20.03.2016: Spartan Race Super 2016

Sunburn, muscle soreness, skin abrasion and headache from March Equinox heat. All trumped by the high feeling of brotherhood and togetherness.

Venue: Canary Gardens, Bandar Bestari Klang.

Team NCUK.Whattt?
Capt Izham
Azwat
Azman
Hairul
Akmal
Ashraf
Zaiman

(and team Bekamer, Zakuan, on his favourite couch at home)

The seven of us, whom we had known each other back in our college days in Shah Alam formed a team for the Super leg of the Spartan Race. An eclectic mix of triathletes, marathoners, CrossFitter and other mid-life crises outlets achievers.

Izham, Hairul and myself took part as individuals in the Sprint leg October last year in different heats. In our quest towards achieving the Trifecta (finishing the Sprint, Super and Beast courses), we decided to team up and enjoined by others as well.

What's beneficial in being this team is that we got the privilege of getting in the early heat, taking advantage of Izham's early registration. Indeed, it is quite an important one as the date coincides with the year's March Equinox, set to be the hottest day of the year. The best of it all, we were reunited after more than 20 years since college, and I'd say the bond is strengthen right there along the course with brotherhood and camaraderie.

muddy barbwire crawl

The objective of this leg was met; we stayed (strolled) together from the start until the end. All the way along the 13 km trail and trenches over (and under some) 20+ obstacles.

I prepared more of my upper body strength primarily doing pull-ups, chin-ups and biceps. Basically with the aim of clearing the rope climb obstacle which I failed miserably during the Sprint event. The other obstacles requiring upper body strength are the walls. 8 ft., 10 ft. and inverted walls. Overall I did better than Sprint in general although it could be better. I cleared the walls with a little help, but perhaps with 80% of my own effort. Believe me, to get that 20% more is quite a daunting task. For that I thank my team members for their literal support.

I'm happy to report that I was only a feet away from hitting the bell on the rope climb. Didn't manage to clear the obstacle, but almost there. Miles better that not being able to even lift myself up during Sprint. Hats off to Hairul and Ashraf for their victory against the rope's bell.

I found myself in a much better shape against many of the obstacles also featured in Sprint event; in part because of familiarity, but most of it due to the time spent at the gym and around the track at Kombes Paroi. The other thing that made it much more bearable is that we didn't run all along the course. Yes, we walked. Hehe. Of course, finishing the whole course in 5 hours is nothing much to shout about. Alas, we did it. Together.

*except for maybe the last few obstacles where Hairul sprinted off to catch up with the time; he had to get back home ASAP to fetch his boys for their afternoon events.

There were a few more additional obstacles not featured in Sprint leg; among them the Tyrolean Traverse, of which I had the same fate with my rope climb. Almost hitting the bell, but my hands just could not bear the grip anymore and I gracefully fell down on my back to the smelly bed of mud. Another one in my list to be cleared off during the Beast leg later this year.

Izham's pair of Salomons gave up on him from the 3rd kilometer on the course. We had to resort to on-the-trail McGyver fix. It lasted up until the 12th km, which is not bad at all. We went in the muddy trails, over numerous trenches and through the course obstacles, stopping at several places to refasten the makeshift broad lacing made out of the cordon tapes.

:)

There was a circulation issued by the Meteorological Department notifying the general public on the heatwave and March equinox a few days before the event day. Coincidentally, the event date is on the March equinox so it was making quite a stir among the participants. Taking cue from the worried cries on social media, the organiser announced that they are going to fortify the 6 water stations along the route. That in itself means that we won't have to bring along our hydration belts/packs on our waists/backs. Cold water and Lucozade were provided in adequate amount (well at least for our morning heat).

