Not only i managed to secure a job that help pays the bills, i managed to add M-Dot to my name.
But of course, the biggest single event for 2008 was the birth of Nadia.
The second biggest event was when i was given an oppurtunity to "prove" myself at work. Needless to say, i managed it pretty well and i'm very happy with the outcome.
Play Hard. Work Hard. Everything will fall into place.
I'm not gonna write some grandma stories here now, as i was told one of my "less off" to do is talking too much (meaning i am supposed to talk less - go straight to the point).
So, 2008, thank you and good bye.
2009, please bring along with you lotsa good stuff for everyone and i hope all of you reading this entry will be blessed with great health, good luck and most importantly, more money to ride the economic uncertainties.
I think i left my running legs somewhere in the house store room or maybe i might even had thrown it away when i was cleaning up boxes old notes and documents accumulated over 15 years.
This morning was really a recovery run for AJ - having just done Broga yesterday with Laif, i sort of "slowed" him down.
It was unbelievable as i was panting and cursing under my breath and every song that came out from the earphone just irritates the hell out of me.
I managed to survive the run without any heart attack.
Distance was 11.69km and i finished it in 1:10 - hardly flattering.
But like i said, i left my running leg somewhere and i will be back.
Must be one of the more steady paced run i ever had...almost no spike in pace
Around the same time last year, i attempted Broga classic. Broga classic was the original Broga loop which starts at Hulu Langat and the loop will go towards Tekala - Semenyih - Broga - Lenggeng - Klawang - Titi and back to Peras.
The route is also known as Broga Jantan amongst some riders.
The pussy loop would be Broga reverse where you go clockwise from Hulu Langat - Peras - Titi - Klawang - Lenggeng - Broga - Semenyih and back to Tekala.
Distance was touted to be 160km, but it is actually only 137km at best.
The ride started last Sunday with 7 people. It was supposed to start by 7am, but as luck would have it, my alarm rang and i never woke up. It was at 6.30am which i realised i was still in bed dreaming!
A quick change parade and loading of the bikes and a quick 20 minutes drive, i was at Batu 18.
Waiting were Upiq, TSB, SK, Pipot, Kam and Jun Shen.
The initial 30km was done in a really relaxed manner. After Tekala, i started to pedal faster and had both Jun Shen (it was his birthday on that day!) and Azwar Pipot tailing me.
We managed a good speed and pace and about 90 minutes later, we were in Broga town already. Did a quick stop and waited for the other guys for 5 minutes. Decided not to wait and pushed off straight towards Lenggeng.
We reached Lenggeng and we all know that there is a short and sharp hill to climb not far infront.
As i climb the first hill (about 400 feet ascent), i swore i could feel my saliva dribbling out from the corner of my mouth. I must had looked like some spastic adult by then, with face constipating and tongue wagging, no less.
By the trime i reached the top of the climb, my head felt like some plate spinning. The downhill was sharp and fast, i touched 78km/h on that short stretch of downhill.
I reached the junction to Bukit Tangga and Seremban and Jun Shen was happily munching away on some jackfruit. We stopped for a cooling fresh coconut water.
Frankly. Last year, Bukit Tangga almost killed me.
I recalled having to call wifey and tell her that i was suffering. I stopped 4 times. Pushed the bike for hundreds of meters.
But this time around, even with a 9 speed gearing with 23 cog, i managed to climb up Bukit Tangga.
Happy that i saw the temple at the top of the hill. I rolled down Bukit Tangga but i did not have enough guts to max out on the speed and left it at 65km/h.
From Bukit Tangga, it was a train ride for me and Azwar until Klawang town; that's a good 12km away. We managed to blast about 35-40km/h all the way. We reached Klawang at 1130pm. Bloody fast by my standard. Average by then was a good 25km/h.
We did not manage to catch Jun Shen, as he climbed Bukti Tangga like a flat route and he went down the hill and all the way to Klawang with enough time to reload his handset.
We stopped for Lunch at Klawang - using that as an excuse to wait for the rest of the guys. after about 45 minutes of waiting with a total not moving time of 2 hours, we decided to move on and finish off the ride without the rest.
50km to Batu 18 from Klawang. Af AJ was around, that 50km will be covered within 2 hours. Thank goodness he wasn't around.
It was a slow ride for me back to Batu 18 from Klawang. My thighs tighten up by the time i reached Titi's drug rehab centre, i wasn't going faster than 22km/h by then. I knew i was tired. The heat wasn't helping as well as i could feel my shoulder burning up.
From there on, it was pretty much me alone all the way up the back side of Peras. Total climb would be in excess of 2000feet just for that hill.
