The day after the Marathon - PBIM 2010

A great video. You'll get it if you're in it. Race report coming soon.

Powerman Malaysia 2010

The most anticipated event of the year. I've been waiting for this event since the previous event in 2009. Doing the full distance,long individual event 11k run - 64k ride - 10k run. Looking at sub-5 finishing time. Start cranking the engine at 12.30pm. Took PLUS highway until Taiping exit. Had yong tau fu (ytf) for lunch. Bring back the memory during my school days. It tasted the same even after 7 years. Took Taiping - Simpang - Terong - Setiawan - Manjung route. Having a blast with this route. Should be driving the hot hatch. SGTI would love to smack all the curvy-knee-touching-corner. Put it on the stiffest setting, for sure it will shine. Reached Kompleks Sukan Manjung around 4pm. Collected all the stuff. Then straight away went to Hotel Putra,Lumut. Took out the bike for a quick spin to look around the small Lumut town. Had dinner. Snooze off around 10pm.

At the start line

Woke up kinda early at 4.45am. It's raining. Thank god. It wont be as hot as last year. Looking at doing a great run, talking to myself. Took shower, had a light breakfast, waited for azan and I'm off after Subuh prayer. The transition area is still closed. 15 minutes before 7 only they open to rack in the bike. Lay down all the equipment. Off for a quick warm up session. This is the best part, I rub shoulder with Joerie Vansteelant. Jason Spong, Shahrom...etc. Proud to be in the same battlefield with the elitist.

The goodies

Flag off at 7.30am on the dot. Start my run with an easy run. Not pushing it too hard. Done 11k in 1:02 with a pace of 5:40. That's a good run for my standard. Didn't expect to dip below 6 min/km. A good numbers of drink stations. I'm well hydrated throughout the run.

Entering T1, a quick one. I'm sockless this time around. It seems to work well even during training. Pull out the bike, push it. Bike on. Last year, i did poorly on bike leg. So many people passed me. But not this year, i thought. Doing really good on the 1st loop. Coming into 2nd loop, here where it got really interesting. I'm getting really hungry. I'm starving for food. Now i know what binge is all about. Only a 2 small box of raisins with me. No Powerbar gel or bar. Should have bought them. I'm been training to gain energy by consuming raisins and dates. It doesnt work like how i expected it to be. Speed drop tremendously. My cadence drop from average 85rpm to just around 70-75rpm. 24km/h. Couldnt believe it. Outrageous. Going into the U turn after the last bridge, I can feel the cramp around the lower part of my thigh. Keep on pedalling. People passing me like there's no tomorrow. I'm totally demoralized. 64k done in 2 hours 34 minutes.

Entering T2. Racked the bike. Took off the bike shoes. Put on one foot at a time. Bang! I snapped. Left calf cramped! It was hurting me real bad. Trying to call some of the guys around me, words ust not coming out. Waving my hand like crazy. One guy helped me out. Thanks a lot mate. I'm limping out. Step by step. Took 2 cups of Powerbar drink. And a banana. Move on. Step by step. As soon as i got out into the running route, the cramp came back. Barely can move. The St John ambulance attendant came to rescue. Perskindol spray on both calves and thigh. He asked me either I want to quit or to finish it off. The answer is a definate YES. Thumbs up given. Start moving again for another 50 meter. Snapped! Cant move. Totally cramped out. Now I'm wishing the ambulance would come and get me. I dont even want to suffer this anymore. This is just too much for me to handle. I'm cursing myself for doing this race. I should just stay at home. Why am I doing this. I'm not gaining anything by doing this. Cursing and cursing and cursing. Sat at the bust stop. Watched how others are keep on running, walking and limping. These guys are awesome. Most of them were cheering me up. All i can do is just smile and wave back at them.. Looking at the time, it's already 4 hours. I'm on my 1st running loop. I wont make it for the stipulated 5 hours. I wont be getting the Powerman title. Feels like crying. Seriously.

