Showing posts with label Century. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Century. Show all posts

Friday, August 8, 2014

Syawal mai dah...

Salam Eidul Fitri. Dah masuk raya ke-12. Alhamdulillah kita masih di panjangkan umur & di murahkan rezeki untuk khatam madrasah Ramadhan & bertemu pula dengan Syawal. Tahun ini Ramadhan aku tempuhi dari perspektif yang lain dalam proses muhasabah diri dan mengenal yang Maha Pencipta.

Sekarang aku dah kembali ke kehidupan KL. 

Seperti tahun-tahun yang lalu, obviously havoc pulang ke kampung tetap berlaku. Yang mampu bercuti panjang dah mula pulang seawal 4-5 hari terakhir Ramadhan. Yang kurang cuti, terpaksa menahan sabar menempuh gamatnya volume traffic di semua laluan keluar dari Lembah Klang bermula Jumaat malam sehingga ke hari Sabtu. Berbagai cabaran yang ditempuhi akibat volume traffic yang meningkat secara mendadak lantas masa perjalanan menjadi dua kali ganda. Tapi sebab semangat nak balik raya punya pasal, all out effort diberikan. Baru la berbaloi balik beraya di kampung.

Plan asal aku nak gerak ke selatan tanahair seawal 4.00 pagi Sabtu, gagal disebabkan kelesuan dan kekurangan tidur. Lepas solat subuh jugak kami sekeluarga bertolak. Alhamdulillah perjalanan lancar dan nyaman. Tetapi jumlah kenderaan di lebuhraya pada awal pagi tu pun sudah membuatkan aku teruja. 

Agenda raya di kampung halaman adalah seperti biasa. Ziarah menziarahi baik yang masih hidup mahupun yang telah dijemput oleh Maha Pencipta. Tidak akan putus doa-doa ku buat keluarga ku yang telah kembali ke Rahmatullah. Itu lah azam ku sehingga aku juga akan bersama di akhir hayatku.

Sekembalinya ke realiti hidup, maka terbuka lah semula pintu-pintu option yang perlu kita pilih. Seminggu dua selepas raya, kita sedikit sebanyak alpa dengan sambutan kemenangan Syawal sehinggakan lupa dengan madrasah Ramadhan yang baru berlalu. Itu termasuk aku.

Istiqomah adalah antara kunci kepada setiap sesuatu. Mujur lah surau kami cekap menjemput ustadz-ustadz kembali untuk kuliah Maghrib. Maka tersentak lah aku dari lamunan Syawal, untuk kembali ke laluan taqwa. Mudah-mudahan, insyaa Allah.

Tidak juga dilupakan, attempt untuk berpuasa 6 hari di bulan Syawal. Setakat lapar dan dahaga untuk usia se-tua aku ni, bukan menjadi isu utama. Ianya kembali kepada hati.

Selain itu, maka kembalilah kedengaran riuh rendah sahabat handai dengan berita-berita terkini berkaitan acara-acara sukan tanahair seperti larian, basikal dan triathlon. Aku tidak lepaskan peluang untuk kembali beraksi (secara kecil-kecilan aje) untuk dapatkan balik stamina. Nak hidup kat KL ni pun perlu stamina semata-mata untuk survive selain wang ringgit serta doa.

Untuk memantapkan lagi motivasi berletihan, aku sign-up untuk lagi satu century ride di Melaka pada bulan Oktober nanti. Memandangkan masa yang masih jauh, maka ianya agak feasible untuk aku berhempas pulas berlatih letih untuk menamatkan lagi satu kayuhan 1 abad. 

Friday, June 6, 2014

KCR160 2014

Kuantan Century Ride is back for the 3rd time. It's my 3rd attempt together. Just another cycling road trip as usual with small hopes of improving my previous record. Neither it is for me to boast results nor finisher medal on social media, nor asking people about their results and compare. I find that sickening.



Basically the ride was great, but however perfect our planning is, His planning is greater. We were stuck in the school break traffic for both days to Kuantan and back. Getting myself to the rendezvous point on Saturday afternoon took me 2 hours from Cheras to Ulu Klang. On our way back, the traffic jam started from Bentong Toll Plaza all the way to Gombak Toll Plaza.

My preparation for KCR160 2014 was pretty much a jigsaw puzzle.  Joining up all the pieces with adhoc planning, Alhamdulillah it was a training program to survive the 100 miles challenge. Not to beat other people but to survive without murmuring regrets and pain. 

With only a few long weekend rides including the Shah Alam Endurance Ride two weeks prior, a few of us hope that the training formula could bring us across the finishing line.

Looking at the route map, the loop is almost similar to the first KCR160. They gave us the rolling and climbs first and devastating killer flats for the remaining 100 kilometres. We only hope that the weather could be a bit kind on the second half of the ride.

Some of us from the group didn't quite make it to this year's starting line due to lack of training and work commitments. Only a handful were there hoping to make ends meet. We didn't quite have any plans to ride together since we don't the same strength and endurance. Hence, we latched ourselves to the best chosen peloton pace.

The controlled start pace and the initial rolling stage was pure self effort. I didn't quite get the legs to put in much strength as to finish the endless rolling through Feld Bukit Goh road. I assumed I was almost at the back of the 2000. Maybe 1500th-ish? 

As soon the rolls end, the TUDM airport marked the beginning of the flattish hell. The key to survive this is to bite your way onto a huge peloton with a descend speed. You don't want to over-stress your legs by latching to ambitious group of cyclists whom would constantly attack the pace and ruin everybody in it. 

By the time I reached the airport junction, there were only three of us and a huge peloton of more than 30 cyclists stood there constantly pedalling about 500 meters ahead. It was now or never. That was my target, to get into that group. But it was not easy, with only a few of us and the strong winds on the open road, the effort was so taxing. 

There's a turning into the Pekan bound highway. That was the point break. If I don't placed myself inside that group, my days are done. Teeth gritting effort, I cast my longest line to get the hook secured before they make the turn. Alhamdulillah it was successful. The pace was averaging at 32 kph, but in a big group like this, it was cruising. The bigger the group, the bigger inertia energy we produce.

The peloton grew bigger as we passed by smaller groups along the way and surprisingly it managed to form no less than 50-60 people inside. It was huge. And I was smiling all the way skipping Water Station 2, feeling attached to the awesome peloton not wanting to miss the ride. 