I did not make any excuse that i could technically come down and push my way up since i am with a 23 cog. I won't. I can't.
It was very much me and Azmar in 2007 that went up cursing the hill. I am not gonna let the hill conquer me again, not when i had a good outing just 3 weeks before on the same hill.
I pushed the pedal. I pulled on the up stroke. I pumped the ground. And finally, i saw Azwar and Jun Shen waiting...and clapping for me.
From there on, it was a smooth easy journey back to Batu 18.
We managed to finish Broga Classic within 5:30. Average was 25.4km/h and i couldn't be happier.
I will upload the profile of the ride later, forgot to bring my GPS to work today.
Actually went for a Movie yesterday at Sunway Pyramid, courtesy of Adverlets.com. Now i can tell all of you i've seen The SPIRIT way before it came into the Cinema (slotted for Tomorrow).
I had to sign a NDA, so, no spoiler here, not a clue.
I've also heard from the horse's mouth that more activities will be lined up for Adverlets' bloggers which also include some major Paintball competition and loads of other good stuffs to get the bloggers engaged other than just typing infront of their PCs.
Great job Josh!
It pays to be an Advertlets member. Now, please go sign up and put up those ads in your blog (and get paid for it)!
I was feeling well on Friday. Went home after 8 hours of work (my shortest yet this year) and spent sometime with the family.
I was asleep by 10am (my earliest this year as well).
I was down with fever and flu and i hate the feeling of being sick.
By 12am, Nadia woke up crying. Infact, she wakes up every 5 minutes throughout the night and i can't do anything as i was too weak - but fully aware of what is happening.
Then, at 2am, Ryan woke up.
By 3am, wifey told me and both Nadia and Ryan has fever.
and me makes three.
By then, my fever has sort of subsided, but my nose were more blocked than a malfunctioning sewage pipe.
Took out some cold patch and placed on on Nadia's forehead.
Small and in pain, but don't know how to tell it to us
Proceed to check Ryan and decided to give both the kids some paraceptamol suspension.
Wifey stayed up the whole night watching after Nadia, as she kept waking up and crying every 5-10minutes. By 7am, both of us were panda eyed and tired.
I was recovering from the fever, but an onslaught of headache came. Most probably because of not enough of sleep.
Ryan's fever was still hanging there. Nadia's fever got worse.
Ryan vomitted the water we gave him. Then Nadia vomitted the milk Wifey gave her.
By 12pm, we decided to get both of them to the clinic.
I was too weak to drive (no dinner, no breakfast) and had to rely on my sister in law to come and get them to the clinic.
Then, wifey called and said that we need to rush Nadia to the hospital. Her fever is too high.
So, there i am. Lying down there, feeling helpless.
Wifey sent Ryan back and i tried hard to keep Ryan rested next to me. It's hard, especially so when your son's threshold of pain is very high. With his fever, he is still running around as if nothing happened.
I tried calling the office HR, to get and find out more info on admission to hospital, if needed. Medical isn't cheap, but i'm not gonna let that preventing me from sending Nadia the hospital.
Wife told me via sms that they are sponging her down to bring the temperature down. Nadia was screaming and crying. Wifey felt helpless when she naratted it back to me, dripping a tear or two. She was allowed to go home after her temperature drops back to acceptable limit.
Ryan's temperature went down the rest of Saturday. Well, that is until about 12am.
He had a temperature and it's pretty hot. I had to convince him and coax him to let me put the wet towel on his forehead to keep the temperature down. I had to play game with him (and obviously, the winner is me, so i get to put the towel on his forehead).
You have no idea how hard it was to put that on his forehead
My fever came and went, and i never had taken so much Panadol in my life (2 every 4 hours - alternate between Actifact and Extend).
I already missed a cyclign session with AJ on Saturday morning and i am missing Sunday Malakoff run because of this viral fever.
And as they say, bad news will bring more bad news - at 5pm on Saturday, i was told i need to be down in Johor for work.
So, on Sunday morning, with a very tired wife without enough rest the past 24 hours, 2 kids which were sick (and still are), i drove down south for work.
Sorry Barath, i really wanted to drop by your chicken farm, but i had to leave back home to the kids.
So, this morning, while Nadia is showing sign of recovering, Ryan started to fire up again. Thi boy has grown too smart that he knows playing game to let me put the towel on him is not working in his favour. It was an hour of screaming exercise from him at 130 till 230 this morning.
He stayed away from me, traumatised - as i held him down and sponge him down.
But it's for his own good. High fever could damage a few facial muscle and could even kill him. Before the temperature even soar to that level, letting him cry and scream is definately much better than seeing him grow up with some facial defect ala Rocky Balboa or Terminator.
