and recovery.  Essentially, the programme mixes tempo - or speed runs - with hill work, and long slow runs.  Almost all of Nic's training is alone in a mountain setting so he uses his iPod for company.  He reccommends www.djsteveboy.com for downloading some pretty serious training music.

Gina started her athletic accomplishments as a paddler.  The "Duzi" is her favourite event and she has finished eight of them...with style.  Cycling was a natural progression and running just comes naturally to her.  Having finished an Ironman, Gina revels in her personal discipline in maintaining her fitness while working at a demanding career.  Gina is the first woman to attempt the Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Challenge and hopes to be an inspiration to others.


                                   Gina on the Duzi

In addition to personal training regimes, the team has done a number of joint sessions.  These are fast-pack missions along various routes in the 'Berg where gear and each other are tested.