Hence, this is the beginning of a gruesome 100 kilometer ride. Flat routes zaps more if you don't regulate a good cadence and pace. You can't coast, you have to crank up to move forward. Your butt was in pain from hours on saddle without numb free stretching. The destination was Universiti Malaysia Pahang, located southward to Pekan, and it was a coastal scenery. The view was great, so was the weather. We rode the 60 over cyclist train charging the 40 km stretch to Pekan at 32 kph. It could be impossible to survive this distance alone or in a smaller group. Or maybe possible but it would be longer at slower pace. That would take too much effort. And you still have to concur the remaining 60 km back to Kuantan for that piece of metal.

The 3rd water station was inside UMP. I find the campus a bit barren and deserted. Perhaps it's newly built. It started to heat up and windy as well. The grim faces of cyclist across the road exiting the campus to continue cycling was not good. We had to stop for water and loosening the legs. 

Medical tents were full with aching and cramped cyclists. Like battleground. The heat outside the tent was not welcoming either, but we had to move on. We had clocked 105 km and the remaining 55 km should be doable.

The earlier peloton had dispersed since we didn't had any plan to regroup. Besides we don't know each other, we just ride together. We had to form a new group. A few of us started slow, trying to create a group that hopefully could fuel our engine for the remaining of the distance. We were fortunate with smart cyclists around us, whom later able to form a big group again. The route back was tougher too, a wider and exposed road. Too bad it didn't last long. Halfway through, a handful of them decided to surge the pace. Perhaps they planned to chase the clock for a sub-5 hour timing. I did not bother to gauge my time, only to finish this. I let go and discreetly drifting in between solitary cyclists trying to latch to whatever group still exist. 

My cadence was constant but not constant enough to maintain in the accelerating group. I chose to keep this cadence hoping not to trigger any muscle cramp which I felt tingling somewhere around the thighs and quads. The sign directed us back to Tanjung Lumpor which remains another 20 km. A fast calculation of the distance would take me another hour if I maintain the speed without any stop.

It was almost like a time trial mode, churning the crank at 30 kph, passing by cyclists and overtaken by others. It was an individual war for each of us. At one point, the pain was too unbearable. Both thighs were in so much pain, it seemed like the muscles were shrinking tightly. I had that discreet screaming face on for that. Even my toes were too numb and I don't have the slightest idea of my rescue plan. I slowed down the pace and let the pain subside before the last climb at the bridge before entering the town. The climb need to be attempted in deep coolness so as not to re-trigger the cramp. 

Alhamdulillah the bridge attempt was the opposite from my first KCR which was too ugly while climbing it halfway, the quads decided to stiff. I rolled down the bridge, welcomed by the policeman manning that particular huge four cross and continued on with my constant speed across the finish line.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

East Cost 100 Miles - Beyond The Peloton

And yet suddenly I have no words to share from the recent event. Not a even a single. Lost most of it. Was it non-dramatic over in Kuantan? It was, definitely, but it did go as planned, Alhamdullillah, without any surprises.

Yes, I gained a few more valuable experience. Bits and pieces put together after the ride. Will share the story as we go down the paragraphs.

Alhamdullillah everything went well. The mission was simple. To cross the finish line within 6 hours without pain and suffer and regrets. The target was set based on the training yardstick. If we could've spent a bit more on strength input, we might target for a better time. Hence, we just stayed rational and logic, avoiding any 'Benson & Hedges Golden Dreams' of being in the first peloton till the end.

The great stuff from the weekend was the outing with buddies itself. The story beyond the peloton. The camaraderie. It has been a while since a road trip, I think the last one was from last year's KCR160 in March.

We left KL early that Saturday morning, an attempt to beat the jam. We failed since the Saturday's public holiday attracted even more traffic leaving the city, creating massive queue at Gombak Toll Plaza. We ditched the highway and enroute ourselves to the old Gombak Road, our weekend cycling route. Driving through it ain't exciting though, compared to climbing it on 2 wheels.

Eventually reached Kuantan after skipping almost every overcrowded rest area. Even queuing for the toilet made it looked like getting a football ticket. We checked in at our beautiful homestay at Indera Mahkota for  a quick clean-up. The 4 rooms semi-D was gorgeous. Perfect for 17 of us and 17 bikes. Did you said SEVENTEEN??! First come first served, baby! Almost felt like a bangla-kongsi with air-conditioned bedrooms.

The luxurious kongsi
Then it was the bib collection a.k.a. meeting up with other fellow cyclists with some chit chats thrown in before we indulged for the biggest behind the scene drama.

Half of us
Ana Ikan Bakar Petai is one of the favourite local joint for seafood in Kuantan. An early dinner, as early 5.30 in the evening was our plan. Simply to avoid the expected crowd. True enough, we made the best decision. Should we came in half an hour late, we'll be standing and waiting for empty tables while wiping our growling tummies :]

The war started right away. With 10 cyclists ready to carboload, the menu was humongous. We appeared to be eating equivalent to 20 person. And there's not even an inch of empty space on the table. Masak petai for the Golden Snapper, masak 3 rasa for the other 2 Red Snappers, a sea of fried squids, spicy delicious Tom Yam, telur dadar and free flow of rice. We were monsters in disguise. The war rages on like there's no tomorrow. The battlefield was scary and yet no one seemed to be withdrawing. Until to the last piece, we can barely lift the spoon and fork to feed anymore. It was devastating. The sight of a waiter passing our table with a plate full of fried squids was already traumatic.

The dark side of us
The real us
We headed back to the homestay for the final preparation especially the bikes. Now everyone wants to be the pro-mechanic. Twitching bikes here and there. Garmin calibration. Hydration measurement and electrolyte grading and hydrate. Gels strategy. Tyre pressure gauging. Chain lubing and hydrate. Timing chip setup and hydrate. You name it. The whole house packed like a F1 pit-stop backdrop. It dragged until mid-night.

The next morning, ample wash-room facilities made life easier for morning routines. Some even taking the effort of waking up super early just to enjoy the luxurious morning 'moment'. Quick breakfast with anything we can grab on, Nescafe for me as usual for that particular 'umph!' feel. We rode to the start line a kilometre away at Malaysia International Islamic University.

Almost half an hour before flag-off, we received a surprise turn up from our long lost friend Nik Enaikay, a legendary runner blogger. Now he's into photo-blogger. Great to see him.

