She calls it "ruthlessly brave." Others might call it reckless. Jess Meniere has built her life around one principle - put your hand up first, figure it out later. And the consequences have been spectacular.

In this episode of the Femme Series, Jess sits down with David to talk about what it really costs to chase a creative life in South African sport. From running the 13 Peaks with no training and no nutrition plan, to landing a dream career in sports photography before she even owned a camera - Jess's story is one of audacious leaps and hard landings. She opens up about the financial reality of freelancing, why she took a corporate job and immediately knew it was wrong, and the moment in Europe where an eight-day solo cycling odyssey through the Tour de Femme broke her completely. Along the way, there's a vegan cookie business born from spinal fractures, an honest conversation about what it's like being the only woman on the back of a motorbike at an event, and a triathlon that raises millions for education in South Africa.

This one's for anyone who's ever been told they're not qualified enough, not strong enough, or not ready — and did it anyway.

Part of the Femme Series — stories of remarkable women shaping South African cycling and beyond.

🍪 Bitchy Bites — Follow Jess's vegan cookie business: @ bitchy_bites

📸 Follow Jess: @ jess_meniere

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00:00 — Ruthlessly Brave, Fuck Around And Find Out

02:29 — "How Hard Can It Be?" — 13 Peaks With Zero Prep

04:37 — Landing Her Bum In The Butter At Faces

06:05 — Going Freelance At 21 Without A Camera

14:19 — The Only Woman On The Mountain

22:20 — 250km Days And A R36K Disaster In Europe

27:46 — The Crushing Reality Behind The Glamour

37:42 — A Broken Back, 500 Biscuits, And Bitchy Bites

42:53 — Twitch Bitchy: The 100K Cookie-Fueled Gravel Route

47:04 — A Monday Marathon And A Near-Hijacking

49:41 — The Three Gravel Events That Ruined Everything Else

53:36 — Why Grassroots Beats Corporate

58:05 — What's Next: Cedar, Epic, And Calling Cape Town

He went to Joburg for one ride. He got dropped by a world-tour cyclist, skipped a robot or two, and came back a convert. That's where Episode 10 begins — and it only gets bigger from there.

Cape Epic is underway, and the stories coming out of those trails are exactly why this race is unlike anything else on earth. Dean Hoff and Kevin Benke ran 30 kilometres with their bikes after a mechanical destroyed their race — and kept going. Tristan de Villiers and Kezia Llewellyn are in the yellow jersey, chasing what no South African pairing has ever done: win the Cape Epic. Meanwhile, Cam and Allie are out there somewhere in the peloton, laughing their heads off. Alec's on the ground. Sarah's racing. This one's personal.

On the world stage: del Toro is making GC statements, Vingegaard's wardrobe is making headlines, and Van der Poel is riding like a man possessed. Milan-San Remo is around the corner — and the women's race might be the most unpredictable one-day classic in years. We also touch on Allan Hathley quietly going 13th at Tirreno and what that could mean.

And then — gravel. Gallows. Garden route Giro. Roads to Desolation. If the gravel bug hasn't bitten you yet, this episode might be the one that changes that. We're a year old, Scicon has come on board, and we're just getting started.

🎙️ Hosted by David & Jason | The Breakaway Podcast

📸 Follow Alec's live Cape Epic coverage on Instagram: @theactivehobo

🕶️ Gear up with Scicon Sports SA — 15% off https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount

💬 Drop your take in the comments — is Gallows South Africa's best gravel race? And can Tristan & Kezia make history?

🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss our daily podcasts from the Garden route Giro.

Gallows Gravel Race Link: https://www.thegallowsrace.co.za/

Garden Route Giro link: https://www.gardenroutegiro.co.za/

#capeepic2026 #capeepic #achievementunlocked

00:00 — The Capetonian Goes to Joburg (and Gets Schooled)

11:34 — Inside the Cape Epic: Yellow Jersey, Broken Bikes & 30km On Foot

16:15 — The Story That Defines What Epic Actually Means

22:00 — Can a South African Pair Finally Win the Cape Epic?

30:04 — Del Toro, Vingegaard's Shorts & Tour de France Signals

47:08 — Women's Milan-San Remo: The Race Nobody Can Call

50:37 — Allan Hathley's Quiet Statement to the World

54:20 — South Africa's Gravel Season Is Here

55:24 — Gallows: The Race That Breaks You in the Best Way

1:00:13 — Garden Route Giro 2026

1:08:49 — One Year In: Scicon, Milestones & What's Coming

1:11:29 — See You Out There

You've seen the numbers on the packet. 2:1 ratio. 60 grams. 90 grams per hour. Multiple transportable carbohydrates. But what does any of it actually mean — and how do you use it without blowing up your stomach on race day?

In Part 2 with Reece McDonald — head of performance at Embukos and Science to Sport partner — we sit down and break race-day nutrition into language that anyone can understand. No jargon walls, no brand pushing. Just the honest, practical science behind what goes in your bottle, how concentrated it should be, what your pre-race breakfast should look like, and why the stuff you do in training matters more than anything you panic-buy the night before.

If you've ever stood in your kitchen staring at a bag of race mix wondering how many scoops actually go in — this one's for you.

https://www.sciencetosport.com

🎙️ Missed Part 1? Watch it here: [https://youtu.be/GSd23504_04]

📩 Got a nutrition question we didn't cover? Drop it in the comments or DM us — Reece is game to come back and go deeper.

👉 Subscribe to The Active Hobo for stories that matter — on and off the bike.

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00:00 — The Scoop Problem Nobody Talks About

02:50 — Train How You Race (Or Pay For It Later)

05:17 — Multiple Transportable Carbohydrates — In Plain English

06:18 — The 2:1 Ratio and Why 90 Grams Is the Ceiling

08:58 — Going Above 90g — Who Actually Needs That?

10:03 — Gut Training: Why Racing Intensity Changes Everything

11:10 — How Concentrated Should Your Bottle Actually Be?

13:26 — Gels, Bars, or Bottles — Building Your Race-Day Stack

16:01 — The Pre-Race Breakfast That Won't Wreck You

19:20 — Bagels, Maize Meal, and Better Alternatives to Oats

20:43 — The Electrolyte Trap Most Riders Fall Into

22:05 — Panic Consuming: The Race-Day Mistake You Keep Making

24:24 — Your Questions, Our Next Episode

26:17 — Incremental, Not Experimental