Winding dusty roads

Having not ridden on my bike since the 1st day of CNY (to Frasers Hill), I was totally itching to get on the saddle. Despite the fact that my fitness since CNY had been on a slow decline, averaging about a short run or two per week. Only started picking up pace with longer, more frequent runs last week, only because panic set in with the knowledge that the KLIM is looming round the corner.

So yesterday, I joined the PCC at Centrepoint, Bandar Utama at a less-ungodly hour of 7.30am. Unloaded bike, last minute donation in the toilet, then off we went towards Kota Damansara. I was just pedaling and pedaling, trying the best I could to draft, but my slow coach legs couldn't keep up. Met P for the first time today, and she's an amazing woman. She finished the Ironman in her 50s a few years ago. Don't know her age exactly right now, but by golly, she's fit! I can only wish I can be like her when I'm her age. She's got lots of power, spirit, smiles and a very nice bike (Scott CR1, wahhh).

Anyway, from Kota Damansara we cycled towards Sg Buloh, and then to Ijok. Very dusty and windy roads. With innocent looking climbs that weren't so innocent. After about 40-41km, we took the Guthrie corridor back towards Kota Damansara, then back to Centrepoint through Tropicana. Bike computer registered about 82km. As usual MF was a sweetie, looking out for us, as was DC, our ride leader.

We hung out for drinks and a chat at the mamak before we went home. The day was so hot, I could feel myself wither in the heat. Slept really early last night. Woke up after 11 hours with achey shoulders (legs were ok - maybe I wasn't working hard enough, hahaha). I love it.

Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

This post has been sitting in my draft folder for the past 2 weeks. Got busy. Got ill. Still nursing a cough but that's okay. So here goes. Hey, at least I'm posting this before Chap Goh Mei, right?

The eve
CNY eve was celebrated quite simply with family at home. We had roast duck from Loong Foong in Paramount (though I much prefer the Sunrise Roast Duck, they decided not to open for business this CNY), Char Siew (roast pork) from James Ayam, Jellyfish Yee Sang from Chuai Heng (One Utama) topped up with salmon sashimi from Jusco Supermarket (I don't see the point in thinly sliced salmon, really) and mom cooked some vegetable stir fry. I opened up a bottle of Merlot to go with the duck and pork and it was not too bad either. Sunshine got to eat inside with us. She even had a taste of everything. Just a weee-bit. Except the wine of course. Then she was quite happy to lie at our feet. Hahaha. Pictures to come soon. I still can't find that damn USB cable for my phone. Grrrr.

Cycling up Frasers
As for the first day of Chinese New Year, I had a total blast cycling up to Fraser's Hill with JJ, MF and some new friends I made that day. We met up in Kuala Kubu Baru, and then headed for hills, cycled past the beautiful KKB dam and then a steady climb to the Gap which lasted over 2 hours.

It was a lovely climb, with shady trees by the long and winding road. The cool breeze was crisp and fresh. I could smell the green scent of the jungle and hear the rustling of leaves. When we rode near the river we could hear the sound of water tripping over rocks as it rushed towards the dam we left behind.

When we finally reached the Gap, we were greeted by many cars parked by the roadside. Holidaying families were waiting for the road leading up to the top of Fraser's Hill to open. Well, we got this far, so the guys said we should ride to the clock tower, another 8km away. Gulp. JJ was up for it, so I thought OK lah. Might as well.

We didn't want to wait for the road to open, so we used the alternative route, which started off with a really steep slope. A 750m 15% incline. Oh gawd... I tried, but half way through, I knew I couldn't anymore. My heart was at the verge of bursting and my legs couldn't maintain a steady rhythm. I quickly unclipped my shoes and prayed I wouldn't fall over in an undignified heap. I managed to get off my bike to push.

After getting back on the bike, we endured a few more kms of rolling hills. Then we saw the gang who were ahead of us coming down the hill. They said there was a landslide further up and there was no way we could cross. Bummer.

So much for the clock tower. We could take the other way up, but we were running out of time. After a short rest back at the Gap, we were on our way home. The ride down was madness! Averaged 30-40km/h (and I might add there's a speed limit of 30km/h for cars here). Round and round back down the hill.

Weeeeeehoooooo... the wind was in my face. I avoided oncoming traffic, holes, sandy corners and fallen branches. I didn't realise I climbed up such a distance until I saw that the journey down was pretty long too. Then we reached the big road near the dam. Changed to my big crank and pedaled, reaching a top speed of 60km/h (I didn't see any speed limit signs here though), and the downhill speed gave me momentum to fly up the smaller slopes after.

