IMWA training tips

Thought it would be useful to share some of my experience (good and bad) for IMWA. For what they are worth, I hope these tips would be of some help!

IMWA swim tips: 

The next few months would be an ideal time to develop your swimming technique and efficiency. While the swim leg is considered the least important leg, the 1.9 km Busselton jetty out-and-back swim can be daunting when viewed from the shore. 

Be prepared for the cold and possibly choppy waters. A participant was pulled out half way through the swim last year due to sea sickness. Yes, the waters can get choppy, and ingesting too much salt water can cause all sorts of problems.

Bilateral breathing strongly recommended. The swim route last two years was anti-clockwise, which is good for those who breathe on the left. But sometimes, they change the direction to clockwise. Also the currents can come from the left or right, so if you do bilateral breathing, you can avoid breathing into the current.

Draft a swimmer of comparable speed. I look for big strong caucasian swimmers who kick a lot. If possible, swim on the right of someone in a left to right current (vice versa). Practice drafting during swim sessions.

Swimming in a left-to-right current: Because you are pushed left to right, your hands should reach out to 10 or 11 o-clock instead of 12 o-clock. In right-to-left current, reach out to 1 or 2 o-clock. And sight often. The jetty is the best sighting post.

Stay relaxed and calm, especially when the waters get choppy. Go with the flow, and breathe at the crest of the wave.

Year in summary

Swim: 115 km; 49 hours
Bike: trainer 2,032 km - 76 hours
Bike: road 4,584km - 174 hours
Run: treadmill 407km - 47 hours
Run: road 610km - 63 hours
Strength training: 27 hours
Others: 60 sessions - 76 hours

Total time to-date: 533 hours
Total calories burnt: 220,000

S: 115, B: 6,616; R: 1,017km 

Run mileage

To clock up sufficient mileage for the run, I incorporated two short races:

Nike werunsg (10km) 0:53:33
Adidas King of the Road (16.8km) 1:37:59

Keeping races to a minimum for the year. Looking forward to my sabbatical next year :)

Cold Storage Singapore Triathlon 2012

Been a while since I did an OD. In fact, my last OD was three years ago, and this was my first triathlon since IMWA last year. Yes, I'd been goofing off.

Highlights:
1. FOTR tri tops and suits - striking colors courtesy of JC. Easy to spot in transition area and on the bike and run. 3 stars
2. Managed a decent run in spite of onset of cramps on the last bike loop. Couldn't complain about the 1:03 run time.
3. Whatdoyaknow: 3:04:43 a PB!

Breakdown:
Swim + T1 -- 0:35:21
Bike + T2 -- 1:26:00
Run -- 1:03:23

T1 est. 5:17
T2 est. 5:22

Honor roll: SCP1, Saucony Hattori

Charity Bike n Blade 2012

Before the flag-off on day 2, a daunting 172km of rolling terrain, the chaplain received a prayer request. "Please pray for the hills to be flat!" Jimmi calmly retorted, "It depends on your faith."

That was a good response. For this was the 2012 charity Bike and Blade, a two-day cycling event to raise funds for the underprivileged.

304 km over two days from Kuantan to Kota Tinggi; new and familiar faces; road, tri, folding bikes and even a recumbent; potholes and tumbles; hot sun (40 deg max) and rain; beautiful sunrise and 100+ climbs.

We started by taking the coach up to Kuantan on Friday, and stayed at the luxurious Zenith hotel. We fondly remembered the great seafood in March and mobilized 6 taxis for a wonderful dinner. The rain after did not dampen our spirits, but set the stage for a cool weather the next day.

Day 1 was flat as a pancake, all 132 km of it. Organized into four groups, most of us were in the second. Each group had accompanying vehicles for safety reasons. Everyone settled down and before long, we were out of Kuantan. The highway was familiar for we came up that way (with strong headwinds) in March. We were expecting headwind going south, but it wasn't that bad.

We passed group one, surprisingly, and realized that one cyclist had a fall. Later we found out that it was CG, but fortunately he wasn't hurt.

It was not long later that group one - led by chairman AY - overtook us. And that caused a chain reaction or ripple effect. The train started to speed up to 40 kph. At a traffic light, the train broke and several of us decided to go back to the steady 30 - 34 kph.