Second loop bike leg - Snap Attack

And when all hopes are lost, one guy sat beside me. He said, "Bang, jom jalan. Tak larat dah ka? Saya tunggu bang la macam ni.". It means " Let's just walk. Are you tired? I'll wait for you then." He waited for me for almost 10 minutes. We spoke of nothing throughout the 10 minutes or so. Then i stood up. "Let's go!" I dint even get the guy's name. Luckily I've thanked him. I'm still strolling and limping. That guy was already 100 meter in front of me. i stopped at all water station. The St John's volunteer helped me out a lot too. Give me a quick but effective massage on my calf. Thanks.

Raja Permaisuri Bainun Bridge - photo by Cycling Asia

Done with the 1st 5k loop in almost an hour. I can see the finishing gantry, all the finishers with the watermelons and orange. I was thinking that I should just take the turn and finish my race there, come back next year and finish it off strong. I've come so far, I'm so not going to retired that easily. My legs are cursing me for not stopping the race. As I get closer to water station, i took the water scoop and poured it over. It's refreshing. I'm revitalized. I'm going for my last 5k. One of the spectator ask me, why am I still running, the rest are all finished. I just smile and said "Ada 5 kilo lagi, last round dah ni.". He give me a pat on the back. It's like he transfer a small energy into my body. My pace is getting a little bit faster. This last 5k is the most toughest run. More about your mental rather that your physical condition. All i can see is just one runner few hundred meters away from me. Mind over matter. I must finish this. I do not want to quit. Thumbs up to the volunteer at the drink stations. Thanks a lot for the encouragement words. It helps a lot. Thanks to all the small kids too, I'm well entertained with your spontaneous acts and jokes. As I'm closing the gap to the finishing line, I can see that my bike is not there anymore. The organizer has put all the late finisher's stuff to another spot. Now I know how it feel to finish as the top 10 last finisher. An amazing feeling. Stepping across the finishing line made me realized how great it was. It took me 45 minutes to nail the last 5k.

11k run - Snap Attack

I crossed the finishing line at 5 hours 42 minutes. Salute to the emcee for still calling out my name as I'm crossing the finishing line. Never expect there are still people waiting for us, the last finishers.

Pick up the bike. Put it to rest into the car. Off to makan makan time. The foods are great. The organizer do live up to their name. This race is even better than last year. Adequate hydrating stations. Traffic management is good too. Hoping for a better race next year. I would like to thanks everyone involved in this event. Thank you! I'll be back next year to redeem myself. Come to think of it, I still have Penang Bridge International Marathon to at least finish it within the stipulated time of 7 hours.

Update: My official timing. 26/11/2010

Shimano UUM Bike Challenge 2010 - Postponed!

For further detail, click here.

According to the sms I received, the date is changed from 6 Nov to 21 Nov,which clashed with Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM). Planning to drop by Extreme Bike to get further detail on this matter. It's either I refund my money, or just take the goodies bag. Can't afford to miss my 1st full marathon.

Perlis Open 2010

KANGAR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- Le Tua Cycling Team (L2A), rider Andrian Chuah Wye Kit won the men's Under-21 mass start 116.1km race in the three-day Perlis Open Cycling championship that started here Friday.

Wye Kit clocked two hours 52 minutes and 21 seconds (2'52:21s) to beat Mohd Fadzli Anuar Mohd Fauzi from Armed Forces who clocked 2'53:07s while Terengganu rider Nur Amirul Fakhruddin Mardzuki finished third despite clocking a similar time with Mohd Fadzli, after a photo-finish.

The championship organised by the Perlis Cycling Association and Perlis state government, started and finished at Taman Merdeka, Kangar.

The event will see 84 riders from 12 teams, including from Thailand, take part.

- BERNAMA

This is outrageous. No publicity at all on this event. I'm lucky enough to know this through the bunting and banner around Kangar while working. I bet, you wont find anything bout Perlis Open 2010 on the net. Only today i google around and found a piece of news on it, which is the same as the above. C'mon, get the people together. Malaysian are winning on the international turf. Are we not giving a damn about local event?

Campaign For A Lane III - Pics

Grid start

No Milo, Yes Vico

Post race meal provided by organizer - bento box lunch

Somewhere around Balik Pulau flat route

Approaching Weld Quay (Jetty)

Race report is the same as Campaign for A Lane II.