Cool breeze gave way to hot air as the sun was already up and we had no more shady trees for cover. The heat from the tarmac made me feel like I was riding in a bed of burning charcoal. Phoooh! But it was over pretty quickly when we reached KKB town again and back to our cars at the stadium. ZM treated everybody to makan opposite the stadium, and it was such fun talking about the ride. It's definitely one of the best rides I've had so far, and I can't wait to go back there again. Hopefully next time we can make it to the clock tower.

Hamper shopping
Went home. Took a shower. Then went to Giant to get a CNY hamper for D's family. Goodness gracious. The hampers were pricey but filled with junk. I decided to handpick some better items, although for the same budget, there would be less items and I'd get a smaller hamper. Oh well, better than cheap sugar-crusted jelly sweets or plasticky chocolate any day. Besides, it's more gratifying to push the trolley around and choose items the recipients would like.

Dinner with D's family and drinks with friends
It was his folk's last night in KL before they fly back to Adelaide, so we had dinner before dropping them off at the granny's. Nothing else seemed to be open in the USJ area on the first day of CNY, so we ended up at a vegetarian restaurant. After that, we met up with some friends for drinks at Chili's in Midvalley. It was a good catch up session with LY, WY, EK and AW who's back from Shanghai.

Not so 'ong' 2nd day
Didn't do much but rest and recover from the ride the day before. Had dinner at my aunt's place. Sunshine had a swell time running around the big garden and having everyone fuss all over her. Later, D & I went to LY's cousin's place for a few rounds of cards. Not very 'ong' at all la this year. Must be Aunty HN's boob-shimmying and leg-crossing ala Sharon Stone disturbing the 'luck'. Hahahaha.

Packed 3rd day
Visited KY's place on Saturday afternoon. My, her belly had gotten bigger. Zombee was cute as always, yelping at the back for some attention. Then I went over to The Curve for quick meet up with the old DDBi gang as SC was back from Vietnam. So nice to see everybody again. Then it was off to LY's place for another round of cards. Still not very 'ong'. Lost some at Dai Dee but managed to recover some at the Black Jack table.

The Chins, Chong, Oois & Mah
Met up with the girls. SY's belly has grown as well since we last met at MT's wedding. After coffee and catching up, AV and I met up with the boys after their basketball game. KC and CC hadn't changed a bit. Put them and D together, aiyooohh, it's like a trip back to our GMSJ Youth days over a decade ago. Hahaha. And oh, the Sup Kambing at Darus Salam in SS15 Subang Jaya, SUCKS. All MSG and fatty meat with an overdose of spice. Uggghh.

Got sick :(
The following few days were horrible. Got a bit of a fever. Sore throat. No sniffles, but a dry cough. My tonsils swelled up. Doctor asked me to consider removing them one day, cos they get inflamed so easily. It's been a week and I still get the hacking cough. Damn the heaty CNY weather. No lah... it's not all the bak kua I ate. I didn't get enough of those. Sniff.

The Chans
Visited CN on Saturday and it was so good to see her and hubby after so long. And while I heard that her sister (3 years our junior) just gave birth to a baby girl 3 months ago, it didn't sink in until I saw SN with her baby. And I still remember SN in her high school pinafore. OK, that was about 10 years ago, but gosh! In my mind, she still that tall, young, pretty girl with the school bag. She's still tall, young, and pretty - but now she's a mom, with baby bags!

It's Day 12 today. Chap Goh Meh on Thursday.
Shites, only 3 more days of Angpow collection!

Hot weekend

Save D the monks!
The past few days were quite eventful. D had to travel to Yangon for work (an education fair), which made me fret a bit... especially after all the violence on the streets reported recently. He assured me he and his colleagues would be in good hands, only to tell me the Myanmar government still had a ban on mobile phones (communication black out to the outside world continues). It was zero contact for a few days. Not even e-mail, although I did get a very short note on day 3, which apparently took 17 minutes to send out on a really slow internet connection. Something about being "safe", "good food", "lovely time". He swore it was not a government email template. The food really was good. So good he even ate vegetables. Rrrright.

