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 :)

2011 Charity Bike n Blade

Second year participating in the Charity Bike n Blade, with a different route but the same distance, hot sun and rolling hills, The big difference this year was the wind.

Congratulations to all FOTRers who completed the event. This year saw a large contingent from FOTR, many of whom were taking part for the first time - JC, TC, BL, JY, YP, CL, DC, AL and PK.  For some, it was a baptism of fire of sorts, but one that would surely be a milestone in retrospect.

There were many pleasant surprises and accomplishments:

- didn't realize that YP and CL were participating until Sat morning (cuz I missed the briefing)
- IN and PK had improved tremendously, coming in at 4 hrs plus on the first day
- JN for regaining his former form so soon after the bike accident
- TC for winning the lucky draw for participants who raised more than $3,000 (sorry JN)
- BL for riding the first 60km solo due to a dropped chain right within the first km
- AL was untouchable, a great achievement for a first timer.
- DC was back in great form, zooming past me time and time again on day two
- DM for bieng a great sport, coming out to support and take such great photos inspite of a slipped disc

 I had a couple of objectives for this event. First was to finish in better shape than last year (which I did).
Second was to work on my nutrition plan and not feel depleted as in the Malacca ride (which worked out quite well). Third was to stick to a consistent 25 kph ride (which I failed miserably).

Planned for 1,200 cal of nutrition, and didn't use up 300 to 400 cal, due to additional food provided (bun and bananas) and drinks (100plus and red bull). Relied on solid food (cereal bars and bloks). No gels. The chocolate covered peanuts worked wonders, thanks to a volunteer.

The first 35 km from Kota Tinggi over rolling terrain was simply rolling with the peleton - averaging 30 kph at HR 145 - 155. Everyone was fresh and energetic. After Sedili, the coastal route was flat with strong headwinds. At the first water point (45km), I took a quick drink and bite was set off alone. Rode alone for a good 40 km, pulling G and G at some point, until Petronas. Speed was down to 22 - 23 kph.

Heading down route 95 was another battle against the wind. Could barely keep at 23 - 24 kph, with the rolling terrain reminding me of my painful experience some months ago. Was really glad to reach the Renggit junction, and had some drinks. Teamed up with Andy, who's a steady (but strong) rider.

Just around the 120km mark, I felt cramps in both legs while negotiatiing a short slope. Had to soft pedal for a while and Andy was kind enough to wait for me. Regained some measure of self esteem after recovering by pulling for a spell at about 29 - 30 kph. The last two climbs were stoic affairs, and was happy to reach the Desaru turnabout. I was surprised that my garmin read only 144km at Pulai (again because I missed the briefing!).

Ave speed 25.6 kph. Total elevation: 785m.

Day two started off with good intentions. We were in two FOTR groups - steady and fast groups. IN was with me in the steady group until we saw SC waiting patiently for us. No prizes for guessing what happened after that. I was glad to draft speed machine SC along the coastal route 90 with the strong headwind. Ave speed 27 - 32 kph.

As we were approaching the Renggit junction, one rider in a Y-frame Trek braked a little too hard and took a hard tumble. Thank God he only had minor abrasions. That was not the only accident of the day, unfortunately.

Time to go conservative and stick to the training plan. All went well until the Belungkor junction, and regrouped with the gang. I was surprised that some of the strong riders were skipping the Belungkor extension. There was a brief moment of hesitation, but I was not about to whimp out. Together with SC, IN, JN, DC and JY, we saddled up and rode west.

At the Belungkor turnaround, we rested for quite a long time, and I found it hard to get going after that. JN had to wait for me. After the junction, I kept back with JY and SG.

Then came the climbs after Petronas. Unfamiliar territory and the first big climb surprised me. Nothing to do but to grind it up. It was mostly undulating - longer climbs but equally long descents :)

DC was on fire after Belungkor turnaround. He kept zipping past me and disappeared into the distance. We'd regroup and then he would pass me again and disappear. Repeat! Really happy to see him regaining his form :)

A fellow participant was struggling a little and we resorted to happy thoughts to keep going (3 Carl Jr burgers await). Regrouped with LB, CH, DC, SG and JY at the 100plus drink stop, and we rode the last 35 km together (more or less). For the most part, I was just happy to keep above 25 kph. Incidentally, there was something wrong with my HRM. HR dropped to 110 ave for this segment (possibly due to a few rest stops?!?). Picked up Alvin at the last stop. Headwind was strong, but we were glad to ride together.

