Dilemma

I have declared 2013 as the year of my first marathon.  and my target was clear, my full marathon 'virginity' will be lost at SCKLM 2013 which is scheduled sometime in june (and whose registration will incidentally commence at 6pm today).

A good solid plan with enough time to train and prepare the ole body for the arduous task ahead.

But as usual, life is full of surprises and the unexpected.  it mocks our well laid plans and reminds us that we're never really in control.  who would have thought that 2013 would also mark the launch of a maiden 'all women' running event.  that it would showcase the inaugral malaysia women marathon.

And to make matters even more tempting for me, it'll be held right here in my backyard!!!!!!!!

The question now is, do i have enough time? do i really really have enough time to train, not to set PBs or good timing, but to finish with as little suffering as possible bcos i had taken prudent steps in making sure my body was prepared.

Yup i'm sooo tempted that throwing caution to the wind is starting to sound like a good idea.

But another curve ball thrown my way has helped me make my final decision, one that under the circumstances, i have to accept as the best option.

At best, i had 3 months to train for the MWM which was cutting it rather close but still doable considering my solid running base BUT factor in an unexpected bout of shingles which has been keeping me out of commission for the past 2 weeks (and according to the doc i'm to expect another week of lethargy)...and what does that actually leave me? 7 weeks? for a full marathon?

Heck, i'm not a member of the casket team,  their motto being, no training, period.

I wanna run, i wanna keep running well into my 'older' age... and i wanna do it pain free.  is that possible? i think it is and looking at people like teresa goh gives me hope that i can do it too, god willing.

So with that, i have decided that even though it pains me to say this considering the run has all the things i hold very dear to my heart, i will be doing a half mara at the MWM 2013 and my full marathon at the SCKLM 2013.

Training as planned, thank god :)

Weekend blues

I can feel it, this disassociation from all things painful and complicated.  used to be i almost always super-analised everything, words, thoughts, actions, reactions...  especially my own.  these days, i just shut down.  its enough that i exist. keeping myself sane and stable means more to me than anything else, even confronting the truth and upholding my rights. i dunno, it just takes too much effort.  and from helplessness comes despair.  let somebody else save the world.  and if thats wrong, then might as well shoot me.

Sigh.  Theres just too many things wrong with us, the whole lot of us.  even if i wanted to do something, anything,  i wouldnt even know where to start.

God help us.

Cycling Diary - Fraser's Hill 15/11/2012

Diari Kayuh Seorang Macik

Bagi yang bekerja, cuti umum adalah sesuatu yg dinanti2kan dan bila cuti berturut hari, lagi la best kan hehehe.  baru2 ni cuti deepavali dan awal muharam selang sehari of each other so apa lagi, macam2 plan timbul.  macik & geng macik ended up with a back to back cycling expedition dan secara kebetulan dua2 melibatkan bukit.

Sebelum ni genting sempah & now fraser's hill.

Fraser's Hill, a quiet weekend getaway for stressed out city folks.  also a great place to test one's uphill prowess in cycling.  genting sempah times two... yup twice the distance folks therefore twice the challenge and for a novice macik like me sangat la the challenging uols wahahaha.

Sebenarnya geng macik mendapat invitation dari group cap ayam utk sertai kayuhan sempena launching jersi baru diorang.  event yang sangat meriah and really, theres just something about kayuhan beramai2 yg generate a great feeling of comraderie.

Bersama group cap ayam di KKB

Doa sebelum kayuh

Tips from Yimster

We started our ride from bandar KKB and although the rain kinda messed up the timing, nobody really minded and was just as excited to push off.  alhamdulillah a seasoned rider cautioned us not to push ourselves during the first 5km bcos the real uphill work was actually after the KKB dam.  it wouldnt be a good idea to pancit awal2, maklum la kederat macik x banyak mane pun and sememangnye kena spread out wisely.

Tayar golek from KKB

Double lane highway dekat KKB dam

Then single lane & uphill all the way 

As they say, theres nothing like the luck of the ignorant... macik tatau what awaited me so macik kayuh jer, namun sambil kayuh tu macik dok tertanya2 gak la, "weh bila nak sampai nih?" wahahaha, mana idaknye rasa macam beskal kite tu asyik mendaki je tak abis2.  but then of course its only to be expected bcos fraser's hill IS twice the distance of genting sempah.

In between pelotons

Regrouping points

Attempts to raise the bike seat

Bahagia dalam siksa

Generally, condition jalan fraser's lagi baik dari genting so idak ler terlalu menyiksakan kpd para rb's.  bagi macik kayuhan naek fraser's is all about gritting ur teeth and focusing on reaching the top.  jangan pikir banyak2, just letak kaki kat pedal and kayuh one km after another after another.... its doable as long as you focus.  even that final 8 killer km after the gap is not as bad as its made out to be...memang sangat challenging but then again, still doable.

Meehoon sup break @ the gap

Bersedia untuk attack the killer 8km

And the feeling upon reaching the clock tower? absolutely priceless!!!!!