So I sent him off on Wednesday night (public holiday), then it was back to work on Thursday, which instantly gave it 'Monday' status. Bleh. But all was not lost. Managed to squeeze in an RPM class and 1 hour of running at the gym. Then I had an awesome ride on the weekend.

Solar-powered
We met at Bangi right before the sun came up (lost my way, but finally found MS and AS's car at the Bangi tol). Parked our cars at the meeting point, and got our bikes and gear together. My new friends were there (MF, AL) as well as JW, one of my RPM instructors, and the PCC regulars.

We set off about 7.15 (or was it 7.30?) but before I could get out of the car park, *krak* my chain came off. I don't know how it happened, but it did. Hmmm. Everyone else were way ahead. Luckily WCC (thanks, man!) happened to be around to help me out and lead the way. I wiped bike grease on my tights. Talk about earning stripes. Hahaha.

We finally caught up with the rest at the petrol station near Salak, and continued our ride to the Sepang 'Gold Coast' in Bagan Lalang. Gold Coast konon... but I have to say, catching a glimpse of the sea while riding into the area was quite an awesome feeling (it actually looked blue and shimmery) . Wow! I cycled to the beach! *jakun smile from ear to ear*

We stopped for drinks and chit chat at a mamak before we went on our way again. The journey back, V encouraged me to keep up with the pack so I could draft and escape the strong crosswinds. Every now and then he would push me a little to get me up to speed. I'd catch up, then fall back from fatigue. I couldn't keep it up in the long run. The pack went far ahead, and soon it was just me, AR, MF and V. We spotted MS not too far in front of us and tried to catch her but she too, sped strongly ahead. Sigh. My newbie legs. No power. Inconsistent speed (averaging 24km/h according to bike computer), though I did keep my cadence above 80 most of the way.

As we approached Salak, we stopped at the petrol station for awhile. My feet were hurting cos I strapped my clip shoes too tight, and my feet expanded from the pressure and heat. Such relief to unstrap for abit and drink more fluids.

AR started to feel a cramp in her legs and ate a Powergel. We pushed off again after a short rest, but it wasn't long before the cramps hit her hard. Ironically, she stopped right in front of a government clinic (which was closed by the way) and stooped over in pain. We had to unlatch her front wheel to lower her bike and carry her off so she could lie down. I tried massaging her cramp thigh muscles which didn't provide much relief until a cab arrived. The poor girl could not move at all, so we carried her dead weight into the car. How they make throwing corpses into car boots look so easy on TV is an absolute lie. Hahaha.

After all that excitement, MF, V and I continued on our journey back to base. The sun was blazing hot by then. A magic hand helped to push me up some hills when I slowed down to a crawl (thanks V). I attempted some standing climbs (ala RPM, kekeke) at the last few hills, but I didn't last very long on wobbly legs. Even clipping and unclipping my pedals at traffic lights were clumsy near-toppling efforts.

Finally, we made it! My odometer clocked 97.71km for this ride - about 6 hours, including rest stops. Woooo hooo! The rest of the gang were waiting for us. AR arrived safely and was up walking again. Soon, we packed up and left, but not before going to the gas station for some cold drinks. In total, I probably drank 4 bottles of Gatorade and 2 bottles of 100 plus throughout and after the ride.

I went home with a bit of a tan (with SPF50 sunblock) and feeling like a solar panel. Really felt panas inside out, as if my body absorbed the sun rays and generated heat from within. I was so thirsty for the rest of the day and drank heaps of water. Weather's been crazy lately. Super hot afternoons followed by short but heavy rain in the evening.

SC is organising a 200km ride to Lumut from Centrepoint this Saturday. I'm tempted to go but I'll only be slowing everybody down. Shy la. Wondering if I should. Departing before 7am, ETA late afternoon. Wah liaoo...

Missing an arm and a leg
After the ride, I drove my weary body to the Sentul Raya office to check out materials for my apartment's kitchen cabinets. Rather than wait for my keys and hire contractors to build them, I decided to use the contractor recommended by the developer. That way, when I get my keys, the cabinets would be built-in (including Electrolux stove and hood). Then all I have to do is look for a tenant, and maybe furnish it abit. The materials seem decent enough (I chose the cheaper package, hehe).

The whole thing still cost the sum of some body parts, but I did my homework. It would cost about the same in Ikea anyway, but I would have the hassle of shopping for my own electrical appliances and pay for installation and stuff. Troublesome lah. Might as well get the developer to take care of everything, plus the prices are not too bad (bulk discount). Dream kitchen it is not, but presentable and durable lah. Sigh. There goes my bonus :(

In other news
The promotion - I can't say I worked any harder than most people in my department. So I can't say I really deserve it, but I'm grateful all the same.

