Finally I managed to take a much needed break at Mulu National Park. Didn't think my boss was too happy about that but ... how else to clear my accumulated 43 days of leave if I don't start clearing 1, 2 and 3 now? Besides, I don't think I was all that effective at work with all the "issues" hovering in my mind.
I digress. Back to Mulu National Park. The last time I went to Mulu was in 1994. Goodness! That sounds like a whole century ago ... :P I was supposed to climb the Pinnacles Trail then but alas! we were prevented from doing so by the forest ranger then due to heavy downpour at the mountains the night before.
This time round, I did not hold out much hope that I could climb the Pinnacles Trail. In fact, it was not in my original itinerary to Mulu as I had planned to do the show caves plus some adventure caving. Besides, I was wholly unfit due to my workload and I had more than a few trepidations about making the climb. After all, I am more than a decade older (although not a century :P). I had yet to recover from a knee injury sustained a couple of months back and my fear of heights resurfaced at the thought of doing vertical climbs on steel/aluminium ladders.
But my friends seemed to have more confidence in my fitness level than I. After a few feeble attempts to convince Val to do the caves only, I gave in. Truth be told, despite worry over my knee, it was also a matter of pride and challenge to complete the trail.
And boy! was I glad we did it, although I would never do it again!
As this was a budget trip, I figured that we could latch on to other individual travellers to hire a guide and share the boat fees. Thus, with day packs on our backs (we left our larger backpacks at the Mulu Headquarters), we set out for the 3 days Pinnacles Trail. Well, the trail to Pinnacles itself does not take 3 days.
Day 1 we took an hour's boat ride to the beginning of the trail to Camp 5. (Three hours if the water level is low and if we end up pushing the boat.)
Boat ride to Camp 5
From there, we made another 3-hour trek on flat land to Camp 5. Needless to say, we were feeling the toll of carrying our own backpack as the hours dragged on, especially with my weak knee and the muddy ground. Val swore that she will not carry her own backpack again! "Luxury trekking trip!" I could almost visualise the chant inside her head. :p We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Camp 5 because it was not just a campsite but a nice wooden building equipped with a very basic kitchen and clean public bathrooms for "he" and "she". Accomodations were also basic but decent and clean. Located next to a stream and amidst the tropical jungle and mountains, the surrounding area was really pretty.
Our humble accomodations @ Camp 5
But alas! by 3+pm, the sky suddenly opened up its heavens and started raining cats and dogs. My heart plummeted. Not again! I thought I'd never get to climb the Pinnacles Trail at this rate. It was still raining when we went to bed.
The morning dawned bright and dry on Day 2. What a surprise! Again, I was filled with trepidation at the thought of climbing vertical, steel ladders. The incline sloped immediately once we started on the trail. The first two half hours were tough. There was no "give" in the climb. We were trekking up at 60-70 deg incline for the first 2000 m. And it was up, up, up and up! Every time I thought I had overcome the toughest parts, I was proven wrong again. The trail just got tougher and tougher. At some point, I looked down the steep incline and wondered how I would manage the descent. But one barrier at a time, I thought. First, focus on the climb, then worry about the descent.
After the 2000 m mark, the trail flattened and I thought, "Gosh! Finally ... time to catch my breath and ease my wobbly legs." But not a few metres away, I came upon what looked like the end of the trail. By then, I had lost sight of the Belgian and Scandinavian folks who were slightly ahead of me earlier. And I could not see Val, our guide or any of the Singaporean and Canadian trekkers who were behind me.
Now what? Then I noticed the "red & white" paint (which marked the trail) on the rock surface beside me, and lo & behold! I caught sight of the vertical steel ladder indicating the start of the 400 m vertical climb. And beside the ladder, there was a signboard warning climbers not to climb that part of the trail after 11am as they might end up reaching ground level at nightfall on very treacherous trails.
Val and our guide arrived while I was still building up my courage to climb the blardy ladder. After coming so far, there was no way I would call it quits. Height phobia be damned! "What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve." Blah blah blah .... "Alrighty! Time to move my butt instead of staring at the ladder," I thought.
From then onwards, it was kind of a blur for me. The vertical climb continued for the rest of the way. Sometimes, I could not even see where the trail led. Soon I lost sight of Val and the guide again. But I continued to climb. When I hit a snag or seemed to have lost my way, I looked for the "red & white" marks again. And always, it would lead on to more treacherous steel ladders or planks or crevices on rock surfaces or steel rings or ropes. It was endless. I did not allow myself time to stop for long and contemplate, as I feared I might lose my nerve once reality sank in.
After climbing almost an hour with no end in sight, I finally paused for a longer rest. Reality did sink in then. I had long ago lost sight and sound of any human. The eerie silence of the mountains began to seep in and suddenly it sank on me that I was totally alone in the mountains. Anything could have happened while I was climbing. Feeling lost and alone, doubts asailed me. I started calling out to Val, "On! On!" (that was our code in the jungle) but to no avail.
Suddenly I heard rustling above me. A caucasian head jutted out from above the huge mountain rock and one Hungarian appeared. They had set off much earlier that morning and reached the peak ahead of our group.
"Hello there!" The mat salleh called out.
"How far more to go?" I asked.
"Not far. You're very close ~ about five minutes away," was his reply. Then one by one his group (the Hungarians) clambered down from the rock.
Just when I thought everyone had descended, Bjorn ~ our new Scandanavian friend ~ called out to me from above, "Hey you! Not very far to go!"
I looked up and saw Bjorn making his way down, followed by June (his girlfriend) and Derrick (the fireman from Belgium) who were all part of our group.
"You guys on the way down so soon?" I asked.
"Yup. Nothing much there. Half hour is enough. We want to get down for a dip in the river," was his reply.
"What time did you guys reach?"
"About 5 past 10."
A look at my watch indicated that it was 10.30 am then. Hmmm ... not too bad. We were not that far behind.
Then I heard Val's voice from the back. Yay!! My troop was finally here. Hehehe ...
After everyone clambered down, we made our way up quickly with renewed energy. In a few short minutes, we arrived at the peak ~ tired and drenched with sweat, but very elated!
WE DID IT!!! And we were the first Asians to reach the peak that day! Woo Hoo!
At the peak and looking at the Pinnacles
And yet another look at the Pinnacles and the ladies who managed to reach the top! :D
OK. So it didn't look as impressive as we expected. But heck! this was still quite amazing. (That's what we kept telling ourselves.)
We did not linger though and started the descent at 11 am. The vertical downward climb was tough at first but we got the hang of it soon enough. Progress was slow but much easier (in hindsight) compared to the descent after the vertical part.
We "collected" Ing (one of the Singaporean ladies) at the last steel ladder (she did not make it to the top due to her weak knees) and continued our downward journey. The second phase of the descent was so much tougher. Walking down 60-70 deg incline was much worse than climbing down 80-90 deg incline!
I slipped and fell so many times that I lost count. Once again, I lost sight of Val, Ing and the guide. But I could not stop. I worried that if I do stop, I might not walk another step forward! By then, my legs were trembling so badly. Every step was pure agony. I was very careful in deciding which part of the ground to step on to prevent further slips.
However, I had collected numerous bruises by then. After one exceptionally nasty fall, I just sat on the ground and contemplated what idiocy had made me do this climb! :P
Despite the knee guard, my injured right knee felt bad. My good left knee started throbbing. I was placing way too much pressure on that leg. Goodness, I was physically falling apart! Drama a bit la! hehehe ...
In any case, it was an incredibly tough descent. But I wanted to get it over and done with fast! My aim was to reach camp and shelter before 3pm to avoid the downpour which had occured for 2 consecutive days at around those times. Lucky for all climbers, the dry weather held. I managed to arrive at 2.50 pm. It had taken me 3 hours 50 mins to descent.
Back at camp, I quickly gulped down cupfuls of water. Most of us were almost dehydrated as we tried to take minimal water up the climb to lighten our load. It seemed that poor Bjorn vomitted on the way down as he was very close to dehydration. Thank god for June who helped him along the way. Next on the agenda was food! Once I satisfied these basic needs, it was time to jump into the stream to cool off. Gosh! That was heavenly. By late eve, all the climbers had returned to the campsite. We were all vying for equal share of voice to talk about our experiences and to compare bruises.
Day 3 dawned and despite aching limbs, we had to make the three hour trek back to the river. Strangely enough, despite our tiredness and injuries, the trek back was much faster. We made it in 2 and the half hours. And it took us another hour by boat to reach camp.
Woo Hoo! Back to civilisation!
Despite the original plan of going adventure caving, our injured legs couldn't take in more abuse. Thus, we decided to rest and enjoy the Park going to show caves instead. Even so, the trails on wooden platform were quite a challenge. By then, I had also contracted allergy to something. I was scratching and scratching and scratching. As usual, hypochondriac Val also felt like scratching after watching me! Thank god for my ever ready supply of "minyak angin".
We took it real easy the next few days. We went to visit the Lang and Deer Caves. I love both caves as they were more interesting than the Wind and the Clearwater Caves (which we visited earlier on the way to the Pinnacles Trail). Lang Cave was the smallest but it was real pretty. Deer Cave was huge, smelly and different. But the sight of water falling amidst the dark interior, illuminated by streaks of sunlight at the mouth of the cave was incredible and beyond words. At the end of the walk, a most incredible sight greeted us. The sight was aptly called Garden of Eden.