We finished at about 1.00 pm, and marched straight to the photo booth for the team's victory photo after collecting our medals. Before getting to the shower area, we collected our Finisher t-shirt and bags. In the end, I decided not to have shower at site, but to get a proper shower at my hotel room in Klang as I have arranged earlier for a late check-out.

trifoota featuring Izham's Salomon

The t-shirt and bag collection were two places where the organisers failed quite miserably. We were handed a simple cutout red ribbon upon getting our finisher medals as a token for exchange at the t-shirt counter. Immediately I thought that it is a bad idea as it can't be controlled especially when I could easily pick up about ten of those red ribbons on the ground right there and exchange for equal number of t-shirts.

Of course I didn't, I'm a Spartan. Albeit, some did and poor Spartans for the later heats were left with bigger sizes to collect (as mere souvenirs or maybe repurposed as a wall decor). The sizing for this time is much different than the Super. The M size that I had last time was a bit tight, so I opted for an L. Fortunately my former teammate Sudi was around and he told me that it is a bit bigger compared to before. So I got myself an M size t-shirt, and it fits me just nice although a bit short.

two-third of the trifecta

I got my bag at the chaotic bag counter quite easily as I could spot it from the outside, hung by the wall together with a friend's. Different story for many fellow Spartans though. Some found theirs appallingly laid outside the bag tent, and some separated from the bags checked in together, and some unlucky souls had their belongings lost.

Overall I think this Super leg is a mix of improvements from the previous Sprint but marred by lagging in some of the things they did okay before. I'm hoping that the next event - Beast - (which by default is a must due to the allure of completing the Trifecta) would be an avenue for the organiser to prove their mantle in getting things right if not better.

And of course on my part to get much better in clearing the obstacles, with minimum burpees to pay.

Aru!

more photos in here.

Spartans wash their clothes themselves

09.08.2015: Putrajaya Inter Park Ride #29

the crowd at Taman Perdana Putra

One of the places that I would like to cycle before this is Putrajaya. Touted as a cyclists friendly township, I had high expectation about the place. Moreover, there are many parks around the area which I would like to explore with my family (later on). I joined a bash with KLMBH last year in Putrajaya, but that ride is different from PIPR. PIPR is specifically bringing the riders around the parks available in Putrajaya, introducing them what's available in the vicinity. Also, Pak Adib Noh had always posted many, many beautiful photos on his fb wall on the subject of the parks in Putrajaya.

And so I participated in PIPR for the first time on their 29th edition. RM25 fee before the closing date gets you an event t-shirt and a medal (if you finish the ride), a meal with drinks, a chance to win prizes in a lucky draw and a lucky dip.

have handpump to lend, make new friends
from Seremban: Akmal, Hafiz and Firdaus

I drove from Seremban at 7:00 and reached the place of event a bit less than an hour later, ample time to get my goodie bag and get my bike ready before the event starts. I didn't expect the crowd to be big, so I was surprised that the turnout for the event is very encouraging. As this is an event designed for all walks of life, it is nice to see the mixture of participants and their bikes alike. Personally, this is a leisurely ride and a 'fun ride' event. This, was reiterated by the organiser in their pre-ride briefing. The point being, this is not a race. My kind of ride, of course.

:)

the crowd raring to go

The ride eventually started at a few minutes before 9:00 am. Positioned at about two-third of the whole crowd from the starting line, I had to wait about a minute before rolling the tires. The event started at Taman Perdana Putra (Presint 1, the big oval roundabout at the heart of Putrajaya). Going down towards Lebuh Perdana Barat, we worked out about a quarter of the roundabout. The traffic is regulated, closed and therefore restricted momentarily only to cyclists. This in part is good as there are small children in the pack as well; the traffic safety thus is something less to be concerned about.

a view of Putrajaya landmarks from Lebuh Perdana Barat

the ride is for all ages, big and small

at Presint 11

at Taman Saujana Hijau, Presint 11

The destination is Taman Saujana Hijau at Presint 11 some 8 km away, through Jalan P11a and encircling a little bit around the bottom of the park via Jalan P11. Once we reached there, we took some time to recuperate and recharge, and took photos of course. Bottled water and bananas were handed out at the checkpoint set up at the park. Taman Saujana Hijau is a nice park atop a hill, with beautiful landscape and nice walk/jogging path cordoned with wooden fence. Being there is like being in a European garden.