We don't have any special plans. Trying to keep together was impossible since the 2000 cyclists were packed for the first 30 km rolling start. In that particular distance, disaster occurred almost at every 5 km. All stunts right before my eyes. Horrific.

There were crashed from fallen water bottles. Crashed from pot holes. Crashed from tangling wheels and wheels. And even a herd of cows almost triggered a crash when they attempted to cross the road!

I dare not distract myself from the front view and all hands on the brake levers and shifters. Full alert for any mishaps. The cruising speed was devilish, tops almost at 45 kph at times, especially at the nostalgic Pantai Sepat. Sprinting legs were stung whenever the peloton got strung after every corners and inclines. It was super-interval for the first hour. It was pain trying to latch to the first bunch.

No more solitary at Pantai Sepat
Upon completing Pantai Sepat and the kampung road, I got a side stitch. Argh! Perhaps from the rock and roll tempo pace. I had to let go. By the this time, the peloton was released from the pace car and hell broke loose. I grasp for any smaller groups that I can latch to but to no avail, the side stitch didn't help.

As the pain subsides moments later, a group of 7 riders passed by and a foreigner invited me to form a descend pace group. We took turn leading and the speed was managed at a very pleasurable one, I was smiling again rather than crying & startled during the last hour. This small group hold the pace together for at least 10 km before suddenly a huge peloton of nearly 150 riders, I think, caught up and engulfed us back into a sea of cyclists. However the speed remained calm for a while for self recovery. Phew!

The rolling starts after 80 km and that was where most of us was in our own war. When the pain from overboard zone pace started to be fruitful. I had to be a bit selfish, latching up to even a tiny group of 2 cyclists! Shame on me. Then we turned slightly bigger to 7, but soon as we hit the KOM stage, we were back to 1 again. The KOM stage was lonely, and Nik was there to capture my miserable looks. Thanks Nik for the priceless answer.
Bro, mana water station??
Entah la bro. Aku pun tak tau.
Thanks for the honest answer Nik!
Lucky the KOM was short, but the the third water station (WS) was 10 km away! With 3 bottles with me from the beginning, my plan was to skip the first 2 WS. It worked but the mental game played along through the lonely path.

At WS-3, familiar faces waited. Alwin and Azahari. Ziff caught up slightly before. The sense of camaraderie gave a tiny sting of hope of being able to ride together again like our normal weekend ride. And our conversation which was mostly about the 'initial super-interval stage' became lively.

Sponge Bob friends
Again, the tiny excitement melted once we hit the partial end of the East Coast Highway. It has the complete package for a century meltdown with accumulating miles, accumulating pain, energy dissipation, heat from above and below, headwind, exposed and straight climbs. The trauma of Guthrie Corridor hit us. It was mental game again. We barely converse. Silence hits the surface.

It lasted for 13 km one way and we have to return the same way on the other side. The front riders have turned back and tormented faces were streamlined along the way. The three of us took mercy under a bridge for a moment and continued on towards WS-4 at KM133. Now this stop represents the best of it all. A sponging facility! At the time of the day, that was the most brilliant idea. We indulge ourselves into it. Squeezing the sponge, slowly releasing the freezing water through the helmet and down our spine. We took refuge under a van's rear door while deciding to wait for the rest of the buddies which we saw will join soon.

Det and Akmal arrived moments later and we continued to parade ourselves for the remaining 30 km with two more humps and a rolling pass. We knew that sub-6 is already in our grasp, hence another brilliant idea from Alwin to stop for a thirst quencher at a Guava juice stall. Priceless.

We rolled in towards the finish line together somewhere after 5:40 hours of riding time, smiling, no cursing and enjoyed the shower from the fire hydrant's spout. Ethically collected our medal and cert and of course lunch while resting and honouring our taxing day. Suddenly the camaraderie went dead, perhaps due to incompleteness of the bangla on bikes circle.

However, it went lively back again right after we headed back to the homestay and the so called post ride talks, joke and 'lambungs' flew all over Indera Mahkota with a loud bang from the 17 of us. While washing our bikes we added more talks and laughters. We excelled, we ran out of luck and we enjoyed the century distance in our own way.

Wait! The war finale ain't over until the post ride meal is official. Another round of smaller scale war due to diminishing appetite but a plain white rice with a bowl of hot Tom Yam was the best to tease my pale taste bud.

Lost of words nya la haiiii...

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Century is coming

Nampak gaya nya la ni aku memang kena praktik kan amalan berhemah untuk sign up event. Itu salah satu dari amalan perbelanjaan berhemah. Semuanya selari dengan teori Newton:

Tindakan X = Tindakbalas X

Tapi zaman la ni, teori Newton kena modi sikit jadi:

Tindakan X = Tindakbalas 2X

Itu teori fizik, tapi boleh apply kat teori ekonomi terus macam gini,

Harga minyak naik = Harga barang naik + Harga perkhidmatan naik + 
Harga event fee pun naik + Heart rate naik

Jadi, aku kena lah selective sikit. Nak bulldoze semua tanpa being selective boleh mengakibatkan pelbagai kesan yang maybe mudarat seperti membazir wang dan masa. Ingat! Aku bukan kaya raya. In fact menyeksa diri & menyesal bukan satu pilihan 'bujal'. Dan ingat! Aku juga bukan kurang bijak.

First time sign-up dulu boleh lah matlamat sekadar untuk perabih. Suffer big time pun takpe. Al-maklum ler zero pengalaman. 

Tapi kalau dah sign-up banyak kali or every year, takkan ler nak maintain objektif? Itu pembaziran namanya. Pembaziran masa dan wang. Tak digalakkan.

Disebabkan aku ni semakin hari semakin banyak komitmen lain yang ada priority, maka target 2-3 major events kira OK la. Ini ahli sukan amatur, bukan pro.

Maka, first big event tahun ni tinggal tak sampai sebulan lagi. Setahun yang lepas, dengar Kuantan Century Ride aje dah boleh naik bulu tengkuk. Perit & menusuk kalbu boh!

Tapi kali ni aku cuba untuk tidak ulang kesilapan. Dan juga tak nak letak high hopes.

Strategi yang diatur setakat ni boleh kata chun. Alhamdullillah. Fasa base training dah settled. Konon. Dapat selit 2-3 long rides untuk lemau kan kaki terbaik dah tu.

