Just realised that the KCR has done me a lot of good then just riding.
Having feel good for the entire 160km.
A greater than 125km distance which I have not done since IMWA, it is absolutely a thrill to feel this good after a century mile!
Not only that, I gave me confidence that I can tackle hills and still feel good after the entire distance.
What does that means?
It gave me the confidence to do more century rides.
It gave me the confidence to pursue my Dream again. :)
Still undecided on the venue, but I have a rough idea what I wanna do now. :)
Saturday, June 29, 2013
24th June 2013 Running
With the current haze situation, it is a good excuse for me to stop exercising.
Couch potato mentality.
But given that I had 2 hours to spare while waiting to pick up items from Sam, I decided to put it to good use.
Went to East Coast for a run. Turn around at the Cable Ski Park.
Had no idea what will be the distance, so just run. :p
The initial start was horrible, as you can taste the woody smell in the air.
You try to keep your HR low, but you know it is impossible.
You try not to breate through your mouth, but you know it is impossible.
After a while, you realise that it is all in the mind.
Imagine I am running pass the lava fields, running pass a construction site, problem solved.
But you can really feel your sweat being coated with another layer of fine dust.
Running east, the haze looks a lot better.
When I made the U-turn at the Cable Ski Park, I cannot made out the CBD buildings. Gosh, the haze is really bad in the west.
Completed my run, washed up and proceed to Sam's place to collect the goods. ;)
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Tri Factor Bike 2013
Put the alarm clock on 15 minutes Snooze and ended up sleeping an extra hour!!!
Reached Changi Coastal at 6:50am. Car Park 6 and 7 were already full. =(
Park at Car Park 5 and cycled to the Race Site.
Going into the Race Pen at 0720, we were then informed that the 80km Invitational Cyclists will be flagged off at 0730! All 60km cyclists will be flagged off at 0745.
I am pretty disappointed with the race organisation this year.
After organising the race for 3 years, they forgotten to add the race timing in the race booklet!
And when we checked online, they mentioned that all 60km will flagged off together at 0730.
So imagine some cyclists frustration when the group got flagged off, the organisers are getting the 6xx riders to stay back.
I started to pick up the pace right after the Start looking for a group/person to draft.
Decided to sprint off myself and got a train behind me for the next 2km. =D
Started to fade right after the U-turn and noticed the wind picked up significantly.
Judging by the wind, it looked like cross wind, but the pace is still bearable.
At the 10km mark was when it started to hurt....
I could barely maintain 20kmh...
Tried to draft anyone and everyone, but it does not work.
The diagonal crosswind meant that I am fighting to keep the bike upright and moving the bike forward.
This is practically how things played out for the next 5km.
Right after the 15km U-turn, I managed to speed up. Had a tail with me. ;)
Managed to find a duo and followed them till the 20km mark.
Right after the U-turn, I struggled again and ask my tail to follow the duo.
Turned out the tail is Andrew! :D
Christina rode past and follow the trio.
Hehe, if Christina is following the trio, it meant that I had drafted the right pack. ;)
Shouted out to BFF who was running on the PCN. ;)
This is practically how things played out for the remaining part of the race.
Struggled for the first 5km.
Looked for group/person to draft for the remaining 5km.
Or practically pulling a train when I cannot find a comfortable pace. :)
Finished 30km right on the hour mark. I am on course to do a 2hr ride if I can do 25kmh for the first 5km and 35kmh for the second 5km.
Slim chances, but there is hope if I can find a good group
Things got awry at the 40km mark.
I started to brake before the U-turn.
The brakes ain't working! The barriers are closing... Panic sets in.
Luckily there is no one behind me and I brake early giving me lots of time for the bike to slow down on its own accord. Phew!
During the last lap, the cyclometer started to stress me out big time again.
I know I am extremely close to the 2hr mark.
Did exactly what I did in Kuantan. Took out the cyclometer and threw it away.... into my pocket.
Crossed the Finish Line in 2hrs. :)
Reached Changi Coastal at 6:50am. Car Park 6 and 7 were already full. =(
Park at Car Park 5 and cycled to the Race Site.
Going into the Race Pen at 0720, we were then informed that the 80km Invitational Cyclists will be flagged off at 0730! All 60km cyclists will be flagged off at 0745.
I am pretty disappointed with the race organisation this year.
After organising the race for 3 years, they forgotten to add the race timing in the race booklet!
And when we checked online, they mentioned that all 60km will flagged off together at 0730.
So imagine some cyclists frustration when the group got flagged off, the organisers are getting the 6xx riders to stay back.
I started to pick up the pace right after the Start looking for a group/person to draft.
Decided to sprint off myself and got a train behind me for the next 2km. =D
Started to fade right after the U-turn and noticed the wind picked up significantly.