A tempting offer - didn't think it would really come. But it did. And I don't know what to do. Opportunities come. Opportunities go. How many do I really wanna pass up?

Race Calendar for 2008

Now that the first race is done and over with, here are the other races I hope to do this year. Some dates are not confirmed as of right now, so I've put in tentative dates based on last year's calendar. I doubt I'll go for every race, but will definitely go for as many as time, leave days and finances permit.

January

RUN: Great Eastern 30km Run
20 January - Lake Gardens, KL

March

RUN: KLIM Half Marathon (21km)
30th March - Dataran Merdeka, KL
My 2nd half marathon. Hope to finish under 2:30 (previous time 2:38)

May

TRI: Bukit Merah International Triathlon
3th - 4th May (tentative) - Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, Perak
It was on last year, but I don't know if it will be this year. If it's on, I'll be going right after MF & CS's wedding reception in Ipoh. Popping my triathlon cherry! Woohoo!

TRI: A'Famosa Triathlon (Olympic Distance)
10th - 11th May- A'Famosa Resort, Alor Gajah, Melaka

RUN: New Balance Pacesetters 15km Run
18th May - Padang Merbok, KL
Last year's time was was in the 1:50s. Hope to do under 1:40 this time.

TRI: Kenyir Lake International Triathlon (Sprint/Olympic Distance)
25th May - Kenyir, Terengganu
Was told this is the nicest and the 'must do' triathlon of the year.

June

TRI: Sarawak International Triathlon (Sprint/Olympic Distance)
21st June (tentative) - Miri, Sarawak
This depends on how expensive/difficult it would be for me to send my bike over for the race. Right now it sounds mighty troublesome.

RUN: Penang Bridge Marathon (21km)
22nd June (tentative) - Penang
Looking at how badly organised it was last year, I seriously doubt I want to go again. But oh the food...

July

RUN: Siemens 10km
6th July (tentative) - Dataran Merdeka, KL

TRI: Port Dickson Triathlon (Sprint/Olympic Distance)
20th July - Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
I remember a family friend's son used to go for this one. He was in college back then, and I was an asthmatic 8 year old. I used to look at his pictures and medals in awe and thought having numbers painted on his body was really cool. No, I was too young to really check out other details about his body. Tsk.

August

RUN: Adidas King of the Road 10km / 21km
3 August (tentative) - Sunway NPE, Selangor

RUN: PJ Half Marathon 21km
10 August (tentative) - Kelana Jaya Stadium, PJ, Selangor
Finished 2:38 last year. Hope to do 2:20 or less. Hee.

RUN: Subang Jaya 10km
24 August (tentative) - MPSJ Stadium, Selangor

BIKE: PCC Interstate 2008
Long-distance Cycling Road Tour
29th - 31st August (tentative) - Around Malaysia
LY and I hope to do this. She plans to clean up her old bike and start cycling again. YAY!

Oct

TRI: Desaru Pengerang International Long Distance Triathlon
18th October - Desaru, Johor
Doubt I will have time to train for long distance or have enough leave days to make so many trips, but I'm putting this in the list anyway, just for fun. Even if I do go, I'd most likely be doing the Sprint Distance.


Nov

DUATH: Powerman Duathlon
9th Nov (tentative) - Lumut, Perak
No swim? YAYYYYY!!


Longer term goals

- Run a full marathon in 2009 if I can get past the mental barrier of doing so. The recent 30km was painful enough. Can't imagine running another 12km. Yet. Aiiieeeeee!!!
- If I do manage to run a full marathon in 2009, I'll probably reward myself with a better bike and try for Ironman 2010.
- Now let's see if I break something get tired of all this before the year is out :)

Brick it! You gotta brick it!

I've read lots about it, and it always sounded scary. Running with stiff or jelly legs after a bike ride (two disciplines back to back, a must in triathlon training). We use different sets of muscles for the bike and run, but lactic acid build up and fatigue can make the run hell. That's why it's called a brick - your legs would probably feel like they're carrying a ton of them.