La ni rancangan tergendala sekali sekala sebab urusan-urusan lain seperti balik kampung dan pilihanraya. Dab! Dub! Dab! tinggal tak sampai sebulan. Tolak Senin hingga Sabtu, tinggal lagi 2 weekend untuk kayuh super long ride sebelum taper sambil makan tempe.

So far, plan super long ride dah ada. Mudah-mudahan diberi nikmat kesihatan, kekuatan dan peluang untuk execute kan plan tu.




And this is how my wife thinks about me :P

Monday, July 2, 2012

The Two Sisters

Hold on. This post is going to be epic. It’s an epic since I covered almost the hold Sunday on it since the ride was on Saturday. And it took the whole day because most of it was running the duty of a principal monitoring younglings’ revision and eating. Hence, it would be advisable to spend time reading it while having a packet of kuaci or if you skip lunch or puasa sunat Senin-Khamis :]

Epic nya haiii…

This is the ride of 2012 (at the moment of entry). It was the one that I bit off more than I can chew. It is the one that I rarely can commit due to other priority commitments. And the one that I don’t easily commit for the risk that I barely can take.

With Ipoh Century Ride weeks away, a few of us are nearing the end of our training program. Which means, it’s taper time! Balik kampong. Makan. Rest the mind. Rest the body. It’s time for it to rebuild the system for the finale. I was so looking forward to it. No, not the finale but the taper instead. Hahaha. Al-maklum, full time weekend warrior & yes, I meant full time sebab no weekdays training agendas. Give me hill repeats, speed drills, night rides, saddling up on trainers. No thanks. I have to take a rain cheque.

When the miles are high for the ultimate week in the training regime, I don’t have many route options around. Unlike running, we can always run alone hitting the gritting plateau (secret training la kira). But, we can’t afford to cycle alone for 5 to 6 hours. Especially when love ones waiting for us at home. Especially when hitting cyclists with cars are like virtual games in Playstation (maybe this is one of the theory?!).

I had only 2 options. Saturday ride with BJCC doing the fabled Genting Sempah – Gap – Genting Sempah, covering 170km with 2 major climbs that can make you lose your minds and legs at the same time. Or, I can join another group to Morib and back. Getting another tan line after last week’s Kuala Selangor ride is just like killing the spirit. The sun ain’t getting any cooler nowadays. And dehydrating big time at this age isn’t wise. Hence, the grannies were signed.

Gorgeous terrain
I haven’t been around this part of cycling routes for this year. Travelling from Cheras takes 30km while burning fossil fuel just for a ride isn’t a good practice if I want to safe earth and at the same time stay healthy. But, today it’s optional. We met up with the rest of the close buddies at Petronas Taman Melati (nostalgic la pulak bila teringat Genting Trailblazer 2010). Eventually rendezvoused with BJCC at R&R Genting Sempah. The cool breeze from Genting Highland was just awesome. But, we haven’t much time to enjoy it.

A short brief by ride leader, Capt. Roy and headcount found 16 gave a shot at the crazy thing while 5-6 others will bail off at Bentong only. We rolled off from GS onto the old Gombak  Road all strung out tapping brakes now and then less any room for chit chats due to poor road condition (I thought election road supposed to be here as well?). All the way down to Bentong covering 30km in an hour which with my rusty mathematical mind, the attempt back up will double the time. Argh!

First regroup at Shell Bentong had almost everybody rushing for the loo. Chilling and shaky ride I guess. After farewell and exchanging lucks with the shorter route buddies, we headed on through the busy Bentong town in a pack until Jalan Teras, the juncture into the rurals. It was the start of engaging into climbing legs and where the road took a rolling and scenic way.

Out of town and into the wild
I guess the damped air and the foul odor of processed rubber from local plantations took the best out of us. As we attempted the demanding route, the demand for O2 increases, hence I find it unpleasant to be breathing the odor. But, we had no choice. We tried to stay together most of the time but the rolling hills kept on splitting us. As charted, the peak should be at Sang Lee (sounds more to me like Sara Lee the cake….yummy at one time, ages ago).  With fresh legs, reaching the first summit was almost unnoticed. We were rewarded with 40kph into TT mode to Tranum. Syiok oooo…

We didn’t stop long to regroup, since everyone was excited to go for the ‘kill’. And which also reminds me that this kill is only half of the ultimate one. The scenic fresh route was always a therapy for scenic lovers like me. Plus, the gradual 2-3% and at times 4% climb slowly combine into a massive 20km long strength/endurance chillax (depends on how you define your attack).

Of course all of us were lost into our own fantasies. The front group was probably fantasizing on Col du Tourmalet of Mont Ventoux famous climb. The second group (a mix of BJCC & us) was definitely fantasizing the meal up at the Gap for lunch! The last group, I’ve no idea but looking from the spinning ratio, dying was probably best defined.

We have done 64km in our legs and the 20km upwards was slowly feasting on the remaining juice. Halfway through, the body started to resist comfort. Legs getting heavier and even my shoulders getting stiffer and pain were definitely defining the whole situation. It seemed endless and a few others started counting the remaining miles (it may sound like the female voice from the mobile GPS at times). It was the greatest relief upon seeing the famous Fraser Hill (ala Hollywood) sign atop the hill. We really can’t take another bit of the climb if they decided to move the rest area 100 meters further.

Snaking into the highland
No more delicious chicken rice like last time, perhaps due to the lack of travelers stopping by since the one way up to Fraser’s Hill & the other way down have re-commissioned. Hence, we only had nasi lemak or burger. I had both!. The chill moments made me starve, and the remaining 84km back to GS with an empty stomach would call disaster. We chill for half an hour until the whole group arrived.

Like climbing Everest (chewah! Macam gempak aje bunyi), the ride back was the ultimate challenge. The monstrosity of the 30km climb back from Bentong to GS was too vague to imagine. It can come in many ways. It can be a ‘downhill’ ride, literally, or a crawl of life.

I took the safer way descending down to Tranum by coasting as much as possible. Safe the legs la konon. Hehe. Descending can be horrific for some, but as long as we pick the safest line, it should be the best way to enjoy the refreshing breeze smacking your face.

Alhamdullillah we regrouped safely down at Tranum and resume in a pack all the way towards Jalan Teras (the main road Bentong-Raub) once again. It was another wise attempt to stay together nailing the rolling Sang Lee stretch when the climate started to adds to the punishing miles. We took turn doing the pulling, and that 20km went by with a brief. Phew! That went well for a start, I meant back.