We also went for the longest Canopy Walk (480m) which cost us 30 bucks. It was really not worth the money though. Our final morning, we went to Moonmilk Cave on our own. Although there was no entrance fee, it was really not worth the walk either ~ which included a climb of 425 steps (or so it said in the brochure).
What was worth waiting for was the swarm of bats hunting for food in the eve. We took the 3.8km walk to the Bat Observation area for two days in a row to catch this incredible natural phenomenon. The first eve was a disaster. No bats were in sight and we got caught in the downpour on our return trip.
On the second eve, we all waited in anticipation. 5pm came and went. Then 5.30pm and then it was almost 6pm. We thought it would be another "no show" eve. Suddenly, we noted activity at the mouth of the cave high above ground.
And then .... the most amazing sight! I have never seen anything like this before apart from the "whirlwind" barracudas at the Sipadan dive site.
Bats out on a hunt for food
Another look at the bats during dusk
For a photo travelogue of this trip, check out this link.
And there you have it! A wonderful break away. Granted, my troubles did not go away. But for those few days, different things took priorities in life other than work.
Mulu ~ I'll always treasure thee!
Showing posts with label 90% perspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 90% perspiration. Show all posts
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
KL International Marathon
Warning! Long post ahead. Read at your own "peril"!
Yup! It’s been that kind of week. Read “Damsel in Distress” if you have yet to do so.
Remember the blog Cardio! Cardio! Cardio!, where our Siau Club President (SCP) signed us up for the KL International Marathon? Thank God he registered most of us under the 10km category instead of the half or full marathon. Only SCP and Manny, the Hill Rabbit got the honours of registering for the half and full marathon respectively
Well 18th March, the D-Day, finally arrived. And six out of the 12 registered did not turn up! Notably, our SCP was missing. He had a last minute training. Sister Mary had a RPM class at 11.30am and PW had to attend a last minute company function at 8.00am. The rest were Derek, Shane didi and Ming (former SCP), who for various reasons, could not make it for the run either. That left Manny, Sir Kyle, Viv, LK, Val and yours truly to uphold the Siau Club flag on that fateful day.
Ok. I admit I slacked terribly in my training after our initial registration. In fact, I had absolutely no training at all except for a wee bit of cardio from my weekly badminton game and my off-and-on whenever-we-can-wake-up weekend trekking trips up Gasing Hill.
Thus, on Saturday (the day before the run), Val and I decided that we REALLY must make a valiant attempt at the race. So, off we went to the gym for my first and also last training for our first 10km outdoor run. I managed to do a 30 minute run on the treadmill but that would have to suffice. Both Val and I reckoned that if we could not run all the way during the race, we could at least walk. We could also rely on the miracle liquid drink (Power Gel) discovered by sister Mary during our adventure up Mount Kinabalu. She swore by that now and after witnessing the effect on her (she literally had a spurt of energy and zoomed ahead of us after taking the drink!), we decided we had nothing to lose using that stuff. Back to matters at hand, we figured that no matter what happened we must complete the race.
As Manny was the only one who signed up for the full marathon, he had to arrive at Dataran Merdeka at 3.30am for registration as his run would start at 4.00am, whilst the rest of us (the 10km category) were required to register at 6.30am as our run would start at 7.00am. Kyle volunteered to fetch Manny down whilst the rest of us would arrive later. We all thought that it was really sweet of Kyle to do so, as he not only had to wake up blardy early, he also had to wait a good three hours before his race began. I am not quite sure if I’d have done that for my best friends were I put to the test.
In any case, the ladies arrived in time for the race. There was no sign of Kyle but we expected as much, as the crowd was tremendous. We all brought our handphones with us and decided on a place to meet up after the race should we part during the race.
The gun went off and so did we. The initial 100 meters were slow going as we had to weave our way through the thick crowd. In any case, I felt a burst of energy (which was natural and had nothing to do with Power Gel! :p) and was itching to capitalise on that and cover as much ground as possible. But I was torn between staying at my friends’ pace and going off on my own. But after a couple of minutes, and with them sensing my “impatience”/”energy”, they urged me to go ahead.
Off I went! And it was exhilarating ~ overtaking participant after participant. I knew my burst of energy would deplete soon but my plan was to run 30 minutes without stopping, then take a five minute walk, and run the rest of the way! At the 20 minute mark, I was getting thirsty and my pace had slowed. I ran on, determined to hit the 30 minute mark before I gave in. Everything was a blur as I paced myself against time. Minutes ticked by slowly. My steps ate the ground slowly but surely. Yet no drink stops were in sight.
The moment the minute hand hit the 30 minute mark, I slowed down to a fast walking pace. Barely five minutes later, I spotted the drink stop. I grabbed two cups each of water and 100 Plus, and gulped them down one by one. With my thirst finally quenched, I started my run again. But this time, I couldn’t quite get back my running rhythm. I was running and walking and running and walking. At one point, my right calf muscle and instep were giving me a lot of problems. I could feel my muscle getting stiff but I needed to complete the race and preferably well within the time stipulated. My competitive spirit asked it. My pride demanded it.
A look at the watch and I noted that 50 minutes had lapsed and I was still on Jalan Sultan Ismail. I saw Sheraton Imperial and thought we were headed for the highway. My heart plummeted as I realised that there was no way in hell I could finish the race within the stipulated 1hour and 30 minutes if we took that route. I had no idea how many kilometres I had already covered. For a moment, I toyed with the idea of taking the Power Gel. But I decided against it as I felt I was close enough to complete without the added help. Besides, I wanted to complete the race on my own steam if I could.
I ran on, still determined. Suddenly, a participant stopped in the middle of the road and groaned. He had pulled his muscle quite badly. I watched in empathy as an official came to his aid. Fearing for my right leg, I continued my run but took care to slow down a bit more. I’d rather be slow than to end up not finishing the race due to muscle injury.
To my surprise and joy, the route took a left turn into Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and on towards Dataran Merdeka! I was in with a chance. I picked up my pace and ran, hopped, walked all the way to the finishing line! I managed to finish in 1 hour and 10 minutes, and got a medal and certificate for the run in the process. That was way cool!
Val came in merely five minutes after me, whilst Viv and LK came in a mere five minutes after Val! We all made it within the stipulated time and I was mightily impressed that the ladies actually ran all the way. Hip Hip Hurray for all of them!
We then hunted for the boys. We sent them smses, but did not receive any reply. We called them to no avail as we only reached their voicemails. Half an hour later, we received a call from Kyle. It seemed that he ran the half marathon instead of the 10km run (taking over SCP’s place). We were all very impressed that he actually completed the race, … and in 2 hours and 35 minutes no less! That was blardy fantastic although I refused to tell Kyle then (just in case it went up to his head)! Hehehehe …
We had great fun during the run. But it went down hill from then on … from a planning perspective, that is. Is it a man thing not to plan ahead on where to meet after a race? Especially since one party did not have his handphone with him during the race and he ran a different distance from the other party? And the other party actually moved his car away from the original parking space where the first party knew he parked?
In any case, we thought we lost Hill Rabbit. We could not find him. We called him but remembered that his handphone was in Kyle’s car. We then called another fellow gym member who was running with him and had his handphone with him. Unfortunately, we reached his voicemail. I attempted to get the officials to make a missing person’s announcement but to no avail. Finally, we thought that Hill Rabbit would be resourceful enough to find his way home. The only thing was, he just had to wait for Kyle to find him to hand him his condo keys.
Next on the agenda was breakfast. We were famished and as Kyle did not think he could drive, I took over his car while LK went back for hers with the rest of the ladies. Enroute back to PJ, we received a call from the fellow gym member who was with Hill Rabbit but alas! Kyle’s phone went flat. (Why have a handphone if one doesn't plan to charge 'em batteries? grrr ...) Then we received a call from LK. The good news was, they found Hill Rabbit and friend. The bad news was, her car and several others, were blocked by two inconsiderate drivers who parked at both the entrance and exit of the parking area! It’s Murphy’s Law ~ everything that could go wrong went wrong!
In any case, Kyle and I decided to shower at my place first before meeting the rest at the restaurant ~ seeing as how it could take awhile as the authorities had just called a tow truck to tow ‘em cars away. Midway through the journey, I remembered my keys were in LK’s car! Dang! What did I just say about Murphy’s Law? Then I remembered Dad was in town and he had a spare set of my keys. I managed to catch hold of him, got the keys and then drove back to my place. Finally, something right came about!
We managed to get ourselves all cleaned up in no time at all. Then came the call from Hill Rabbit. He would leave first via public transport and would stop at the Kelana Jaya LRT station. We would then pick him up, pass him his keys and fetch him home. We then received another call from the ladies. They were finally on their way to the restaurant. Strangely enough, they arrived much earlier than Hill Rabbit. Kyle decided he would take Hill Rabbit home and forego breakfast with us, whilst I drove straight to the restaurant to meet the rest of the ladies!
What a dramatic end! Success! Chaos! Adventure! What else can we ask for? : )
A big thank you goes to SCP for registering the race for us and helping us get our T-shirts and running numbers despite not being able to go for the race himself in the end. Three cheers to SCP!
And three more cheers to all my running partners! You go girl! Boys included … : )
P.S. Just found the online published results. Kyle, you did it in 2:37:29 official time and 2:36:58 chip time. Check this link and look for Alex's full name. Way to go!!! Woo hoo!
Yup! It’s been that kind of week. Read “Damsel in Distress” if you have yet to do so.