So, officially, me and wifey has not rested for the past 72 hours until this morning.
And i hope the boy and the girl will recover well ahead of Christmas.
As for me, i just finished anohter strip of Panadol Extend before i typed the last line on this entry.
The second post today is to pimp a friend of mine which i met during my time in Explorace Season 3.
His name is Barath Kumar but i know him as the Chicken Egg Man.
He runs/operate a chicken farm (doesn't sound right here) in southern portion of the country.
The story of how he carries trays and trays of eggs from one end to the other end of the town would only make mortal men shiver (each tray is about 1.8kg - he typically carries hundreds trays every day).
He is a gentle giant. On look he looked like he will rule the underworld scene at the place he grow up, but the most he would do (then) is to pelt you with rotten eggs. Nowadays, he will just tell you he will challenge you for a swim, bike and run.
Yes, he is a fellow IM Wannabe.
So what if he is an IM wannabe?
Well, it is something if he has not DONE ANY TRIATHLON.
Nor has he swam more than 50meters.
Or attempted to bike more than to buy roti canai.
Heck, his running is after his free range chickens in the chicken farm.
But that was 6 months ago.
Since then, he has learnt to swim (via phone and video, mind you, proud to say i semi coach him). He has gotten a bike (really nice juicy one at that) and he has been running.
Since then, he has been shedding fats like in the chickens in slaugtherhouse being stripped off their feathers.
He is one mean fella.
His balls are definately bigger than mine many times over. And that is for a fact as he has not Swim, Bike AND Run in his life before.
And IronMan Langkawi 2009 will be his MAIDEN and his FIRST attempt at the sports.
Read more about his exploit in the SBR world south of Malaysia in his blog HERE:
Ishsal joined me and AJ for the run from TTDI to Hartamas and back.
Total distance is about 13km.
We started off at 6am and headed towards Hartamas. Aj used the hill as the "fast" portion of the interval training and the flat for recovery.
I had to follow suit. Ishsal followed all the way, pushing his limit and to his ability. Kudos to him for trying really hard as he was out of action and training for a period of time.
The average speed was 5:44 pace (translated to about 11km/h) and we wrapped up the 12.98km run in 1:14.
Commendable timing as we were sprinting as fast as a 4:00 pace for a good 1.2km from the toll back to TTDI turn off on the return journey.
AJ won't be around the next 2 days and i will get my rest (ie not waking up at 4.30am).
However, the menu for Saturday has been set. Anyone interested, please wait at National Science centre turn off infront of Security Commission at 0530hours. THe train will be leaving for Putrajaya. If things goes as it should, we should be back about 2 hours later...
At 6.15am, AJ, Abu, Julie and myself met up at Batu 18 for the ride of the day.
We pushed off at about 6.30am and headed for Peres. The first 10km of the ride was really cold. My helmet has condensation on the surface and i could see the bike tubing were filled with droplets of water from riding through the morning mist.
Menu for the day was a 120km ride from Batu 18 to Klawang and back. That would give us at least 3 climbs one way.
With Abu Power leading the pack and AJ constantly hounding everyone with his ultra fit cycling, it is hard not to push yourself.
Going up Peres that day took me 25 minutes, that's 10 faster than my usual Peres climb.
10 freaking minutes faster.
Anyway, to cut long story short, it took us 2hours 3 minutes to reach Klawang. Average was 24.2km/h.
That's from 1800 feet elevation to 3100 feet elevation within the short 9km climb up Peres.
View from the first orang asli settlement
From the top of Peres, it's then 3 short and sharp climb up and down towards Klawang.
We rested at the usual petrol station. Total rest time was 19 minutes, and headed back to Batu 18.
One would think that the return journey would be at least 30minutes longer. But with everyone pulling and in form, the return journey; up and down the 3 peaks and back to batu 18, took just anohter 2hours and 3 minutes!
Average was 24.2km/h throughout the 107km ride.
My maximum speed was a cool 70km/h.
I survived Klawang. I did not stop nor push like i did last year, and i guess that is pretty much a better sign, despite not training enough.
It must be some record of such as i don't recall doing a 107km in those times!
Whatever it is, it was a great ride with great company. I had a great workout.
It was supposed to be his recovery ride. Sorry sir, i did not know. All i know is that you kept the pressure from behind and i had no choice but to pedal harder to keep up with you.
National Science Centre to Putrajaya Toll, distance 30km, done in 58 minutes. Average was 30.6km/h
Got to be my PB for 30km distance.
"Go back , recovery ride ok? we can go 1:05", AJ told me.