Profile
The ride into Bentong divided us into three groups due to traffic and road junctions. I was caught doing the pulling for almost 7km into town and opening up for a rest was not an option when vehicles buzzing by like bullets. Argh! The bee line strung out with almost about 10 riders behind. I knew I had to keep it going to avoid distracting the traffic and going slower will open up risks. I guess that attempt zapped up 20% of my remaining juice which was supposed to be utilized for the remaining climb.

Upon checking in at Shell Bentong, I can hardly stand. The mart’s floor was the most comfortable place to enjoy a can of Coke, plus the airconditioned room. The front group decided to cool down with the famous Kow Po ice kacang. The last group was nowhere to be seen. The five of us was what’s left to attempt the final push. Iqbal from BJCC was a new buddy in the group.

Exiting Bentong and back into old Gombak Road was mostly lead by Azmar. I was silently latching on to Jaja’s wheel at the back of five of us. The solidarity feeling was starting to go void, where it kept playing in my mind to just let go. This iron-butt can no longer stand another hour. Climbing all the way back provides no room for coasting, it’s either I stand climb or took a break by the road side.

My short goal was to get myself up to the Hot Spring. 10km mark. The longest I felt, ever. I soaked my head and dehydrate as much as possible. I knew the end will come soon, but in cycling, it’s all about hanging out a little bit longer.

The first group caught up with us. Then the third group, which seemed like a good chance to latch on and form a bigger climbing bunch. We managed to stay in a group of ten, but still I was playing roulette struggling to keep up.

The bitterest sight in a ride group was the sight of the last butt fading away into a corner. That happened at KM15 into the climb. I can’t hold on much longer and slowly resorted to obey my screaming heart rate. Azmar decided to let lose as well, from the trust in us, he volunteered to accompany me. I latched on to his wheel for another 5km until we arrived to a few of us whom decided to take a break at a school lay-by. It was a big relief.

Refreshing from the pain was the only accord that I can afford. Just like stopping at water stations in a marathon. It gave me a boost for the next round. I had to leave the group since it was now an individual/solo struggle. A few of them seemed so exhausted, which reminds me not to stay long to wait. Azmar was caught on a phone, but I just had to leave and trust that he will definitely catch up. It was me and me alone for the next endless 5km to Janda Baik junction. The bad road condition just adds up banging this tired mortal.

Azmar was complaining of starving. We opted for another quick stop to share my dates. I squeezed my last drop of water from the bottle and knew that the last push will be inenvitable. I just had to keep on spinning and avoiding the red zone. It was not because that I don’t want to go bonk in the middle of the remaining 6km climb, but the post ride condition was my priority. Injury and excessive fatigue was not in the menu. Slowly does it, Azmar was screaming as we approached the rest area, and I was holding my relieveness…big time! Alhamdullillah.

It was an epic journey, an epic distance. 168km in 6 hours plus of riding time. That should cover the two weeks rest/taper-balik kampong- bedal.com part. Cheers to all ride buddies. You guys were awesome suffer freaks.

One for the classroom photo



Monday, May 28, 2012

Kayuh Pot Diksen


Dengan semangat berkobar hasil dari excitement LeTua100 ride, kaum telah sebulat suara menyahut cabaran selanjutnya. Mula-mula ada yang lambung Broga! Memang yang dah mula meghoyan, akur aje. Tapi kami kena cater untuk kaum yang masih nak build milage. Oleh yang demikian, route yang sedikit kurang mencabar mental telah dipersetujui. Port Dickson that is. Rolling into the west coast, tanpa menyedari kepanasan yang bakal membakar jiwa.

As usual UNIKEB menjadi tempat permulaan. Dok collect kaum, ramai jugak yang join tolak tepi yang ponteng atas alasan kesihatan mahupun urusan atau isu ‘domestik’ (visa tak approve). Ngeh ngeh ngeh. Yang dok meghoyan nak last minute training untuk KL Marathon pun ada gak. Itu bahana cari penyakit nama dia. Aku pun tak faham. Tak serik-serik agaknya. Hmmm…dah tua-tua ni aku tak mampu nak cari penyakit memandangkan urusan keluarga yang lebih utama perlu difikirkan. Kot dah kengkang seminggu hasil penangan 42km, saper lah nak jadi super supir, saper lah nak layan dobi, saper lah nak terpekik-pekik kat budak-budak? Apatah lagi kalau kurang training?! Ishk! Stretch Jalan Ipoh mengimbau kembali. Sakiiiit…

Tanpa segan silu, kami memulakan kayuhan dengan control pace. Ada sorang newbie yang tanpa rasa penyesalan telah dijemput untuk meratap 120km untuk kali pertama. Kompom bentan macam orang bersalin anak sulong. Takpe, janji rock.

Memang selagi boleh, kami cuba maintain group tapi sekali sekala bersepah jugak hasil dari Rolling in the Deep & How Deep is Your Love dengan bukit bukau yang dihidang. Kena pulak Bukit Pelanduk yang dirasakan semakin subur kecuramannya.

Kadangkala kebijaksanaan dikaburi dek excitement kayuh. Begitulah tragedy yang menimpa newbie Nuhi pabila tayar pancit beberapa kilometer sebelum sampai Lukut. Oleh kerana group terpecah dua, rombongan Cik Kiah telah bergotong royong melakukan kerja-kerja menukar tiub yang terpaksa dipinjam di kalangan kaum sendiri. Moral nya, si Nuhi ni spare tube & pam pun tak bawak daaa…

Bukan aje berpeluh ketiak mereka yang membantu, kami yang menunggu di simpang Lukut pun berpeluh tengkuk. Nasib baik ada Caltex old skool untuk berteduh walaupun sekali sekala kami menerima jelingan sinis dari uncle touke. Garang pulak dia.

Maka berduyun-duyun lah kami memasuki pekan Port Dickson diiringi lagu Poei Pokan nyanyian beramai-ramai. Checked in dokek gerai dulu “Kapla Jingga” yang mungkin orang Penang migrate ke PD. Sumbat kerongkong dengan apa yang patut, walaupun plan asal hanya untuk quick pit stop tanpa santapan berat. Tapi tunggu punya pasal, perut jugak sudah berdendang.

Akibat dari nyanyian pic terlalu tinggi nafas semput, kayuhan keluar dari PD telah dibasahi hujan coastal. Amik ko! Tak pasal basah campur pasir masuk mulut. Alwin juga mengalami kepancitan tayar, tapi disebabkan skill me-repair was second to nature for him, kerja pembaikan dilakukan begitu pantas macam orang tebar roti canai aje.