Judging by the wind, it looked like cross wind, but the pace is still bearable.
At the 10km mark was when it started to hurt....
I could barely maintain 20kmh...
Tried to draft anyone and everyone, but it does not work.
The diagonal crosswind meant that I am fighting to keep the bike upright and moving the bike forward.
This is practically how things played out for the next 5km.
Right after the 15km U-turn, I managed to speed up. Had a tail with me. ;)
Managed to find a duo and followed them till the 20km mark.
Right after the U-turn, I struggled again and ask my tail to follow the duo.
Turned out the tail is Andrew! :D
Christina rode past and follow the trio.
Hehe, if Christina is following the trio, it meant that I had drafted the right pack. ;)
Shouted out to BFF who was running on the PCN. ;)
This is practically how things played out for the remaining part of the race.
Struggled for the first 5km.
Looked for group/person to draft for the remaining 5km.
Or practically pulling a train when I cannot find a comfortable pace. :)
Finished 30km right on the hour mark. I am on course to do a 2hr ride if I can do 25kmh for the first 5km and 35kmh for the second 5km.
Slim chances, but there is hope if I can find a good group
Things got awry at the 40km mark.
I started to brake before the U-turn.
The brakes ain't working! The barriers are closing... Panic sets in.
Luckily there is no one behind me and I brake early giving me lots of time for the bike to slow down on its own accord. Phew!
During the last lap, the cyclometer started to stress me out big time again.
I know I am extremely close to the 2hr mark.
Did exactly what I did in Kuantan. Took out the cyclometer and threw it away.... into my pocket.
Crossed the Finish Line in 2hrs. :)
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Kuantan Century Ride Post-Mortem
Probably the first time I looked at what I had done to complete a race/ride.
Having learnt from KCR 2012 and CRM 2012, I had to pull all stops to prevent a repeat of KCR 2012 failure.
I have never let it known, but KCR 2012 hurt me badly emotionally.
It broke me mentally.
I had thought that climbing onto the broom bus is the smart thing to do when I had ran out of water, time, energy and willpower to complete the remaining 50km.
But I got hit in the gut when I see many cyclists refusing to hop onto the train and tough it out.
What really took the cake was to see how badly Judy is suffering yet she is hanging on refusing to hop on.
So much for an Ironman's willpower.
After months of low volume training, I ramped up my training in May.
750km of riding, I am still uncertain if I can handle it.
That is till I open my training log.
I had opened a treasure chest!
Stored within are all the proof that I need. There is hope.
For my first IM70.3, I ramped up training so much that I did 900+km the month before the race.
2000+km over 3 months!
For my first IM, I never felt that I had trained much, but the training log tells another story.
I did pay my dues from May to October. The month of November I did only 140km of cycling.
Tapering? Go figure...
When the group went for pre-CRM 2012 dinner, I was the wet blanket.
Being the only rider to skip the dinner.
I had to do that. Cos of the pre-KCR 2012 dinner, I had the runs before the race.
The entire group waited for me for almost half an hour before I appeared.
In fact, I was dehydrated even before the race started!
I was determined to not let that happen again.
Jason understood and rally-ed the guys together.
We went to a nearby kopi-tiam to have a simple dinner.
Bike wise, I took the bike apart and throughly cleaned every crevice.
Not a fan of chain cleaning, I took extra effort to make the chain sparkle after feeling the difference after a recent chain clean. ;)
During KCR2012, the volunteers had bought all the mineral water from the provision shops across the highway when CP3 ran out of water.
John just revealed 2 weeks ago that he bought Coke from the same provision shop during KCR2012.
Why didn't I think of that.
====
Race day, the Malaysian food does not really agree with me.
Although I still had the runs, I was glad it all came after the race!!! Phew!!!
When I realised that the race will be done in a clockwise fashion, I figured how to let it worked to my advantage.
I started out with 2 full bottles, leading to Rob asking me during the ride why I had two empty bottles in the rear hydration system. ;) Plan is to fill the 2 bottles in CP1. Just in case of water depletion in CP2 or/and CP3.
The much feared coastal winds was there, but I figured that being fresh early in the ride, I could easily hide from the wind in the peloton and that is exactly what I did. :)
Arrived in CP1 with Jason, Greg, John and Alice is good. A morale booster.
Last year, I practically lost the group for both CRs even before CP1!!!
Managing to overtake Jason and Greg en-route to CP2 lift my spirits high.
80km, 2:50h... That is almost race pace... I have 5 hours to clear another 80km. All is good.
The hills, the feared hills.
My HR went into overdrive and I took a breather at KOM2.
But the amazing part is that there is no complaints from the thighs.
The secret weapon seems to work.
Seeing water, Jason, Greg, John and Alice at CP3... You cannot describe the joy I felt.
