I started Urban Ninja to inspire people. It has been much more successful than I ever anticipated.

As such, over the last 3 years, people who follow the blog, my twitter and are involved with me have, as such, ramped expectation of me immensely. I really like this. I believe that we should expect the most of people, for they will always disappoint, no matter how low we set our expectations. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes.

Around 9 months ago I was juggling so many balls that sure, I let quite a few slip in the process. It was a messy time. Just yesterday something surfaced from that time which led to me majorly disappointing someone very close to me. It was a vicious reminder of a time where I was not 100% myself. Where I had just come off the 5 craziest months of my life and was very much not living the ethos I put out on this site and try impose on my entire life.

I am human and to be too hard on myself for it is not the way forward. You take the disappointment on the chin, suck up the consequences for what, at the time, was pretty slack action and hopefully, you move forward without looking back too often. Sure, there is trust to rebuild. Sure, there is more work to be done. Absolutely, you have to prove yourself again, no matter how much work you have done in the middle to prove that your trust is well placed. Apologies have been offered and really, I am focused on the present to show that it was an episode, not a series.

C’est la vie. And life is beautiful.

The last week has been an ample reminder of me becoming wrapped up in my complicated life. It has been a reminder to simplify, to continuously unclutter and to avoid the age of distraction, which is what we currently find ourselves in. There will be times when I muck up. I accept that. In the age of perfection often I get lost expecting that from everything when I know that it’s not a possibility and that at some point, there will be disappointment. It does not, however, mean that I don’t strive to get as close as possible.

Strive on people, the highs are higher and lows come fewer and further between…

The errors in training will become less.

The disappointment of falling majorly short of your expectancies, those will become fewer.

The days when you feel that you put in all the effort and it accounts for nothing, it will be months, then years, between them. Strive on. Starting today.

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Simple beauty, in that shot. Something about man and machine, perfectly aligned for a single purpose… i.e. to go fast. It looks so easy, so simple, so graceful. You cannot see the thousands of hours of work that have gone into making it look that easy. You cannot see the man’s body going full tilt, you cannot feel his pain (yes, there is loads of pain) as his muscles drive him forward and as his reflexes keep him on the track.

It’s whats behind the grace that is so powerful. It’s what you cannot see that’s the most important part of achieving what you see. What you see and what is going on in that photo, 2 totally different things.

Grace. What a beauty.

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A while ago I hinted that there was a new frame on the way. If you follow me on twitter, you would also have seen my utter frustration when it was incorrectly sent to Germany where it got stuck under this…

I think they were lying about it being stuck there though. That frame is so pretty I think it was conceived in that eruption. That Japanese Rising Sun combined with the name Katana, which any Kill Bill fans would know is an ancient Japanese Sword. Really now….

I am retiring my old bike for a slightly faster model, especially as I am now on my way to Kona for World Champs. That course is brutal and the extra bit of help goes a long way. People are going to ask why I didn’t go top of the range with the Viper, and my reasoning is simple. Its called a triathlon… specifically, an Ironman. I look for something more compliant out on the road that’s a little stiffer and hence, a little more comfortable. It may sound like nothing, but the Katana is my choice for 180km time trial over the Viper because of the run.

I am so looking forward to having him here with me. Why a boys name? Generally boys give their bikes girls names. Must be a nostalgic thing, or maybe a missed opportunity somewhere in their lives.

This bike will be called Kratos. KRATOS (or Cratus) was the god or daimon of strength, might, power and sovereign rule in Greek mythology. I think the style or racing at Ironman deserves a Kratos. It’s about mental strength, might and sovereign rule over your mind and your body for an entire day. Fitting.

Thank you Ceepo for their mighty effort in getting the frame here. There was a suggestion to send a racing donkey through Africa to get it here whilst that Volcano spewed anger and ash. They are still very new to South Africa but I suggest you check them out online here for all the models.

I am a big fan of niche design and Ceepo are into triathlon, and Ironman specifically. They don’t care about the UCI and their rules. A triathlon specific geometry is very different to a cycling one when it comes to OPTIMAL comfort out there. I am excited to be a part of this craftmanship, this passion for our sport.

Full built up pictures soon, I promise.

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