My Heart Beats Like A Drum

Pang! Pang-kopang! Kopang! Kopang! Kopang! Kopang! Gibink! Gibink! Gibink!

Haaa...tu la dia bunyi nya gitu kalau tengah attempt panjat Goh Tong. Jantung ber-kompang macam bunyi kenduri kahwin di sepanjang 10km climb tanpa recovery. Kalau nak bunyi extra bass from Bose speakers, boleh cuba teruskan sampai ke Resort World, tapi menu kami hanya setakat Nasi Kandar Genting buat masa ni.

My heart skips a beat when reviewing the graph

I didn't manage to squeeze any spin session prior to this attempt except from the Bukit Hantu ride last Sunday. All I did was managing my kids and house chores while wifey's away. Redha aje ler for whatever future undertakings. Keh keh keh.

Despite the redha-ness, I was still nervous for two days prior, thinking about those killer climbs at Ulu Yam, and the told Goh Tong majestic inclines, merciless. However, one still needs to prepare for the worse. I was down with check and double check thingy days before the ride. Especially the bike, the components especially the brakes! And my attire and most of all my food. You don't want to get stuck in the middle of the climb from your stupidest act for leaving your Triple Treat back in your car when your stomach grumbling for food. Tidur dalam parit tepi jalan ler jawapnya.

I frequent the Ulu Yam route to Kuala Kubu Bharu years before, and it inspired me to cycle it. And I can't imagine cranking up those long inclines when even my car had to engage third gear halfway into it. But the route up Goh Tong, be it from Genting Sempah or from Batang Kali was never an option. Not until we establised these bunch of lunatics with skewed minds but ethical buddies. From the trust we built, it was actually the  main motivation and the faith for attempts like this.

Cycling from Gombak to Sungai Tua in the middle of Sunday pasar pagi traffic require pack riding in order for us to be visible. The first challenge passed without a glitch. Alhamdullillah.

Though the chosen loop is pretty much less than 100km, the strength equivalent and saddle time was justified. Sungai Tua inclines besides Batu Dam lake were for warm ups. With fresh legs, we kawtim-ed with a fast descending to Ulu Yam Baru. 67km/hr and the adrenaline rush almost felt myself like a pro. Kah kah kah! Perasan.

Next ride we go to Ipoh

Luckily la Ulu Yam Baru got 7E, else we'll be fuelling with roast ducks and coffee instead. It's a chinese settlement, hence the genuine kopitiam can be found at every corner of the street. Too bad the regular local coffee lovers was a bit stunned with some Mamils rode into town. But the worse part was the superbikes who rode in like they own the road, creating busting ear drums exhaust noise. So unrespectful. Shame on you bigbikers with small brains.

At 1km further from Ulu Yam Baru, the junction to Goh Tong awaits. The sign says 30km to Genting Highland. That should be about 20km to Goh Tong with a bit of rolling first half and The Wrath of the Titans on the second. So much of a pleasure, we were welcomed with supersteep inclines before we managed any breather.

Actually those were not rollings, but gradual climbs yet still require pedalling in order to move. No chance for coasting at all. When the corners approach, the climb starts. From corners upon corners, you don't have to expect any stretch for recovery, cause there ain't. It lasted for hours and the climbs ain't getting tame. We were strung out throughout but still visible between us. At least that kept the motivation going, by seeing your uphill cranking buddies' butts. Sun was playing it's part burning the skin but we felt stealth from the burning spirit of concurring the climb. We welcomed every gradient changed with shouts, either from scare or just plain crazy. But still cadence hovered around 40 rpm. Aiyak! Tried to accompany Kak Pah but she was doing at 4km/hr, at that would just placed her in the Champion for Basikal Lambat category. Sekali dia stop kayuh, kompom handle aku terlipat & terus aku baring atas rumput tepi jalan. Too risky. I had to crank it up to between 10-12 km/hr gripping handlebar and glutes wrenching.