Mis-interpreting the race map, I took a huge beating on my morale when I am out on the expressway.
But I feel good enough to shoulder on.
Hitting CP4 and seeing Greg and Jason.... Oh my....
Amazing amazing is that I feel nothing from the thighs. Yes, nothing!!!
They behaved well even through those punishing hills.
What could have helped?
The 12-30 cassette?
The sparkling clean chain?
The compact crank?
All of the above?
I had a feeling that all the mechanical components made a difference.
There were a lot of complaints about the heat.
Strange to say, not once during the ride, did I ever felt that heat was a factor.
No engine overheat, no cramps....
I can only tell you that this is probably the most enjoyable CR that I have ever participated. ;)
Having learnt from KCR 2012 and CRM 2012, I had to pull all stops to prevent a repeat of KCR 2012 failure.
I have never let it known, but KCR 2012 hurt me badly emotionally.
It broke me mentally.
I had thought that climbing onto the broom bus is the smart thing to do when I had ran out of water, time, energy and willpower to complete the remaining 50km.
But I got hit in the gut when I see many cyclists refusing to hop onto the train and tough it out.
What really took the cake was to see how badly Judy is suffering yet she is hanging on refusing to hop on.
So much for an Ironman's willpower.
After months of low volume training, I ramped up my training in May.
750km of riding, I am still uncertain if I can handle it.
That is till I open my training log.
I had opened a treasure chest!
Stored within are all the proof that I need. There is hope.
For my first IM70.3, I ramped up training so much that I did 900+km the month before the race.
2000+km over 3 months!
For my first IM, I never felt that I had trained much, but the training log tells another story.
I did pay my dues from May to October. The month of November I did only 140km of cycling.
Tapering? Go figure...
When the group went for pre-CRM 2012 dinner, I was the wet blanket.
Being the only rider to skip the dinner.
I had to do that. Cos of the pre-KCR 2012 dinner, I had the runs before the race.
The entire group waited for me for almost half an hour before I appeared.
In fact, I was dehydrated even before the race started!
I was determined to not let that happen again.
Jason understood and rally-ed the guys together.
We went to a nearby kopi-tiam to have a simple dinner.
Bike wise, I took the bike apart and throughly cleaned every crevice.
Not a fan of chain cleaning, I took extra effort to make the chain sparkle after feeling the difference after a recent chain clean. ;)
During KCR2012, the volunteers had bought all the mineral water from the provision shops across the highway when CP3 ran out of water.
John just revealed 2 weeks ago that he bought Coke from the same provision shop during KCR2012.
Why didn't I think of that.
====
Race day, the Malaysian food does not really agree with me.
Although I still had the runs, I was glad it all came after the race!!! Phew!!!
When I realised that the race will be done in a clockwise fashion, I figured how to let it worked to my advantage.
I started out with 2 full bottles, leading to Rob asking me during the ride why I had two empty bottles in the rear hydration system. ;) Plan is to fill the 2 bottles in CP1. Just in case of water depletion in CP2 or/and CP3.
The much feared coastal winds was there, but I figured that being fresh early in the ride, I could easily hide from the wind in the peloton and that is exactly what I did. :)
Arrived in CP1 with Jason, Greg, John and Alice is good. A morale booster.
Last year, I practically lost the group for both CRs even before CP1!!!
Managing to overtake Jason and Greg en-route to CP2 lift my spirits high.
80km, 2:50h... That is almost race pace... I have 5 hours to clear another 80km. All is good.
The hills, the feared hills.
My HR went into overdrive and I took a breather at KOM2.
But the amazing part is that there is no complaints from the thighs.
The secret weapon seems to work.
Seeing water, Jason, Greg, John and Alice at CP3... You cannot describe the joy I felt.
Mis-interpreting the race map, I took a huge beating on my morale when I am out on the expressway.
But I feel good enough to shoulder on.
Hitting CP4 and seeing Greg and Jason.... Oh my....
Amazing amazing is that I feel nothing from the thighs. Yes, nothing!!!
They behaved well even through those punishing hills.
What could have helped?
The 12-30 cassette?
The sparkling clean chain?
The compact crank?
All of the above?
I had a feeling that all the mechanical components made a difference.
There were a lot of complaints about the heat.
Strange to say, not once during the ride, did I ever felt that heat was a factor.
No engine overheat, no cramps....
I can only tell you that this is probably the most enjoyable CR that I have ever participated. ;)
8th June 2013 Cycling
5 days of skiving and I am back riding again.
The legs felt good.
Is distance cycling really required to make the legs felt this fresh after some time off.
Reaching Mandai Shell at 0530, there is no cyclist there.
Given that Judy posted a FB comment that weather looks bad, I am only partly surprised that John and family did not turn up.
After 11 minutes of wait, I decided to do loops while waiting for the group if they turned up.