Remember the blog Cardio! Cardio! Cardio!, where our Siau Club President (SCP) signed us up for the KL International Marathon? Thank God he registered most of us under the 10km category instead of the half or full marathon. Only SCP and Manny, the Hill Rabbit got the honours of registering for the half and full marathon respectively
Well 18th March, the D-Day, finally arrived. And six out of the 12 registered did not turn up! Notably, our SCP was missing. He had a last minute training. Sister Mary had a RPM class at 11.30am and PW had to attend a last minute company function at 8.00am. The rest were Derek, Shane didi and Ming (former SCP), who for various reasons, could not make it for the run either. That left Manny, Sir Kyle, Viv, LK, Val and yours truly to uphold the Siau Club flag on that fateful day.
Ok. I admit I slacked terribly in my training after our initial registration. In fact, I had absolutely no training at all except for a wee bit of cardio from my weekly badminton game and my off-and-on whenever-we-can-wake-up weekend trekking trips up Gasing Hill.
Thus, on Saturday (the day before the run), Val and I decided that we REALLY must make a valiant attempt at the race. So, off we went to the gym for my first and also last training for our first 10km outdoor run. I managed to do a 30 minute run on the treadmill but that would have to suffice. Both Val and I reckoned that if we could not run all the way during the race, we could at least walk. We could also rely on the miracle liquid drink (Power Gel) discovered by sister Mary during our adventure up Mount Kinabalu. She swore by that now and after witnessing the effect on her (she literally had a spurt of energy and zoomed ahead of us after taking the drink!), we decided we had nothing to lose using that stuff. Back to matters at hand, we figured that no matter what happened we must complete the race.
As Manny was the only one who signed up for the full marathon, he had to arrive at Dataran Merdeka at 3.30am for registration as his run would start at 4.00am, whilst the rest of us (the 10km category) were required to register at 6.30am as our run would start at 7.00am. Kyle volunteered to fetch Manny down whilst the rest of us would arrive later. We all thought that it was really sweet of Kyle to do so, as he not only had to wake up blardy early, he also had to wait a good three hours before his race began. I am not quite sure if I’d have done that for my best friends were I put to the test.
In any case, the ladies arrived in time for the race. There was no sign of Kyle but we expected as much, as the crowd was tremendous. We all brought our handphones with us and decided on a place to meet up after the race should we part during the race.
The gun went off and so did we. The initial 100 meters were slow going as we had to weave our way through the thick crowd. In any case, I felt a burst of energy (which was natural and had nothing to do with Power Gel! :p) and was itching to capitalise on that and cover as much ground as possible. But I was torn between staying at my friends’ pace and going off on my own. But after a couple of minutes, and with them sensing my “impatience”/”energy”, they urged me to go ahead.
Off I went! And it was exhilarating ~ overtaking participant after participant. I knew my burst of energy would deplete soon but my plan was to run 30 minutes without stopping, then take a five minute walk, and run the rest of the way! At the 20 minute mark, I was getting thirsty and my pace had slowed. I ran on, determined to hit the 30 minute mark before I gave in. Everything was a blur as I paced myself against time. Minutes ticked by slowly. My steps ate the ground slowly but surely. Yet no drink stops were in sight.
The moment the minute hand hit the 30 minute mark, I slowed down to a fast walking pace. Barely five minutes later, I spotted the drink stop. I grabbed two cups each of water and 100 Plus, and gulped them down one by one. With my thirst finally quenched, I started my run again. But this time, I couldn’t quite get back my running rhythm. I was running and walking and running and walking. At one point, my right calf muscle and instep were giving me a lot of problems. I could feel my muscle getting stiff but I needed to complete the race and preferably well within the time stipulated. My competitive spirit asked it. My pride demanded it.
A look at the watch and I noted that 50 minutes had lapsed and I was still on Jalan Sultan Ismail. I saw Sheraton Imperial and thought we were headed for the highway. My heart plummeted as I realised that there was no way in hell I could finish the race within the stipulated 1hour and 30 minutes if we took that route. I had no idea how many kilometres I had already covered. For a moment, I toyed with the idea of taking the Power Gel. But I decided against it as I felt I was close enough to complete without the added help. Besides, I wanted to complete the race on my own steam if I could.
I ran on, still determined. Suddenly, a participant stopped in the middle of the road and groaned. He had pulled his muscle quite badly. I watched in empathy as an official came to his aid. Fearing for my right leg, I continued my run but took care to slow down a bit more. I’d rather be slow than to end up not finishing the race due to muscle injury.
To my surprise and joy, the route took a left turn into Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and on towards Dataran Merdeka! I was in with a chance. I picked up my pace and ran, hopped, walked all the way to the finishing line! I managed to finish in 1 hour and 10 minutes, and got a medal and certificate for the run in the process. That was way cool!
Val came in merely five minutes after me, whilst Viv and LK came in a mere five minutes after Val! We all made it within the stipulated time and I was mightily impressed that the ladies actually ran all the way. Hip Hip Hurray for all of them!
We then hunted for the boys. We sent them smses, but did not receive any reply. We called them to no avail as we only reached their voicemails. Half an hour later, we received a call from Kyle. It seemed that he ran the half marathon instead of the 10km run (taking over SCP’s place). We were all very impressed that he actually completed the race, … and in 2 hours and 35 minutes no less! That was blardy fantastic although I refused to tell Kyle then (just in case it went up to his head)! Hehehehe …
We had great fun during the run. But it went down hill from then on … from a planning perspective, that is. Is it a man thing not to plan ahead on where to meet after a race? Especially since one party did not have his handphone with him during the race and he ran a different distance from the other party? And the other party actually moved his car away from the original parking space where the first party knew he parked?
In any case, we thought we lost Hill Rabbit. We could not find him. We called him but remembered that his handphone was in Kyle’s car. We then called another fellow gym member who was running with him and had his handphone with him. Unfortunately, we reached his voicemail. I attempted to get the officials to make a missing person’s announcement but to no avail. Finally, we thought that Hill Rabbit would be resourceful enough to find his way home. The only thing was, he just had to wait for Kyle to find him to hand him his condo keys.
Next on the agenda was breakfast. We were famished and as Kyle did not think he could drive, I took over his car while LK went back for hers with the rest of the ladies. Enroute back to PJ, we received a call from the fellow gym member who was with Hill Rabbit but alas! Kyle’s phone went flat. (Why have a handphone if one doesn't plan to charge 'em batteries? grrr ...) Then we received a call from LK. The good news was, they found Hill Rabbit and friend. The bad news was, her car and several others, were blocked by two inconsiderate drivers who parked at both the entrance and exit of the parking area! It’s Murphy’s Law ~ everything that could go wrong went wrong!
In any case, Kyle and I decided to shower at my place first before meeting the rest at the restaurant ~ seeing as how it could take awhile as the authorities had just called a tow truck to tow ‘em cars away. Midway through the journey, I remembered my keys were in LK’s car! Dang! What did I just say about Murphy’s Law? Then I remembered Dad was in town and he had a spare set of my keys. I managed to catch hold of him, got the keys and then drove back to my place. Finally, something right came about!
We managed to get ourselves all cleaned up in no time at all. Then came the call from Hill Rabbit. He would leave first via public transport and would stop at the Kelana Jaya LRT station. We would then pick him up, pass him his keys and fetch him home. We then received another call from the ladies. They were finally on their way to the restaurant. Strangely enough, they arrived much earlier than Hill Rabbit. Kyle decided he would take Hill Rabbit home and forego breakfast with us, whilst I drove straight to the restaurant to meet the rest of the ladies!
What a dramatic end! Success! Chaos! Adventure! What else can we ask for? : )
A big thank you goes to SCP for registering the race for us and helping us get our T-shirts and running numbers despite not being able to go for the race himself in the end. Three cheers to SCP!
And three more cheers to all my running partners! You go girl! Boys included … : )
P.S. Just found the online published results. Kyle, you did it in 2:37:29 official time and 2:36:58 chip time. Check this link and look for Alex's full name. Way to go!!! Woo hoo!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Cardio! Cardio! Cardio!
I believe I mentioned that the siau gang never do things half measure. Well, once again, I am proven right!
We have been told by the new Siau Club President, Alex (herein known as SCP) to bring along cash payment for en masse registration for the Kuala Lumpur International Marathon on 18th March 2007. Luckily, he did not put our names for the half marathon as per his earlier threat. Thank God for small mercies!
SCP will of course do the half marathon (as expected of every President although Ming escaped that during his tenure), while his cohort, Manny the “hill rabbit” ( :p ) will go for the full marathon. Having witness Manny’s speed and stamina during our Bukit Gasing treks (which he ran instead of trek) left me in no doubt that he would wing this one easily.
Now, the rest of the very fit men and ladies of the siau gang (who averagely work out at least three times a week) will have no sweat in completing the 10 km run in no time. Which leaves ME, the most unfit one who has not gone to a gym in eons (probably more than 3 months), to fend for myself. My only claim to exercise hall of fame is my weekly badminton game and my once in a blue moon weekend trek.
Dang! As 18th March is not that far off, I had to get back to the gym today. Despite being 15 minutes late for combat class, after 15 minutes of high impact cardio, I was out of breath. By the half hour mark, I can feel stitches at my side. Towards the end, after jumping and kicking around for only 45 minutes, I had muscle cramp on my foot. Gee wheeze! Talk about totally out of the fitness and stamina radar.
Nevertheless, the spirit was willing even though the flesh was weak! Really weak! I continued on at the treadmill and managed to run 2.6 km in 20 minutes! At this rate, I’d likely take an hour and a half (if lucky) to complete the 10 km run and I’ll be eating everyone’s dust. Oh boy! I certainly have a lot of work cut out for me.