The only incident of the day was when we came across a bridge and didn't see a big pothole. AY bunny hopped, I went straight through, and then heard a crash behind. One cyclist braked and swerved to avoid the pothole, and in so doing, clipped JC's front wheel. Thank God, JC only had abrasions to his knee and a sore back. We gingerly proceeded at a more conservative speed. Before too long, a faster group came along, and we tagged along for the home stretch. JC then charged up and overtook, assuring us that he was back in business.

Lunjut Resort was the end point for day 1, and the beach and pool were most welcoming. Dinner as usual was a time for relaxation, stories and bonding.

Met PMY at Lunjut, who cycled 230km from Singapore with some friends, and would be cycling 230km back! Kudos!

Day 2 started early at 6 am. The first 40 km were flat and we cruised together until we reached the forest. That was where the fun began. The strong riders surged on ahead, but the steady group was able to stay together most of the time, regrouping at water points.

Surprisingly, the weather was kind most of the morning, until 10 am or so. Then the temperature started climbing reaching a max of 40 degree (by my Garmin).  BnB would not be complete without hot sun!

At 102km, we reached the much anticipated wantan noodle stall for brunch. A nice break it was.

More rolling terrain followed, and before too long, we reached the "mini dragon back", a series of three undulating climbs with pill boxes as guards of honor. I could still remember how much I suffered through this stretch two years ago. Suffer I did still, but less so this time, doggedly staying on the large chain ring.

Did I mention that we had personal support this year? Only if we stuck to JL who had L following her in the car. Glad to have L guiding us into Kota Tinggi as we had to make a couple of right turns amidst darkening skies. Our small group reached the end point just minutes before the heavy downpour.

Though that was my third consecutive year participating, Jimmi's prayer reminded me of "Faith, Hope and Charity".

While our faith may not be sufficient to remove the slopes, what we did was to bring hope to the underprivileged. This year, the beneficiaries would be the patients at St Luke's Hospital.

What of charity? I saw charity when we took turn pulling, offering others to draft us, waiting up for each other. It was charity when L shared drinks with other riders even though he was not an official supporter. It was also charity when Crazy2Tri offered us drinks when we most needed it. Charity was when LL accompanied another cyclist for 9 hours on day 1.

Indeed, charity was when volunteers helped secure our bikes, book our rooms, handed out drinks, drove and cheered us along. Charity was looking out for one another, a much needed word or two of encouragement, a suffering shared and understood, a handshake or pat on the shoulder at the end of 304 km.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

A big thank you to all the sponsors who generously contributed to make this event possible, especially those who chipped in for my participation. Most of all, a sincere thank you for my family who are my firmest supporters.

FOTR at CRM Ipoh 2012

Great video by Kelvin Ong!

Century Ride Malaysia 2012

Over coffee the night before Century Ride Malaysia 2012 (formerly Ipoh Century Ride), a member of the organizing team told us that  would be the toughest edition yet. CK described the 2012 route this way: take the hardest segments from previous years and string them together. Not exactly the encouragement we were looking for, especially with 6 century first timers in our group.

To be forewarned is to be prepared.

The 1,800 participants (record numbers) flagged off at 7 am for a 8-km rolling start through Ipoh. Though we didn't witness it, there was a pile-up involving a lorry shortly after.  There were a couple of challenging climbs, but the morning was cool and our legs were fresh. 


SC stayed back to pull us and we maintained a good speed, averaging slightly over 30 kph. The camel back (also known as Ipoh dragon back) wasn't as bad as it sounded. We were able to keep together for most of the 65km to the first water point.

That was the easy third, I told SY. We waited for as many FOTRers as we could gather and were mentally prepared for the next third. Had to pop a panadol tablet to keep the sinus congestion in check.

The next 60+ km were a  series of rolling hills. It was easier to cycle alone, as our downhill speed and uphill climbing styles were different. But we would regroup for the flats. Passed through a few villages and the young children came out to cheer us on, hi-fives and waves. Never failed to warm my heart.

Law, J and GC pulled ahead, and eventually JN (aka Bushido) on his second wind (apparently he went on to overtake many others!). KO had to replace his tube and we stopped to assist. In the process, we picked up a couple more. 