The last incident was with JY behind me. I heard a shout to slow down, and did so. A wheel kissed my rear wheel and JY fell. Again, we thank God that we were riding slowly and he was unhurt. His new Look would need a new handle bar tape. [note: a similar incident happened last year, and JN now rides ahead of me!]

Surprisingly, I managed an average speed of 26.8 kph, which was better than day 1, avoided the C monster and completed in time for a shower and lunch :) Total elevation of 1,258m.

A big thank you to all supporters (who donated generously), volunteers, friends and most signficantly of all, my family!

All in all, I relished the experience. Good training, great fellowship and unrivalled camaderarie.

Desaru revisited

Since our training ride to Desaru last year, we'd been talking about another ride up. Finally came about with a few changes.

The ferry is no longer in operation, so we had to take the bum boat. $10 per pax, with $2 bike charge. But had to wait for 12 pax before the bum boat would leave. With only 9 pax, we had to pay a small surcharge.

Missed the turning toward the undulating route (should take route 92 towards Kota Tinggi, first left turn after the Y-junction leaving Renggit). So we did the coastal route (route 90) instead. Strong headwind going north, and it was tough to maintain 25 kph.

At the Petronas station, we deliberated over taking the rolling route back, but since we were unsure, we opted to take 90 back. Note: south-bound is easier than north-bound.

Unfortunately, CL had a tumble along the flat due to strong winds. Nothing serious apart from abrasions and a wobbly front wheel.

Last ferry at 4 pm. We reached the Pengilih ferry terminal around 3 pm, with time to spare. 106 km.

Next time, we'll do 130km :)

Back on the roads and easing back into training

Been a while since I rode with the FOTR gang - largely due to the Dec hols and Jan conferences. My fitness and endurance were suspect, so I took it easy the first few rides out. On the first, I had to chase down our speedsters who were unfamiliar with the u-turn at Maris Stella and that took quite a bit out of me. But the SCP1 held up well, much to my delight. Skipped the Sunday ride cuz the first ride out took too much out of me.

The following weekend was another CCR-loops and we deliberately went non-drafting on the aero position. Since my freak accident mid last year and with all the road events in the second half of 2010, I had grown out of sorts with the aero position, and to be honest, a little tentative. So it was good just to get comfortable. Felt pretty good after the ride, considering that I was able to average about 30kph on the aero position, non-drafting.

The past CNY weekend was the first back-to-back rides for me since the break. Sat was supposed to be a 118 km round island, and it started rather furiously with everyone anxious to burn off that excess calories. Braddel and KB above 34 kph. I volunteered to take the steady-paced riders on a shorter route but the rest (and there were 12 of us!) decided to follow us. So we hatched up an alternative route, that brought us through CCR, service road, Nicoll hwy and to MBS. The stretches along CCR and even the service road were speed zones. That I was able to hang in with the group was sufficiently satisfying. We averaged about 34 to 35 kph over these stretches, thanks to CT and YP.

Picture perfect setting at MBS, and a kind runner (along with his kind companion) took this nice pix for us. The enhancement was courtesy of JY, one of our new members.

Up Keppel viaduct we went, and inspite of the potholes, the group averaged 38 to 39 kph pulled by SC and AY. What a high. Traffic was a tad heavy, and note to myself: avoid the viaduct in future after 7 am!

IN had a puncture along Jln Buroh and that cut short our ride. Decided on breakfast at Clementi - the roti prata shop was thankfully open. Managed only 97km.

Sunday was a recovery ride for me. Smaller group, but good to have EL's German friend join us. Even on his hybrid bike, he was fast! PL also joined us for the first time. With only 6 months of riding experience, he impressed me with his ability to ride at SC's speed. 

The positive point about this ride was being able to maintain 30 kph in aero position with HR around 145. That is the sweet spot I want to maintain, preferably at lower HR. 

BTW, did several NUS loops, including SBV on a weekday, and it was good to get the quads burning again. Hopefully I'd get back into form soon.