There was not a slightest look of regrets and despair from all of us, but the sharp determination and reserved heart rate counts were the game strategies. We stayed cool and composed for not wanting to jump into attacking mode (cause that would be the second stupid act of the day). Going into red zone will be penalised  and the road side drains awaits for the defeated. Trust me, that is the most cooling spot in the entire climb, but that would the most last place you want to be if time is not your option.

To exaggerate more about the 10km climb will be too boring since it was just plain monotonous. Except when one kapchai rider decided to faceplant himself on the road shoulder while descending back to Batang Kali right in front of us. It was ugly but was still an art of flying. No worries, he was back on his feet moments later with dirt on his left cheek. Then there was this group of mountain dogs (term applies since it was high up at 500 meters elevation), waited for us to pass through with some welcoming barkings but we barked back and they accepted the fact that we were in no mood for play catch.

Dig! Dig! Dig!

It was moments later when Azmar and Pedo turned back, which brought together the message the end is nearing. The rows of pines by the road and the refreshing breeze blew us into daydreams for a moment, as smiles quirks from every the tight faces. We passed by the security post and the Genting Skyway was visible straight on! It was a 4 hour ride from Gombak and lunch awaits. We digged!

Satisfaction guaranteed

However, the story didn't end abruptly. The descending to Genting Sempah was another nut cracking part. It was cold and fast. From the burning calves and thighs, now we have burning arms and fingers. From just squeezing the brake hoods, it doesn't do justice, since we were topping at 76 km/hr. Argh! Too scary. We had to tap and release from the drop bar position for more leverage and avoid heated braking surface. Science class says:  Hot brake surface heats up the air inside the tyre = hot air expands = tyre expands = tyre burst = bivouac-ing by the cliffs. I was more relieved to reach the bottom compared to reaching up Gohtong. Phew!

We were cruising down 16km Genting Sempah smiling from the feat, but not too late for a last kopek adrenaline punch with a 40 km/hr flat cranking back to Gombak with these guys. Do I want to attempt this again, perhaps but not in weekends when those superbikes are around. Susah nak dapat inner peace:]

Choose your path

KOM 2011 - Edisi Kelendan

Apakah yang patut dilakukan oleh seorang lelaki berumur 40 tahun, sudah berkahwin & bercahaya mata-mata & tidak mempunyai bibik, full time pengusaha dobi, tidak cukup training dan cuba nak masuk event macam dia masih berumur 5 tahun lebih muda?

Aku rasa aku telah buat sesuatu yang agak waras atau bijak. Yep, untuk KOM semalam aku amik diskaun ala2 Mydin warehouse. Instead of kayuh all the way up, and ride all the way down, aku telah menawarkan diri untuk menjadi pemandu bertauliah. Keh keh keh.

Part time kelendan :]

Kisahnya bermula begini (konon...karangan alasan ler ni). Al-maklum sesi letihan kayuh yang tak berapa nak menggalakkan kestabilan stamina, maka pelbagai akal telah nak mengelat direka untuk menawarkan perkhidmatan menerusi skill jurujual aku yang dah sememangnya tak berapa bagus.

Dua kereta akan berkonvoi (ikut plan asal) tapi group kami terlewat sikit sebab trafik Sabtu di Lembah Klang tidak mengizinkan. Maka, Bahri, Sepol & Zakuan sampai lebih awal ke homestay di Seri Margosa. Kami berempat pulak (Azmar, Akmal, Jamil & aku) sampai hampir time Maghrib diiringi hujan lebat start dari Tanjung Malim. Banyak ler kelihatan kemalangan untuk mereka yang malang di sepanjang perjalanan.

Port popiah ni memang kena masuk dalam menu Ipoh

Jamuan makan malam sememangnya salah satu intenari yang wajib. Aku panggil jamuan sebab makan tak hengat, mengalahkan orang nak buat Ironman Kona! Begitulah sebenornya matlamat roadtrip group kami kalau outing sekali sekala. Besorkan perut makan dari berlumba. Dengan bimbingan orang tempatan, Shaik Jamil, introduce  Medan Selera Taman Permainan Kanak-kanak kat Ipoh. Terbaek. 

