Last dirt...

Ramadhan is coming in 2 days. I have to squeeze in at least a ride. Too bad I had no options but to chose today & it was the last dirt for August. Joined a group of beginners & thanks to Saiful whom hosted the show. Macam-macam hal, macam-macam perangai...which reminded me of my early days into cycling...muahaha. OK la, apa ada hal? Janji kayuh and have fun...layan je ler. FRIM was the best venue for beginners for it's "breathtaking" climbs from the hospital and the much further demanding sight of "steroid hill" (refer earlier post).

I've decided to switch to my old riser for more freedom of ride since it's going to be the last before a month break. We rolled off an hour delayed due to the beginners syndrom (last minute preps). Apa ada hal? Layan je ler...hehehe. Start the first climb, some decided to attempt it fast thinking to finish it in one breath. A breath in need is a breath "indeed". Aku tengok aje sambil layan crank besar masak kicap, avoiding any cheating attempt.

Steroid hill was achieable by most of us, be it fast, slow or hike a bike. We rolled into the canteen for a 30 minutes breakfast. Ramai jugak mountainbikers today. As we rolled in, some groups rolled out. We headed into Dreamtrail and smacked the singletracks as enjoyable as could be. Awesome riser provided me with a descent downhill & casual climbing.

Punya lah lama tak masuk FRIM, ropa-ropanya all those nurseries near the temple gone already la. Giving way for a new wider road and the new UiTM campus. Heard it's for the medical school since it's near to the Sg Buloh Hospital. Road was definitely dusty & full of potholes. We called it a day at 12.30pm. Dude, it was a great outdoor outing to end the month.

Kuala Klawang revisit

We had fun, we had joy, we had season in the sun. haha, itulah yg kita orang rasa masa kayuh ke kuala klawang & back to batu14 tadi. We even had the afternoon shower on the way back to batu 18. That was when we stopped for a lucrative laksa buyong in the soaking wet.

Dah lama aku tak buat long ride. Dengan berbekalkan 2 kayuhan ke Tekala & Peres crank besar masak kicap 2 weekends yang lalu, aku gamble untuk join kayuhan ke Kuala Klawang dengan selsema sebak di dada. Kalau dulu-dulu, selsema sikit pun dah ngeri nak kayuh...itu pun sebab kononnya dengar pesanan2 orang la. Tapi sekarang wa belasah aje, janji mental sihat & kuat.

Kayuhan ke Kuala Klawang memang mantap sebab maybe banyak turun & rolling. We all sampai pekan untuk menjamu nasi campur at 10.45am gitu. Duduk satu kedai dengan konvoi Subaru Impreza yang potong we all kat puncak Peres sejam lebih yang lalu. Semua mulut nganga bila konvoi Impreza start enjin untuk balik. Mantap!

11.45am we all mula mengangkat punggung untuk menawan bukit bukau yang dituruni masa pegi tadi. Kayuhan dari pekan ke Titi untuk 10km yang pertama memang steady lagi. Lepas tu bila dihembus headwind, keadaan peloton kecil telah bersepah kepada cebisan-cebisan yang lebih kecil...hahaha! Kayuhan untuk the next 10km memang agak sengsara especially bila mendaki beberapa jalan berbukit sebelum sampai jambatan.

The remaining 4 riders at the back regrouped after the bridge before attempting the 13km climb back to Peres. Some of us dah mula mental kacau. Kaki dah mula sakit-sakit la. Termenung pun ada. Wa gagah kan jugak untuk climb walau apa pun. Pelan2 wa kayuh dengan Saiful, while Azahari pi teman Akmal yang dah tertinggal hampir kena sawan kat belakang. Bacin & Bukhari dah hilang entah kat depan, jauh sangat agaknya.

Bacin & Bukhari dah sampai puncak 40 minit earlier dari aku...lama tuh! Cuaca was just nice, not too hot, not too windy but the sight of dark clouds worried me. Azahari sampai 10 minutes later, followed by Akmal lagi 10 minit.

Zaaas! Kita orang turun tanpa cakap banyak. Masing2 dgn mission untuk complete kan ride. Tapi next target will be laksa buyong. 3km sebelum sampai laksa buyong, hujan turun dengan lebat. Aku teruskan kayuhan dengan the remaining juice yang ada. Dengan perut yang dah mula dingin2 beku, the sight of gerai laksa buyong memang dinanti2kan. Definitely aku dah hampir mental kacau. Hidangan laksa dibedal sekali hirup. Hujan dah mula reda. Kayuhan balik ke Batu 14 dalam sejuk memang layan. Ropa-ropanya kita orang clocked 5 jam lebih untuk complete kan 120km averaging at 22kph. Giler lama! Tapi janji stim.

Liquiman

OK la, wa admit sekarang dah kemaruk swimming pulak. Cita-cita nak masuk triatlon la konon tapi cita-cita yang agak mengerikan especially bila dok kenang part swim tuh...sriaaap! Takpe la, buat masa ni since tengah kemaruk, wa layan aje selagi mampu. Started since anak wa sign up for her swimming class every Saturday. Bila dok tengok yang baru belajar & yang dah boleh berenang, memang mendatangkan stim...hehehe. So wa pun approach la sahabat karib wa yang memang wa tau dok layan jugak sendri2 kadang2, Saiful la saper lagi.