By the end of the week, I had logged 15 hours of training this week - 3 runs, 3 rides, 3 swims and 1 gym session. A little sore, but glad to be back in the swing of things again. Especially after the long break.

Good things come in twos

Yesterday was our second attempt to do the reverse island loop that was aborted the previous week. Happy to say that we completed it, the second time around, just in the nick of time before the rain came. This was in spite of me getting two flats - one at Kranji/Mandai and the second at Punggol. Thanks to JN, YP, CL and the rest for helping out.

Good to have SC-Cervelo join us up till Bt Timah/Clementi. He's a strong triathlete training for AP Phuket as well.

Highlights of the ride was going down Lornie at 49kph, trailing YP on his brand new Speed Concept, storming down LCK at 37 to 45 kph, and swooshing down Yishun Avenue 1 at 40 - 45 kph. Most agreed that the reverse loop was easier than our usual anti-clockwise loop.

Speaking of highlights, we were very impressed that YP and CL had the privilege of being transported to the RV point by car. Couldn't ask for better support from our spouses than that!

Thighs were tight after Sat's 140km ride, but held up relatively well, although my left calf felt tight as well. Thanks to MBH who gave me good massages over the weekend, I was able to complete the 100k yesterday.

Desaru 130k ride

As part of the Bike n Blade training, a group of 20 of us departed from TMFT on a bleak Sat morning, headed for Tg Pengelih in Johor, Malaysia. Bleak because dark clouds were looming, and we were sure it would rain. Thank God, the weather held out.

Our regular FOTR kakis were AY (chair of BnB comm), JN, SC, YP, JT and newcomer GP. There were many veterans - who took part since the inaugural event 2 years ago - riding as well. It was a good opportunity to know them.

We rode as a group to Sungei Rengit, 17 km away. Thought of stopping for breakfast, but decided to follow AY and rode on. It wasn't too long after a few climbs that a few of us lagged behind. Long way more to go, so I decided not to try to keep up with the speedsters.

Took Road 92 (17km) and turned left to Tg Belungkor on Road 89. Tg Belungkor is another ferry point, but would stop operating trips from Singapore. On the way there, three of us - JN, SG and I - came face to face with a wild boar. It crossed the road, stopped in the middle and looked at me. Fortunately it was about 200m or so away. Then it decided to continue crossing the road, after determining that I wasn't lunch.

Then we encountered a bunch of monkeys and were glad that we weren't carrying any bananas.

A short break at Tg Belungkor to fill up on water, and then looped back to Road 92. Saw the rest - who stopped for breakfast - catching up. We rode together all the way into Desaru. I was leading the group at that point, and was glad when Allan overtook me coz I wasn't sure where to go once we reached Desaru. Stopped at the Petronas station for drinks.

By then, I was starting to feel the effects of the long climbs. But as GP put it, we were just 30 km from lunch, and that kept us going.

The route from Petronas back was via coastal road 92. Less climbs, but very windy. On one climb, I pressed a little too hard to overtake Sam, and felt cramps on the right thigh. It persisted for a while and I had to slow down. Good thing Mr C went away.

For a good stretch I was happy to draft AY, who stopped to ensure that we were ok. The ride took its toll on all. Some just held up better than others.

Lunch at Sg Rengit was a seafood affair. It felt good to replenish and ease those weary muscles. It was then another slow 17k ride back to the ferry terminal where we cheered upon reaching the gates!

The Desaru ride was definitely the best ride this year for me. It was the longest as well - 134km by my garmin.

Memorabilia: A small frog did a kamikaze on the bottom of my downtube.

Rained out Purple Heart

Sunday morning's ride was interesting. We planned on a 90+km ride doing the reverse route to what we usually do. Just four of us, and the route turned out to be nice, especially the part down Lornie (remember the up slopes on our usual route?). We didn't stop until the rain stopped us at Jln Buroh, at the Pandan reservoir. There we witnessed an accident on the opposite side of the road - the car went up the curb and brought down a lamp post. A few good samaritans stopped to help the distressed lady driver. The ambulance came about 15-20 minutes later. (after all the flak on response time along the west coast last week, i think the ambulance service is much improved now).