First serving was popia S.S. Ali. Terbaek. Siap aku jangkau garpu ke pinggan hidang group sebelah bila pinggan group aku dah kosong. Keh keh keh. Pastu order sempoi je, nasi goreng paprik & telur dadar. Tapi sekali satu pinggan satay sampai dulu daaa....! Saper pulak yang order ni weiii?! Rezki jangan dibiarkan tak berusik, maka bermula lah perlumbaan. Eventually main course pun sampai & kami mengkhatamkan sesi malam tu. Tapi ada jugak yang jeles tengok air jagung meja customer sebelah, so kena lah tunggu kaum kita ni menikmati air jagung dulu, sat nanti kempunan pulak.

Hujan masih lagi drizzling tapi itu tak memadamkan semangat kami untuk jalan-jalan di bazar larut malam berdekatan. Dituruti on the way back ke homestay, shopping macam biasa di kedai serbaneka 7E yang memang menjadi teman di setiap kali event di mana jua. Aku rasa 7E kena jadi rakan penaja event la lepas ni. Pernah sekali dulu, 7E kat Kuala Kangsar habis stok air mineral & segala jenis roti sebab cyclist borong tak hengat untuk Kayuhan Jati Diri Kuala Kangsar.

Malam tidur dah serupa kepompong, bergulung dalam sleeping bag. Cuaca sejuk basah kat luar ditambah lagi dengan aircon. Seawal 5.00 pagi almost semua dah bangun amik nombor giliran untuk perkhidmatan pelaburan Amanah Saham Wawasan. Berbagai-bagai taktik digunakan, bagi memastikan pelaburan tertunda tidak berlaku. Masa melahap malam semalam tak hengat pulak ye? Ada yang repeat 2 kali! Ada yang bancuh nescafe dulu baru dapat panggilan. Ada pulak yang kena keluar rumah dulu hirup udara nyaman pagi. Haish! 

Kami sampai di venue serupa macam peserta-peserta lain tapi lagak cool kami membuatkan beberapa AJK penganjur tak senang hati. Emcee siap jerit banyak kali suruh kami cepat sikit & check-in tapi kami masih berlengah. Sehinggalah uncle emcee tu sedar yang kami hanyalah sekadar Ghost Rider (kerabat diraja lanun).

Splinters Geng Lanun Blue Valley (pic from Shirat Azree)

Biorkan semua berangkat dulu, kami pun slow-slow follow belakang, jauh jer. Hehehe. Bahri decided to drive kereta dia & plan nak bergilir dengan Sepol later on. Kereta Azmar takde saper nak drive sebab 3 orang sahabat aku ni memang bukan kaki mengelat macam aku. Akmal & Jamil first time buat KOM, so memang kami galakkan dia complete. Azmar dah tentu lah nak revenge setelah malang "berbau" yang menimpanya pada KOM tahun lepas. So, aku terpaksa lah turut serta kayuh. Kalau kena kayuh sampai habis & turun semula pun aku redha. Janji aku tak terjebak dengan situasi menekan pedal & menaikkan heart rate.

Macam biasa, bila ada event dapat lah kami berjumpa dengan handai taulan especially yang kejauhan. Penang, Kedah, Perak mostly, ye lah sebab event pun belah utara. Posing bergambor sakan bila ada camera di tala kan ke arah kami. Macam biasa kami kayuh segerombolan, ikut plan asal. Setakat mana yang mampu. Takde saper nak breakaway buat lagak poyo. Pernafasan yours truly ni pun agak berat je untuk setengah jam yang pertama. Beberapa bukit pecah peluh yang pertama tu aku kerabat sesedap rasa.

First 20km climb matahari masih ada mercy

Hampir KM20, nampak Bahri dah dok tepi jalan, siap untuk berkayuh. Tanpa rasa guilty aku offer diri untuk take over drive kereta dia. Terbaek! Maka bermula lah pengalaman pertama aku drive support car sepanjang hayat aku tercebur dengan sukan basikal ni. Bukan main seronok lagi dok belakang stereng sambil menikmati angin sejuk yang memenuhi ruang kabin Nissan X-Trail Bahri ni. Masih kelihatan ramai cyclist yang kental semangatnya.