Now that I've tried it, hey, it wasn't all that bad after all.
I was actually hoping to do a long ride yesterday, but everyone going on long rides were super fast riders training for Ironman next month. I'm a slow newbie so I'd either be a real nuisance or be left far behind. So after looking around for rides to join in, I found out MS was doing a brick in Putrajaya with some friends. 50km bike + 20km run. Gulp, but what the heck.

Woke up at 4.45am so I wouldn't be late. Showered. Ate breakfast. And got to the Putrajaya Mosque by 6.00am, a tad too early (drove too fast on a deserted highway). There were already cars parked outside - Sahur time, and people were walking in for prayers. I didn't want to be pelted by stones seen outside a mosque wearing my not-very-inconspicuous red cycling tights, so I stayed in the car, and waited for the rest to arrive.

It was a pleasant morning ride, starting out from the Putrajaya Mosque at about 6.30-6.45am, out to Cyberjaya and then back, followed by a run from the mosque to the Putrajaya Convention Centre. I took slightly over 2 hours to complete the 50km ride (the other guys were way ahead, but MS and IZ were kind enough to wait up for me, TQ), and about an hour twenty for an easy-pace 10km run. Most of us ended up running just 10km. The sun was merciless.

Then I went home to shower and met them at Edwin's bike shop (Joo Ngan Son in DU). I fixed in a bike computer (RM150) at last! YAY! A Cat's Eye with 8 functions including cadence! Now I can keep track of my RPM and how many kms I've gone.

Other recent purchases (gulp):
- I got this red pair of Optic Nerve Rodango with 4 sets of lenses (RM250) online! Whooopeee dooo! I really wanted the Oakley Half Jacket Sunglasses but it would cost more than double, without extra lenses. Sigh. Once again, my head ruled the heart :( *uhuk*

Sigh. Isn't the one on the right wayyyy prettier? Match my bike summore.

- Cat's Eye front and tail lights for night riding! :D
Yet to go for a night ride though.


- Bought an entire box of 24 x 500ml Gatorade (Lemon Lime) from Giant a few days ago. RM1.99 each. Good stuff. Hahaha. After 3 days and I'm already down to 20 bottles.

I've gotten pretty much everything I need. Except maybe a hand pump in case my tyres pancit half way while riding. Hmmm. Next month lah.

Whoosh...

The week went by really quickly.
Busy at work. Tried squeezing in some workouts in between.

Body took awhile to recover from the previous Sunday's ride.
Going up K.Klawar (or Perez as it's called by other cyclists) really did me in, and an attempt to run on Wednesday was rather pathetic. It's as if my cycling legs screwed up my running legs, so I did some weights instead. Went for RPM on Thursday, and while I noticed it's getting a little easier, I sweated buckets like never before. Good or bad sign, I dunno.

Thursday was also when D took my dad out to watch the Federer vs Sampras match in Shah Alam. Such a sweetie. Apparently my dad was screaming and cheering his heart out. For the few hours in the stadium, he wasn't a little frail old man. Hahaha. So funny.

Saturday
Swim lesson in the morning again. Assistant coach taught me a drill to help my freestyle (main coach went off with the kids for a swim meet) . I'm starting to feel a little doubtful about the classes here. He kept forgetting I was there to improve on my strokes, not to learn how to swim. Geeez. He only taught me the drill after I reminded him when he asked me to do the same stuff as another student who didn't even know how to float.

After class, I sent my car for service nearby, walked home (which took 15mins) cos I still couldn't run, and took Sunshine for long walk with a few running bursts (45mins). She was all pooped out by the time we got home (the weather was scorching even though it was about 11am). So cute to see her sleeping contentedly after that.

Sunday
Had a good ride at Ulu Langat again. Left the house at 6.45am and there was a freaking jam on the Federal Highway. The cops turned a 4-lane into a 1-lane because of the rioting in town. Damn! Luckily it cleared quickly enough and I got to Ulu Langat on time.

We took the route round the dam to the nasi lemak stall this week. The ride felt easier than my first. At least I was struggling as much going up the hills. The best part - I'm not aching very much today.

What did I do differently? I drank a whole bottle of Gatorade before the ride, and another during. Ate some nasi lemak at the rest stop half way, drank some Revive, and then downed 2 cans of Gatorade after the ride. Not as stiff and achey as my first ride. Can't compare to last week's ride of course, which was a different route and uphill all the way. Hmmm. I wonder if my client (Pepsico) would sell Gatorade to me in bulk at a cheaper price. Teeheehee.