Campaign For A Lane II - Sneak Peek

The route

The elevation

Did some study on the Campaign for a Lane (CFAL) route. I though it would be even worst than Wang Kelian climb. It is much easier. 4% ascending. I've not done any long ride for quite some time. The last time was the 40k ride using Alor Setar-Ayer Itam-Alor Setar route.

Back to the route, the climb would be starting roughly after 30km of flat road. That is around an hour worth of warming up before you start burning your leg. It get a little but tougher as you are reaching Balik Pulau route. There will be a lot of sharp cornering. This wouldn't be as tough as it look in the map. Cornering while climbing won't be much of problem isn't it? The problem lies in enduring the climb for more than 15k.

Entering Batu Feringhi gives you a bit of mental boost. You will be do lots of downhill ride starting on this route onwards. The hot weather hopefully wouldn't bother you much. This is a shady downhill. The scenery going to be awesome at this stage. The trees, ocean and beach. Spectacular.

The last 10km, you will be entertained with some of Penang's famous places. The best part, flat road all the way. That's pretty much of it. A quick review on the 80k route.

Good luck to all rider and enjoy the race!

Training Log 1/9-30/9/2010

Run - 106km
Bike - 96km
Strength - 100 push up challenge x6

100 push up challenge is repeated to week 3 session. going to week 5 is just too much. it is either you resort to week 3 or week 4. I opted for week 3. getting better base strength. Going into October, most of the strength training is put into halt. Will resume back after end of November.

Getting the tarmac mileage. Manage to go beyond 100k on running session. But ride session is cut down. More into brick training. That is why the cycling mileage has drop quite significant compared to previous month.

This month target, monthly running mileage between 130-140km. Cycling mileage between 150-200km if time permit.

Be inspired!

All you have to do is do it.

Gunung Jerai Climb Part I

the elevation

the route

the elevation II

12k climb. Doable? 1200m elevation. This is insane. I'm still considering bout' this climb. Very tempting. The downside is that I have to do it alone. Mentally not ready. But, very tempting. Damn.

These guys did it. Click here.

Penang Campaign For A Lane I

Map is up! Click on the map for detail.

Wang Kelian Climb

elevation

This is one hell of a ride. You can feel the burning in your thigh. 4km worth of climbing. Highly recommended for anyone, especially if you're in the northern area. The route can be planned as 100km or 50km ride according to your liking. I took the latter. If you're doing a shorter ride, i reckon you to start from Timah Tasoh. Not Timah Tasoh Resort. There's a look up point kinda building just by the road side. You can park your car there. 1st 20km was a breeze. Maintaining around +-30km/h. As you get up the hill, the speed dropped tremendously. 7-9km/h. I kid you not. How do you know you're going the right hill? You will be introduced by a 10% ascending sign followed by "Kawasan Bahaya" sign. Do take it seriously.

Wang Kelian Map

Be as light as possible during the climb. You dont really need 2 water bottles if you're doing the short route. You'll find some small groceries shop on you're way back. None have cold drinks. Ask for the ice. They'll help you out.

I've learned a lot from this ride. Don't ever underestimate a national cyclist. Especially if they have entered Le Tour de Langkawi before. Winner of Perlis Open, Penang Ride and more. Yup, a ride with national cyclist. Weight transfer plays an important role while going down hill. How to take the corner. How to put your hand on the handle. How to stay at your limit. How to just ignore the HRM sometimes. I definately going back there again. 4 stops. I stopped 4 times. Next time, cycle up all the way. One shot.

Cervelo S2. Not mine.

Notice the background. Ladang tebu. That's going to be my century ride. Alor Setar-Cahngloon - Padang Besar - Kangar - Alor Setar. Not sure how far exactly it is just yet.

Update: New elevation pic. (15/10/2010)

elevation (12%)

Training Log 1/8-31/8/2010

Swim - 800m
Run - 77km
Bike - 168km
Strength - 1hr

Looking at 120-140km running mileage for September. Bike session will be around the same, 150-200km. Swimming class is on the list. Let's just see how it goes.

26/9 -Newton 25k Run
10/9 - Buckeye Half marathon
17/10 - 80k Penang Ride
6/11- UUM Bike Challenge
14/11- Powerman Manjung
21/11 - Penang Bridge Marathon

November, a month full of events. Back to back each week.

