One of the best kept secrets around. I completed the Silverman Triathlon on Saturday. No entry fees, no marshals, no prize money, friendly photographers at every corner. Just getting out there and doing it and enjoying.

The standard route to follow: Swim two loops of the Silvermine Dam (1400m +) , walk back to your car, Drive the 500m to the MTB parking lot, hop onto the mountain bike, follow the Silvermine Loop, then down to the Tokai Gate via any single track that you like and back to your car (25km +). Trail shoes on and run the Perimeter Trail (11km) but more of that exact description later.

Obviously shorter options and much longer options are available.

On Saturday I chose to do a slightly longer route of the Silverman Tri in my prep for Enduroman SA. Here is my story:

M was my only spectator for the swim leg. Flat like a pool conditions and 13*C made me feel quite chuffed. Two laps around the periphery of the Silvermine Dam gave me between 1400m and 1680m depending if you believe my Ambit or Google Earth.

As I entered T1 Tony and Nix arrived and slowed down just long enough so that I had company on the climb to Noordhoek Peak. It was a really nice way to start the second leg. We did some single track on the way to the bottom of the Fairy Garden where I turned to add some more altitude zig zags to my movescount graph. I started to deal with puncture issues so opted to head back to the car. (Nice that I could do that as there were no officials around who would disqualify me.) On with my trail shoes in search of my dropped water bottle from leg 2. Not the most interesting option but it did give me an opportunity to think about pacing for the run leg of ESA.

Despite me not hitting the distance numbers that I had intended for the day I was pleased that I have worked out nutrition solutions which should work come race day. Also some pacing for the run.

Another piece of the puzzle is worked out J

Disclaimer: any similarities in name to actual persons is purely coincidental and is not the intention of the author.