The cold reminded me of Vancouver in winter. SY's garmin showed 23 deg C, but with the rain and wind, it was colder. After waiting for 90 minutes, we braved the rain and rode to McDonalds for breakfast. Then we grabbed a cab each and went home. :(

Sat's ride was no less eventful. 12 strong, we were glad to be back riding with our friends who did PD triathlon last week. Along Lornie, CT got a flat and a pit-stop temporarily held up. Unfortunately, it was insufficient and CT had to grab a cab home after completing KB.

It was 3.5 loops of KB, with 14 climbs. A tough first 40-50km for all. YP and I rode together most of the way and had a good chat.

It was also great that WL and P were able to ride with us - we were in the steady group. Even more admirable was that this was only P's second ride with us - and we awarded him a purple heart for bravery! WL had improved tremendously - and I wouldn't be surprised if he were to join the fast group before too long!

We also had GP join us for the first time. He's with a trading firm and is training for BnB in September. Really strong rider, and I was glad to be able to keep up with the fast group along Mandai. OKC and YP were true to form - pulling us along!

We all enjoyed mee pok at the end.

Obsessive compulsion

What is it about clocking saddle time that is so addictive, and even obsessive compulsive?

We (FOTR) were bringing our mileage up to prep for the Sept Bike n Blade 160 km (x2) ride to Mersing. Somehow, we didn't quite hit our mileage the past few weeks. And I was determined to do the two 100km back-to-back rides this past weekend, not least because I lost some training time due to a minor setback.

Sat's ride was with three other riders prepaing for London-Paris. Hardcore veterans. We also had JC joining us, and Kaki Bukit was a baptism of fire. The group waited for us at Tampines Ave 10 as they were not familiar with the route to Yishun camp. We went via Jln Kayu and Seletar (I believe there is a shortcut from Ponggol).

Was surprised to met FeetofFlury at Ponggol Point. He qualified for Boston! Great news. He's taking a rest from running due to PF, and is now into swimming. And photography. He was there with a bunch of photo enthusiasts. Good to see you again, Max.

With the big group (11 - 12 of us), it was hard to keep track. And thank
God I saw someone looking like SC going down a parallel road when on the way to the dam. Indeed, SC missed a turn and SY had to go back to fetch him. Sorry we had to keep Jodan waiting at the Yishun dam.

The fast group had left Mandai Shell by the time we arrived, and the sky wasn't looking too good. We decided to press on to LCK. Rain promptly came while we were at Neo Tiew, and we were looking for a bus stop to take shelter. Guess what. No bus stops along Neo Tiew (we always learn something new). By the time we were at LCK, the rain had stopped. After a short break, Jodan turned back (poor chap had to work OT on Sat) and we proceeded to West Coast. Felt a little tired by the time we reached West Coast SPC station, but the thought of mee pok at Sixth Avenue brought a new lease of life to our weary legs. Clocked 98.6 km.

Sunday's ride was an afternoon affair, in part due to the ladies Shape Run in the morning, and in part we wanted to train under the hot sun. JN, WL and I took turns pulling as we did two CCR loops. Met up with TC at NSRCC for his first road ride. Not bad for a first time, managing 25 km on the way to Changi Village, and like most people, slower on the return. We were just glad to spin on easy gears to get rid of the lactic acid.

JN had to go back, but I decided to complete the fourth and last lap to make up to 100km. Hard (relatively) out and easy back with a much needed drink at CV. It was almost 7 pm when I reached back home.

How'd it feel after two 100km btb rides? The closest comparison for me would be two long 20+ km btb runs. Bloated from the water, require food (carbo) but yet not quite hungry. Legs were ok from Sat, and a little sore after Sun. But the glutes were quite sore (as usual).

The week that was (not)

The week started out pretty well. Easy 8km run and swim on Monday, bike-run brick session on Tue, gym and swim with SportInc on Wed (I actually enjoyed the swim session!). Then came unlucky Thu. Just a casual spin with TC, my good friend from VS who wanted to take up cycling. I had arranged for him to buy a second hand bike, and went down with him to test ride, buy cycling gear, and Thu was supposed to be a confidence booster for TC before he went on the roads.