Sebaik kami meninggalkan pekan Lukut, hujan coastal juga melambaikan senyuman dengan pesanan ‘padan muka korang lepas ni main panas panjat Bukit Pelanduk’. Memang benar & sebenar-benarnya cuaca tidak menyebelahi kami. Sekali lagi igauan Rolling in the Deep & How Deep is Your Love bertukar ke How Deep is Your Dig. Aku telah mengambil kesempatan dengan performance Ziff yang semakin menjadi-jadi apabila dia memulakan misi menarik di depan. Dengan Det yang mengekori (drafting) Ziff, aku telah disediakan dengan peluang mencangkuk peti ais 2 pintu berkembar lagi. Duduk diam di belakang memang terasa macam duduk depan freezer. Kagum dengan prestasi Ziff cecah 48km/j tuh!

Konsep ‘saper ajak dia babysit’ masa ni walaupun susah nak ditelan kenyataannya terpaksa jugak akur. Anuar dengan muka ibarat kena starlet terpaksa babysit Nuhi yang semakin mengalami sawan tak cukup milage.

Kami regroup di port biasa Shell Sungai Pelek & cuaca panas sudah mula bikin jiwa bergelora. Nuar checked-in sejurus kemudian tanpa Nuhi. Atas dasar sahabat Nuhi telah dengan rela mengizinkan Nuar mengejar impian lari dari momok hitam.

Kami bergegas meninggalkan Shell dan Nuhi, dengan persetujuan Nuhi akan tunggu di Shell untuk Nuar datang collect dengan kereta. Stretch LBJ macam biasa dibalun macam Pelesit Kota gigit handlebar tukau-tukau tarik cecah 40km/j. Ayob tercicir gerabak keretapi & terpaksa akur dengan kehebatan mentari, telah memilih untuk bertapa di Petronas pekan Sepang sementara Nuar pi balik amik kereta.

Dengan belen-belen kederat yang tinggal, kami kasi perabih kayuhan sampai simpang Bangi Lama di mana lamunan tengahari dilakukan beramai-ramai bawah gerai jeli kelapa. Sorang bedal 3 cawan, brader laki bini kaya RM30 dalam masa 15 minit. Lamunan Terhenti pabila kelihatan Nuhi melambai-lambai dari dalam lori 3 tan tersengih-sengih kegirangan.

Memang benar sangat keterikan matahari sejak dua menjak ni agak sedikit over. Hasil dari itu, badan setengah abad ini mengambil masa untuk recover. Begitu jugalah masa yang diambil untuk update blog.

Weekend yang berikutnya aku buat keputusan untuk chillax aje dengan family. Tambah pulak cuti sekolah, so kami perabih masa chillax di kawasan-kawasan berhampiran & di rumah. Sambil-sambil tu, since dua anak bujang aku dah aku sign kan untuk Putrajaya Junior Tri, aku pun sama-sama berdugong dengan depa dua hari berturut-turut. Sekarang kepak aku tengah sengal…

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

24 Hour Century Remedy

I'm still in zombie mode right now. Though a bit beaten and wasted with 1% frustration, I guess it all goes back to the basic things.

Just came back from Kuantan last night. It was a 24 hour saunter that gave the 'best' out of Kuantan cycle scenes. Coming back again? As of today, NO! Not to cycle but definitely for the food. As of tomorrow or in the near future (give me until the weekend), Yes, perhaps.

The idea of travelling late prior to a century ride has been proven to be fatal. Not that killing la but it really brought the most out of me. Dah lama tak buat crazy stuff until you want to puke. So, once in while I think it's good for the soul la kot.

When Alwin decided to do KCR at the last minute, he told a few of us that he'll be travelling late after a wedding dinner. I on the other hand, still open for any travelling options, decided to tag along. That allows me to settle lots of family affair i.e. chauffeuring, kids sitting, Amir's soccer training and yes, a last minute KCR packing.

After the Morib campaign, it took me almost a week to recover (aging issues). Then it was hometown trip, which left me with 2 weeks of no cycling. The desire to hop onto the trainer was null and void. Not until that Saturday morning, after sending the kids for their classes, the need to vaporise the lay back feeling stood before me. I gave it a shot to pump up the adrenaline. A 30 minutes solitude spinning was all I needed. Alhamdullillah, I was recharged and anxiety rolled in busy with packing and such.

We left KL at 1.30 a.m. Temerloh had a very bad rain, hence travelling speed reduced to caution for water holes on the highway. We reached Kuantan 3 hours later, managed to find MS Garden Hotel in a brief and crash for the night/morning. With 2 hours sleep, it was a big gamble but we were there at the start line mere seconds before the flag-off.

As usual, the tempo was high at the 5KM neutral zone around Kuantan town. As if HR had a jump start trying to catch up with the 35kph pace. Excited betul depa ni. As we left the town towards Jabor, the road was flooded with colourful jerseys of almost 800 cyclists. We paced ourselves in a group. I guess it was another mistake to pace too fast too early. How can we deter ourselves from making a leisure pace when the road was flat and beautiful? We took turn pacing each other between 35-40kph and it was as if we were in wonderland.

The organiser decided to give us the climb at KM30-ish. Earlier understanding, the inclines were nothing more than a short stretch of 10km gradual. Yes they did tell the truth. It was a fast short steep winding climb which most of us didn't really notice the KOM was done if not for the signs. However, the untold truth was after that. There were rolls after rolls of hills. It's not a mountain, but when there were endless of ups and downs for almost 60km, you can start to feel the boredom & tense. This was when I got dropped off, when the legs start to give up on you and power weakens. I had to let go.

Then we entered Jalan Gambang heading towards Kuantan again. A lonely ride along the main trunk road. Hot, fumed and dirt fills the air. I felt tarnished. I need a boost in sugar count. The iconic yellow Shell high mass marked 101st KM gave me hope. Arriving by the station's front door, I dismounted and that was the first attack. I was desperately cringing from both quads and calves cramping. It was horrible. The agony became worse when my right pectorals cramped as well. The pains lasted awhile, until the very last drop of Coke. Dicky decided to join me upon seeing me waving the Coke bottle from afar.

Solitary cyclists strung out under the blazing sun. Expressionless. 59km left and we still have no clue of what awaits. The torment won't last that easy. This is the start of a bigger one.

