It is confirmed...

I heve registered for Port Dickson Int Triathlon this 16-17 July. What caught my attention was the increase in fee from RM60 to RM80. Waa thats 20 bucks hike man!! I surely hope that Im gonna get value for every sen I spent!

I sent an email asking the organiser why the hike, and this was what they have to say:

Inflation. Did you notice the petrol price and food price also incresed? ;p

So I will embark on men-trainingkan diri for less than 3 weeks. Arkh! Hopefully I can survive in the quest into the unknown!

Stay tuned for more updates on my venture! Baca lagi!

I am swimming!

For about 4 months with no swimming (main air kat pantai doesnt count yah!), I decided to take a plunge into the pool today. Kalau tak, how the hell am I suppose to swim kat PD? Not only its gonna be a hellish 1.5k swim (anything more than 50m swim IS hell to me) summore the swim will be in open water! Cuak!!

I went swimming at Kompleks sukan Seri Siantan, Selayang. Waa..the complex looks quite new. Last year baru bukak kut. And when entering the pool area, you are given wrist tag like the one they give you at Sunway Lagoon. Wohoo! No wonder its 3 bucks per entry!

Plan for today: swim a few laps across the pool freestyle. I repeat. Across the pool. Not really the whole length of the pool which is 50m I think. Tak berani woo! Kang tak pasal aku tenggelam kat tengah. The thing is, nak practise balik the tech of swimming freestyle. My freestyle is known to be a menggelabah kind of freestyle. But the result tak pegi jauh pun. Haha!

Focus. Focus on the stroke. Focus when to breathe. Tapi lupa plak nak kasi rilex kaki. Erkk.. 3 x lap dah lenguh kaki. Aparaa.. tapi managed to get about 10 laps gak la. its ok. This is the first time around. Ada 3 minggu lagi. I want to glide in the water...ceh poyo.

Lepas ni kena datang more often. Oh, nak kena book hotel and register event. The whole family is gonna be there. Yeah! Cheer for me folks! The Kicap-man hath cometh! Baca lagi!

Back of the pack..

Yesterday was Utusan-Bangi 10km. I was there. In fact, I might be on tv. I dunno. But one thing for sure. I didnt race. Not even against myself. I decided to sit at the back of the pack with a friend of mine. This was her first run, and she never did more than 5k before.

Being at the back of the pack was totally a different experience. No feeling of urgency, yet everyone aims to finish the run. To cross the finish line was a success itself. Thats how I started as well. Just to cross the line.

Once we passed a makcik who seems like having a cramp on her left thigh.
"Makcik, ok?", I asked.
"Makcik boleh lagi, rasa cramp sikit ni. Ambulan offer makcik naik, tapi makcik nak cuba habiskan sendiri".

Spirit and determination. And I'm not talking about those competetive looking makcik. This was just the regular kind of people. Those who run in event t-shirt.

Nearing the finishing chute, I realised some of the events on stage has started. I finished the run in 1hour 34 mins. I am satisfied with myself. Having an experience like this at the back of the pack is, just difficult now. But I'm glad I had it. As for my friend, she did finish ahead of me.
Now people, go run? Baca lagi!

Watchout for this crazy 'Pingu' sponsored dude this Sunday at the Utusan-Bangi 10k! Baca lagi!

No I dont want this!!

I think I'm experiencing sore throat. Apa nih!! Tamau!!!!!

Just right. I have a run this Sunday. And tomorrow nite, a futsal game which I have been off for a long time. Takde 'kaki' beb, kenot play. So tomorrow, lets burst our lungs out guys.Itu pun if I dont suffer from any coughs, flu or God-knows-what..man! This is depressing! Panadol!! Tolong!!!

Bodoh punya virus. Didnt I tell you not to come?

Another fren SMSed me last nite telling me she wanted to join tis Sunday run. Yeah baby! Lets get ourselves high!

On another note, check this out:

A 31-year old doctor who has numerous X-Terra and Ironman races under her belt, and some of the races were done as a professional athlete! Waa..gila! A doctor and pro athlete summore. Dr. Lucia Kuehner from Germany.

If she can do it....