Silly me decided to go on my tri-bike and was spinning along the PCN wooded park when I hit a depression (which I couldn't see) and down I went. As SC reminded me later, wasn't it Lance Armstrong who said that it is not whether we'll crash, but when. Thank God nothing serious. Some abrasions on the arms and right knee. Just a bloody mess, which my sons squirmed at. The right wrist was a little tender.

The fall meant that I missed the Sat 100km ride (sigh) and two swim sessions and another 12 km run. But on Sunday, I felt good enough to go back on the bike.

And what a ride that was. About 5km into the ride, up along Bartley viaduct, we heard a loud bang. I thought it was my tire, but it was IN's. His second puncture on the 1080s. Good thing CS was on hand to show us how to change a tubular tire (his spare). Took about half an hour. Sounded familiar? Last week we had a puncture as well.

Three loops of KB, and the rest were cursing me for picking this route. Then two more loops of Selarang/Loyang. Of course it was not fair that I had fresh legs. I remembered how dogged tired I was at the end of last week's second long ride.

There were 9 of us in all. The first time we had our two ladies with us. Would have been 11 had JN and Jodan been able to make it.

We cut short the ride to only 75km on account of various factors - tiredness, time constraints, etc. But it was certainly good to be back on the bike, bandage and all.

After breakfast, I discovered to my dismay that my front tire was flat. Two punctures in one day. CS to the rescue again. And this time, he showed us how to use pit stop. We should pay CS for the tire changing lessons!

FOTR B2B long rides July 3 & 4

Taking a page from my recent ultra training, we are embarking on a series of b2b long rides to build up endurance for the upcoming mersing rides (160k x2) and tour de bintan. The past weekend comprised a 80k and 100k.

Must admit that we're in uncharted territory, and me legs were working OT big time.

Saturday's ride: started from Namly, up Lornie, Braddell and Bartley viaduct. We took turns pulling in twos, and we're getting better at this. Hit 33 - 34 kph in the first 7 km. Got distracted with chatting with IN and good thing Jodan was with us - he showed us a new way to old Tampines road.

As usual, we stomped up Punggol point and that was when IN overtook me to show how much he'd improved! That wasn't all. As we turned into Mandai road, Sean picked up the pace and I was just content to draft him at close to 40 kph for several km. That was the fastest time I took to cover the mandai stretch!

Met AY and the BnB riders at Mandai Shell. Seemed like somehow we always linked up on the weekends.

It was along Upper Bt Timah Road that JN got a puncture. His second puncture in as many years. Took all of us quite a while and two tubes to fix the puncture. Sorry to keep Jodan waiting as he had gone ahead. The delay meant that we had to skip RRR.

I was somewhat apprehensive for Sunday's ride, but the good news was that we had fresh legs - CS, CT, CL and the everlasting AY to lead us. Along the way, we picked up CL's cousin. Went up Admiralty way, and there were some interesting slopes. Definitely tougher than the Mandai way.

We wanted to ride to Tuas, but AY pointed us to the side road parallel to AYE, before heading off. None of us had gone that way before, and it took a few more km of sightseeing and exploration before we headed the same way back. Realizing that we were getting late, we decided to skip SBV and go up Clementi Road and Ulu Pandan instead. Second time up Ulu Pandan felt much much tougher than the first time earlier in the morning.

Breakfast at the 6th avenue coffee shop - a mee pok and coffee affair with light drizzle seemed quite a good way to end the 100km ride.

The usual routine that accompanied long runs ensued - recovery drink, compression tights and a recovery swim that afternoon - to flush out the lactic acid. MBH gave me a good massage on Monday.

Note to myself: Should pace myself for the next two B2B long rides.

Baptism of fire at the deep end

It's with some reservation when we set out for our LNY ride yesterday with WL. You see, WL just started cycling and his first road ride was a 30k with us last Sat. And that was Changi coastal, which is easier than the Mandai route. So we made plans to accommodate him for a 40k and the rest would do 70k.

We kept our speed reasonable just to make sure that WL could keep up. At the Mandai Shell station, we had a decision to make - for WL to continue with the group or to head back to Bt Timah. Much to my surprise, he opted to continue with the group, and he hung in there for the entire way! Credos to WL. For the record, it took us about a year to reach 70k, and WL achieved this milestone in two rides. I think we have a potentially great endurance athlete here!