PHEW.
Yeah right.
The return journey was as fast. The average only dipped 0.2km/h from 30.6 to 30.4. It became 30.3 when i pushed my bike into the house. LOL.
We've managed to cover 60km in less than 2 hours.
Imagine what that could do to the POWERMAN timing!
Great ride, as usual. Thank You AJ.
Total ride time : 2hours 4 minuntes. Distance covered : ~63km (From science centre, i managed an extra 10km for cycling to and fro home to Science Centre) WOW factor : Damn KAW Chiaklat HIGH.
Woke up at 4.30am this morning to prep for the ride to Putrajaya with AJ.
Decided to meet him at Science Centre and cycle with him from there. Left home at about 5.15am and reached SC by 5.30am. It got to be the fastest 10KM i've done.
We met up and left towards Putrajaya. Everything as per normal, except with AJ, you tend to be running harder...or pedalling harder.
We also have a good sprinting exercise to outrun a bunch of rowdy dogs near Taman Desa.
Apparently, AJ do not take the route like how i did. He is used to ride down KL-Seremban and enters via another slip road. I estimated that the journey is about 2km shorter.
As i enter the E20, i felt something funny. There seems to be a strange feeling that i was having a flat. Everytime i pedal fast, it tend to get some slight tapping feeling from the rear and pushing past 33km/h was a task.
Looking down, it looked perfectly ok.
It was ok until i reached the RnR (the road today was very dark, someone decided to save electricty and there wasn't an ounce of lights for 10km) and i dismounted and check the tire.
Yeap, got a puncture.
This was all it takes
I spent 5 minutes pumping in the air and hope it will last until the toll plaza.
By then, AJ already waaaaaaayyyyyyy ahead.
The air couldn't last more than 500meters and it went flat again. In case i damage the carbon rim, i decided to just dismount and do the right thing - CHANGE THE BLOODY TIRE.
I looked at the time : 6.45am I looked at the distance : 36km. I looked at the average speed : 27.4km/h
Serdang KVDT
No choice. Got to change the tire and thank goodness i brought my tire! Decided not to use the green goo to automatically patch the tire as i do not want to waste it.
And today was the first time i change a tubular tire!
!@*&%^$
It was easy. Much easier than doing a clincher.
Got the tire inflated and by then, AJ was already on his way back. Flag him to go on without me i do not want him to slow down.
It took me bloody 30 minutes to inflate that bloody tire.
My own fault actually, i did not ensure that the valve was properly attached. Apparently, the valve head could be disloged from the valve body. And i spent 20 minutes getting the air into the tire, only to have it leaked out again.
Dumbass.
Dumbass with a big tummy
I fixed the valve head and pumped in about 100psi (could only roughly manage that).
Crossed the highway and pedalled back.
I hammered the crank and managed to get the average back up to acceptable value.
Total distance was 66km and it took me bloody 2:19 to do today's ride.
If there was any consolation, today's ride made me feel really thankful that i don't need to deal with traffic jam in most of the road. I was way ahead of many cars and the 20 minutes it took me from MidValley to Damansara seems really fast compared if you were driving this morning!
Reached home at 8.45am. Showered. Change-Parade. And i did a recovery jog to office and was in office by 9am.
We started from Devi's Corner in TTDI and headed towards Hartamas via Pencala Link.
At 5am in the morning, these people surely got nothing better to do than to sit and chit chat at mamak.
I ran from home to Devi's to meet up with him, getting to clock extra mileage along the way. The distance was about 1.8km and it took me circa 10 minutes.
We covered 12km in 1:08.
I managed to run my fastest 1km in 4.57.
I did my fastest 1 mile in 7.55.
I ran the fastest 10km at 55.41.
All the above was done this morning with AJ pulling, pushing and taking the best out of me.
Average pace this morning was a good 5:39 minutes/km. That would meant if i really did push it, i could had done the 10km in record timing this year (my PB for 10k still stand at 48 minutes...done 2 years back at Subang 10K)
In Adzim's own phrase : "I Lioke"
I took it easy and ran back home via a bigger round and that took me 200meters more than it took me to reach Devi's in the morning.
So, all in all, i am proud to say that i managed a 16km this morning within 1hours 30mins.
Now, I got to go back to work.
By the way, i was asked by someone to submit my CV and "they will take care of the rest".
Kinda puts me on a high as the someone was a client!
Had a long chat (ok, maybe just 1hour 8 mins) with AJ about it and i guess i should just put in the CV. I don't see anything wrong with that.
On Saturday, i dated Ordu and brought her for a trip to Putrajaya.
It was the usual romp which my wife approve of.