The next 20km was pure mind game. Flat, straight, exposed and windy. A great combination for disaster for the impatience. You engaged a TT mode gearing, and the next 5 minutes cramp will happily attack. You spin, you'll feel it's going nowhere. A few more manageable attacks occurred but there was nothing I could do. Not a single tree for shade. And the sight ahead was heartbreaking. I was trying my best to pace Dicky but he decided to give way after awhile.

Somebody yelled out my name as we passed a stall. It was pure remedy when a silhouette of buddies under the bright mid-day welcoming a pit stop. Azahari, Saiful, Lias and Pi'e were about to leave. Seemed the gap between us was too large. Alwin had a slight dizzy while Doc Taufik was down with stomach issues. They stayed behind for us. Dicky, Aki CAR and me took the break as a reviving attempt.

A 20km on normal ride should've lasted about an hour but this was melting. I didn't bother to time it but the next turning into a kampung road does not have the slightest different. It was still hot, windy, flat and straight. But this time we were blessed with trees. Big PHEW! Every single tree we passed whispered a welcoming note to enjoy the cooling shades it provides. I think it was the 20th tree when Alwin and me accorded to the invite. We kept on wondering where is the most talked about horrific Pantai Sepat beach road. For not wanting to invite laziness, we kept the break at a brief and decided to mount and cycle on. Moments later, after surviving lots of wind attacks, the open skyline gave a change of perspective.

Pantai Sepat, a pictorial stretch of beach harboring rows of pine trees and green grass. A perfect getaway for the locals. Though it seemed that the beach can't cater swimmers, the breathtaking view was simply calming. On the other side of the long beach, one can see the Kuantan Rivermouth.

Lovely
It was now or never. Yes, we decided to make another stop, like 'right now' and can't never do it again. And yes, considering 'right now' the whole lot 25km to go in an hour before the cut-off time is never  possible. We joined another cyclist who was enjoying his moment under a tree chatting to a fellow marshal. Now the century ride evolved into a cam whoring agenda. We can't resist the laid back background, hence the camera started clicking. Snap! Snap! Snap! Habis semua gambar brader bawah pokok, brader marshal pun jadi modal.
The kampung road turning into Pantai Sepat

Brader marshal ni layan mountainbike


The wind tunnel

Brader marshal told us the cut-off time is 7hrs30min, in which no medal will be served beyond that. I was a bit struck and disappointed upon hearing that but that's the reality. Just my 2 cents, they should give the medal for completion and a bonus for completing within time. Like Powerman. Because a century distance is never easy. Making an effort to even finish one is already an achievement. Lagi pun, what happen to the unclaim medals? Recycle guna next year? OK. Just my thoughts.

We 'strolled' on continuing our objectives to concur the distance. It was tough. This is one the toughest rides. Someday I will list down a few other rides for memorabilia. We stopped at the last water station but we skipped the free mineral water and bananas. Can't take in any of those anymore. We spent on a glass of coconut drinks instead. Better still, we crashed our sore butts on a beach bench staring against the open sea.  Just making the best out of the agony I guess. It was 10 minutes before we noticed the volunteers started clearing up the water station, hence we had to move on.

Simply an escape

Dah kena sawan angin lintang

The cyclometer showed a glaring 13km to go and we can still find isolated cyclists here and there paving along with what's left within. We bowed to the wind and the sun. We bowed to the distance. The final attack  on the left calf happened when I was climbing the Sungai Kuantan bridge. I had to bear the excruciating pain. If I stopped, I won't have the strength to unclip and crashing on the narrow road shoulder was not smart. I can't even stretch due to the incline where pedaling is the only way to be mobile. It took 5 painful pedal stroke to beat the cramp and reach the top of the bridge.

3KM more to go to the finish line, but Alwin and me decided to go back straight to the hotel. Without much time, we had to skip rest or a short nap since check out time was nearing. Further more, we need solid meals pronto. The following agenda at Lala Ikan Bakar, Tanjung Lumpur was feasting until you bonk. RM350 for the 9 of us with 3 big kahunas, lala, tom yam, fried squid and jus gelas besar for everyone, I think it was frenzy. See you again KCR160.

Champion makan kena maintain

Monday, July 18, 2011

Ipoh Century Ride 2011

Ipoh...terbaek
Tu dia aih! Satu abad punya kayuhan. Ni kira macam buat marathon la tapi nothing close to the impact & sufferfest of that gruesome 42.195km. Marathon lagi *nanges*. Hehe. In terms of saddle time lebih kurang sama (4-6 hours), calories burnt avg 5000 (lebih banyak) tapi marathon lagi truk.

Roadtrip dengan kawan-kawan ke Ipoh, excited la jugak sebab dah lama tak berkonvoi & merapu dengan geng basikal ni. Dulu-dulu rajin, sekarang dah kena adjust sikit mana-mana yang patut. Carpool dengan kereta Azmar & Zakuan. Senang, semua campak atas roof & hit the road by 12.00 p.m. Tapi pagi tu tak terlepas dari tugasan domestik i.e. anto Kak Long attend klinik UPSR & lepas tu attend mesyuarat AJK Sukaneka Umar. Semangat betul parents ni berhujah bagai, dalam meeting tu. Aku pulak...semangat bedal pulut panggang atas meja. Keh keh  keh.

Cuaca sepanjang jalan sangat terbaek. Sampai Ipoh pun masih terbaek cuma Ipoh masih tetap panas perit seperti biasa...maybe faktor geologi nih (macam bagus jer). Collect goodies & check in hotel room. Tower Regency Ipoh. Terbaek hotel ni. Baru agaknya. Studio Apartment RM160 memang boleh kenduri satu family. Dua family pun boleh kot. Macam biasa, sekita goodies collection banyak ler booth buat jualan. Bahaya. Duit plastik gari siap-siap tuh.

Tower Regency Ipoh. Gayat beb...
Ada la dekat 1000 participants kali ni. Depa berjaya attract Singaporeans yang mai 2 bas, Thais 2 van & dengar citer ada jugak cyclists from Philiphine! Dahsyat! Hotel memang macam cycle fest dah.