the view at Taman Saujana Hijau, Presint 11

the ride marshal still in Hari Raya spirit, dressed in traditional Baju Melayu

the various parks at the area

I had small chats with a few fellow cyclists while resting over there. One was from Sentul. He told me that he cycled all the way from Sentul with his son and a few others earlier that morning to get to Putrajaya. Another is a touring cyclist (with his Surly Cross Check), who introduced himself as Abang Din.

segregated bike path marred by bumps resulted from tree roots

After 10 minutes or so, we moved on rolling down towards Persiaran Putra, going along a good distance of Jalan P11and a Jalan P11b, and headed to Persiaran Persekutuan. We went along the segregated bike path along Persiaran Putra. I like and applaud the implementation of the segregated bike path. Added to it are trees lining up the path creating a natural canopy for a cool ride. However, unfortunately the trees' roots crawled under the bike path towards the road, creating multiple mini bumps all along the way. This must be the reason why cyclists shy away from using the path. There was an accident in front of me whereby a young cyclist fell and scraped his skin.

a view of the Wetlands from Persiaran Utara, with the bridge on Persiaran Persekutuan

We regrouped on the bridge at Persiaran Utara and took photos, particularly of the swans and the bridge of Persiaran Persekutuan (Taman Wetland, Presint 13). Not long after that, we continued our ride and shifted to Persiaran Persekutuan at the interchange and headed back towards the starting place at Presint 1.

I lost count of the number of hills that we went up and down. For me, on that particular day I was fit enough not to suffer any cramps, and alhamdulillah was able to climb each one of them without much difficulty. Hence, I enjoyed tremendously the whole ride. I also loved the housing township that we rode along. Nice houses, clean area and neat roads with many places are with trees providing shades.

Overall, I like the idea of the ride. It does many things in one go. It promotes healthy recreation, it tests one's fitness, it introduces the parks around Putrajaya and also familiarises the area around it. Splendid.

queueing for post-ride meal and checking the lucky dip

the finisher medal

I finished my ride, arriving at the end/start gantry at about 10:15 am and covered some 18 km in distance. I received my medal, got in the queue for the meal provided and while doing so, checked my number whether it is entitled to a prize in the lucky dip. Well, I got none, and moved on to find a spot to have my meal.

I had something else to do later in the afternoon, so I didn't wait around for long and forfeited the lucky draw. So I went down to where I parked my car and went back straight to Seremban.

Good experience, and I loved it.

22.11.2014: NS Nature MTB Jamboree - Series 2: Tampin

I missed their event in Jelebu, and continuing the momentum from the offroad ride a fortnight ago, I registered for this event through the kind people from Perpatih Cycling Club. It is quite exciting for me as this would be one of a series of jamboree rides in Negeri Sembilan this year; to get a feel of what Tampin has to offer.

Tampin is not far from Seremban, so along with the gang from Perpatih, we convoyed from the meetup point (Petronas station at Jalan Tampin) in Senawang at 6.40am. We reached the starting point - Stadium Tampin - at a comfortable time, about half and hour before the start of the event (race category). Already the starting line has been filled with riders and their bikes. With the nice weather, the atmosphere is filled with good vibes and I'm raring to go.

Tampin Stadium grandstand and the participants flocking behind the starting line

trail route and profile

Unfortunately as I was busy with work and home the entire 2 weeks, I had not given much attention to the most important information that the organizer had put up in their fb event page - the trail route and elevation.