My mantra for the next few weeks will be, “Think cardio. Think high impact cardio!”
Siau!
We have been told by the new Siau Club President, Alex (herein known as SCP) to bring along cash payment for en masse registration for the Kuala Lumpur International Marathon on 18th March 2007. Luckily, he did not put our names for the half marathon as per his earlier threat. Thank God for small mercies!
SCP will of course do the half marathon (as expected of every President although Ming escaped that during his tenure), while his cohort, Manny the “hill rabbit” ( :p ) will go for the full marathon. Having witness Manny’s speed and stamina during our Bukit Gasing treks (which he ran instead of trek) left me in no doubt that he would wing this one easily.
Now, the rest of the very fit men and ladies of the siau gang (who averagely work out at least three times a week) will have no sweat in completing the 10 km run in no time. Which leaves ME, the most unfit one who has not gone to a gym in eons (probably more than 3 months), to fend for myself. My only claim to exercise hall of fame is my weekly badminton game and my once in a blue moon weekend trek.
Dang! As 18th March is not that far off, I had to get back to the gym today. Despite being 15 minutes late for combat class, after 15 minutes of high impact cardio, I was out of breath. By the half hour mark, I can feel stitches at my side. Towards the end, after jumping and kicking around for only 45 minutes, I had muscle cramp on my foot. Gee wheeze! Talk about totally out of the fitness and stamina radar.
Nevertheless, the spirit was willing even though the flesh was weak! Really weak! I continued on at the treadmill and managed to run 2.6 km in 20 minutes! At this rate, I’d likely take an hour and a half (if lucky) to complete the 10 km run and I’ll be eating everyone’s dust. Oh boy! I certainly have a lot of work cut out for me.
My mantra for the next few weeks will be, “Think cardio. Think high impact cardio!”
Siau!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Thank God for Thursday nights!
I am in an extremely buoyant mood. We had a good game of badminton tonight, and for the first time since last Thursday I saw glimpses of my old game (honed during high school days) returning. I never expected that my passion for the game would return either. After all, I have hung up my badminton racket due to lack of regular badminton partners a long time ago.
Since early this year, Zack has tried very hard to pull our group of ex-MBA course mates together for a regular game of badminton. I did not put much hope that he would succeed. After all, through my years of adulthood, such attempts tend to peter out after awhile as work and family commitments would intrude eventually.
On my part, I was also hard put to commit to a regular game schedule. It is only in recent months that I started making it a point to do so. Call me crazy but I have been known to reschedule customer dinners and even family dinners, just to ensure that I can go for the game.
Who would have thought that our group would hang out together because of the game? The enthusiasm, commitment, competitiveness and fun we have on and off court (i.e. supper at mamak after the game) make a big difference.
All I can say is thank god for Thursday. It’s fast becoming my favourite day of the week! :D
Since early this year, Zack has tried very hard to pull our group of ex-MBA course mates together for a regular game of badminton. I did not put much hope that he would succeed. After all, through my years of adulthood, such attempts tend to peter out after awhile as work and family commitments would intrude eventually.
On my part, I was also hard put to commit to a regular game schedule. It is only in recent months that I started making it a point to do so. Call me crazy but I have been known to reschedule customer dinners and even family dinners, just to ensure that I can go for the game.
Who would have thought that our group would hang out together because of the game? The enthusiasm, commitment, competitiveness and fun we have on and off court (i.e. supper at mamak after the game) make a big difference.
All I can say is thank god for Thursday. It’s fast becoming my favourite day of the week! :D
Friday, October 06, 2006
Weekly Thursday Night Badminton
Boy! Talk about missing in action for months. I haven't seen my MBA coursemates in yonks i.e. since I have dropped outta the weekly badminton tourney with them.
It was a darn good two hour workout tonight. And these guys had no mercy! Blardy hell!!! I was scrambling all over the court, retrieving shots. I bet my muscles will start protesting tomorrow.
But it was a good sort of pain. Yeah! Yeah! Perhaps I am a masochist. :p In any case, I am making a wow to myself to join them every Thursday if I am in good ol' KL.
I'm glad that they continued with the mamak session to end a perfect game day. It's a great way to catch up and start bitching about how the uni ripped us off! Hahaha ...
Life's A Bitch Till You Day. But sometimes, there's a silver lining in the clouds! ;)
It's GREAT to be back!
It was a darn good two hour workout tonight. And these guys had no mercy! Blardy hell!!! I was scrambling all over the court, retrieving shots. I bet my muscles will start protesting tomorrow.
But it was a good sort of pain. Yeah! Yeah! Perhaps I am a masochist. :p In any case, I am making a wow to myself to join them every Thursday if I am in good ol' KL.
I'm glad that they continued with the mamak session to end a perfect game day. It's a great way to catch up and start bitching about how the uni ripped us off! Hahaha ...
Life's A Bitch Till You Day. But sometimes, there's a silver lining in the clouds! ;)
It's GREAT to be back!
Sunday, September 10, 2006
A biking we went ... weeeeee!
Gosh! A full weekend free from work and other commitments! I feel absolutely liberated. But alas, it went by too quickly.
Guess I can no longer deny the fact that I am a child of nature and the great outdoors. The first opportunity I get, it's off to the hills!
With a few of the "siau gang" in tow, namely Supermom Mary and Canadian Kyle of my poetry "The Perfect Man" fame (and a newbie, Aubrey) we went for a short but strenuous bike ride on Saturday evening. Up Kiara Hill we went. For those who frequent Kiara Hill, you would be able to empathise with us. Running or jogging up Kiara Hill is enough to cause shortness of breath. Biking up that hill ... boy! ... I must be mad! OK, ok. It was a challenge from another friend who said that it is not easy for beginners (as in beginners for mountain bikers) to finish the trek, and I so wanted to prove him wrong!
So up the hill we went ~ huffing and puffing. I swear my calves and thighs almost gave way in the initial 100+ metres, but I persevered. Using low gears and rotating between sitting and straddling the seat, I managed to ride the bike to the top and the starting point of the trek. From there, we had an easy downward ride but instead of going straight from that point, we turned left instead so that we could "enjoy" the steeper trail up at the end of the loop.
There was another trail that leads off to the Kiara Equestrain Club, which I had always wanted to explore. So, off the beaten trek we went. Weeee ... It was an exhilarating downward journey! But a painful upward one. At the beginning of the upward trail, Supermom Mary had "chain" problems. The front gear chain was stuck and we couldn't push it to the smaller gears. Kyle and Aubrey went ahead whilst I helped Supermom Mary with her "chain". The night was fast approaching but the "chain" remained stubborn. A nice uncle (who was taking his evening walk) was concerned and told us that we should get out of the place soon as it was getting real dark. Luckily with a bit more brute strength and a turn of the pedal counter clockwise, we managed to "unstuck" the chain.
Finally, by dusk, we have completed the trail. What a ride! But then, the muscle aches were relentless the next day. Oh well, just shows that I need to practise more before attempting the more challenging slopes of KKB and Genting.
I live in hope! :)
Guess I can no longer deny the fact that I am a child of nature and the great outdoors. The first opportunity I get, it's off to the hills!
With a few of the "siau gang" in tow, namely Supermom Mary and Canadian Kyle of my poetry "The Perfect Man" fame (and a newbie, Aubrey) we went for a short but strenuous bike ride on Saturday evening. Up Kiara Hill we went. For those who frequent Kiara Hill, you would be able to empathise with us. Running or jogging up Kiara Hill is enough to cause shortness of breath. Biking up that hill ... boy! ... I must be mad! OK, ok. It was a challenge from another friend who said that it is not easy for beginners (as in beginners for mountain bikers) to finish the trek, and I so wanted to prove him wrong!
So up the hill we went ~ huffing and puffing. I swear my calves and thighs almost gave way in the initial 100+ metres, but I persevered. Using low gears and rotating between sitting and straddling the seat, I managed to ride the bike to the top and the starting point of the trek. From there, we had an easy downward ride but instead of going straight from that point, we turned left instead so that we could "enjoy" the steeper trail up at the end of the loop.
There was another trail that leads off to the Kiara Equestrain Club, which I had always wanted to explore. So, off the beaten trek we went. Weeee ... It was an exhilarating downward journey! But a painful upward one. At the beginning of the upward trail, Supermom Mary had "chain" problems. The front gear chain was stuck and we couldn't push it to the smaller gears. Kyle and Aubrey went ahead whilst I helped Supermom Mary with her "chain". The night was fast approaching but the "chain" remained stubborn. A nice uncle (who was taking his evening walk) was concerned and told us that we should get out of the place soon as it was getting real dark. Luckily with a bit more brute strength and a turn of the pedal counter clockwise, we managed to "unstuck" the chain.
Finally, by dusk, we have completed the trail. What a ride! But then, the muscle aches were relentless the next day. Oh well, just shows that I need to practise more before attempting the more challenging slopes of KKB and Genting.
I live in hope! :)
Friday, July 28, 2006
Graduation Day!
I DID IT!
I didn't think I'd finally pull it off! There were moments I swear I almost gave up on writing my dissertation. I even wrote a poem on my dissertation blues! It was just too time consuming and I was just too tired juggling between work and research. I thought I'd just graduate with a post graduate diploma instead. But luckily, I persevered. I suppose the difficult part is in getting started on the writing. But once we overcome that obstacle, the rest is a lot easier!