The cyclists were thinning out, and the sun broke cover. Together we kept together regrouping at each water point. The upshot was that we would be featured in KO's video!

Did I mention how good the support was? Abundant water and 100 plus, bananas and even bread rolls. The iced sponges were great and timely relief. Thank God the weather was kind to us, unlike Kuantan.

The final 15km was via the old trunk road, with relatively heavy traffic. Nevertheless, we were waved through by marshals at every traffic light. The sight of the bridge was a welcome sight although it presented a last hurdle for some.

Music was playing in the carnival-like atmosphere at the finish area. Cold drinks, water melon and a beautiful finisher medal. Nice.

Congratulations to our first time century riders - WL, SY, JS, KO, DM (aka sexy legs), SChoy!! You survived and prevailed. Many would come back for more. Special mention for JSh and Jodan who persevered and triumphed. Great race for SG, JN, J and GL (aka RSM) and many others.

Big thank you to our logistics officers JC (S4) and J (S1), WL and CL for arranging the dinners, PG for being ever dependable and steady, EN for our registration, and PH for maxi fuel gels!

The one word to describe the experience is the Greek noun argon, which is "a place of conflict" as in the stadium where athletic contests take place. Argon is the word for the good fight of combat on the athletic field where the most fearsome opponents are often ourselves.

For me, it was good to complete and in small ways help our first timers, as did SC and EN. Kairos over chronos, a trade off I'd gladly make.

Stretching

Little did I realize how inflexible I was until quite recently when Z commented about my instability while riding. With the difficulties I had on the mat, it was abundantly clear that I needed work in that department.

As Z said, the amount of time spent stretching should be proportional to that on exercise.

Work-in-progress.

Countdown to SD5

Perhaps it's too little too late, but for what it's worth, I am giving it a good go.

Signed up for Sundown marathon, fifth year consecutive. Collected race pack today, and it was a good expo. Lots of new stuff. Temptations around every corner. Tsk tsk.

The main point of this post is not about temptations. It's about LSD runs.

Last Sunday was the first time in months that I returned to a familiar running ground - which had acquired a reputation in the past year. It might have been at least 5 to 6 months that I was last here. At least a good year since I last ran here at night. Not too late at night, mind you. Around 7 to 8 pm.

Nice feeling as usual. Cool weather with rain in the morning. Good pace at HR~145. Two loops around the reservoir before heading back to Tampines and home. 21 km in total.

Savory salted fish fried rice for supper. Good stuff.

Thinking what I should eat after the next LSD run this weekend.

PCC Interstate 2012

"Horse, Bull or Tortoise?"

That was the question the Lizards asked on the coach ride up for Pedalholics Cycling Club Interstate 2012; 420km over three days through Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor (hence interstate)

Day 1: 120 km hills. A category one climb over 3 km, 1 cat two climb over 6 km and 2 cat five climbs.

Day 2: 130km undulating terrain with 4 short climbs.

Day 3: 166km, the longest ride on flat terrain with strong headwinds.

KPI for PCC: to survive!

Through EN's goodwill, I joined the Lizards/Entro group with apprehension, knowing how underprepared I was. As one participant said - to prepare for PCC one needs 400km a week, 200 km minimum training. Gulp :( The longest mileage I had was 230km two weeks ago.

The Lizards' tag line is "Keep Crawling." That made me felt right at home, coz I am definitely a tortoise.

The one thing I really appreciated was that the group took good care of all members, even tag-alongs such as I. They designated regroup points, either to eat (breaks and lunches!) or refuel. They designated sweepers for each day. On the last day, some strong riders stayed with the main group to babysit some of us (ok, to babysit me!).

Truth of the matter: the rest stops for breakfast and lunch helped tremendously. In fact, they made the most significant difference from other events and allowed me to thoroughly enjoy the experience! Good company, good food, good cycling. What more could one ask for?

Day 1
Inspite of CH, I wasn't sure what to make of the cat one climb. Average gradient was supposedly 10.6%. Over 3 km, that meant slopes of 15% or more? With that in mind, I was conservative throughout the ride. The first climb - a cat five - was a warm up. The cat 2 6km climb was a bit of work, and I had to go all the way to 29 at one point. But mostly working on 27.