Take a look at the trail profile. Notice something? For the first 5km torture is expected. A steep climb to 250m elevation awaits. You may rest and you may decide to ride or push your bike, the hill (and a CP right on top of it) is there to stay awaiting for you. I decided to ride and take the challenge head on. I guess I managed only for the half of the climb. It IS steep.
*my Sports Tracker map and elevation reveals that the steep climb is actually at about the 10th km, with highest level at 278m!

fellow riders as seen at my climbing rest point

the climbing that awaits

the climbing section that demanded many to be on foot

the view from my 2nd climbing stop

with gang from Perpatih, resting at a  plateau en route to CP1

Climbing up, I gathered supports from fellow riders who gave way for me, and a few in their weariness while pushing the bike up did gave me some good words of motivation. I have to say that the two-tiered climbs that I managed to clean were the best moments for me in this ride. The ensuing downhills are good as well for they are ridable; I enjoyed them tremendously.

with Miep; now a face is attached to a name very often heard  of.Donning a sports shirt, I should've got the clue earlier that he's a rider from Pasir Gudang.

atop the hill, CP1 awaits

the view at CP1

However, the joy was marred by a major hiccup on the trail. Soon after rolling downhill, I came to the section where the trail is already jam-packed with riders waiting for their turns to cross a wide gap. And after that, single-filing (in multiple lanes) into a singletrack steep and muddy technical downhill in the woods. I guess it took me the best of half of an hour or more to get through the jam. We ended up on foot all the way in and up on equally muddy technical climb.

pretty muddy affair

I noticed that a few riders behind me are wearing sneakers which definitely has transformed into sleek soles. Grip and proper footing - important for bringing the bike uphill on foot - are diminished, what more with the added task of carrying the weight of the bikes. Hence I decided to gather about five of us nearby each other to form a human chain; get proper footing and bring up our bikes one by one. Teamwork is the key. After all, it's a jamboree and by then the podium placings were already taken up anyway.

The trail to CP 2 after that and continuing to CP3 are a mix of small hills and a few nice rolling downhills. Nothing much to write about. I didn't stop at CP2 as I was on a comfortable pace and on a roll. At times I was like being transported back to Seri Alam with the usual rubber and palm oil plantation. Sigh.

flowy singletrack, like wide ruts

When I finally reached CP3, it was already past cut-off time. All 3 CP stickers collected, and now is the long way home. We were instructed to take the tarmac route to get back to the starting point. And so we did. I drafted behind a couple of riders all the way, 8km to the stadium.
:)

In my personal opinion, the trail is nice with challenges scattered at many points along the way, marking is ample, organisation of the event is quite good, but the lucky draw is not perfect (because I didn't win anything). Perhaps the major one thing that blemished the overall event (and consequently making other relatively smaller imperfections being blown up as major failings by many participants) is the huge gap en route to CP2. That section wasted many of the riders' time. Anyway, I applaud the willingness of fellow riders to work as a team in hauling our bikes uphill and clear the obstacles on the trail. I enjoyed the ride, except at the gap and non-ridable technical singletrack.

Note:
1. I did some weight training for the legs a few weeks ago and I have to say that it helped a lot.
2. Breathing and pacing were controlled with the assistance of zikrullah, and alhamdulillah I did not face any mechanical problem for the bike along the way. Nor any signs of cramps and headache.
3. Man, I really enjoyed the two climbs en route to CP1.
4. Drafting is not a sin.

Thanks for coming.
See you in the next writing.
Ride on!

09.11.2014: Ticket to Jamboree Ride 2014

Team Akmal

Perpatih Cycling announced that they are going to have a newbie/beginner offroad event at Taman Bandar Senawang not long after they presented the local Senawang & Bukit Putus trail to mountain bikers near and far (Cabaran Bukit Putus 2.0). The number of participants is limited to only 300, so I immediately grabbed two tickets for myself and Marsya. I asked Yad as well if he would like to join, as the event is nearby to his mum's house in Taman Senawang Indah.

the crowd at the starting area

Nowadays 300 is a small number for a jamboree ride compared to when mtb jamboree started many years ago.
*the usual number now is more than 1,000 - the Burung Hantu 2014 event attracted 2,500.

with Kru - the all-green rider

Marsya adjusting to the ride and bike handling, at Taman Bandar Senawang

The event is just the kind of ride that I need for Marsya as she had been asking for an offroad ride for many months already. I myself had not had many opportunity to ride in Senawang lately. The full distance is 18km designed for beginners (said them), but judging from her fitness level, I'd say a half of the distance would still be good enough after a very long hiatus.