Now, after 4 years 12 modules and one dissertation later, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel! Wahoo! Most of the folks during my batch and the batch after me have already graduated. But I really took my time. I confessed I really enjoyed the whole programme except for the final part of writing the dissertation. It takes a lot of discipline to sit down and read and summarise and think. Oh well, that's all in the past now.
Another year, another milestone. Although I did not really plan on attending my graduation earlier, it didn't take much persuasion from my parents to do so. And I was one lucky gal as a few friends and my entire family braved the long distance to get there. My family lost their way in the process while my friends accompanied me and faced off hunger pangs and boredom while awaiting my family to find their way to the campus. All in all, it was a great day although I was absolutely pooped in the end.
Thanks folks for coming to the event. It meant a whole lot to me!
We finally made it!
What would graduation be without the traditional mortar board throwing shot! And there they go ... up, up and away!
And what were my friends doing while I sweat it out in the "monkey" costume? Let's take a look.
All: Take our photo! Forget about Leanne. She has enough shots already!:p
Derek: AHAHAHAHAHA .... That's wayyyy tooo farnie!
Alex: Watcha' looking at?
Me: Hey! Look! Look! The SIAMESE TWINS ... NOT!
Me: Now, open mouth and show me your pearly white teeth!
Val: Did you see that dude? Phooey! Way cool man!
LK: Which one?
Val: That one with that large soulful eyes!
He just walked pass not 5 mins ago!
PW: Which one?
Val: ..... blah blah blah blah ...
Val: Aiyoyo! Enough already la! Is she still taking pictures? I'm hungry!
Val: I'm hungry!
PW: Me too!
Derek: Me three!
LK: Let's have ikan bakar!
Me: Sorry folks. Forgot to take the ikan picture. Took the mutton instead.
I didn't think I'd finally pull it off! There were moments I swear I almost gave up on writing my dissertation. I even wrote a poem on my dissertation blues! It was just too time consuming and I was just too tired juggling between work and research. I thought I'd just graduate with a post graduate diploma instead. But luckily, I persevered. I suppose the difficult part is in getting started on the writing. But once we overcome that obstacle, the rest is a lot easier!
Now, after 4 years 12 modules and one dissertation later, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel! Wahoo! Most of the folks during my batch and the batch after me have already graduated. But I really took my time. I confessed I really enjoyed the whole programme except for the final part of writing the dissertation. It takes a lot of discipline to sit down and read and summarise and think. Oh well, that's all in the past now.
Another year, another milestone. Although I did not really plan on attending my graduation earlier, it didn't take much persuasion from my parents to do so. And I was one lucky gal as a few friends and my entire family braved the long distance to get there. My family lost their way in the process while my friends accompanied me and faced off hunger pangs and boredom while awaiting my family to find their way to the campus. All in all, it was a great day although I was absolutely pooped in the end.
Thanks folks for coming to the event. It meant a whole lot to me!
We finally made it!
What would graduation be without the traditional mortar board throwing shot! And there they go ... up, up and away!
And what were my friends doing while I sweat it out in the "monkey" costume? Let's take a look.
All: Take our photo! Forget about Leanne. She has enough shots already!:p
Derek: AHAHAHAHAHA .... That's wayyyy tooo farnie!
Alex: Watcha' looking at?
Me: Hey! Look! Look! The SIAMESE TWINS ... NOT!
Me: Now, open mouth and show me your pearly white teeth!
Val: Did you see that dude? Phooey! Way cool man!
LK: Which one?
Val: That one with that large soulful eyes!
He just walked pass not 5 mins ago!
PW: Which one?
Val: ..... blah blah blah blah ...
Val: Aiyoyo! Enough already la! Is she still taking pictures? I'm hungry!
Val: I'm hungry!
PW: Me too!
Derek: Me three!
LK: Let's have ikan bakar!
Me: Sorry folks. Forgot to take the ikan picture. Took the mutton instead.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
YES! I DID IT AGAIN!
OK. Confession time. Part of the reason I was Missing In Action for so long was because I was also on vacation recently. And yes, I was up in the mountains seeking for my muse, my inspiration and another triumphant tale to tell.
Three years ago in May, a group of friends and I climbed Mount Kinabalu via Timpohon Gate, and we (the whole group) emerged triumphant.
A week plus ago, another group of friends and I climbed the mountain again, this time via Mersilau Trail. And this group too made it to the top!
Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia, @ 4,095m! Three years might have passed, but the beauty of the mountain has not changed. Below are pictures from both occassions.
The journey up Mount Kinabalu via the Mersilau Trail, a week plus ago
Water falls found along the trail
Streams found along the trail
Bonsai Trees or Sayat-sayat along the trail
The Mersilau Trail joins the Timpohon Trail
about 2km before Laban Rata
Laban Rata
South Peak
At Low's Peak
Low's Gully
The journey up Mount Kinabalu via Timpohon Gate, three years ago
Sunrise at Low's Peak
At Low's Peak
St John's Peak
Three years ago in May, a group of friends and I climbed Mount Kinabalu via Timpohon Gate, and we (the whole group) emerged triumphant.
A week plus ago, another group of friends and I climbed the mountain again, this time via Mersilau Trail. And this group too made it to the top!
Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia, @ 4,095m! Three years might have passed, but the beauty of the mountain has not changed. Below are pictures from both occassions.
The journey up Mount Kinabalu via the Mersilau Trail, a week plus ago
Water falls found along the trail
Streams found along the trail
Bonsai Trees or Sayat-sayat along the trail
The Mersilau Trail joins the Timpohon Trail
about 2km before Laban Rata
Laban Rata
South Peak
At Low's Peak
Low's Gully
The journey up Mount Kinabalu via Timpohon Gate, three years ago
Sunrise at Low's Peak
At Low's Peak
St John's Peak
Monday, December 05, 2005
Badminton mania
OK. I spoke too soon. It’s been awhile (a couple of months) since I played badminton. Had a fantastic game on Thursday but two hours straight playing doubles with no reprieve has taken a little toll on this body. No matter how active one is, different sports and games use different muscle groups, therefore the body aches. Or so I would like to think that would happen to everyone. :p Imagine doing lobs, jumping smashes (ahem … TRYING to jump and smash is what I really meant. Yang Yang, I am not!), stretching for net shots, etc ~ all part and parcel of the game; unlike say, running or walking on the machines at the gym, or trekking on the slopes of Bukit Gasing.
Anyway, is it me or did you notice the sudden increase of badminton enthusiasts? Usually out of the 18 courts in Stadium Juara, only about 4 to 6 courts were booked every time we played. Thus imagine my surprise when a sea of faces greeted me when I dropped by Stadium Juara on Thursday. All 18 courts were fully booked. Badminton mania is back! But why now? Not like there’s an All-England or a Thomas Cup event. Usually the spike of interest in the game occurs when these competitions are running. Hmm … the only event occurring now is the SEA Games. Could that be the catalyst?
In any case, my back had a hell of a “beating” during the game. I am postponing the massage until the aches lessen. *groans* I sometimes wonder why I do this to myself … :p
Anyway, is it me or did you notice the sudden increase of badminton enthusiasts? Usually out of the 18 courts in Stadium Juara, only about 4 to 6 courts were booked every time we played. Thus imagine my surprise when a sea of faces greeted me when I dropped by Stadium Juara on Thursday. All 18 courts were fully booked. Badminton mania is back! But why now? Not like there’s an All-England or a Thomas Cup event. Usually the spike of interest in the game occurs when these competitions are running. Hmm … the only event occurring now is the SEA Games. Could that be the catalyst?
In any case, my back had a hell of a “beating” during the game. I am postponing the massage until the aches lessen. *groans* I sometimes wonder why I do this to myself … :p
Monday, November 14, 2005
Woo hoo! I did a 10 km run yesterday!
Ever since I heard that the rest of the group has gone on a 10 km run on the treadmill last week, I was itching to do so myself. I am not a masochist (really!) but as I have mentioned before, I am often done in by that little devil called “competitiveness”. In any case, after the early morning trek, I was quite inspired to do a bit more exercise. Fixing the distance at 10 km on the machine and the speed at 9.0 km per hour, I was ready to face my first 10 km challenge.
The first 5 km was a breeze. I have run that distance before and knew I have the stamina to do so again and maintain my run at that speed. The following 3 km was a challenge. I could feel my legs getting heavier and slower; and I had to work extremely hard to maintain the speed. It didn’t help that there was a maniacal runner on the left machine going at 10.0 km an hour continuously and pounding onwards with such energy and concentration! I surreptitiously checked his distance meter and the reading was at 16 km! He started much later than me. How could that be possible?
In any case, I had to deal with completing my run despite being disturbed that someone who started later than me could overtake my distance. Dang! Something is definitely wrong with his machine. :p In any case, the final 2 km for me was a real struggle ~ it seemed to take eons for the distance meter to jump 0.01 km. I reached the stage where I had to literally rotate between walking at the speed of 6.9 km per hour for 0.50 km and running at 10.0 km per hour for 0.50 km. The distance meter seemed to move in slow motion … 9.98 km, 9.99 km … 10.00 km! Whoopie! I finally hit the 10 km distance at a time of 1 hour and 9 minutes. * Does the victory dance! *
I really needed a massage after that but I thought a few relaxing moments in the pool would help too. Off we went to the young lecturer’s condo for a leisurely swim. Sigh! I don’t think this group of people do things in half measures (me included)! We ended up having a leisurely swim but also doing some contortionist moves under water. It was a lot of fun but I have a great feeling that I will suffer for yesterday’s antics in the next few days.