And guess what. Another woman triathlete, Heather Fuhr holds a degree in Communication from Uni of Alberta. Eh, sama la kita! Except I got it from USM laa.. Baca lagi!

Cool stuff!

New Tri Stryke Saddle and CBX Pro aerobars from Profile Design. How I wish this setup is on my 'kicap' bike. Baca lagi!

1st ride in Putrajaya.

It was awesome! Well just leave out how my crotch feels after the 30k ride, it was totally awesome.

The ride started at around 7am, which I was late for it. Barely just missed the posse at the starting because I went for solat for a while. Then shake hands lebih kurang, greeted some familiar faces-Ajeep, off we went. We took the Powerman route.

Eventho I threaded the route (or most of it) on foot before, this was a different game. Climbs after climbs (lucky not that steep!) hauling my 'kicap' heavy bike just, .. make my legs stronger. Haha! I dont know what to do actually yesterday. The group almost went out their own way halfway into the course. So I just whack la. But I dont hammer myself out. I'd be a fool to do that. I remember to : 1) Climb hill seated. 2) Maintain high cadance on.
Most of the time I was on zmy wheels until he stopped due to gastrointestinal problem. I had some minor problems myself. My chain skipped out the rings in front, twice. Luckily I rode bikes as a kid, so minor-minor problem like that okay laa.
Then I continued with Fadhil, my senior from skool. He had with him a Merida worth 2k! Best jer seeing him shift gears using the Shimano DCL. Nemind. I like it hard.
Near the PICC, saw Grunge doing his long run. We came together but since I wanted to try riding in Putrajaya, I couldnt join him.

Upon reaching the finishing point, said to myself "Heck, lets do some brick la!". So letak bike depan kereta, minum sikit, and off berlari! At first, I dont think I can even shuffle my legs. Then the rhythm starts to come in, barulah boleh sustain running for about 5k. Saw Grunge on the opposite site of the road, and I decided to join him back.

Actually, the cycling group the day was Penguin 2, Ajeep, Bacin, Fadhil, zmy and erm..forgot la. I think 2 people got flats. God forbid i have a flat coz I dont have a spare, or anything on my bike! Hehe..practically, aku main redah jer!

Like I said before, the ride was awesome.Eventho tak laju or anytjhing, I liked it very much. Looking forward to the next one. Baca lagi!

Stay away you freak!

There's an alien in the house. No, not the Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin. It's the flu virus. Mom n dad has caught it.

You better stay away from me,virus! Else I'll whack you with my antibody!

Hopefully they dare not to cross the door of my room.

Am going to register for Utusan-Bangi 10k afterwards. The thing is, I managed, or rather we (me n Fadzli) to coax Sabb into doing the fun run. And how she was ecstatic! Nervous, happy, anxious. All that lah! Dont worry babes. We'll have loads of fun to come. Let us indulge in this free drug of running. Baca lagi!

The best time to cycle. Period.

Recently there has been some hu-haa over night cycling in KL. Well not actually in KL but close. For some obvious reasosns, they have to do it when darkness falls. But again, you may ask, why after dark?

The main reason is time. Most of them who cycle at night are office workers, professionals or even doctors for God knows. When there's sunshine over their head, they work to bring food to the table. After darkness fall, they cycle. Why is it cycling at night is so conspicuous? Because its an oddity to see people excercising, at least here in Malaysia. Actually, they are the same with those who go to gym after work. Those who go to workout in a gym or running in the park after work usually went back home around 10. Thats almost the same time these cyclist are done. There shouldnt be any discrimination here. Living a city life means we are all attached, like it or not, to a certain cycle in our daily life. We have 24 hours in our lives. No more, no less than anybody else. Use it to the properly and we shall prosper.

Now, safety issues. No doubt that the 'tiny flickering light' attached to the seatpost of these cyclist are not adequate enough. Wearing reflective vests would be a wiser choice. BUT, the blame cant be put on them per se. Motorists have to play their part as well. Speeding on a badly lit road is not a wise decision after all. And please keep in mind that cyclists are road users too. They obey the road rules and in no way they should race with each other on the road.

So what we need here is to strike a good balance of compromise. Motorists, the road is not yours alone. Cylclists, remember you are the second 'smallest', if I can say that, road user after pedestrians. The world is big enough for all.