Met up with the girls for coffee for some catching up as AV was back from Singapore for the weekend. There were only 4 of us since EL left for London. The latest news would be SY's preggers-ness. AV bought her some baby clothes - a really pretty colourful striped outfit with socks.

I said "Cute." They were really cute, but I guess I wasn't overly enthusiastic with a cccccccuuuuuuuuuuuuuttttteeeee or something. But they had a good laugh (at me) cos they could see this whole 'baby' thing was kinda freaking me out. SY would be the first in my close bunch of girlfriends from high school to have a baby. And of course, AV and SY being married, they turned to CC and me, and asked when it'd be our turn.

Errr....
AIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Knowing SY and HM, their kid would be a real cutie.
There's no denying that! :)

Exhausted and loving it

Saturday
Swim class at 8am in the Sunway Monash Condo. Wah! Olympic size pool wor, don't play play. There weren't enough people in the 8am beginner's class today, so the coach asked me to swim laps with the competitive swimming kids first while waiting for the next class at 9am. So I did, and swam a slow freestyle, putting into practice tips I read from swimming websites - thumb to thigh to ensure a complete pull, and rotate hips with each stroke.


I could keep to this form if I was swimming slow. But the moment I tried to go fast, I was splashing about like a drowning dugong. When the coach got all the kids to do a 50m sprint, I was put into a group with an 8-year old and a 7-year old. They could swim faster than me. 'Nuff said. When my class started after that, we did some kicking and a few laps of butterfly with our arms behind our backs. Felt good.

Then it was home for a quick shower to wash off the chlorine, before I met up with LY at the gym. Ran for half an hour with medium and high intensity intervals (wanted to do an hour but was feeling really buggered) . Rushed home, showered, changed, loaded the keyboard and band stuff into the car, and off to a gig in Shah Alam.

It was a good gig. I wanted to refrain from alcohol that night and declined so many cold beers (very good girl, okay) before succumbing to a glass of wine at the end of it. Haiyaaa... sure suffer the next day. Got home about 1am, unloaded my music gear from the car, packed in my bike and stuff I'd need for the ride, and went to bed. Phew.

Sunday
Woke up and raring to go after about 4-5 hours sleep, only to find out my sunnies were missing. I couldn't recall wearing them since my last ride 3 weeks ago and I was very sure I brought them home. Spent a good 20 minutes searching high and low for them, and then decided to eff it. Left the house for Ulu Langat, running late. Found RK and his friend KT, begged for forgiveness and off we went.

First red traffic light, I unclipped my left shoe with the intention of stopping and landing on my left foot. But I was off balance and toppled over to my right. Ooops. Good thing nothing broken or sprained. Just a couple of scratches on my BRAND NEW CLIP SHOES. Sigh. Thank God cars already stopped at that point. Hehe. The shoes and pedals made a lot of difference though. I could spin more instead of just hammering down on the pedals, and every time I lifted my legs, I'd be pulling the pedals too.

Today we did the K. Kelawar route, instead of the one that went round the dam. It was a very steep uphill climb all the way (super killer), but very scenic as well. I was very sure I saw a crab by the side of the road. Well, I was getting quite hungry that time, hehe.

Many times I was tempted to get off the bike and push, but persevered, wondering why I put myself through this. But finally, I got to the top where I stopped to drink, eat my Powergel (Green Apple was very nice, not like the Tangerine shit), and we turned back the same way we came, flying downhill all the way. So wonderful. If only I had my sunnies to block the glaring sun, wind and particles in the air. Wonder where I left it. Arrrrggggghhh!!

Now I'm home, and wondering if I should go for a run tomorrow morning. Yawn. Oh so sleepy. Maybe...

This hobby is getting expensive...

Just bought clip pedals (Shimano 105) for my bike and clip shoes (Sidi Zeta) to go with it. The pedals cost RM150 and the shoes, RM350. Good thing RK was with me at the shop cos the guys at Bikepro were pushing the more expensive stuff - pedals that cost RM380 and shoes that cost RM450. They must be hard of hearing cos I told them many times that I didn't have a lot of money to blow. Geez.

Some diligent hunting on the shelves found me my shoes (they said my size was out of stock for this cheaper model, yea right). And luckily the shop owner himself reminded his staff that the latest shipment of Shimano pedals just came in. To think the stuff I'm buying are actually of the lower mid-range stuff. Gosh!