A friend once told me, “You can’t starve for six days and binge on the seventh day! It’s most unhealthy.” That couldn’t be helped though as my crazy schedule last week conspired to place me in such a predicament once again. And really, this was all a spur of the moment thing. Life doesn’t get better than this eh?! :D
The first 5 km was a breeze. I have run that distance before and knew I have the stamina to do so again and maintain my run at that speed. The following 3 km was a challenge. I could feel my legs getting heavier and slower; and I had to work extremely hard to maintain the speed. It didn’t help that there was a maniacal runner on the left machine going at 10.0 km an hour continuously and pounding onwards with such energy and concentration! I surreptitiously checked his distance meter and the reading was at 16 km! He started much later than me. How could that be possible?
In any case, I had to deal with completing my run despite being disturbed that someone who started later than me could overtake my distance. Dang! Something is definitely wrong with his machine. :p In any case, the final 2 km for me was a real struggle ~ it seemed to take eons for the distance meter to jump 0.01 km. I reached the stage where I had to literally rotate between walking at the speed of 6.9 km per hour for 0.50 km and running at 10.0 km per hour for 0.50 km. The distance meter seemed to move in slow motion … 9.98 km, 9.99 km … 10.00 km! Whoopie! I finally hit the 10 km distance at a time of 1 hour and 9 minutes. * Does the victory dance! *
I really needed a massage after that but I thought a few relaxing moments in the pool would help too. Off we went to the young lecturer’s condo for a leisurely swim. Sigh! I don’t think this group of people do things in half measures (me included)! We ended up having a leisurely swim but also doing some contortionist moves under water. It was a lot of fun but I have a great feeling that I will suffer for yesterday’s antics in the next few days.
A friend once told me, “You can’t starve for six days and binge on the seventh day! It’s most unhealthy.” That couldn’t be helped though as my crazy schedule last week conspired to place me in such a predicament once again. And really, this was all a spur of the moment thing. Life doesn’t get better than this eh?! :D
A crazy trail and a chance encounter with an amazing character
Trekking has suddenly become a weekly Sunday morning affair/ ritual especially with the boys ~ two young lecturers and one little monster. I am not quite sure if I should jump for joy or pray for salvation, but be that as it may, we were on a mission yesterday to explore new trails and boy(!) did we do that in great style. Whilst our effort to reach the Telekom Tower was achieved albeit a disappointingly short climb, we did not quite find the actual trail to the top. However, our return journey was another matter altogether as we trail blazed our way downwards.
We followed a steep opening from the hilltop and ended up clambering downwards with our front facing the face of the hill and our backs towards the sun (if the sun could penetrate the dense forest that is); whilst hanging on to “army” ropes that were conveniently “placed” along the unused trail. Quarter way downhill, I lost the trail and had to rely on instinct as we literally slid and scrambled downwards. Spider webs were aplenty and as I was leading the pack, it was inevitable that I get the bulk of the cobwebs all over me. Yucks! Creepy crawlies is definitely not my cup of tea.
Little monster had a moment of sheer agony when he slid on a huge stone/ boulder (?) whilst trying to slide downhill on his butt! Ouch! And of course the continuous lament I received from him was, “can’t you find a path with higher branches?” He he he … For once, being vertically challenge is such a joy to be ~ which brings to mind the following quote “every dog has his day.” :p We were totally lost for a few moments but we kept working our way downhill and we hoped, towards the stream. It was sheer joy for us when we finally found that “magical” stream and were back on familiar territory.
The plan was to continue exploring another path which would lead us to Kampung Kerinchi but luck would have it that we meet a certain Uncle Loke; who was actually clearing paths and making trails for his regular trekkers. Uncle Loke does not look a day over 55 but we found out that he is actually 71. Gosh! I think he has become our new hero and inspiration for further exercise and treks. All of us wanted to look that good at 71! : ) And one young lecturer was quite inspired by Uncle Loke’s biceps because at the ripe old age of 71, his biceps are much larger than all the three boys!
We had an interesting chat with Uncle Loke and he advised us to return using the usual way as we could get completely lost. He subsequently invited us to join his group to explore new trails at Bukit Gasing the following week. I could see the ‘sparkle’ in the eyes of little monster and the one young lecturer; and I knew that they would definitely be joining Uncle Loke next week. As for my participation, we shall see …. No venture, no gain. But no commitments … yet! : )
We followed a steep opening from the hilltop and ended up clambering downwards with our front facing the face of the hill and our backs towards the sun (if the sun could penetrate the dense forest that is); whilst hanging on to “army” ropes that were conveniently “placed” along the unused trail. Quarter way downhill, I lost the trail and had to rely on instinct as we literally slid and scrambled downwards. Spider webs were aplenty and as I was leading the pack, it was inevitable that I get the bulk of the cobwebs all over me. Yucks! Creepy crawlies is definitely not my cup of tea.
Little monster had a moment of sheer agony when he slid on a huge stone/ boulder (?) whilst trying to slide downhill on his butt! Ouch! And of course the continuous lament I received from him was, “can’t you find a path with higher branches?” He he he … For once, being vertically challenge is such a joy to be ~ which brings to mind the following quote “every dog has his day.” :p We were totally lost for a few moments but we kept working our way downhill and we hoped, towards the stream. It was sheer joy for us when we finally found that “magical” stream and were back on familiar territory.
The plan was to continue exploring another path which would lead us to Kampung Kerinchi but luck would have it that we meet a certain Uncle Loke; who was actually clearing paths and making trails for his regular trekkers. Uncle Loke does not look a day over 55 but we found out that he is actually 71. Gosh! I think he has become our new hero and inspiration for further exercise and treks. All of us wanted to look that good at 71! : ) And one young lecturer was quite inspired by Uncle Loke’s biceps because at the ripe old age of 71, his biceps are much larger than all the three boys!
We had an interesting chat with Uncle Loke and he advised us to return using the usual way as we could get completely lost. He subsequently invited us to join his group to explore new trails at Bukit Gasing the following week. I could see the ‘sparkle’ in the eyes of little monster and the one young lecturer; and I knew that they would definitely be joining Uncle Loke next week. As for my participation, we shall see …. No venture, no gain. But no commitments … yet! : )
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Trekking … again?
Gently does it ... body balance on the stream trail.
Peik Lean Y.
I swore I wasn’t going to write another piece about trekking again! But I think that’s like promising not to drink coffee anymore?! And yes, this is another addiction. This is what (?) … the third piece … or is it the fourth piece on trekking? Heck … who is counting anyway. Not moi!
As promised, we were back on the Gasing slopes again on Friday. True to form and our maniacal intent, we were supposed to start trekking at 8.30 am on yet another public holiday. I am beginning to see a pattern here and all I can say is “Lord help me.” :p Due to unforeseen circumstances in the form of my benefactor, everyone had to await moi to complete the task for my benefactor. It’s important not to bite the hand that feeds me. After all, there are many more mountains I want to climb, seas I want to dive and exotic countries I want to explore! Ahem! : )
I think the fame of our little treks have spread far and wide ~ thanks to a few very enthusiastic ‘siau’ members who must have been promoting the little non events. On this beautiful Friday morning fit for another sleep-in, eight other “siau” people greeted me upon my arrival. Two more new faces got suckered in. :p Gosh! If I only have such enthusiastic sales staff, I would have over achieved my targets by now.
We decided to slow down the hyper and little monsters with bottles of water on their backs. Little monster had new trekking shoes … pheewwiiittt … with ankle high backs which we hoped would slow him down further. In any case, the plan was to split the group into two and let the folks run “wild”. It was a fantastic plan if I must say so myself.
The second group was definitely faster this time and as they did not need to keep up with the first group, they managed to push themselves further. We took a much longer trail this time. First across our favourite monkey bridge and then up our first little breath snagging hill! Then downward and upward again on to the second steeper little hill. And so on and so forth on the usual trail. We arrived at the bridge at the base of the “Mount Kinabalu” like steps towards the Watch Tower and was greeted by our hyper and little monsters who decided they had more than enough breath to do the extra rounds with us while their first group members await at the Watch Tower!
Then with the first group in tow, we took another way down to the same bridge again. Here, we detoured to the stream; which lost none of the magical beauty we saw a few days before. This time, I had my digicam with me and started clicking away like a professional shutterbug. The operation word here being “like”! : )
But uh oh! Before we could go further, “nature” called out to a member of the second group who had been having queasy stomach from the start of the trek. PW, one of the pioneers of the “Siau Club”, could not hold in her $#!& anymore. We told the first group to go ahead while we helped find a spot marked “X” for her to “plant” her pot of gold. It was a difficult task at first as every spot seemed crowded with shrubs. But at the end, “nature” prevailed and “plant” it she did! With a lighter PW, we trudged ahead and made it back to the Watch Tower.
From there on, the group split up further. It was the last league home but we decided that we could still push the group further. Thus, instead of taking the easy trek out, we climbed again up and down the two little steep hills towards the monkey bridge. And I must admit that the two new recruits took to the whole trail like experienced troopers! I was told much later that they were cursing under their breath! Hahahaha … No sweat, no pain. No pain, no gain. We have probably converted another two people into trekking because one did question us if we are doing it again on Sunday.
I wonder if the trail is doing the magic or it’s the enthusiasm of the members or we are just plain gluttons for punishment. We are probably a bunch of masochist who enjoys pleasure in pain … hmmmmm.
Peik Lean Y.