KM25 aku stop tepi jalan plan untuk tangkap gambor kawan-kawan. Smabil aku bersembang dengan sorang driver support car Team Haluan Kiri BJCC. Kaum berlalu & dah mula terpecah. Alwin, Zakuan & Akmal nampak lebih gagah. Bahri belakang sikit. Jamil follow. Suddenly Sepol decided to join naik kereta. Maka kami berdua lah yang meneruskan perjalanan sehingga ke atas dengan pacuan empat roda. Dah lagi 5km tu memang dah tak nampak lah senyuman-senyuman di muka rider-rider. Buat lawak pun silap-silap kena baling dengan botol.

Posing Kumpulan Ekamatra kena ada beb :]

Since dah hujan seharian & semalaman, hari ni memang langit cerah & matahari boleh tahan menusuk. Memang patut ler masing-masing muka liat bila dah nak habis. Tanpa berlengah, kami mulakan kayuhan turun kecuali Bahri, Zakuan & Sepol. Part turun memang antara yang paling tough untuk aku. Last year telah terbukti. Udara sejuk, angin lintang & speed yang laju. Pakej percutian tanah tinggi yang lengkap.

Hampir 55km downhill memang boleh memualkan. Tambah sikit lagi dengan rolling hills towards the end. Just nice untuk memedihkan quads & melenguhkan core yang dah memang tak kuat ni. Aku gagahkan jugak sampai ke habis...semata-mata untuk meraikan kayuhan ni dengan santapan di Nasi Vanggey Jalan Yang Kalsom.

Real Reward :]

Ain't no mountain high enough - K.O.M. Ipoh 2010

We have the mountains all around us. 9KM Genting Peres, 16KM Genting Sempah, 35KM Fraser's Hill, 40KM climb from Bentong back to Genting Sempah, but 54KM from Simpang Pulai up to Blue Valley, Cameron Highland lured me for mega endorphines (Genting Highland is considered other types of craziness - I only attempted up to Goh Tong before I went nuts).

The first news I got about KOM Ipoh, I straight away abandoned the lingering initial plan to attempt Nike City Run and 10.10.10 Hoo! Haa! Too many running races, rare cycling events lately. I had to try this one, plus the usual cycling peeps had already started chit chatting about it. Besides, it's history in the making. The day I scaled Cameron Highland on two wheels should be cool enough to share with my grandchildrens... echeh! OK la, it's actually the third time riding in Cameron. The first one was drive up from Tapah for a mountainbike ride through Jim Thompson's legendary trail.

Laif, Azmar, Jaja and me carpooled into Laif's pickup truck as early as 4.00 a.m. that Sunday morning. Since we have other priorities at bay, the idea of heading to Ipoh a day earlier was scraped. Besides, it was quite a descend distance to make it as a daytrip event and still not sacrifice Saturday. Met up with Alwin, Jejai, Komeng and buddy from Bukit Jelutong cycling peeps at R&R Rawang an hour later before stopping at Tapah for morning chores.

We arrived half an hour before flag-off but however it seemed that we were the last one to arrive. Mr. Emcee started announncing for the time and every shouts from him didn't quite help us with the preparation. Aiyah! Huru hara dibuatnya! Five minutes to 7.30 a.m. we squeezed ourselves behind the line and there was no time for doublechecking and what not. Laif, Azmar and me decided to let the peloton rolled by which left us the way to the Balai Bomba toilet. Phew! The pre-race fluid jitters were discharged with super relief.

Then it was time to play chase and catch. I believed they had advanced for 2km ahead of us by the time I started my stopwatch from the toilet door. We caught up with the peeps right before the starting of the super duper climb. They were cruising their legs wishing they will survive the endurance big momma gonna give.