Yad - rider otai Taman Senawang Indah

Marsya had outgrown her Polygon frame. So I prepared for her Naza's Diamondback Apex SL with lots of lightweight parts (within my wallet's limit of course) so as not to burden her much with the machine and she could focus on her riding.

The trail is a very nice mix of what Senawang can offer. Tarmac. Long and short uphill climbs. Long downhill descend. Singletracks. River crossing. Double track (palm oil plantation). The trail design is quite good for a beginner and experienced rider. Kudos to Perpatih gang.

It was raining in the morning a few hours before the event started, so I expected muddy trail to be savoured.

entering muddy offroad

We started on the tarmac for a few km. During this I refreshed Marsya on offroad riding basics - parallel feet during coasting, brake levers assignment (which ones for front and rear), gearing, body position for going downhill, etc.

Marsya crossing the river

Marsya rode quite well for 6km. She even managed to pedal through crossing a river; must be quite an accomplishment for her. There were sections that forced her to get her feet on the ground and push the bike instead, though. The long ascend really taxed her and we rested quite a long while. I took a breather too, and waited for her to recover.

While I was at the trailside, Farid, who is a follower of this blog, greeted me. We chatted for a while, and Marsya went ahead continuing her climb. Sometimes it is the small things like this which give me the motivation to write (and dusting the cobweb on this blog pages). There are people who still read.
:)

At one T-junction about 8km along, we were presented with options. We were cautioned that the left turn would present us climbing ride and the right turn would take us to the starting point very quickly. It was very easy for us to make the decision of taking the right turn and finish the ride short.

taking a fiver (or ten)

Total riding distance: 8.59km.
Total riding time: 57 minutes.

I'd say it was a very successful event and I liked it very much. For a small fee, the organiser thrown in a (pink!) cotton t-shirt and simple lunch with ice cold drinks. Plus lucky dip and lucky draw prizes too.

Marsya's not-so-lucky-number

one for the album: Marsya, pinky me & Yad

I would like to convey my thanks to Perpatih gang for coming up with this event. It has everything that I had wished for, in a small scale jamboree ride. Small crowd, no race, meeting up with friends, ample lucky draw, simple food and drinks and an awesome mixed trail. Plus, it is specially tailored for beginners which is very, very suitable for me to bring along Marsya.

Map of our short route is here.

Thanks for reading.

Plentong Epic Ride 2013 - registration is now open!

Registration is now open!

When: 26.05.2013 Sunday
Where: N1 31.420 E103 49.242
Flag off: 0830 hours

50km through palm oil & rubber plantation, fruit farm, flat trail, desert-like open trail, downhill (and of course, climb), technical trail, rolling wavy singletrail and tarmac.
5 checkpoints with a few chicken routes and lorry pickup points.
Packed lunch provided.
Lucky draw.

Was noted in their facebook page that the registration is open to 800 riders only. However, none stated in their event webpage.
Anyway, it's not a bad thing to register early and get it done with, right?

Registration page:
http://howei.com/event/node/11/registration

Event page:
http://howei.com/event/plentong2013

See ya there, insyaAllah.