I swore I wasn’t going to write another piece about trekking again! But I think that’s like promising not to drink coffee anymore?! And yes, this is another addiction. This is what (?) … the third piece … or is it the fourth piece on trekking? Heck … who is counting anyway. Not moi!
As promised, we were back on the Gasing slopes again on Friday. True to form and our maniacal intent, we were supposed to start trekking at 8.30 am on yet another public holiday. I am beginning to see a pattern here and all I can say is “Lord help me.” :p Due to unforeseen circumstances in the form of my benefactor, everyone had to await moi to complete the task for my benefactor. It’s important not to bite the hand that feeds me. After all, there are many more mountains I want to climb, seas I want to dive and exotic countries I want to explore! Ahem! : )
I think the fame of our little treks have spread far and wide ~ thanks to a few very enthusiastic ‘siau’ members who must have been promoting the little non events. On this beautiful Friday morning fit for another sleep-in, eight other “siau” people greeted me upon my arrival. Two more new faces got suckered in. :p Gosh! If I only have such enthusiastic sales staff, I would have over achieved my targets by now.
We decided to slow down the hyper and little monsters with bottles of water on their backs. Little monster had new trekking shoes … pheewwiiittt … with ankle high backs which we hoped would slow him down further. In any case, the plan was to split the group into two and let the folks run “wild”. It was a fantastic plan if I must say so myself.
The second group was definitely faster this time and as they did not need to keep up with the first group, they managed to push themselves further. We took a much longer trail this time. First across our favourite monkey bridge and then up our first little breath snagging hill! Then downward and upward again on to the second steeper little hill. And so on and so forth on the usual trail. We arrived at the bridge at the base of the “Mount Kinabalu” like steps towards the Watch Tower and was greeted by our hyper and little monsters who decided they had more than enough breath to do the extra rounds with us while their first group members await at the Watch Tower!
Then with the first group in tow, we took another way down to the same bridge again. Here, we detoured to the stream; which lost none of the magical beauty we saw a few days before. This time, I had my digicam with me and started clicking away like a professional shutterbug. The operation word here being “like”! : )
But uh oh! Before we could go further, “nature” called out to a member of the second group who had been having queasy stomach from the start of the trek. PW, one of the pioneers of the “Siau Club”, could not hold in her $#!& anymore. We told the first group to go ahead while we helped find a spot marked “X” for her to “plant” her pot of gold. It was a difficult task at first as every spot seemed crowded with shrubs. But at the end, “nature” prevailed and “plant” it she did! With a lighter PW, we trudged ahead and made it back to the Watch Tower.
From there on, the group split up further. It was the last league home but we decided that we could still push the group further. Thus, instead of taking the easy trek out, we climbed again up and down the two little steep hills towards the monkey bridge. And I must admit that the two new recruits took to the whole trail like experienced troopers! I was told much later that they were cursing under their breath! Hahahaha … No sweat, no pain. No pain, no gain. We have probably converted another two people into trekking because one did question us if we are doing it again on Sunday.
I wonder if the trail is doing the magic or it’s the enthusiasm of the members or we are just plain gluttons for punishment. We are probably a bunch of masochist who enjoys pleasure in pain … hmmmmm.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Adrenaline Junkies
What does a sane person do on a public holiday? Sleep in of course! But then again, you are not a member of the recently formed “Siau” Club (herein known as SC). As far as I could ascertain after today, this club consists not only of food junkies, but adrenaline junkies too!
On such a beautiful Diwali morning, instead of sleeping in, I was up and about at 7+ am, getting ready to meet my fellow SC members for a morning trek up Gasing Hill. Yeah, famous last words ~ trek. After a hectic weekend and a really long and energy draining Monday, I almost called it off. But for friendship’s sake, prevail I did. : )
I was supposed to take two guys on this trail but that became three due to a last minute addition the night before. Therefore, imagine my utter surprise to see four guys waiting for me at the starting point of the trail. Okay ~ a rose among the thorns. I am cool. I can definitely handle that. Some might say I am darn lucky, taking a group of “young” men up the trail. :P
From the start of the trek, I knew that this group is very different from my other first time converts. I usually leave them high and dry during the initial climb up the steep little hill. This time, I can hear them breathing down my neck from behind. Gee wheez! Why didn’t I expect it since I am taking a group of gym maniacs up the trail? They should be hell of a lot fitter than moi!
And true to my belated realisation, this group are adrenaline junkies! I did say we will be trekking but obviously that word holds an entirely different definition for these guys. They were practically running all through out the trek. My God! Their energy level is astounding!
At one point, my steel laden feet refused to move any faster even with the extra push that one adrenaline junkie gave me. Onward we walked, ran and hopped. We lost one member along the way as he was just too impatient (?) or too excited (?) to wait. As such, we had to alter our route and waited for him at the Watch Tower in the hopes that he would eventually find himself there. Lucky for us, he did.
The good thing was that we then continued to explore a different trail which is along the stream. It’s been awhile since I took the trail along the stream that I had forgotten how picturesque it was. I definitely have to bring my camera along the next time round. After a couple of wrong turns, we found the right trail and once again, my very gungho troop of adrenaline junkies continued their uphill run. Off they went, up and down hills and man-made steps, never breaking strides, never losing breath. I was too tired to keep up by then and with a throbbing knee to deal with, I decided to continue at a much slower pace with another member who had twisted his ankle.
Despite a longer trail and at a slower pace, I still finished in record time of 1 hour and 10 minutes ~ a pretty fast pace compared to my previous efforts. Then again, those attempts were jungle trekking, this is jungle running! :P In any case, I must admit my pride was a little battered. Oh well, Friday is another day and who is to say, I can’t make a comeback? :p Oh shush! Ignore that bit. My competitive devil is suddenly making an appearance!
One SC member likened me to a chemist who has created a potion that has suddenly gone out of control. For me, it’s like lighting a small fire that has suddenly grown into a conflagration! Hahahaha … dramatic as it may sound, I’ll let the truth speaks for itself. :P
On such a beautiful Diwali morning, instead of sleeping in, I was up and about at 7+ am, getting ready to meet my fellow SC members for a morning trek up Gasing Hill. Yeah, famous last words ~ trek. After a hectic weekend and a really long and energy draining Monday, I almost called it off. But for friendship’s sake, prevail I did. : )
I was supposed to take two guys on this trail but that became three due to a last minute addition the night before. Therefore, imagine my utter surprise to see four guys waiting for me at the starting point of the trail. Okay ~ a rose among the thorns. I am cool. I can definitely handle that. Some might say I am darn lucky, taking a group of “young” men up the trail. :P
From the start of the trek, I knew that this group is very different from my other first time converts. I usually leave them high and dry during the initial climb up the steep little hill. This time, I can hear them breathing down my neck from behind. Gee wheez! Why didn’t I expect it since I am taking a group of gym maniacs up the trail? They should be hell of a lot fitter than moi!
And true to my belated realisation, this group are adrenaline junkies! I did say we will be trekking but obviously that word holds an entirely different definition for these guys. They were practically running all through out the trek. My God! Their energy level is astounding!
At one point, my steel laden feet refused to move any faster even with the extra push that one adrenaline junkie gave me. Onward we walked, ran and hopped. We lost one member along the way as he was just too impatient (?) or too excited (?) to wait. As such, we had to alter our route and waited for him at the Watch Tower in the hopes that he would eventually find himself there. Lucky for us, he did.
The good thing was that we then continued to explore a different trail which is along the stream. It’s been awhile since I took the trail along the stream that I had forgotten how picturesque it was. I definitely have to bring my camera along the next time round. After a couple of wrong turns, we found the right trail and once again, my very gungho troop of adrenaline junkies continued their uphill run. Off they went, up and down hills and man-made steps, never breaking strides, never losing breath. I was too tired to keep up by then and with a throbbing knee to deal with, I decided to continue at a much slower pace with another member who had twisted his ankle.
Despite a longer trail and at a slower pace, I still finished in record time of 1 hour and 10 minutes ~ a pretty fast pace compared to my previous efforts. Then again, those attempts were jungle trekking, this is jungle running! :P In any case, I must admit my pride was a little battered. Oh well, Friday is another day and who is to say, I can’t make a comeback? :p Oh shush! Ignore that bit. My competitive devil is suddenly making an appearance!
One SC member likened me to a chemist who has created a potion that has suddenly gone out of control. For me, it’s like lighting a small fire that has suddenly grown into a conflagration! Hahahaha … dramatic as it may sound, I’ll let the truth speaks for itself. :P
Monday, October 24, 2005
Back to freedom, back to Gasing Hill
The hills are alive … with the sound of music …. Ok. Ok. I am exaggerating. But Gasing Hill has definitely been calling out to me for months now since my old buddies have temporary quit our weekly workout.
But yesterday, I was back at my beloved hill with a new trekking buddy in tow. And it was exhilarating. It beats any workout in the gym hands down. Here, we breathe in fresh air, not recycled ones. And I could actually feel my pores breathing again. : )
Like a child with an old beloved toy, we scrambled across the monkey bridge and started the short but steep ascent up the hill. We wasted precious seconds trudging and sliding through the muddy terrain. But reached the top we did in less than ten minutes. (We could have made it in less if the terra firma had been drier. Yup! That’s my “competitive spirit” speaking! So sue me! :p) From there on, the terrain flattened out before sloping downwards on a pretty steep descent. Luckily I had my trusty “Salomon” trekking boots and was quite nimble footed as I practically hopped, skipped and jumped my way downwards. My dear buddy was not as fortunate as he had on an old pair of sport shoes. He had to gingerly pick his way downwards; although it looked more like a slip and slide job. Hahaha ….