For all that hard work, we were rewarded with a good 5km stretch of straight downhill. Descended at max speed of 66 kph :) [Note: this is part of the Broga Loop, which comes up the other way. Imagine that climb!]

Surprisingly I was feeling quite ok. Then at the 83km mark, we were on gravelly roads - more like footpaths. Surrounded by trees, but snaking upwards. The fun had begun.

It was 5 to 6% for the first half and then 10s and 11s. Then it levelled out to 4 - 5. The big climb would be coming up just around the corner, I told myself.

That was not to be. The descent started, to a mixture of relief and disappointment. No dreaded 18%! :) The surprise was at 86km where a mud slide had gone onto the road. It was a right turn, and though we were forewarned, I didn't expect the three mounds created by the water. No way but to go straight through with much clattering of teeth and mashing of brain.

We learnt later that JK had a fall at this spot and lost consciousness and cracked his helmut. This remarkable man of steel went on to finish the other two days!

 Lizards group pix at lunch break:

As was typical, the organizers had some surprises for us. Another climb towards the end, and some winding roads and sharp humps (GT fell when going through one such hump. Had several road rashes to show for it, and yet he finished with the front pack the next day!).

Last stretch - felt bad about sitting at the back of the peloton, so went up to pull for a short while :)

Total elevation gain of almost 1,200m.

Day 2
We waited for the train 1.8km from the start point near Desa hotel, and it was good to be in the front pack even just for a short time. Shortly after, we hit a big climb. With so many riders, it was like a pro tour. Shoulder to shoulder, tyre to tyre. I was uncomfortable and constantly watched the riders around me, shifting to the small chain ring to keep pace. Was glad to move on ahead towards the end.

The rest kinda reminded me of Desaru. Similar rolling terrain, but shorter. The Lizards waited up to regroup. I was the last, and at the tail of the peloton I honestly didn't expect it when the group started speeding up. Averaged 40 kph over 6 to 7 km. That was sprint pace for me, and I knew that I couldn't keep up for long. Stayed back when a JR rider dropped off and we were along for a bit until the next regroup point. The rider (#351) gracioulsy thanked me for pulling, and that boosted my self worth (just a bit).

Lunch was beef noodles at a town 20 km away from Muar. The chendol next door was a killer.

Pix of fellow Lynskey fans (MK and SC):

Day 3
Familiar grounds, having been through this way from the TTSH charity ride last year. Was separated from the group at traffic lights and tagged along with EN, AK and NP. Joined up with the main train at Pontian Kechil. Shortly after, I dropped back with the steady Bandung team. Unfortunately they turned off too soon, and worked together with two other riders before they slowed. Tagged on to another group and RV with the Lizards at the turnoff. Alternatively pulling with two other riders until a bigger train came up.

Lunch at Pontian - one and a half servings of char siew and chicken rice. :)

Accompanied JT's alt for the home stretch. Traffic was heavy and there were a few small climbs. Really glad to see Pulai Springs resort.

Yes, folks. I survived PCC IS 2012 without a glimpse of the C-monster. Lots of good food, great company and learnt much from fellow cyclists. Needless to say, a big thank you for my ever supportive family who put up with my unsatiatable appetite for long rides.

It is good being a tortoise. The tortoise finishes.

10km TT

53:30.

Just under 58 min at last month's biathlon.

Is sub-50 achievable by year end?

Reflections on a Century Ride

June (not her real name) glanced at her watch. 36 kph. The group had been cruising along at this speed for the past hour, 30km into the century ride. “The easy part is over. Here comes the hard part!” June muttered to herself.

The coordinator had cautioned participants about the slopes starting from 35 km. Not real killer slopes like Cameron or Genting, but sufficiently challenging for recreational cyclists such as June.  The group started to break up as the stronger riders climbed with seemingly little effort. The likes of June and a few of her cycling buddies started to lag behind.

“Time to pace myself.”

Ironically, pacing in cycling is no different from pacing in work. June’s thoughts wandered off to her experience over the past five years, in part to take her mind away from the effort and pain. June could still remember her business trip to Denver, what – more than three years ago?

Had it been only three years? Time flew by. So much had happened since then. It was in 2008 that the company acquired a large portfolio from a major logistic company in the US. With hindsight, it was clear that was a good time to buy. The subsequent IPO (initial public offering) of that portfolio was a huge success. The share price jumped 11% on the first day of listing. That made some people a lot of money.