Thanks for coming over.
You have a good one.
I hadn't had mine for many weeks now.
:P

logo taken from event page

Night DH in JB

A: Psst... Psst... Have you heard about it yet?
B: Heard what?
A: DH event in JB.
B: That's normal la bro.
A: This one's different, bhai...
B: How different? Open to fixed-gear only?
A: Yeah, right... Well, this time it's a night DH.
B: OK...
A: And it's gonna be 1km DH trail.
B: When la?
A: 03/2013
B: Where?
A: Seri Alam Bike Park
B: Eh, itu dekat benor dengan rumah Akmal kan?
A: Akmal who?

Bangga aku dok kat Bandar Seri Alam...

18.10.2011 - Ronda Riadah Mega Ride 2011: My Family Ride

the family

As the curtain closer for my biking calendar this year, I registered the family in what was targeted to be a record-breaking cycling event. It's been a week since my last offroad event in Melaka. Definitely it would be tiring for me to go for another long offroad, and I'd like to spend the day with the family. So it is befitting to have a 5km slow ride with my family instead of 50km offroad with thousands of brothers and sisters.


There are 5 of us in the family and I sorted out the bicycles so that everyone would be able to ride, except Umar. He'll be my pillion rider. Come to think of it, we used different types of bicycle for each of us. I'm riding my RTW machine - a 27 speed MTB with slicks and v-brakes - with child carrier on the rear for Umar to relax and enjoy the breeze. Naza riding her underused mountain bike. Marsya with my single-speed folding bike and Adam with his BMX.

It's not an easy task to load the 4 bikes into the Innova, with room for all of us. Thankfully, because the bikes are detachable and foldable (except the BMX of course), they fit in the MPV just nice. Well, I thought if we won the Viva for the lucky draw then it would be a huge relief for the Innova.
:)

Early morning we went off to Bandar Dato' Onn. The weather's nice, with a bit of drizzle along the way. When we arrived, the place was already wet but with no rain. Overcast sky, just perfect for a family ride. People have been filling in the parking lot when we arrived, and we found our own spot.

Naza and the children were excited with all the buzz around us; people with their bikes, cars with two-wheelers atop, tents on the field with music in the air, typical of a cycling event; an atmosphere they have never experienced before. And they love it.



unloading and getting the bikes ready

Unloading and assembling the bikes took me about 15 minutes and with ample time to collect our goodie bags (with t-shirts). Meanwhile, the rest of the family had their breakfast that Naza prepared from home. I've got t-shirts for everyone to wear except Umar. I thought XS would be suitable for him, but still he has to wait for few more years to fit in. Ready with our bikes and t-shirts, tummy filled, we went off to the field for the Family Ride flag off.
 

Umar among the crowd

I see many familiar faces from Pasir Gudang and around JB at the field. However, the focus is on the family. This is my family ride. We're going to have a good time rolling with thousands of others, albeit for only about 30 minutes completing the 5km. Looks like I'm the one who's very excited.

:D



Adam and Marsya

The flag off was a bit hectic with everyone trying to get their way through the bottleneck going out to the tarmac. I was a bit worried about Marsya and Adam, so I rode with them and guide them out to the road. Naza was already in front, but she waited for me to roll alongside.



Our pace was quite slow, a very relaxed one averaging at 10km/h. Not only for safety, but I want to savour the moments riding/dating with her (with Umar on my back). Marsya and Adam? Lost in the front pack, both speed demons.



happy riders

It all seems too short, time and distance; we were back at the field in no time. But I think the memory of it lasts longer. For me, the Family Ride is clearly a good move by the organizer to get everyone riding. And for that, the family and I thank you. I know not only for me but for many of my friends as well. They brought their family along and I guess they had a good time doing what they love with their families. Hopefully there'll be some more of this around JB next year insyaAllah.


Naza riding happy

In the mean time, Marsya needs her own proper bike, with gears. I'm thinking of a strider bike for Umar and his own helmet, too. Perhaps the Innova needs a proper bike rack on her top as well.

;)



Lucky draw? We didn't get any, but all of us went home feeling happy. Plus, there's no room for the Viva on the front porch anyway (yeah, right... sour grapes).

photos in facebook photo album