Nathan Dell: My Munga Grit North West Experience

Recounting the challenges faced, the terrains conquered, and the unforgettable memories forged at Munga Grit North West.

The Munga Grit is a series of ultra-endurance mountain bike races that challenge participants to cover vast distances within a set time frame. For instance, the Munga Grit North West 2024 is a gruelling 450-500 km race starting and finishing in Die Krip located in Magaliesburg South Africa, which riders must complete in 50 hours. It's designed as a bridge to the main Munga event to build up ones confidence and offer a taste of the extreme endurance required but over a shorter distance.

The Munga events are known for their remote trails, rugged terrains, and the unique experience it offer, making it a life-altering adventure for cycling enthusiasts.

RS: How and when did you get into cycling?

ND: I purchased my first bike in early 2020 and only used it to ride with my friends and daughter in my local area. I had actually bought her a bike for Christmas the previous year and took the plunge to buy myself one so that I could ride with her.

RS: Where do you ride mostly?

ND: Hahaha, well during this winter it feels like I have become good mates with my indoor trainer with the amount of training done but normally just local parks like Modderfontein, Redbarn, and Grootfontein. When we go to KZN (KwaZulu-Natal) then it's Sugar Rush or Holla mtb trails as often as I can. Other than that it's just all the races where we can get together with friends and like-minded people.

RS: Why did you choose the Munga Grit?

ND: At the beginning of 2024, I set a goal to do something that would scare me. I told my wife that I wanted to challenge myself to do something that would stretch my thinking and personal capabilities. I then signed up for a couple of “longer” races such as Race To The Sun, which I completed and felt that it was not that big of a challenge. Then I decided to sign up for Transbaviaans and the same happened. I still did not feel challenged with the thought of doing it so came to the conclusion that I had to do the Munga Grit to see how serious I was about this challenge.

RS: What did it take to get yourself to the start line and how did you prepare for it?

ND: Well for starters, when I signed up for the Munga Grit I immediately regretted the decision as I started doubting myself and thought “What did I just do”? I started reading some blogs about the tough characters we have in South Africa who have taken on the challenge and even done better by doing the full Munga. That too was not a good idea as I had never heard of things such as "Sleep Monsters", "Sherman's Neck" and even the "Munga Dragons". Boy did I start seriously doubting at that point. I had a sit down with my wife and started putting together a game plan on how this thing was even remotely possible. I changed a few of my normal routines with my sleep cycle, changed some eating habits and learnt a few things in the process. Started changing my mindset in that I couldn’t back out of this as it was actually my goal at the beginning of the year and now once my whole family heard I was doing it I had no choice. Then I slowly came to the realisation that I needed some external help as I was climbing on my bike every day and just praying for the best. I didn’t have a strategy or training plan and constantly felt tired and eventually irritated with my bike. I jumped online and googled long-distance cycling coach and came across your website where I read of how you had helped previous full-distance Munga riders achieve their goals and decided to at least try it.

Sleep monsters are described as the hallucinations experienced by adventure racers due to sleep deprivation. While the experience varies for each individual, these hallucinations are generally most intense between 2 am and 5 am.

Shermer's Neck is a condition where the neck muscles fail from fatigue and can no longer support the weight of the head.

The term "Munga Dragons" may symbolize the formidable challenges that riders face during these races, akin to conquering dragons in a quest.

RS: What were your goals and strategy?

ND: The week before the ride I decided that I had been building up to this ride for most of the year and took a moment to reflect on the journey. I realised that actually all the hard work was behind me. All the early mornings, long solo rides and the holding back on a few drinks with friends had already been banked so I thought that the ride was the reward and I looked at it like that going into the weekend. I told myself that I had to enjoy it, all the effort was for this moment and it was time to have fun. Having said that I knew I did not want to ride for 50 hours so set a goal to finish in 36 hours as the thought of seeing the sun set twice and rise twice was not appealing. I had trained to not upset my stomach on the ride and had been eating solid food (real foods) on all the lead-up rides/races I did in the year, avoiding gels at all costs.

RS: What bike and packing setup did you choose for the ride?