So today I got my messy gears tuned up. The pedals fixed in. And I also bought a pair of cycling gloves, in red and black, Matching matching my bike, tights and shoes la, of course. Gave up the idea of using my gym gloves cos they are really tight and hot. The Scott Essential gloves are breathable and easier to slap on.

Here's the lowdown on what I've spent so far:
Scott Speedster S30 3300
Pouch for spare tube 45
Cycling tights 75
Helmet 180
Bike stand 30
Extra drink bottle & cage 10
Clip pedals 150
Clip shoes 350
Cycling gloves 60

Total now stands at RM4200 *gulp*
Guess the pedometer-cadence thingy will have to wait. Not to mention the sports sunnies. Make do with my normal sunnies la. If only they'll stop sliding down my face. Sigh.

It's easy to see how my hardcore cyclist friends can spend over RM10k on their bikes and then some, upgrading as they go along. Gosh, some bike frames alone cost more than RM5k! *shudders*

Thank God my gigs help pay for my endorphin habit, though I doubt I could ever spend that kind of money on a bicycle. Goodness!

Gonna spend tomorrow practising the clipping and unclipping of shoes. Having my first swim stroke correction lesson at the Monash pool as well. And Sunday, is a ride at Ulu Langat with RK and his group. Can't wait!

Wooooohoooooo!!!

Not so bleh no more

I finally bought my own helmet.
I initially wanted a MET all-white Estro, but it was sold out and I didn't fancy the idea of waiting for new stock to arrive.

Then I saw this.
It's the MET Formula. And at RM180, it's a hundred bucks cheaper than the Estro. And though I'd much prefer the Estro, RM100 is alot of money to save.

Anyway, I couldn't stand staying home anymore. It was driving me mad and I was feeling quite OK already. So I decided to join MS and her gang for a ride this morning. This time in Ulu Langat. Even the drive there was awesome. As I approached the small road cutting through the village, I saw the sun slowly rise behind the hills in the horizon, giving everything around it a golden glow. Birds were flying in formation. Chickens were running around by the roadside.

So I parked my car, set up the bike and off we went through more villages. More greenery. More sunlight cutting through tree branches. And about an hour in, the true reward of braving village motorists and wayward chickens- the Ulu Langat Dam.

It was beautiful. Clear water spotted with green islands. Water falls coming down by the road side. God's beautiful creations - yes, yes, so what if the dam was man-made. And oh, there were killer hills, but equally thrilling downhills.

My fitness was terrible though. After almost 2 weeks of inactivity, it was quite a painful struggle to keep up. Good thing MS and the other cyclists took time to slow down for me or to give me a push every now and then when I was practically crawling up the hill (I'd probably move faster if I got down and walked but I would have none of that).

All in all, it was a good Sunday.
But I miss my two favourite people badly.
One is in Cambodia on holiday with his bud for a few days. The other is in China on holiday with her family for a week. Miss :(

First bike ride!

Took my bike on its first real ride today.
Met up with LS and MS at Putrajaya near the Prime Minister's office and took off. It was a slow easy ride, with a few hills. Nice weather this morning too. Breezy and cool with a sunny sky.

My middle gears are kinda wonky.
Gotta have that looked into at the shop soon.
Things to get next: my own helmet, lights for night riding, the pedo-speedometer-cadence thingy and a jersey.

I really enjoyed the ride. Especially when I was going downhill with the wind in my face at high speed. Quite a thrill. And Putrajaya is actually a very pretty place. Lots of trees, lakes, bridges and wide, bike-friendly roads to ride in.

Now if only it wasn't a 40-minute drive from home.
And a bak kut teh place in there somewhere would be nice too. Hahahahaha! Fat chance!

Crazy guy cycles home from the USA

Click here to read about this crazy guy on a bike who is cycling home to Malaysia, all the way from US of A. His journey began in May from the US West Coast, he arrived in the East Coast 2 months later, flew across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland and is currently getting out of Turkey and entering the Asian continent.

Respek sama dia... really respect. You have to read his journal to see what he's been through for the past few months. Such bravery and tenacity. That's what I call a real journey. A real adventure. And the best part is, he's not spending millions in taxpayers money to do it.

You see, it turns out that our angkasawan is just hitching a ride into space.

Spaceflight participant = Astronaut?
*choke*

God help us if they-who-must-not-be-named decide to bestow a Datukship upon him when he returns.

OK OK, to be fair, if Laika the Dog, Sam the Rhesus Monkey and Ham the Chimpanzee can do it, why not a Malaysian? NASA named them astronauts too.