Why am I babbling about all this cycling thing? Nah, Im not a cyclist per se. Heck I dont even know the names of the components! I want to be something else. And en route to it I have to cycle. So I do. And the best time to do it? Whenever you feel like you can. Baca lagi!

The perfect bike fit

What is the perfect bike fit? As a perpetual beginner like me, it simply translate into riding in a comfortable position thus generating efficient power for every stroke. But, like I said, as a beginner, the idea of having a fitting bike on your own is a bit hard to conceive.

I've adjusted my saddle height a few good times already. Now, its better when I ride 20-30 clicks but when I wound up the cadence, I started to bounce. Again. Duh, this needs adjustment. More height? How bout fore-aft position? Tilt? Not forgetting my 110mm stem. Its an ol skool 7 shape stem. My back hurts! I definitely have to change to a shorter stem. But, is it the stem? Maybe its the handlebar? Or could it possibly be just me that's not made to ride?

There are many 'gurus' out there advocating the rule of thumb to a bike fit. Some even contradicts with each other. A lot has been said about pedal position, saddle position and what not. Which one to follow? Luckily I dont have an aerobar yet. Otherwise I will definitely succumb to the tri bike fit. Which could prove to be inappropriate to me.

Man, this biking business is not that easy. At least not when your back hurts. Baca lagi!

Up close...

Like I said in my previous post, I'm going to share my not-so-beautiful insight that I got from an athlete, Razani Hussin. Well, I met Razani at his shop in Kelantan while I was there. The shop was plain simple. Even most of the bikes in there I think are for servicing rather than for sale. Well, what do you expect by opening a pro bike shop in Kelantan rite? The shop was motionless. Only the tv blaring. Then I saw him sitting mending a tube of a Trek 2000.

"Assalamualaikum, bang".

"Ye cari apa", he asked. And so it starts. I started the conversation by asking his preparation for the next race, ba bla bla... I even asked him how he trains. Coach? He doesnt have one. Well, being an athlete eversince long time ago (cycling I guess) means that he have all the principles inside his head. Thats what he said. When asked about racing, he said that when you race year round, you race hard everytime. Otherwise, it wouldnt be called a race, aint it? The thing to remember is to have some time for your body to recover. Otherwise the performance of your next race will be compromised.

Then I asked, will he enter any Ironman races next year? He answered, in Kelantan dialect:

"Tok se (tak nak) doh masuk triathlon. Nok masuk marathon pulok".

"Bakpo? (kenapa)", I asked. He said that the events in Malaysia, especially those organized by Trisportz Events are not fair to pro athletes.

First he said that its odd that individual athletes can also be a part of a relay team. He said that the draft-legal rule benefited most those who are competing in both category, individual and relay. Usually, the first relay team member (who is also competing individually) will start the swim leg. Then at the bike leg, both he and the team member for the bike leg will go out the transition together. This means that the relay team member for bike leg can 'pull' the 1st team member, who is also competing individually. So, advantage for him. Hmm..sounds unfair enough. But I dont really know whether there are more resentments from other athletes.

After what has been a 30-minute chat, I thanked him for spending some time entertaining an unlikely fan like me. As for Razani, he is going to focus on breaking his marathon PR of 2:38. Baca lagi!

Pheww...

just survived from 2 weddings and a family day. Pheww. Penat! Well the fact that all those were in Kelantan, no wonder la I'm sooo tired. but a lot of interesting stuff happened while im there.

First, Fahi's reception on 'Home' ground. Again his parents and makciks were so grateful that we came. Then the second wedding was a good friend of mine, Cupin. I hope I'm not the only one from the 'past' that came. Its sad to not have your friends on your wedding day I guess. I was invited to dine together with the pengantin that day. Glad his mom and brother still remembered me. I used to berhari raya Haji at his place. Just to get the feeling of celebrating it in Kelantan. It was way back in 2001, I think.

Cupin was more than a friend to me. He was like a brother to me. He used to take care of me when im sick like a dog. Oh yeah, I will be sick like a damn dog for once a year. I dunno why. I used to be a 'squatter' in his hostel room for a year. Two exactly. Man, we almost did everything together that time. Malam main terup, pagi pergi makan roti canai. Then tido. Hah! How time flies.