Weather was generously perfect. Magnificent. Kind. All you can wish for a great ride and REACH FOR THE SKY! Not a single peek from the sun and that was minus one big tormenting factor. I was spinning at my own pace, didn't bother to stay behind with a few others, while some have already chasing their dreams to make a PB. Det decided to tag along awhile before reaching the 25th KM water station when I realised I was riding alone among strangers. We exchanged smiles and Hi! along the way.

Into the first half of Big Momma (Photo from James Phang)

Legs were pretty much happy with the cadence and pace. Tummy felt hungry pulak somewhere at KM30. Though I had fried rice back in Tapah R&R, perhaps the cold weather and burning engine really takes up most of the calories, fast - patut la susah nak gemuk! I took in a protein bar while slowing down my pace for recovery. Once in a while, the view of the majestic climb had me gulping. It was a magnificent view. Too bad I didn't take the chance to stop and take pictures since I only wanted to focus on the ride. I had major nose issues by the way that I need to satisfy. It was a left and right blow-ride all the way. Of course when no ones around la, else somebody's getting extra GU gels on their bikes. Lol!

Intermitently I was toggling with the Cateye meter between stopwatch, cadence and distance. Speed varied between 11kph at steeper sections while cranking up to 21kph at most of the gradual ones. Although I was tempted at times to rig in the big crank, I had to accord to the distance. Strength wont get me up there in time. Spin will. Maintain cadence at 80 above.

There was an accident involving a car somewhere in between. It just happened moments before I arrived at that particular corner. Broken glasses and car parts strewn all over the road. Lucky no cyclist was hurt la. Or else it would be a tragedy.

Upon reaching 40KM mark, the butt started giving in. Numbness have amplified to SUPER-NUMB. Linkin Park would've loved the idea for their second Numb album I guess. There was no recovery place for us to simply stop spinning and coast the bike, let alone stretch the legs. I had to squeeze in a few glute/butt stretch while pedal-standing. Temperature starts to drop, chill wind didn't quite help with the nose job. Bacin and Alwin caught up with me somewhere at KM42. Bacin flew away to the front dissappearing into the corners while Alwin decided to take it easy with his knees. The moment was too short before I started to ride alone again.

Geng Langat with "Jangan Kasi Pecch-ah" tagline.
L-R: Zakuan, Abang Halim, Bacin, Saiful, Deti & Azahari
(Photo by Shirat Azree)

KM50! There you go! 4KM to go and the distance marker started to appear on the roadside. It was rolling a bit, up and down. And weather turns cold drastically. I was in joy mood by now but it was pretty much a premature celebration. It was minutes away before 3 hour. The cut-off time is 5 hours. The last 2KM climb actually almost split me. By then the distance marker they painted on the roadside in yellow paint were placed at every 250 meters. The countdown in decimal points drove me crazy! Gilos! It went from 53.000, 53.250, 53.500, 53.750...54.000! Pergh! Almost die cranking up those last bit and chasing the sub-3 hour target - the target was only decided at the last few kilometers. Adhoc goal. Hehe. Too bad no more legs la and I had to compel to the 1 minute 37 seconds extra.

Anyway, I had a 45 minutes waiting for the rest of the peeps to concur their dream and the chilling temperature starts biting in. My initial plan was to take the ride in Laif's car back down - thanks to Azwan for driving it up as support crew. I had to give my seat to Zakuan who was in sorry state to ride back down. He had fever and leg issues. Only a few of us rode down through that wicked temperature. We zoomed like mad, only to slow down once in a while at sharp bends and when cross winds almost blew us aside. It was an hour of crazy stuff actually. We go slow, we suffer more to the cold. We go fast, risk of side winds and numb fingers bites in. It was no more cool breeze blowing in the face. All nose fluid like waterfall by now. I just stayed focus and arrived back at the Balai Bomba an hour 40 minutes later with whats remaining inside. Now I was starving like mad cow already. The plan to indulge Nasik Wanggey was ditched when I saw ikan keli sambal at the nearby stall. Coke and ikan keli sambal was the perfect marriage. Ammah!

Smiling in between stuffy nose, shivers and relief
(Photo by Shirat Azree)