On the ride - a few interesting observations.

Some of us need therapy. The slightest provocation would spark off a speed fenzy. Not good.

AY and three other friends overtook us along the West Coast highway. They were on their 120k round-island ride. AY invited us to ride with them, but let's not kid ourselves. We'd be dropped less than 10km into the ride. Not there yet. But it was a cheap thrill just to follow in their draft for 500m or so. The excuse we had for not keeping up was to break for prata at our favorite shop along Clementi road. :)

We went up the Keppel viaduct again. One cyclist overtook us and we decided to ride his draft until he stopped. Didn't realize it then, but we were doing upwards of 30+ kph during that stretch. At the down-slope towards Keppel Road, we encountered strong winds.

Riding through Robinson Road and the CBD area was an experience in itself. Good thing the traffic was light.

Didn't really understand how the 2:53 ride would burn up 2,700 calories. That was more than 300 cal higher than the 125k ride last Sat.

Overall, another good ride.

Yet another milestone

Q: What's after a metric century? A: 120km.

That's what the three amigos (IN, PK and I) did this morning. We were in good and esteemed company - JN, SY, SC and WL (inaugural road ride). We covered the Changi Coastal route - 4 loops for 120, 3 loops for 100, etc).

Traffic - not vehicular, but the two-wheel varietal - was unusually heavy, this being the eve of the Lunar New Year. There would have been close to 150 bikes we saw. The most interesting was an elderly gentlemen who crept up on us, almost too silently. He gave a grin and passed us just like that! Then there were the eastside Joyriders, large and small groups, as well as solitary figures all grinding it out.

WL was outstanding and surpassed our expectations by keeping up with 25 to 26 kph. His fitness base is very good indeed. Everyone took turns to pull and we took many breaks to keep ourselves sane. The last leg was a little hard on the guys, as we came back at above 30 kph on the coastal stretch.

Everyone agreed that it was a tough ride. It took almost 4:40 riding time, and close to 6 hours overall including breaks, etc. Average speed 27.1 kph.

In terms of calories burnt, the ride took off 2,400 calories. This is even higher than a marathon.

Congratulations to all FOTR-ers!

PS: In terms of nutrition, the Infinit drink - supplemented with a cereal bar and a couple of chewies and S-caps - appeared to be working. I didn't bonk towards the end.

85km long ride

It had been a long time since I went the Kranji-Woodlands-Jln Buroh route. Three of us - IN, JN and I - started off at 4:15 am, up Bt Timah, turning left on Clementi to Commonwealth Ave. Then it's up Queensway and Farrer to Adam Road. Traffic was light at this hour, even for a Saturday.

A short pit stop at the SPC petrol station, and then it was off to our usual Mandai route. IN was strong - he's improved tremendously since the last time we rode together. I led after the second rest stop at Mandai shell, trying to keep a steady 27 to 28 kph. At the end of LCK, we waited for JN, who had cramps.

A bunch of Joyriders (the pinoy brothers) caught up with us along Jln Buroh and we rode with them for a stretch. The only reason why we could follow them was that there were many traffic lights along this stretch. Once we hit the west coast, we were dropped like hot potatoes. They were averaging 35 kph, and topped 40 along the straights. The speed session took a lot out of us, and cramps got the better of JN at the Clementi junction, and he called it a morning.

IN and I proceeded up the west coast ramp to get a feel of the aviva route. Headwinds, but IN was really pulling well at 34 to 35 kph. I was happily riding the draft, just trying to ignore my sole butt. Took the downramp before Keppel and went via Lower Delta. This little stretch was short but steep climb. Then it was River Valley, Patterson, Stevens back to Trevose.

Here's the ride on garmin connect. The first 18 km or so were not recorded as I forgot to hit the start button.

It was a tough ride given the three weeks break, and I was just hanging on. I found it a challenge to keep up with AY and PK on our Sunday 38k ride the next morning. Skipped RRR -- ain't no hero. A long long way to go, and would need to put in longer distances.

Registered for the TriBob Bintan training camp. A 120km ride on Sat and a trial OD on Sunday. Should be good fun.