Setiba di puncak...  absolute relief lol

Happy riders

Bersama group cap ayam di puncak FH

Yup, i did it, i really did it, siap julang beskal lagi hehehehe ;p

Macik oh macik

The break we took at the top of fraser's was longer than necessary tapi ada geng macik yang terpaksa menolak beskal naek the last few km.  demi semangat menakluki bukit fraser mereka gagahkan jugak and by about 4pm, we finally made our way down.  alhamdulillah kali ni macik dah ada skit2 skill melayan selekoh jadi tak la keras & tegak je atas beskal macik tu ekekeke.  and macik tak abis2 bersyukur macik tukar kpd all weather tyres... masa turun tu ujan start balik and walaupun setakat renyai2 masih mencabar utk tyre rb yg kecik & kebotak2an tu.

Menunggu the rest

Akhirnya, all the musangkings

And finally, the descend

And a word of caution to first timers cycling up fraser's hill... do bear in mind that going down isnt totally about descending, the last 5km at the kkb dam will involve cycling uphill again but very minimal.  just dont let it catch u by surprise k ;))

Alhamdulillah sampai kkb in one 'piece' and in the right 'piece' of mind, one that's ready and willing to face the next uphill challenge.... cameron oh cameron here we come weeehooooooo ;))

Selesai sudah alhamdulillah

Detail Kayuhan:
Total distance - 80km +

Total Time - about 7 jam total (plus sessi bergambo, makan2 & menunggu kengkawan)
Weather - redup with intermittent rain
Route - kkb ke gap ke puncak fraser's and back
Rating - doable but be prepared to grit your teeth and just do it lol

The challenges of 2013

I will be needing extra courage to face 2013.  God willing it'll be a marathon year for me.... the 42km kind lol.

Pray for me will ya.

Stay tuned ;p

Cycling Diary - Genting Sempah 13/11/2012

Diari Kayuh Seorang Macik

Bila geng kayuh macik mula berbincang2 pasal nak berbeskal ke genting sempah, telinga macik capang je kerana hati ni sgt berminat utk mencuba.  persoalannye, mampu kah macik?  setakat yg macik ingat jalan lama genting sempah tu bukan saje berbukit bukit tapi jugak berselekuh... terbayang zaman dolu2 betapa siksanya kalau kereta tersangkut di blakang lori balak, nasib tak baik berjela2 la deretan kereta jadinye.

View of the GS highway

Mini waterfall

Beware landslides semasa musim hujan

Melalui hebahan word of mouth & platform kelab basikal shah alam (kelas) akhirnye ramai jugak riders yg ikut serta kayuhan genting sempah pada 13/11/2012.  in total rasanye melebihi 30 orang and for me yg paling best, ramai gak first timers macam macik so i felt pretty comfortable facing the unknown with others just like me.

The whole gang.

My excitement was probably what got me thru the long & winding climb.  and theres no two ways about it, if i hadnt been doing my regular rides up and down the kesas & guthrie highway, or taming the dragon in my backyard, the ride up genting sempah would have been quite horrendous.  instead it felt a lot like an outing in the park with beloved friends lol.

Macik & Genting Sempah

One thing though, the quality of the road left a lot to be desired and for roadbikes, keeping a vigilant eye over potholes, cracks, rough & mossy surfaces is a must.  it doesnt help that its also the rainy season, and descending can be a whole lot tougher than ascending, especially for begiiners like me.  sampai cramp2 la jari2 macik asyik brek2 jer.

Berkumpul sbelum konvoi ke HOA Gombak

Geng Shah Alam

Starting point - HOA Gombak 

Doa utk keberkatan

And off we go.. 

Checkpoint & regrouping

Steepest climb 

Giddiest descend

Sesungguhnye jangan la terlalu focus pd aspek mendaki, pikir2kan juga strategy utk turun.  macik rasa it takes skill plus brute strength to climb but skill plus mental strength to tackle the speed going down the slippery & winding roads.

Refueling @ R&R GS

...and recharging.

.Getting ready for the ride down.

Sebagai peringatan dan langkah keselamatan, se elok2nye servis la beskal sbelum mencuba route yg berbukit2.... believe me, you'd want your bicycle parts to be working efficientlly.  Theres also bound to be surprises on long rides so its good to have one or two support/rescue cars around.... and in our case, even the rescue car had to be rescued lol.

Rescuing the rescue car 

Hujan lebat selepas kayuhan

Alhamdulillah kayuhan macik ke genting sempah sarat dgn pengajaran  dan pengalaman.  Ia juga bertindak sebagai persediaan yg sangat sesuai untuk kayuhan macik seterusnya - Fraser's Hill here I come woot woot.

Just me, my bike & God's endless blessings

Detail Kayuhan:

Total distance - 35km
Total Time - about 2jam naik & 2jam turun (tidak termasuk break di R&R GS)
Weather - cuaca yg redup & teduh disebabkan oleh pokok2 di sepanjang jalan.
Route - Hospital Orang Asli Gombak ke R&R Genting Sempah and back
Rating - doable utk beginners yg ingin timba pengalaman mengayuh route yg hilly & winding.

