WHO'S WORLD OF FANTASY WILL YOU DIVE INTO NEXT?

TRAVELLING TIME is here! You are already probably wondering what to and not to carry. Either that, or you are one classic Kenyan who grabs things last minute hoping that you’ve got everything🤣. Wakenya forever.

Anyway, depending on the category you find yourself in, at least make sure you have these:

BIKE
I mean, how could someone possibly forget their bike na wanaenda race?

Funny thing is that you might not leave your house cycling to the start point like you do when the race is near your place, and you probably also do not cycle to work. It is due to these habits that you might end up remembering when you are past Nakuru that kumbe the thing nagging you is that you left your bike!

Afraid you might be one of those? Then before you sleep, park it where you will see it in the morning.

HELMET!
I cannot begin to stress its importance. Well, it’s not just to protect your head, but also to allow you to race. Helmet non-wearers tend to not be permitted to race. What a pity if that is what keeps you from participating yet you had registered and everything.

Again, very easy to forget since you probably won’t leave the house cycling. If that’s the case, simply tie it to your bike’s handlebar the night before. You would rather forget your wallet than your helmet.

PUMP
Yes, my friend, a pump. You are probably assuming that you will find a pump at the start, and that is where you will refill your tryes.

Hey! Carry your own because even though you are right and there’ll be a pump at the start, it certainly won’t follow you and help you when you develop a puncture.

PUNCTURE KIT
I am referring to patches (viraka), sandpaper and gum. Unless you are using tubeless tyres, carry them. And yes, the pump is among the lot.

Punctures are a huge possibility, and even the pros get them. However, unlike them, there will be no assured chase vehicle ready to swap wheels for you. And from my experience, when you do get a flat, very very few riders will actually stop to help you out, so be self-sufficient!

SPARE TUBE
Just in case you do not have the patience to mend a puncture, this will surely come in handy!

WATER BOTTLE
People, GRVC is one of those draining races and you sure as hell do not want to get dehydrated! The symptoms are rather severe: headaches, cramps and bonking.

Therefore, do not forget to REFILL YOUR BOTTLE at the start. Don’t be like “bado kuna maji ndani” (it still has water) and leave it at that. Drink up till you are good to go, then refill. Besides, you are not sure that the amount left in the bottle will get you to the next water point.

Fill up!

PHONE
Yes, you might need to make an emergency call during the race. Maybe someone has crashed and they need immediate help, or you have developed a mechanical and there’s no one around to help. You need a phone with you.

That, and make sure that at the very least, you have enough airtime to ask the receiver to call you back. At the very least.

CASH
GRVC is no joke. Perhaps you never ate enough breakfast. You might need that banana or that mandazi or that KDF being sold at the kiosk, and since they sell on neither credit nor charity, carry mulla.

SENSE OF FUN AND ADVENTURE
Ok, so maybe you are not looking for a General Classification spot. That’s fine. Iten is a beautiful😍 place. I remember seeing a waterfall pouring from one of the escarpments and the clouds hid the source of the waterfall. Breathtaking!

Come enjoy the scenery. And as you tackle the final 20km, perhaps that joke that passed over you might click and distract you enough to get to Iten. Or maybe you’ll remember that you haven’t bought HER flowers in a long time; or maybe even the missing link to make that business work will hit you;….

Whatever the case, bring all that fun and adventure. Who knows? You just might get to finish the climb this time round without getting off.