Only 75km max if i choose my route right on the return journey, or it would be at least 7km less should i follow a shorter route.
Shorter distance and longer ride is not my criteria in these dates and i have no choice but to find the longest distance and complete it in the shortest time.
I managed a 75km last Saturday. For those of you that wants to do a 75km, here is the route.
Damansara Utama - LDP - Kerinchi Link - Fed Highway - Mahajaya EXpressway (or E20 or Putrajaya Highway) - U-turn - Mahajaya Expressway - Fed Highway - Kerinchi Link - Hartamas Highway - Penchala Link - LDP - Damansara Utama via LDP (ie u-turn at police station).
Here is the brief ride report, the pics will tell most of the story.
Average speed to Putrajaya : 29.9km/h
It was a good 1:06 ride to cover the distance of 35km from DU. There wasn't any instance where i thought i would slow down and just keep pressing the pedal. The drizzle did not fizzle me out, it just dirty my shoes and bike. The fact that i woke up late doesn't help either as i wanted to complete this route by 8am (i woke up at 5.45...a good 45 minutes late!)
I'm getting the hang of this bike. It sort of blend with me and moves with me. But as you know, they will say things works well when you don't need them to be! I'm gonna keep my finger crossed that i would have the endurance to cover the 180km in IM09 like how i did this year. It would be a task as i did not put in as much training as i did in 2007.
I believe i am making the most out of my time i have. Clocking in average of 56hours/week at work is hardly ideal for a proper training routine.
And i think i've forgotten how to swim!
Anyway, here as some stats of my date with Ordu for my 75km ride.
Total ride time : 2:29 - expected for this distance, but could be better...say...2:15?
Average: 30.3km/h - definately better than last week's 28.6km/h total Post note: Sorry for posting the wrong pic up earlier
Max Speed: 60km/h Expected with my heavy fat body.
But the wheels helped...to a certain extend...i think
I think i did pretty ok for a rain laden morning and ride. I dare not go any faster or pedal harder going down the hills as i was afraid the tyre might lose grip and me crashing. So, i went as fast as i comfortably could manage control.
I got back by 8.30am and gave Ordu a good nice scrubbing down. Afterall, she is covered with silt and road grime. It's really not a way to treat a lady.
Ordu getting wet.
Ya i know, sexy.
And here is me....i meant, my gears, getting wet.
I hate rainy days cycling as i have to clean up a lot of stuffs. The main reason why i switched from MTB-ing is because i hate to clean up these stuffs!
But somehow, last Saturday, there were a glimmer of joy when i wash the bike and gears. Really.
Yesterday (Sunday), i again, woke up late, this time, about 15 minutes late. Like any trained RMC boy, i managed to changed and get to the venue within the run start time. I was supposed to run with Jabir and i hate to be late (because he is never late). Menu was a 20KM run from Bukit Aman to Hartamas and back - the usual route la.
I got to the car park sharp at 5.45am and i know i am late, as we were supposed to start the run at 5.45am. I waited a bit as i thought Jabir was praying, but as it turned out, he overslept. Must be his son son making him run left right up and down at home!
It's completely understandable...moreover...how many mindless people are there that wakes up earlier than their working days on a weekend?
Apparently, there are many of these mindless people with nothing better to do!
I started my run alone and caught up with a few gang (Fairuz and gang) which started the run earlier towards Hartamas via MARTRADE.
I've decided that yesterday's run was the Nike Triax's last run/outing. The shoe has served me really well. I must had clocked at least 700km with it (and ran 1 marathon, 1 Half IronMan and 1 IronMan distance). The sole is visually thinner now and the cushioning where it matters most is minimal after all those mileage. I know it because places i never had any blister forming started to feel like it's happening yesterday.
It took me 56 minutes to get to Hartamas. That's pretty average timing considering it's slightly less than 10km actually. The return split was even slower as it took me a good 1:17 to get back.
Damn shy.
That's 2:17 to cover 20km.
Average speed was at a low 6:57km/h (sorry Stupid_O, it's not a 7:00 pace, but a 10:00 pace), that is like running a 7hours Marathon which is like ass slow. Damn shy.
But i tried consoling myself that the last i ran was actually on 9th November, which is the PowerMan race. No more excuse after this.
During the run, i bumped into Ishsal. He is trying to find time to get his training done as well.
We went our different way after that.
But one thing for sure, slow or fast, I had my 75km bike and my 20km run done over the weekend.
I've wiped the Triax clean and kept it in a box. It will see daylight of course, but not for running anymore.
After the 2 dates, I couldn't ask for more, except more hours in a day so i could train more and more. And More.