Minum petang depa ajak pi Nasi Wanggey. Bahaya lagi. Masing-masing muka kelat je nak order nasi berempah kas-kas itu. Sat lagi esok kayuh ke tandas je ler. Play safe mode, order roti naan je & maggi goreng. Hehe. Malam setting bike, attached race number, timing chip, lubing, pam tayar & buh ayaq siap-siap dalam botol. Lepas dinner kat Dataran Ipoh aku dok layan mata tengok TV sampai kul 12 sebab mata takmo lelap. Azmar & Ibrahim dah kejung awal.

7.00 a.m. the next morning kami cycle je ke starting line Dataran Ipoh sebab dekat sangat. Tapi tak sempat nak feel suspense sebab 2-3 minit aje terus berlepas. Berdosup-dosup semua. Haih! Apa ni? Since kami takde plan nak kayuh sama or form any kind of peloton, aku decided to stick to my plan...easy ride, stress free & enjoy the race. Simpan kaki sikit & takut recovery lambat. Maklum la faktor usia (konon). Aku tak cangkuk mana-mana bunch, just kayuh dengan Hailmi CAR cangkuk belakang. Ramai betul photographer tepi jalan & dalam kereta yang amik gambau. Dah teraso macam dalam Tour de France beb... terpaksa buat muka macam Philip Gilbert (perasan).

Ipoh punya jalan ni memang terbaek sangat untuk event cycling. Mostly flat, lapang lebar & straight as an arrow. Sedap aje cruising pagi-pagi ni. Sekali sekala jeling meter 35-36kph senyum je. Maklum la kaki masih fresh & cuaca sejuk tanpa angin taufan. Siap ler kejap lagi...keh keh keh.

Aku main layan je follow cyclists tanpa tau kat ceruk mana aku berada. Ada la nampak Kelly's Castle, bukit bukau, ex-mining pools, hutan, signboard Parit dan macam-macam lagi. Aku melompat dari satu small peloton ke satu yang lain. Ada masa jugak yang aku buat kerja amal tarik peloton tanpa aku sedar. Bila jeling ke belakang ramai pulak yang dok diam mencangkuk. Hahaha.

Lepas Universiti Petronas, first WS. Top up air mana yang patut. Strategi untuk hydrate every 10 minutes & GU gels every 45 minutes. Strategi hanya semata-mata untuk elak *nanges* atas bike.

Dah puas jalan lebor besor, kami masuk jalan kampung pulak. Banyak betul kampung area Parit ni. Seronok aku tengok. Masa raya mesti meriah. Bila lagi aku nak sampai sini kalau bukan sebab kayuh basikal kan? Ada part lalu sepanjang Sungai Perak. Memang lawo beb. Antara kampung yang familiar aku pernah dengor is Kampung Chopin Kanan. Hehe. Sempoi je nama. Orang kata ni la Copenhagen kalau nama omputih. Kat sini baru lah aku terjumpa geng. KM100. Fuh! Lega beb. Hampir tahap bosan kuaci jugak la kayuh tanpa kenalan. Sebelum tu ada jugak aku dok dalam peloton team F2P Singapore. Lega banyak beb. Terasa macam drive kat highway, pastu singgah masuk R&R. Rilex banyak banding dengan kayuh sorang.

Lias, Pi'e & member depa Rahim. Rahim dah terkena sawan cramp punggung & kaki. Muka dah kelat je. Powergel dah 2-3 kampit bedal kata depa. Aku macam biasa, jadi tabib bidan terjun lalu menghulurkan ORS tablet Nathan (ubat mujarab). Aku decided untuk teman otai-otai ni sambil menikmati pemandangan kampung yang segar bugar. Beberapa km di depan, kami suggested Rahim naik support car terus. Takde makna kalau nak carry on sebab distance masih jauh.

Sumbat rider & bike dalam kereta, kami bertiga sambung semula kayuh. Sebaik meninggalkan pekan Parit, perjalanan kami penuh dengan cabaran sinaran mentari terik & angin. Stretch ni 30km dari Parit ke Kampung Tekkah lalu Jalan Gopeng. Tu dia aih! Straight & exposed. Tukau-tukau buat keje kat depan. Speed macam yo-yo turun naik berubah bila ada incline & ada angin. Kuat betul angin. Lutut pun dah sikit-sikit masuk angin. Ada satu part, Pi'e pun dah macam yo-yo. Kejap rapat ikut & banyak tinggal jauh kat belakang. Aku suggest kat Lias untuk pit-stop. Sekilas nampak makcik tengah goreng pisang tengahari buta ni memang blessing betul. Terus corner & buat macam rumah sendiri. Eh?! Ramai pulak cyclist yang singgah follow jejak kami. Hahaha. Ada dekat 20 orang kat gerai makcik tu. Huru hara kejap la makcik gerai alih-alih kena serbu.

Hari ni makcik boleh close shop awal
Tembikai, air cincau & in fact ais yang makcik tu guna untuk sejukkan tembikai pun kena sakau. 5 minit je kami start kayuh semula, sebelum makcik tu hidang nasi berlauk. Maka bermula kembali pertarungan menentang angin. Bergoncang basikal kena sapu dek angin masa kat Batu Gajah/Jalan Gopeng. Speed maintain 32 je, sekali-sekala toleh belakang check otai-otai ni. Depa maintain. KM130 Pi'e dah slow sangat. Cramp peha kanan. ORS Nathan buh dalam mulut. Dia kagum dengan keberkesanannya. Kat Kg Tekkah kami dimandikan oleh abang Bomba. Nikmat beb.

The rest of the distance kami kayuh balik masuk town Ipoh lebih kurang 20km lagi. Traffik dah mula meriah & panas town Ipoh pun dah mula menyengat. Alhamdullillah kami bertiga selamat sampai & Lias & Pi'e tak habis-habis ucap terima kasih. Padahal aku pun bersyukur jumpa depa. Hehe. Timing chip time 6 jam 8 minit! Mak aiiii....hampir satu abad kayuh. Hahaha. Saddle time 5 jam 33 minit. Yang penting selamat, sebab ada jugak aku dengar 2-3 cyclists yang crash. Ngeri...

Nak buat lagi tahun depan? Perhaps. Maybe boleh try untuk improve timing sikit.

Bertambah koleksi besi keping
Satu gambar unit beruniform

Satu gambor kelas Tahun 1 Cerdik
Azmar, Ibrahim and me. Semua kayuh tak jumpa...
With RM100, this could be better kot
Kalau pro, ada orang pasangkan race number beb
Post race meal. Nasik Vanggey tutup awal pulak. Ni char kuew teow Taman Razaki