June surmounted the 8 percent gradient climb. Phew. That was hard work.

Hard work, indeed. One’s work is not done after IPO. In fact, being in the public eye poses even more challenges. Quarterly reporting, investor relations, AGMs, corporate social responsibilities. These were new facets of the job that any graduate couldn’t appreciate until he or she worked for a public listed company.

The downhill segments were just reward for that climbing work. Descending at over 50 kph was a rush, to say the least. One of her friends zipped past her. He had a good 30 kg advantage over June. Life’s fair.

Then came the undulating rolling terrain. June did not mind rolling terrain. Just needed a good rhythm. Of course, one needed to be adequately trained as well. Some of her buddies who did not put in enough saddle time would start to pay the price for the lack of training later on, after the 100km mark. June had seen that happened all too often.

The same principle applied to work as well. If there was one important principle June learnt since her university days, it was to over-prepare. Be it for a presentation, meeting with the boss, business partners, board meeting or AGM, it was always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.

Further on, there was a group of cyclist gathered on the road side. Obviously a crash. Hope no one’s seriously injured. At the water point, June quickly topped up her water bottles and ate a banana. Great support for the event, June thought appreciatively.

Riding was like a debt instrument, June thought. When surging and climbing over long distances, it was easy to go into oxygen deficit if one was not careful. Lactic acid would build up. Without adequate training and hydration, riders would go into muscular convulsions, otherwise known as cramps.

The segment from the third water point due south was with tail wind. The analogy would be good times of low interest rates and cheap equity (before 2008). But as the event coordinator said, “Tail wind on your back means that you’d get head wind on the return.” The financial crisis was the headwind.

Just like some countries used to borrow and borrow more to repay past borrowings. Negative amortization.  Some of these countries are now in financial distress from over-zealous borrowings. Leverage used to be the darling of the industry until the financial crisis. Interesting how deleveraging became all the rage then. The good it did was that companies were now more cautious and prudent in capital management. Today, derisking is the new buzz word.

June silently cursed at the strong headwinds, with her riding speed dropping to the low 20s. The afternoon sun was out in full force. Most riders were now struggling. Some simply chucked their bikes by the road to take a breather under the tree. Riders were digging deep, reaching for their energy gels, bars or salt tablets, looking for that second wind.

Speaking of second wind, June recalled how many companies turned to asset enhancement initiatives to sustain growth in recent years, when acquisition as a growth source became as scarce as hen’s teeth. She worked as the key personnel on one such initiative, managing a team that conceptualized, modeled the incremental cash flows, evaluated the investment proposal, and checking and rechecking the excel spreadsheet, making numerous changes as new information unfolded.

Topping it off, June had to convince the board of the merits of the initiative. Some board directors were tough as nails. Exactly what one needed to grind out the last 50 km of the century ride. By the way, for the uninitiated, this was the imperial century. 100 miles or 160 km. Not the metric century of 100 km. For the faint-hearted.

June was grilled by one particularly nasty director on her choice of discount rate, she recalled. It was fortuitous that she was well trained by her professors on the different risk components that constitute the discount rate. That presentation was probably the most stressful presentation she had ever made.

The last 20 km after the last water point were the toughest – physically and mentally. Mental strength would arguably be more important than physical strength. “What does not kill you makes you stronger!” Yes, June survived that ordeal, and she was confident that she would survive the present ordeal as well.

June’s journal

Kuantan 160

March 25, 2012

Round Island

Remarkable that this was my first round island (RI). 121 km, shortened due to unfortunate incident along EC service road. That was when the C-monster pounced on me and totally consumed me for all of 10 minutes. Not once but twice.

Three contributors. First, hard ride on GF, pulling more than what I should, and with two hard sprints. Second, was trying to stay off salt tables both days, using electrolytes instead. Third, not fuelling up at rest stop. One cereal bar did not cut it. Lessons learnt.

Poor JN had a tumble in dramatic fashion when an inconsiderate driver failed to give the 1.5m clearance when passing. Wishing JN a speedy recovery!