Cycling Diary - Perkampungan Kampuchea

Diari Kayuh Seorang Macik.

Sabtu sbelum PIC macik & geng super santai riders telah ke kg merbau sempak, paya jaras untuk misi mencari daging salai. oleh kerana kami ke Pulau Perhentian secara back to nature & bercadang nak camping dan memasak sendiri, maka kena la bawa bekalan utk sessi main masak2 ditepi pantai nanti.  best gak dah lama bebenor macik tak buat keje camni hehehehe.

One of our geng membesar di kawasan berdekatan so dia mmg familiar sgt dgn perkampungan islam kampuchea nih.  pandai je dia bawak kitorang lalu celah2 jalan kampung and for a while terasa macam meronda2 di bumi asing.  mereka di sini masih kaya dgn bahasa dan amalan ibunda... macik tak sangka plak ada tempat2 sebegini tak jauh dr my own backyard.  nnti bebila macik akan dtg lg menjenguk tempat ni dgn famili macik.

Detail kayuhan:

Total distance - about 44k
Time - 3 jam setengah, pegi balik (plus sessi meronda kg & bergambo)
Weather - hujan renyai ketika pergi & panas berjahang ketika balik.
Route - sebahagian besar GCE, sebahagian lg jalan tarmac 2-way
Rating - doable for beginners, interesting dpt tgk kg org2 islam kampuchea

Super Santai Riders of Shah Alam

Sosej daging kalori tinggi

Gerai macik kampuchea mcm2 ada

Cycling Diary - My first 100km

Diari Kayuh Seorang Macik

First time macik ni layan highway was at GCE on merdeka day 31/08/2012... hadoila masih teringat sengsara masa tu.  dah la pungkok macik rasa lebam semacam, rupa2nye kalau baru kayuh ni bukan kaki yg sakit tp otot blakang tengkuk plak yg berdenyut, pelik sungguh.  depa kata lama2 biasa la sbb dok bongkok ja masa kayuh tu.

From there macik telah berjaya tambah mileage skit demi skit sehingga la pada tanggal 29/09/2012, i broke my first 100km weehooo.  dari shah alam ke kuala selangor & back melalui jalan kapar.  masa tu macik bertiga ja, biasa la kan, geng kayuh ni ada pasang surutnye... sat depa nak pi sat ada commitment, kite pun camtu gak so sape yg bole pi, kire ON jela.

Route mmg bagus for beginners... walaupun kenderaan banyak tp jalan sgt mendatar dan generally lurus je so we are tested only thru the distance travelled and not thru gradient or toughness of terrain.  ada kala coach kami, si jey yg hensem, berjaya tarik kami melepasi 30km.. something tht is quite impossible kalau kayuh kat GCE.  overall macik sgt happy kerana telah berjaya melepasi 100km dalam keadaan yg penat namun tidak tersiksa :)

Detail Kayuhan:

Total distance - 104.7km
Total Time - 5 jam 15min (2 jam one way plus sessi bergambo & makan2)
Weather - redup & sgt marveles
Route - shah alam ke kuala selangor via kapar
Rating - doable utk beginners yg ingin tambah mileage sbb route mendatar dan jalan yg sgt straight.

SA-KS-SA - 104.7km

 Naek kete pun macik tak pernah sampai hehe

My cycling coach jey & cycling buddy ann

Tanda 'kuala selangor' in the hills dh tak nampak

Cycling Diary - Highway Foray

Diari Kayuh Seorang Macik

Selepas puas ronda2 biasakan diri naek kenderaan dua roda (instead of the usual four) macik relakan diri dipujuk mencuba highway plak.  cuak tak terkire tp keinginan nak mencuba tu mengatasi segala... i can do it la, macik repeat dlm hati so on merdeka day 31/08/2012 macik ikut geng kayuh kat GCE. masa tu naek mtb anak and pakaian pun kurang sesuai.  nasihat macik, kalau uols nak kayuh jauh2 skit sila la pakai seluar padding, otherwise suffer the consequences!!  dan route guthrie mmg berbukit & mencabar, nak pingsan jugak la dibuatnye hehehe. dari situ macik belajar deal with the initial pain & discomfort of long distance cycling as oppose to ronda suke2.

Detail Kayuhan:

Total distance - 42km
Total Time - 2 jam lebih termasuk sessi bergambo & minum.
Weather - panas & semakin terik
Route - GCE bukit jelutong ke last toll to rawang and back
Rating - doable tetapi guthrie highway sangat la mencabar utk beginners - gradient yg meninggi pada kadar yg agak lama. juga ada elemen membosankan sbb its straight and can be hot. walau bagaimanapun marveles sebagai training ground.

My first ever ride on the highway 

Subsequent rides di GCE

First spin with Tizzy my RB

Super santai riders yayyyy