Epic Ouchh...

KLMBH Epic hash… this becomes a yearly affair to me. KLMBH organises hash (mountain biking event) every last Sunday of the month. Usually, the hash distance is between 20-30km for long rides. For scenic rides, the distance is usually half the distance and nearly suitable for everyone.

This year KLMBH's epic is about 52km (officially)! Although it is not more than 100km, like typical epic ride around the world, hey... this is not a race! It is a fun ride.

Date : Sunday, 27 June 2010.

Time : Very early morning.

Venue : Ulu Yam and Ulu Tamu areas.


Statistics from my Cateye:

Distance : 53.34 km.

Max speed : 51.3 km/h.

Average speed: 11.3 km/h.

Overall ride time : 5 hrs 33:57 minutes.

Calories burned : 6210 calories.


Statistics from my memory:

Start to CP1:
This was one tough sections with lots of uphills, steep and long. I was just barely to keep up with the FRBs.

This was where the FRBs were separated to several groups, and eventually they were on their own due to different pace and terrain difficulties. There were 2 sections that were seriously steep and even the top national riders and FRBs could not rode them, and of course I was pushing my bike as well.

Rest – None.
Food – 2 McDonalds grape jam packs and one PowerGel.

CP1 to CP2:
If you think that from Start to CP1 was tough, this was tougher. This section really separated the men from the boys. The trails were mainly facing the sky and they felt like an elongated sections, but the good news was that they were ridable. I was on my granny chainring, 24T, and biggest cog, 34T, at most of the time. It was easy to just gave up and pushed the bike, but I did not want to content with the status quo and kept telling myself to keep cycling up to the top. The reward was an awesome downhill towards CP2.

When I arrived at CP2, I was informed that I was at top 15, within 10 minutes from the first FRB group. Hmm..not bad at all.

The CP2 was well equipped with lots of water stations, technical foods supplies courtesy of Hammer Nutritions and of course they were lots of bananas. Well done hares and sponsors.

Rest – ~5 minutes at CP2.
Food – One banana, two hydration pills, 2 McDonalds grape jam pack and two HammerGels.

CP2 to CP3:
Undulating terrains. A typical type of hash route.

It was definitely easier that the sections before, but I crashed thrice. One when my front tyre gave way on a hidden and large tree stump, but this was a no issue fall. The other one was on easy doubletrack section, where I lost my concentration. I braked too much and my rear tyre skidded and I felt on my left arm. Shaken…I rested for more than 5 minutes to compose myself.

Then, another crash…! Big time! Again I lost my concentration. This time was on an easy cemented downhill trail section. I saw myself sliding for about 30 meters, with my right arm on the cement… ouch! Really ouchhh…! Really shaken… this time I took more than 30 minutes to rest and to re-compose myself.

Then, as I was pushing myself to catch up with the other FRB, my right tight caught cramp. This must be from the effect of the big crash just now. Another rest for about 15 minutes just to allow the muscle to recover. Hahaha… instead I was catching up with the FRBs, the other FRBs were catching up with me, including Zuhairi and the strong Kenny Kwan.

As for now, it was a good time to know when to push and when to back off, although my legs, lungs, heartbeats and adrenalin were still at all time high. This was an endurance ride. So, from this point onwards, I just rode at comfortable pace just to avoid more complications. I just wanted to get home and see my love one.

Rest – ~60 minutes at crash and cramp points.
Food – Three hydration pills, two McDonalds jam pack, one PowerGel and two HammerGels.

CP3 to CP4:
Another undulating terrains, but this time the uphills were short but quite steep. They were several technical downhill sections which I don’t enjoyed very much in the muddy conditions… just imagine if the trails were dry… it could be a different story after all.

Then I got diverted into a false trail (although the KLMBH committee said that there was no false trail..!!) together with Jeremy and a few others. I lost about 15 minutes of time.

Rest – ~5 minutes at CP4.
Food – Four hydration pills, two PowerGels and three HammerGels.

CP4 to End:
Relatively easy undulating terrains compared with the others. I was on my front 36T chainring most of the time.

Other interesting statistics:

Water – More than 6 liters (with refill at the CPs).

Fall – 3 times!

Cramp – Once at right thigh muscles! But not as bad as the last PCC Presidential Ride.

Stream crossings – Too many. But one that was about 200 meters of stream with pristine and clear water was quite memorably beautiful scenery.

Bridges – Some steel bridges, two very large wood bridges and too many small bridges to remember...

Best uphill – Between Start and CP2. Steep and long.

Best downhill – None, because most of them are just too muddy to enjoy. I spent time controling and balancing the bike rather than enjoying the downhill sections.

Best flat section – Between CP4 and CP5. All in big ring (36T).

Love & hate section – At the easy cement section, where I fall.

Worst sections – See best uphill!

Brake problem – None.

Shifting problem – None.

Suspension problem – None.

Puncture – None.

Traction – Poor.

Comfort problem – None, because this time I got the saddle angle right and the saddle is designed with ergonomic love channel.

Pre-ride dinner – Telur bistik and plain rice. Lots of water and one glass of hydration salt drink. These were not enough.

Pre-ride breakfast – Yoghurt, one slice of roti chanai with an egg, water & a glass of sweet nescafe.

Post-ride lunch – Maggi goreng with fried chicken at the mamak near the Start point. Barely ate it because of lack of taste and too tired to eat.

Post-ride dinner – A very late home delivery McDonalds i.e. Big Mac, apple pie, some porridge and a large ice milo.

Photos:

Of course, there are more exciting photos of the Epic hash available at Facebook and other sites, but these four photos are just mine... hahaha...

Wasted Skinnies

On Sunday, 13 June 2010, me and usual cycling buddies were riding the beautiful trail of Wasteland at Bukit Kiara. Before that, Wasteland trail is divided in two sections, one is tight singletrack cutting along the ridges and matured rubber trees and one is an excellent series of switchbacks. These sections were divided by a stream, and the sections are (now were..) connected by a bridge which we called it skinnies.

Due to the force of nature (of course under God's decrees), the demure skinnies gave up, and to reach our destiny we had to cross the stream (more of a riverbed..) manually.

Time to flex the muscle again to rebuild the bridge, connecting the two sections that we, MTBers, love so much. Lets do it...

[Old picture, as at Feb 2009, where the skinnies acting as a bridge to connect one section to another]

[As at 13 June 2010, a broken destiny]

[My riding friends are still smiling, but look at the skinnies's log that gave way at the bottom of the picture]

Integrated Joint Alloys

Normally, every saturday mornings were one of the best periods of the week. Its either I spent time with my love ones, or riding gloriously at excellent singletracks at Bukit Kiara / Taman Cabaran Putrajaya / Ulu Yam. Further, I was crossing my finger in high hope that year 2010 would be one of the best year for me.


Not today! And probably not this year!
For 37 years, this is my saddest, miserable & gloomy moment.

Before this I felt like an integrated joint alloys, but at the moment I'm feeling disintegrated and just plain singular mineral i.e. in term of emotion, feeling disorientated and lonely.

God must be testing me, and this time the test is very tough, tricky and grueling difficult. I like to move on, but in an integrated and associated way like the integrated joint alloys.

A reminder to myself and others in despair (in Malay) "Janganlah kamu bersikap lemah, dan janganlah pula kamu bersedih hati, padahal kamulah orang-orang yang paling tinggi darjatnya, jika kamu orang-orang yang beriman." - Al-Quran, Surah Al-Imran, Ayat 139.

Edit: Grammar (15 June 2009).