Nuts.

I'm getting my bike! Wooohooo!

I went to the bike shop in Taman Megah today to take another look at the 2007 Scott Speedster S30 I saw a few weeks back. Its price went down to RM3k now that the new batch of bikes for 2008 had arrived. The cheaper, full 105 groupset 2007 Merida 904 at KSH Taman Tun was already sold out (2008 bikes only arriving in November), so I made up my mind to get the Scott (it's a really nice and fierce looking red and black bike)... until I laid eyes on its successor.

I first saw it online the other day and drooled over its sleek white frame and slightly improved bits (such as a carbon fork from the upper end Addict range). But when it was right in front of me at the shop, I knew I had to make it mine.


2008 Scott Speedster S30 (click here for the specs)

The best part, it costs 'just' RM300 more than the 2007 model. Worth the extra me thinks (RK and LS, my bike si-fus approve as well). And what you can't see in the picture is the shape of the top tube. It's triangular (CR1 geometry), which means it's stronger than the cylindrical tube of its predecessor. The Addict fork will also absorb more road vibration than the 2007 fork.

And it's white. All white.
I love it! I love it!

They're putting the bike together in my size, and I'll be bike-fitting it tomorrow. Aaarrrgghhh! I can't contain my excitement. I'm gonna be so broke cos I still need to get the helmet, the spare tubes and padded cycling shorts on top of all that. Arrrgghhhh!

What should I name it?

POST EDIT: The bike's gorgeous.
And I got matching bottles to go with it.
Score! The clip pedals and shoes will have to wait though, cos I should get used to bike first before I learn how to use them. They're not cheap either. So maybe in December.

Adrenaline crash (again)

It's been over a week since my half marathon and I've been a lazy arse. The lazier I got, the more lethargic I became. And it's a vicious cycle. Bleh. This happens to me every time there's a build up to something. The anticipation keeps me going right until after the big event and after that, kaboom. Crash. Boom. Bang.

Went to the gym on Saturday. Managed a decent 4.5km run in half an hour. Then I took Sunshine on a run-walk expedition up and down the hills of Damansara Heights on Sunday, with LS and her puppy Yuki. My feet suffered for it. They hurt more now than they did after the half marathon. Strange.

I wonder if it's the hills or the struggle I had with Sunshine for the first half of the run-walk. She was so excited, she dragged me everywhere. Even the sternest "Heel!" and "Sunshine, NO!" didn't stem her delirium. I tugged at her leash to no avail. She was a 25kg speedboat dragging me like a water skier. Now imagine that going downhill. She finally got buggered out after an uphill slope or two, and trotted next to me at my pace. Crazy dog. Yuki was so well-behaved in comparison.

Now I'm feeling buggered. I'm also actively searching for a road bike. Reading up about them. Visiting the forums. Learning all the bike jargon. I saw my bike budget go up from RM1k to RM2k. Now I'm contemplating, okay, maybe I just might be willing to invest RM3k in a decent bike. At least one I won't have major problems selling off in the future if I decide to stop this tri-wannabe nonsense... or if I become an enthusiast, and decide to upgrade my bike. Heh.

Looking at a 2nd hand complete bike tomorrow (Specilized Allez with Shimano 105 group set selling for RM2.5k). Also looking at buying one of LS's bike frames (a Schwinn, cos her Scott is too big for me) and buying the parts (should cost me about RM2k or so all in). Saw a new red and white Merida 904 with Shimano 105 group set (pictured left) today at KSH in Taman Tun. Looked good, but it's almost RM3k, and bikers I know are not fans of Merida. For my 'entry-level' budget, my choices are really rather limited.

Took a spin around Addaudio the other day on RK's Orbea Orca. His bike is my size and it felt pretty good. Though I felt rather nervous on a road bike as I haven't sat on mountain bike, much less a road bike, since high school. It was fun once I got the hang of it, zipping through the wind. It was a really sweet bike. Heh, at RM15k, it should be. Don't think I could ever spend that kinda money on a bike though. Even LS's current bike is above RM10k. But she's hard core. Sca-ry.

So arrrghh... quite a headache. I don't want to make a wrong investment. I want to take my time to decide. But I should get the bike soon if I want to start riding and hopefully be fit in time for a sprint duathlon in Lumut (November). Riding on the road is really different from RPM classes.

I can't wait.