Thanks to EN for pulling me along WCH and viaduct :)

Kuantan 160

Kuantan 160 is a new event inspired by the Ipoh Century Ride. My main objective is to clock mileage given my lack of training in recent months. EN, JC and GL organized the trip for the FOTR team (a big Thank You!). With some last minute pullouts and substitution, 18 of us gathered for the coach ride up.

It was a challenging ride, with some climbs and undulating terrain, as well as strong headwinds on the return coastal stretch. We started off - 780 cyclists - with a good paceline at 30+kph after the first 4 km. Kept with the steady FOTR group most of the way.

The fun began at 32km, when we hit the slopes. There was one longish climb to about 122m and I was grateful for the recent hill training. Managed to stay on 50-27. The long descent was thrilling.

Synced up with GL and we rode all the way, picking up GC from Globe Spinners after the undulating terrain. Kept HR moderate below 150. At 114 km, GC had a flat and we helped her replace the inner tube. Wished JN was here!

The clouds came in after the third water station, and we felt some drizzle. Tailwind, cool weather. What a great combination. Easily cruising along at 30-32kph over that stretch.

Then we turned left into the rural area and we immediately felt the wind. In addition, we had lots of cow dung for company. Another left into the coastal stretch and it was headwind all the way. Speed dropped to 20 kph, and we did all we could to draft and look forward to the fourth water station. Met up with EJ there. It was getting hotter by the minute and I was counting down the km.

After crossing the finishing line, there was the welcome sight of a fire engine hosing riders down. Nice.

Most of the team had already completed - great finishes by EN (<4:30), JC, CS and SC (all 3 at 5:23). I managed a modest 6:14 (riding time of 5:50 ave speed 27.5 kph).

It was a struggle for some of our friends and for me as well, since I was down with flu and congestion the entire week. The C-monster threatened several times but got spun away :) The experience and camaraderie made it worthwhile.

Here's a great photo at the finish line!

On the event organization: It was a well organized, smoothly run operation! Good briefing, thanks to Dr Jamal, good water support (thanks for the 100plus, water and bananas), wonderful volunteers and marshals. It was particularly gracious of the chief minister to host the pre-event dinner and chatting with us after the ride. Our only suggestion is to patch up the potholes along some stretches.

Last but not least, a heartfelt thanks to my family back home praying for us!

Great video on Kuantan 160:

Singapore biathlon 2012

Have not done a short race for some time and with the emphasis on running and swimming over the past two months, the Singapore Biathlon race was a good event as progress check.

Fellow FOTRers in this race - SC, MT, KP, DC and YP(?). Also my former student ET in his first attempt.

8 am wave, with all the men masters participants. The sea was calm, but the west-east currents slowed me down. Tried the drafting technique highlighted in training tips for the SB:

Drafting a faster and physically larger swimmer can really increase your speed. Tailing directly behind another swimmer will make the water smoother, but the most efficient position to draft is alongside the lead swimmer but slightly behind between the ankles and hips. This allows the drafting swimmer to surf the bow wave.

Not sure if I did it right, but it definitely felt easier. Also easier to see the other swimmer if swimming slightly behind on his side.

A tad disappointed with my swim time of 38 min. Then off for the run. 

Plan was to take it steady for the first 5 km, and then attempt a negative split. Averaged 6:00 pace in the first 5 km, then stepped it up on the return leg. Followed a faster master runner Lawrence Q. Last km at 5:15 pace with HR going off the charts at 187 :(

Swim, transition, checkpoint, 10km run total time:

00:38:58 00:01:47 00:30:46 00:57:54 01:38:38

Good short but hard race. Possibly do it again next year :)

The Climb

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

I have not heard this song before, but the lyrics described the reason for the second trip to Cameron Highlands in 6 months.  Unfinished business - to overcome the dreaded climbs. In particular, I wanted to surmount the 8 km climb from Ringlet to Tanah Rata. It would be at the end of a 70+ km undulating ride and it was my Thermopylae.

The first day's ride from Simpang Pulai to restaurant 88 was the same as last year's. Ascending 1,560m in elevation over 53 km. Clocked 15 min longer cuz I took it easy this time.