And of course Fadzli's family day at Bachok. That easily translated into....beach! Man, basking in the sun with ripples of waves tickling your feet. Cewahh. Aku just menumpang jer coz I need to crash somewhere for the Sunday wedding. So family day pun family day laah! At first awkward gilar sebab I have to join in group activities as well. But then kalau tak join I'll look like an outkast plak kan...

And...i went to meet Razani Hussin at his shop.. Ahh...more on that later. Gossip about the state of triathlon in Malaysia.... Baca lagi!

They are everywhere!

Everywhere you look, there's a possibility that a runner to-be might be eager to come out from its shell.

Last weekend during a wedding, a friend suddenly ask me about running. Was a bit surprised by it but glad as well. So I told him about the joy of running and what not. The thing is, people seem to know about it. But they can hardly start. Maybe by joining groups you are much better off rather than starting alone. I didnt start alone myself. I had Grunge at that time. We used to jogged and participated races together at the beginning. Sole purpose of joining races? FUN. No doubt about it. You can never beat the fastest person, but you can always beat yourself. At least thats what I believe.

********

Azwar came out in NST yesterday. Waaaa! Detailed interview pulak tuh! I didnt buy that issue coz I was travelling that day. I think I can source the paper from my NST friend lah. Hopefully can read more.

Baca lagi!

Kenduri kawin

Currently I'm in Jitra attending a wedding. A friend, should I say a close friend of mine got married yesterday. Whoa! macam tak percaya woo! Fahi sudah kawin dengan Fizah! Well the bride and the groom was an item back in the uni days. They were together for I think 6 years or so kut. Kelakar derang nih. Kadang-kadang gaduh macam budak-budak pun ada. Biasa la kan. Young blood.

More stories coming up. Cannot write lah at this moment coz this blardy CC is filled with kids playing games. Aku dulu camtu jugak..hehe

*******

He kept saying, "Macam tak percaya sial", over and over again after nikah. Hehe..couldnt believe it yourself eh there? Hang in there buddy, more rough patches up ahead. Im not contmplating or hoping for you to have rough patches, but you know, thing happens rite? So BE prepared my fren.

One particular moment yang tak boleh lupa is when the pro photographer try to tell him how to pose for shoots. Dia tolak kepala Fahi camtu-camni, mamat tu dah uncomfortable dah. Macam patung barbie kena main plak. Hahah..tension jer muka. Me at that time was his family pixman la. Uncle (Fahi's dad) trusts me with his cam coz Fahi must has said something to him bout me taking pictures. Haih..Fahi..Fahi.

BTW, Fahi did tell a lot about us (me n Grunge) to his parents. Dia story kat mak dia yang aku bawak belacan masa rumah bujang dulu la (coz i cook), memacam la.

Fahi..Fahi. His firendship is very loyal. Sampai habis wedding semua dah, dia tak habis-habis terima kasih kat aku n grunge for coming. I think I should thank you as well for being such a good friend. Friends for life, I hope.

Baca lagi!

Wiggle wobble..

Brick training equals pain! Gatal nak try bike n run hari ni, turns out kaki dah lembik macam jelly. I know la its my first time, just wanted to get a feel of the thing.

Imagine hauling your ass up a hill wit a 20 odd kg bike underneath you (basikal 'kicap' la), times that by two and then run up the same hill once. For a newbie like me, panjat bukit (Tmn TAR) tu was a big mistake coz at this stage I should focus on spinning. Tapi biasa la, you never know till u try kan? As soon as I parked my bike under the porch, my legs feel like jello. Huh? Biar betoi? Ini baru sikit dah tak larat? Yeah memang aku tak larat. Kaki serius jello. Just made the run till kaki bukit jer. I cant feel my legs!!

Whoa...after this have to focus on spinning onli. No bricks yet, no hills if can.

Singgah site Triathlon Malaysia tadi. Ada sprint event. So next event kat Pee Dee this July. Macam menarik.... aspiration and perspiration. Baca lagi!

