2007 Roundup

2007 for me has been a year of Transition.

Carreer development
I have transited from an ISP to a Telco. Started working for a big Mobile Telco giant in February with objective of financing my daughters education. I also learn quite a fair bit of job ethics with this new company. The structure of a big company gives me more focus and helps me see my output a bit clearer.

Health and Sports
I have also transited from Gym based activities to Outdoor and mainly focussing on Road cycling interweaved with Mountain Biking. Early in the year, i have participated more in Time trials and a bit of disguised competition. Some memorable time trails have been the PCC ones organized by Adrian Holman and those by the Fakawi Tribe. Long rides tends to suit me fine as I ventured more toward rides that are greater then 150km such as Sungai Tengi ride and Broga/Klawang ride.

On the social biking event, i had participated in PCC organized rides such as the Interstate and ride for Life. For the Interstate, it was memorable for me since I had to be the briefing marshall and the MC for the dinner events. I was also the ride marshall for the riders to cross the Penang Bridge. One ride that I really missed out last year was the Century Ride, which i had to sacrifice due to some loved ones.

On the Mountain biking scene, i did a few HASH this year and participated in Presidential ride which i did not do that well, having to retire after a bruised ribs incident. That stop me from riding for almost three weeks.

Ironically, I picked up running this year and ventured into my first competition which is the Mizuno 10k run. Subsequently, towards year end i also participated in the Powerman sprint as progression from the Mizuno 10k run.

Food and Lifestyle
This year, i have been fortunate to try out and discovered three main eating place namely the Brazillian cuisine Carnaval, the Italian Boat House and the cafe Picadilly. They have become one of my normal hangout since for good food.

Personal
I have lost two close freinds this year namely Zubir and Hanapiah. Zubir I met during the Broga ride in April and Hanapiah is my good friend when we were working in MIMOS days. What trouble me was the manner that Zubir passed on.

Moving Forward
Prediction for the coming year 2008
Career - Retirement perhaps in 3rd quarter of 2008.
Health and Sports - More running and picking up swimming and Hill trekking
Personal - Spend more time with loved ones

10 Things that you can use a Condom for....

While on the ride for Life, we were given a sample each by the sponsors Durex a piece of Condom. While perplexedly looking at the sample, a good fren of mine related to me how she was told when she was small, that the the use of the condom was for people in the army to dispose of their feaces in times of battles so that it is more hygienic. She believed that story for more then 6 years.

Now, thinking of it, i thought to myself, there must be more ways to use the condoms other then the normal fun stuff like partying and balloon blowing and some of us came with rather unusual use of the condoms:-

a) Fill it with many 50 sen coins to make a weapon to whack perverts
b) PowerGel dispenser
c) Chain guard
d) Spectacle tie to prevent your spectacle falling
e) Extra Camel Back to carry water
f) Tyre Repair kit
g) Floats to help swimmers in Tria events
h) Water proof bag for your Nokia/Sonyerricson
i) Swim Cap
j) Aero bar comforter

Actually there were a few more but cannot be published here ;-). I wonder if you have a few more suggestions.

Last Major Event of the Year

Last year, middle of December, The LeTua team and me decided to go to the Penang Pesta to compete in the annual Penang Pesta round island race and criterium. That was part of LeTua training programme prior to Jelajah Malaysia and Le Tour deLangkawi. We cycled to Penang and back. This year, i chicken out and decided to "support" my friends in the Penang Pesta race and excused myself to drive the support car.

I drove the support car in carrying drinks for Dennis, Vong, Azhar, PK and family. This is part of the documentary of the ride round the Penang Island using my new toy ( a helmet videocam)

Ride for Life - Route Profile

I am not sure how this is published and considered and descibed as "Mostly Flat" for the first day route.

The second day ride started of as flat but become a bit of rolling hills

Recovery Ride for charity - Ride for Life

Having had a bad bruised rib injury during Presidential Mountain bike ride, i decided to lay low and gave biking a good rest. I was off almost two weeks of biking until the call for charity came in. The Aids "Ride for Life" from Putra Jaya to Melaka event and this took place on the 1st and 2nd December 2007. The route will take us approximately 100km from Putra Jaya to Port Dickson on the first day and followed by another 100km from Port Dickson to Melaka Mahkota Parade.
The ride itself was organized by PCC and in typical ala Interstate event management, the ride was published as mostly flat. Having being in the PCC for quite sometime, i was apprehensive looking at this definition. Now, let us refer to Andreas dictionary of PCC ride definition which were as follows:-

PCC route description interpretation: -
100km – anywhere between 100km to 120km
Mostly flat – expect some big ass climb
Flat route – average >40km/h
Short cut – 3km shorter

True to that definition, we did get to ride some big ass climb, but to make matter worse, since it was a coastal road, the headwind facing you were damn strong. Can u imagine going downhill at 31km per hour and you still had to pedal just to maintain that speed. So my addition to Andreas's dictionary is:-

Mostly flat and coastal road - Expect a shitty exhausting ride.

The first day of ride was fun since everyone was eager and had tons of energy, I had adrenaline pumping trying to recover from helping out Kim with her puncture just out of Salak and trying to catch up with the main peloton after loosing 10 minutes. While helping out Kim, seeing friends from the triathlon group passing by was very comforting as they pass by shouting my name. Only managed to catchup with the main peloton group only at Lukut. Shout out to Adzim, Dicky , Stupe and gang for just being there.

I didn't really enjoy the second day ride due to some riders were not willing to work as a team and lane discipline within peloton was horrendous. Some people just want to draft and suck u dry and were criss crossing in the peloton. Nevertheless, since we were the second main peloton, we had outriders escorting in front and ambulance in the rear ala "Tour de langkawi". At one point we were quite fast until there wasn't enough police to escort us up in the coming junction that we were asked to stop and rest at the second checkpoint.

The company was extremely good, Vong, Adeline, Ihshal, Bernard, Kim, Ariff, May Senn, Joanne, Annie and Chin Hoe was excellent company. We shared many interesting conversation which made this ride a truly blessed holiday. Anyway, congrats to the team from ABN-AMBRO who send in a team of 17 riders and having sponsored the event big time. MAC cosmetic was the other major sponsor.

Will publish ride profile later and photos of the event once I get my hands on them.