ND: I knew I had absolutely no chance of winning this thing, and understood that I did want to continue cycling after the event so left my gravel bike behind and went with my dual shock Specialized Epic Evo. I had an Apidura top tube bag for all my snacks, tools, electronics and medical kit and then an Apidura saddle bag for my additional clothing and nutrition. I took 2 x 750 ml water bottles and had a 1.5 l USWE pack on my back.

RS: How did you reduce pre-race anxiety?

ND: That’s easy! I had my wife with me in the morning and my daughter wishing me all the luck via WhatsApp which completely calmed the nerves. When you don’t know what you are in for the best thing is to stay close to the most stable thing in your life and that’s my wife.

RS: What were the lowest moments, and how did you get through them?

ND: At 30 km I had problems with my shoes that I bought 2 weeks prior and the pressure they were causing on my feet. They were in so much pain that I could not put power to the pedal and I thought that if I could not do that on 30 km how was I going to complete the task of finishing the race. I eventually had to cut the sides of my shoes open to relieve the pressure. At the race village and every water point I stopped to take my shoes off and walked around to get the blood flowing again before carrying on. The moral of the story is don’t change shoes that close to such a big race and when buying shoes for such a long distance event just go directly to Lake Shoes and get the right ones the first time.

Tip: Shoes are one area you should spend good money. Don't buy them online! To find the right fit it is best to go into a store with a huge stock of multiple brands and try them on.

Slightly bigger with a flexible sole is recommended.

RS: What were the scary moments, and how did you get through them?

ND: Seeing a rider getting knocked off her bike by a buck around midnight and in the middle of nowhere. I helped her up and I was very worried as she had hit her head and thought we would need to call the emergency services. Like I said though these Munga characters are built differently and after a short break she got back on her bike and pushed on, going from one water point to the next. We rode together for the remainder of the ride and seeing her continue even after such an accident was inspiring. Another scary thing was realising at 200 km that the KOM climb was at 260 km and thinking I had burned too many matches early on after fixing my shoe problem. I found 2 other riders when I got to the climb and just stayed on the back of their wheels so I had no chance to stop and give up. They helped me through that tough spot of the ride and I am grateful for their motivation and belief in me even though we had never met before. Another motivation was seeing someone do the whole ride on a single-speed bike. Talk about perseverance.

RS: How much sleep did you manage to snatch?

ND: None. I stopped at race village 1 for an hour, had a good meal with some coffee and then pushed on.

RS: What kept you going?

ND: My faith, family and the thought of a warm bed and a nice cold one.

RS: What did you learn/discover about yourself when you did Munga Grit?

ND: When you set a challenge for yourself, don’t doubt your capabilities. If you are serious about achieving your goals you can do it. The only obstacle is yourself, so move out of the way and achieve your goals.

RS:What advice would you give to someone participating in an ultra-distance cycling event for the first time?

ND: Don’t try go at it alone, find a trainer so they can maximize on your limited training time. There is so much more that can be gained if you train the right way and you won’t tackle the task blindly. Leave the planning to the pro’s and focus on what you can control. Enjoy the whole process and don’t forget why you wanted to take on such a ride, it will all be worth it in the end.

RS: How did it feel to ride 500 kilometres?

ND: Well, the race ended on 456 km so I will be able to properly answer that next year at Tankwa but I got close and must say it is one of my biggest achievements and one of the things I am most proud of.

RS: What did you enjoy about Munga Grit?

ND: The culture. When you get to the start of these Munga events and look around, you can see everyone knows each other and greets one another like family. You know you are not racing this but rather just making sure you get to the other side. Everyone is constantly motivating and building each other. There is no other race in South Africa that has that.

RS: Would you do it again?

ND: Definitely! I am already planning on doing both NW and Tankwa to build up for the full one next year.

RS: What would you do differently?

ND: I will try to convince my riding friends to join me because life in general is better when you are with friends and family. I will also not doubt myself in the build-up and just trust in your support system, your training and yourself more.

That is it, thank you for reading, I hope you found it to be a useful resource. Questions, comments and high fives? Drop them here.