DTM + Super GT = Osem!

This news really hit the spot. Click here. Imagine having the Germans and Japs on the same turf. Fuhh. Mengancam.

HPC 25072010

Finally, spun off. At turn 5-6. Totally lost balance off the car. The tail just gave out. Quite a turn up. As usual, salivating on those FD2R again and again. Zerotohundred's Time to Attack in the afternoon, HPC for morning session. The D2 suspensions are set at the stiffest setup. I need to look for a really good suspension tuner, as good as the guys at RACE. The handling is superb compared to my previous setup. Stock standard setup that is. Next plan on to do list, header heat wrapper. RM150 for 10m. Topup another RM30, they'll wrap it up for you.

MTB Langkawi

Do read this. If you really wanna organize an event at this scale, do it properly. What a shame. M'sia Oh M'sia. Is Ironman Langkawi still on anyway?

Food Pyramid

MyPyramid

Stop using the old food pyramid. People needs to keep up to date to the most recent research. A new pyramid should be coming up soon since it is already 2010. Current U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) dietary guidelines, which provide practical advice on eating a healthy, balanced diet, recommend that kids eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each day. Look at the left side of the pyramid, it is not just about how you manage your food intake. Do more physical activity through out your day. Manage the your food portion intake, that's what it means by the line getting thinner as you go up.

"The width of each stripe is different, reminding you to eat more from some food groups, such as vegetables and grains, and less from others, like meat and oils.

You'll also notice the stripes start out wider and get thinner as they approach the top. That's to show that not all foods are created equal, even within a healthy food group. Apples, for example, are packed with nutrients and would be in the wide part of the stripe because you can eat them every day. Apple pie, on the other hand, would be in the thin part because it has added sugar and fat." - kidshealth.org

Stop using this pyramid!

The goal of MyPyramid is to help adults and kids make healthy choices when it comes to nutrition and physical activity.

100k done!

The long awaited 100k ride finally done. 108km to be exact. Took me 3:40 to complete the route. Alor Setar - Air Itam - Sungai Bahru - Kuala Perlis - Bintong - Kangar - A.Setar. Yeah!

Training Log 1/7-31/7/2010

Run - 67k
Bike - 27k
Strength - 1 hour
Total time - Run (7 hours)/bike (1 hour)

Gradually increasing mileage. Approaching fasting month. Most probably more night run/bike session. Manage to replace the dented rear bike's rim. Undergo bike service for the 1st time in a year time. Cateye Astrale 8 finally up and running on the bike after some alteration.

August running mileage will surpass 100k mark,hopefully. At least one 70k-100k bike session need to be done within this week (1/8-7/8). Alor Setar - Padang Besar - Timah Tasoh - Kangar - Alor Setar route is on the must do list. 100k is in sight. Just an estimation. Will do a post on this bike session if i managed to nail it.

Elise Oh Elise!

"I would nt say the car has super car performance...I mean it can but needs a fair bit of upgrading but at the standard form the performance is adequate. But a sports car needs more to be more than just fast, most importantly it must deliver a rewarding experience.

I would consider the MX5 (first generation) to be more of a sports car than an Evo even though the Evo would run circles around a MX5 AND an Elise. A true sports car should be designed from the onset to be a sports car not a sedan. It should bring the motoring experience very close to the driver and truly become one with the driver. It has to excite the senses from the very moment you step into the car and the sitting position tells you that is something special. A sports car has to provide valuable feedback to the driver as to how the car interacting with the road, many so called sports car does not provide this intimacy...they are all about straight line and lost the plot of a sports car which is feel.

I dont want to sound pedantic but this is what I can relate to you from having driven this car for the past 4 years. British engineering is unique as they are able to give this level of feel. Its like home audio speakers, the british brands are the ones that gives the best warmth in their sound. The other speakers from US and Japan can be very loud but the sound is very shallow.

The design of the orginal Elise is evergreen. The car has been in the market for 10 years now and it still looks as good. Frankly I am not a big fan of the front design, it looks to cutesy, the rear is the best; very taut and curvaceous." - rail - AUTOWORLD forum