Hepi

Hepi hepi hepi! Hahaha! Liverpool menang! Who said they dont have the pedigree? What a miraculous 3 goal comeback on the second half!! Enuf said,

LIVERPOOL CHAMPS!

suddenly ada entry bola yek? Well, this year has been a happy footballing year for me coz my favourite teams, which is Barcelona and Liverpool both won a silverware. Barca won the league title and Reds won the Champion League *champions league song at the background*.

Why suddenly Barca and Liverpool? Not suddenly laa. I am a long time Barca fan, since Luis Filepe Madeira (Figo) was there(eventho that was not long enuf). Yes, he played for Barcelona before dia mereput di Real Madrid. Transfer in excess of 30 million pounds tu! Now duduk bench jer. Padan muka. But I dont fancy him much la. That time Spanish football tak banyak exposure kat sini. Soccernet pun tak kenal lagi. As for Liverpool, lagi lama. Since John Barnes and Ian Rush lagik. Remember their jersey with Candy at front? Haa..zaman tu la. Both teams have a good history in Europe. Just unlucky Barca tak lepas ke final this year. Kalau tak, I dunno la.

So lepas ni, kena beli jersi Barca. Lepas tu bubuh nombor 6 kat belakang. Xavi. Fuyoh. As for jersi Liverpool, mesti Studio R tak jual murah dah lepas ni. Adoih, ngantuk...

Baca lagi!

Fork in the road

Just when you thought everything is going well for you, a bad news suddenly stops you on your track. Maybe it wasnt meant to be. Maybe its me. Maybe, well, it could be a lot of things.

Now I'm starting to think that life is unfair. No, its not that I want to, but the thought suddenly creeps in.

I got a medal in Lumut, I got a new bike, but i didnt get THAT. You cant have everthing, can you? Somethings gotta give. I gave. Just not given up yet.

Twist of fate.

Now back to square one. Sifting past numerous 'boxes with fancy words in it' just to look where there might be a lifeline. Maybe I should let this 'athlete' in me sleep for a while, and get myself on track with what I want. Hard decision, but, worth thinking over.

*hoi, you're never gonna be an athlete la!*

Say hello to him That's my doppleganger. He always has negative thoughts.

You folks dont understand the f*&k I'm talking, arent you? Good then. Baca lagi!

Spotlight

I got this picture from the Powerman website. Haha! Masuk jugak muka aku. I just love the spotlight lah..who doesnt?

for more pictures of the race, visit here

Baca lagi!

Today I got myself a new saddle, helmet and a pair of cycling shorts. The shorts ada chamois to cushion the delicate male anotomy. Tapi my goodness, tebal giler span dia. Surely tak boleh buat lari punya. Nampak macam punggung keras dari belakang. Haha... as for the helmet, just like my bike la, 'kicap' brand one. Saddle pun sama, cuma ada stamp K2 kat tepi. I know its not original one. Its just a bit more comfy than the standard issue. What do you expect from a 'kicap' brand bike kan? Another thing, stem dia panjang sangat. Fuh..so my body position when riding is always aero punya. Letih pakcik! Dah la stem 'ol skool' (yg mcm no 7 tu). Takpe. Next time tukau. A tougher ride makes you a better rider. Ntah mana aku kutip words tu pun ntah.

########

Esok nak test ride kat Putrajaya. Mana lagi safe place for a beginner like me to ride kan? At least kat sana tak banyak trafik. Summore tomorrow cuti. Hah! Aku nak buat 12 round kat roundabout besar tuh! Muahahaha!

Then petang nak lepak ngan Mazha jap, lari sikit (7-8k ke) and malam gi tengok FA cup (Man-U vs Arsenal) beramai-ramai kat NZ. Pergh..banyak agenda esok nih. Then Ahad either ikut PACM 15k or lari sorang-sorang kat Putrajaya (again!). hmm...sudah kembali rajin training sekarang yea.. I'M BACK WITH A BANG!

Baca lagi!

More photos from MMDS2

curik from Haris's site actually! Hehe... dia punya cam digital. Gambar cun!

Last u-turn before finish line..

mata dok tengok kat MC tu..'woi! annouce aku!'

This is Cream Crackers. yg pakai cap tu tak termasuk ye.

bergelak ketawa bersama Azwar

from left: Wendy, Haris, Azwar n me.

Baca lagi!