So, salah satu hari tu balik dari kerja wa setting dengan dia pi pool yang dekat for both of us. Wa pun mula lah kuar ilmu2 & skill wa yang belajor tak habis zaman sekolah rendah dulu, 30 tahun dulu beb...giler lama tapi masih lagi wa ingat nama teacher wa Cikgu Arafah. Kira dia la paling cool kat sekolah masa tu sebab pakai swimsuit time ngajor. Saiful pun tegur2 la sikit mana yang boleh & hulur2 sikit tips. Wa pun try la walaupun badan memang kejong je nak perbetulkan apa yang patut.

Lepas dari tu, stim dah mari. Every week wa mesti layan, at least once, the most twice. Wa layan breaststroke je la, so takde la pongeh sangat & sambil2 nak improve breathing. Rasa memang best. Tambah lagi pulak sekarang tengah Beijing 2008. Wa pun layan ler almost setiap swimming competition yang ada. Kira nama Michael Phelps tu wa akan ingat la untuk olimpik tahun ni.

Sekarang sorang lagi plak member wa dah join the session, Bachin, yang dah complete Ironman last Feb & tanpa segan silu menurunkan ilmu apa yang dia belajor dengan national swimmer. Apa lagi? Bila dah Ironman dah masuk pool, freestyle le jawapnya. Stroke memang boleh kata hancur gak la, tapi wa layan je janji stim.

Kalau kail panjang sejengkal, lautan luas hendak juga wa duga. Atas racun roundup Bachin, wa terjebak jugak berhijrah dari pool 25m ke 50m tanpa rasa kesal. Nah! Tu dia! Sayup mata memandang bila tengok tebing sebelah sana. Boleh ke Cin? Wa tanya bila kita orang start dari end yang 2m deep. Kat situ pun dah huru hara buat breastroke sebab psiko air dalam...hahaha.

Bacin kata boleh punya, layan je slow2. Wa pun bedal. Bila dah lepas breaststroke 50m, wa try la pulak tekan freestyle 50m. Alamak! Boleh ler. Bacin kata lu try pulak 100m. Pergh! Mantap! Walaupun dah hujung2 tu memang rasa huru hara macam ikan belacak...Hahaha! Tapi all good. Memang best untuk recover dari penat lelah wa travel outstation every 2 weeks.

What a liquid weekend...

Ok...yes I was facing a deteriorating health as I approached the weekend. Thursday was felt like a very long day. The whole morning in the office, the afternoon was in Ulu Yam facing this macam bagus Dato' & the rest of the day got stuck in the evening traffic at middle ring road from ulu klang to ampang & cheras due to one and only evening shower for the week. Due to the exhaustion behind the steering wheel, my body gave way for the attractive cold night early right after dinner.

Friday morning felt a bit of headache. I was thinking maybe due to the extra hours I spent sleeping the night before. I was complaining to myself thought rushing out a contract document for binding was the target for the day. Eventually I managed to send it over to the shop & made it for a late entry to Friday prayer in Maluri. The remaining afternoon was pleasing myself with what a weekdays it were.

The Saturday ride was awesome. It was something I looked forward to. Without my health in jeorpadise, aku belasah aje kayuh...janji puas hati. Four of us started from Batu 14 to Tekala and back. The pace was strong and fast as we concluded our ride. Memang best.

Sunday, time to suffer oneself by waking up at 5.00am. It was Ekiden run's day. We had fun though but I still had running nose...argh!

Rolling in

Lama sangat aku tak sentuh roadbike aku. The last time was in May when things turned out to be too groovy...tangkap nafas kuda masa panjat Bukit Batu 14...hehehe. Ok, sekarang agak-agak dah muak sikit layan mtb since last month's critical mass. This morning I attempted a very casual, zero commitment road ride from Batu 14 to simpang Peres with Saiful...despite tidur lambat (layan melalak kat pondok daaa... =P).

Of course la aku terlajak tidur, bangun exactly at 7.00am although I was supposed to LEAVE home at 7.00am...hahaha. Lucky most of the ride stuff dah ready before tidur. Though I was planning to ride from home, things took a turn as the clock strikes 7.15am. Drove casually after informing Saiful for my delay.

We rode off towards simpang Peres & back stopping by at Batu 18 for roti canai on the way back, joined by Dicky & Man. We clocked 37km...hahaha, averaging 22kph. Antara kayuhan yang paling puas pernah aku buat sebab feel tu ada, despite torturing oneself on Sundays & end up dragging oneself surviving the family's chores for the rest of the day.

Spent the whole afternoon for a long nap with my sons, taking advantage of the sudden downpour. Petang layan kids main badminton & managed to gather about 8 neighbours' kids 5-8 years to join our evening ride with wifey around the neighbourhood. Quite an achievement =)