There are always a slight chance that the group has decided to skip Mandai Shell.
After only one loop, the group arrived!
Turned out they start the ride late.
Right after the U-turn, the pace picked up tremendously.
Drafting close, I managed to keep up with the group.
Surprisingly, the heart rate is in check!!!
Climbing the feared Mandai slope just past the zoo, not only was I able to keep pace, I feel good enough to overtake the leaders!!!
Right after the climb, Sean stepped on the accelerator.
That was when my HR went into the red zone.
Sean sensed that I am struggling.
He proceed to let me into his draft.
I only managed to hang on till Old Mandai Road Flyover.
Did not see Sam nor KO when the group overtook me, so I guess they are behind...
To have Sam being dropped tells u a lot about the pace... ;)
We spinned at Yishun Ave waiting for the guys to turn up.
Ended up waiting at the turn before Seletar West Link for the 3 guys. ;)
Speed with group for part of the Seletar West Link before getting dropped. ;D
When news that the Ride Leader had a flat, the group stopped at Punggol waiting for them.
Ended up waiting for half an hour for Sam and Mike to turn up.
They have a blown tube ride after the change. ;D
Rode with the group before peeling off at SengKang.
Rode around in Punggol before stopping at Yishun Ave 4 for brekkie.
Fueled, I decided to loop Seletar West Link before riding home. ;p
The legs felt good.
Is distance cycling really required to make the legs felt this fresh after some time off.
Reaching Mandai Shell at 0530, there is no cyclist there.
Given that Judy posted a FB comment that weather looks bad, I am only partly surprised that John and family did not turn up.
After 11 minutes of wait, I decided to do loops while waiting for the group if they turned up.
There are always a slight chance that the group has decided to skip Mandai Shell.
After only one loop, the group arrived!
Turned out they start the ride late.
Right after the U-turn, the pace picked up tremendously.
Drafting close, I managed to keep up with the group.
Surprisingly, the heart rate is in check!!!
Climbing the feared Mandai slope just past the zoo, not only was I able to keep pace, I feel good enough to overtake the leaders!!!
Right after the climb, Sean stepped on the accelerator.
That was when my HR went into the red zone.
Sean sensed that I am struggling.
He proceed to let me into his draft.
I only managed to hang on till Old Mandai Road Flyover.
Did not see Sam nor KO when the group overtook me, so I guess they are behind...
To have Sam being dropped tells u a lot about the pace... ;)
We spinned at Yishun Ave waiting for the guys to turn up.
Ended up waiting at the turn before Seletar West Link for the 3 guys. ;)
Speed with group for part of the Seletar West Link before getting dropped. ;D
When news that the Ride Leader had a flat, the group stopped at Punggol waiting for them.
Ended up waiting for half an hour for Sam and Mike to turn up.
They have a blown tube ride after the change. ;D
Rode with the group before peeling off at SengKang.
Rode around in Punggol before stopping at Yishun Ave 4 for brekkie.
Fueled, I decided to loop Seletar West Link before riding home. ;p
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Kuantan Century Ride 2013
Signed up for the race purely to complete what I was unable to do so last year.
When I heard that the route is reversed this year, my plan is simple.
Whack the first 80km and accumulate enough time to handle the last 80km of hills.
I am determined to pull out all stops to prevent a repeat of last year's dis-appointment.
Extremely careful with race preparation and pre-race dinner. :)
A 7km warm up ride to IIUM to start the Ride Proper.
Flag off is at 0730h, which everyone agree is pretty late.
We tried to keep the group compact but with so many cyclists cutting in and out of our group, we got separated.
I stayed with John and Alice and we managed to find a comfortable group to draft all the way to Check Point 1.
I pulled a guy for 5km out of CP1 before we hit the highway.
After 5km of riding alone, I managed to draft a group all the way to CP2.
Hitting the hills, I got extremely stressed out by the cyclometer's readings.
Proceed to make the best decision of the day. Threw the cyclometer away... into my pocket.
Completed the 2 back to back KOMs and reached CP3 a happy man.
Remember the route wrongly and find the route extremely short when we hit the expressway.
Turned out we had 25km of Cat 3 rolling hills and a Cat 5 climb to conquer before we hit the turn back towards Kuantan.
Again, I thought the last 20km is flat, how wrong could I be.
Not only were there rolling hills, 40 degree weather, there was a headwind to content with.
Rolled into IIUM a joyful rider.
After a short break, we rode back to the hotel after Stephen and Julian failed to hitch a ride. Lol
Saturday, June 1, 2013
31st May 2013 Cycling
Did the last ride of the month before going North to Kuantan.
Met Charles and Michelle along Mandai Road and they tempted me to go Clementi with them.
Decided to take it really easy and did Newton with brekkie thrown in. ;)
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