The second ride was new - from the T-junction to Gua Musang. Great descent in the first 15 to 20 km. The chicken in me didn't dare let go of the brakes, and I was just happy to enjoy the thrill. But there was sufficient climbing of 1,200 m over 96km. Finished dead last, which wasn't surprising since I had to stop a couple of times during the ride due to a dropped saddle bag and chain :)

The last ride was my nemesis. Heavy rain meant that we started 20km ahead of the planned start point. Muscles were all cold and my enthusiasm was low. Waited for SC to fix his leaking tire and once again, I found myself in a familiar position - the default sweeper.

The slopes were all familiar friends but somehow, they didn't treat me too badly this time. I kinda missed my good friend, the C-monster. I attribute the absence to pacing.

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb


Caught up with a few riders and was reminded how unforgiving the mountain could be if we didn't respect it.

And then, there was Ringlet. After a quick iced coffee and toast with SC and a couple others, we began the final assault. As it turned out, the toughest stretch was actually the road leading out of Ringlet over the bridge, with a max of about 10 pct gradient. A deep breath at the foot of the switchbacks and the "climb" began.

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith

Just keep pedaling, was my mantra. Ignore the traffic, ignore the other riders. Just focus on pacing.

Surprisingly, I didn't have to use the 29 at all, and only occasionally the 27. Mostly on 25, which was sufficient to do the job.

Best view of all was looking down on the switchbacks and realizing how steep it looked from above. My memory played tricks on me as I remembered how intimidating the climb looked from the bus. There and then, it was a strangely different perspective - all I could see was a few meters ahead, and it looked just like RRR or MF =)

As it turned out, the average gradient was about 5 to 6 pct.

Only too glad to see the 2 km marker to Tanah Rata. A short steep slope up to Heritage and SC was there with a big smile. Thanks, SC!

It's all about the mountain and I, isn't it? CH is my mountain top experience.

Day 1: 1,568 m
Day 2: 1,207 m
Day 3: 1,740 m
Total: 4,515 m

One less item on my unfinished business list.

PS: Thanks again to the unwavering support from MBH and family! Couldn't have done it without you. 

Deposits and Withdrawals

"You have to make your deposits before you can make a withdrawal!"

That was the best advice Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder of Blackstone Group, received from his high school track coach, Jack Armstrong. It stayed with him all through his career as a successful investment banker.

Now for that extra loop up MF and RRR.

Heartfelt gratitude

After the dust have settled and sanity restored, I realized how significant people were not acknowledged in the M-dot journey. So here's setting the record straight:

- EN for setting me up right and encouragement in my down moments at various cycling events/races "Remember your goal, which is to complete the Ironman"

- GL - three times IMWA finisher - for the  unexpected emails and support at Mega Tri "Looking strong" 

- HW - deca Ironman, coach "In one week's time, you WILL be an ironman"

- IN, SC, CS, YP, CT, DC, MH, etc ... fellow IMWA journeymen "mental strength"

- my beloved family "Daddy, we will run with you" -- 27th km mark, my darkest moment

Mileage

Every once in a while, I totaled up my mileage for the three disciplines just to see if I'd gotten value for money spent on shoes, bikes, goggles, etc. Here's the tally and comparison for the last three years:

2011: R 1,218; B 6,368; S 191
2010: R 1,342; B 5,355; S 105
2009: R 1,471; B 2,540; S 123

As is apparent, running mileage has gone down (ultras in 2009 & 2010), swimming has increased significantly (3.8k was inconceivable one year ago), but bike mileage is up only marginally. I am surprised that the mileage last year isn't higher given the jump from a 70.3 to a full IM. I suppose this is what base building is all about.

SC and others clocked in excess of 12,000 km on the bike last year. No wonder they have become so strong.

What is not apparent from the numbers is, of course, the quality of the miles lodged. Admittedly, the mileage last year was clocked in a more productive manner, as opposed to junk miles with not much training benefit.

Looking ahead to 2012, coach thought that the overall mileage would not be any higher, and possibly lower. But the focus will be on speedwork. Needless to say, this is good news.

Hhmm...  Wonder if I could achieve the gold requirement for a 2.414k? While I am at it, how about a new marathon PB?

As for cycling, I have lined up a few goals this year: PCC, better timings for BnB and TdB, and taking care of unfinished business at CH.

Speaking of unfinished business (there are so many...): TNF100 in 2013.