Up and down went the terrain. And on and on we went ~ sliding across some places, running freely across others, almost falling into a puddle of water at one instance but luckily my buddy managed to pull the brakes before he ran smack into me. It was truly exhilarating. I have not felt so free in a long while. Perhaps it is the outdoors unhampered by walls or air conditioning, or perhaps it’s the terrain that provides surprises along the trail every now and then. Or perhaps I am coming back to something old and familiar that is much loved. Whatever it is, I am a happy camper! It is a bonus that my new buddy could keep up with my pace and actually pressures me into pushing harder forward. We finished the trek in an hour; which was a much better timing than I did with any of my old buddies. And yes, my new buddy is “very” competitive! I can now look forward to exploring new trails and improving my timing on old ones.
My new buddy seems to have taken to the hills like a duck to water. In fact, he was raving about it the whole of last evening. Much as I loved Gasing Hill, I certainly hoped I have not created a monster in my new trekking buddy! :p
Gasing Hill ~ here’s to you and many more exhilarating weekly workouts!
But yesterday, I was back at my beloved hill with a new trekking buddy in tow. And it was exhilarating. It beats any workout in the gym hands down. Here, we breathe in fresh air, not recycled ones. And I could actually feel my pores breathing again. : )
Like a child with an old beloved toy, we scrambled across the monkey bridge and started the short but steep ascent up the hill. We wasted precious seconds trudging and sliding through the muddy terrain. But reached the top we did in less than ten minutes. (We could have made it in less if the terra firma had been drier. Yup! That’s my “competitive spirit” speaking! So sue me! :p) From there on, the terrain flattened out before sloping downwards on a pretty steep descent. Luckily I had my trusty “Salomon” trekking boots and was quite nimble footed as I practically hopped, skipped and jumped my way downwards. My dear buddy was not as fortunate as he had on an old pair of sport shoes. He had to gingerly pick his way downwards; although it looked more like a slip and slide job. Hahaha ….
Up and down went the terrain. And on and on we went ~ sliding across some places, running freely across others, almost falling into a puddle of water at one instance but luckily my buddy managed to pull the brakes before he ran smack into me. It was truly exhilarating. I have not felt so free in a long while. Perhaps it is the outdoors unhampered by walls or air conditioning, or perhaps it’s the terrain that provides surprises along the trail every now and then. Or perhaps I am coming back to something old and familiar that is much loved. Whatever it is, I am a happy camper! It is a bonus that my new buddy could keep up with my pace and actually pressures me into pushing harder forward. We finished the trek in an hour; which was a much better timing than I did with any of my old buddies. And yes, my new buddy is “very” competitive! I can now look forward to exploring new trails and improving my timing on old ones.
My new buddy seems to have taken to the hills like a duck to water. In fact, he was raving about it the whole of last evening. Much as I loved Gasing Hill, I certainly hoped I have not created a monster in my new trekking buddy! :p
Gasing Hill ~ here’s to you and many more exhilarating weekly workouts!
Friday, October 14, 2005
How I got really hooked on camping and jungle trekking
I used to do a lot of camping and jungle trekking. In fact, one of my most memorable experience was our millennium celebration at Belum Jungle in north Perak. Armageddon theories were abound then and we decided that, if anything were to happen, we would greet our Maker surrounded by nature. (Not that we believe death was around the corner.)
A few things from the trip still remain vivid in my memory. One, I really reALLY REALLY hate leeches. I received the second highest leech bite in the group and was nicknamed Leechy Leanne. :p It’s funny now but then it was a nightmare trek because the leeches were just everywhere, at every single spot, hanging from tree branches to tree leaves and all over the ground. No amount of salt or tobacco could stop them. It was an endless colony of leeches. And yeah, we built a pyre and burnt them … burnt them all to death. How un-Buddhist of me! :p The moment I closed my eyes in the tent, all I could see were leeches in my mind and all I could feel were them sucking the lifeblood from my body. It was really that bad. The trek was practically in a virgin jungle as few people go there and it was frequented by animals (which explained why there were so many leeches).
We were guided by two Orang Asli carrying rifles and parangs. In fact, one claimed to have shot dead a cobra. (Yup! We heard the sound of a rifle going off.) And another actually shot dead a Seladang and fed us smoked Seladang for dinner. (It tasted like beef jerky .. not my favourite food since I always associate beef jerky with dog snacks! :P) I wasn’t sure if that was legal but my friends assured me that the Orang Asli was allowed to do so. The really cool part of it was actually hearing the sound of a wild boar trudging just within metres from us. I didn’t realise how close it was until one of the guides told us much later.
The icing on the cake was really drinking sparkling wine in cups made from bamboo (the guides made that for us) and cheering to the new millennium in the jungle; with cricket sounds and whispering breeze that was like an orchestra to the ears. The funniest bit of that was all our watches did not synchronize and thus, we were unable to tell the exact time. So, we drank to the millennium every other minute until the last watch showed midnight and there was not a single drop of wine left in the bottles! Now THAT is what I called a terrific millennium celebration unmatched by any wild, drinking parties. : )
One would have thought that I would have given up on camping and trekking after such a hair-rising experience with the leeches. But that proved to be a beginning of sorts and as we have established in an earlier post, I am a masochist after all. :P
I leave you with the quote from Dead Poet’s Society yet again since this is soooo appropriate!
"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die Discover that I had not lived." Henry David Thoreau quotes (American essayist, poet and philosopher, 1817-1862)
A few things from the trip still remain vivid in my memory. One, I really reALLY REALLY hate leeches. I received the second highest leech bite in the group and was nicknamed Leechy Leanne. :p It’s funny now but then it was a nightmare trek because the leeches were just everywhere, at every single spot, hanging from tree branches to tree leaves and all over the ground. No amount of salt or tobacco could stop them. It was an endless colony of leeches. And yeah, we built a pyre and burnt them … burnt them all to death. How un-Buddhist of me! :p The moment I closed my eyes in the tent, all I could see were leeches in my mind and all I could feel were them sucking the lifeblood from my body. It was really that bad. The trek was practically in a virgin jungle as few people go there and it was frequented by animals (which explained why there were so many leeches).
We were guided by two Orang Asli carrying rifles and parangs. In fact, one claimed to have shot dead a cobra. (Yup! We heard the sound of a rifle going off.) And another actually shot dead a Seladang and fed us smoked Seladang for dinner. (It tasted like beef jerky .. not my favourite food since I always associate beef jerky with dog snacks! :P) I wasn’t sure if that was legal but my friends assured me that the Orang Asli was allowed to do so. The really cool part of it was actually hearing the sound of a wild boar trudging just within metres from us. I didn’t realise how close it was until one of the guides told us much later.
The icing on the cake was really drinking sparkling wine in cups made from bamboo (the guides made that for us) and cheering to the new millennium in the jungle; with cricket sounds and whispering breeze that was like an orchestra to the ears. The funniest bit of that was all our watches did not synchronize and thus, we were unable to tell the exact time. So, we drank to the millennium every other minute until the last watch showed midnight and there was not a single drop of wine left in the bottles! Now THAT is what I called a terrific millennium celebration unmatched by any wild, drinking parties. : )
One would have thought that I would have given up on camping and trekking after such a hair-rising experience with the leeches. But that proved to be a beginning of sorts and as we have established in an earlier post, I am a masochist after all. :P
I leave you with the quote from Dead Poet’s Society yet again since this is soooo appropriate!
"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die Discover that I had not lived." Henry David Thoreau quotes (American essayist, poet and philosopher, 1817-1862)
Sunday, October 09, 2005
A day of extremes ...
I think I overdid everything today. What a way to start off my weekend. Had a friend over at my place Friday night and we watched DVDs until the wee hours.
Got up at 10+ am, headed for a light brunch … then off to the gym. Had a challenge with the same friend and we went through pump, rpm (although I left after half an hour) and ended up with Raymond’s combat class. Since I have not done pump and rpm in eons and never done Raymond’s combat in yonks either, it is quite understandable that I am in pain from the neck down. (That’s the reason, not an excuse! :p )
Next, rushed off to my beautician for a facial, which took almost two hours ~ had to do major repairs since my last visit was like 7 months ago. :D Due to the lack of sleep the previous day and the past week plus the extreme gym that afternoon, I slept like a log at the beautician’s. I woke up with a stiff neck and back due to the earlier work out. In the wise words of a young friend, “Why do you do this to yourself la? You are not sweet sixteen anymore.” Ouch! That hurt! :p
By the time I left the beautician, it was almost 8 pm and I was starving. Only had that wee bit of toast bread, half boiled egg and coffee for brunch. Met up with a few friends for a steamboat dinner but that was the quickest one I ever had. What a torture ~ gobbling up food on an empty stomach. We had to literally swallow our food and finish everything within an hour and a few minutes as we were headed to catch the 9.30pm movie “The Myth” at The Summit.
I thought by now, the relaxation bits would start to kick in. I need that quite desperately by then. Boy! Was I soooo wrong! My friend made a booking via sms. Little did she know that we got front row seats! Front row seats in concerts are fine but front row seats in the cinema … you know how it is! Oh well! Luckily it was an action movie with lots of martial arts movements; plus it has an interesting story line. (Interesting but not necessarily believable.) In any case, it was good entertainment value.
But goodness, between lack of sleep, starvation, extreme gym, stuffing food during dinner and hanging our heads watching an action pack movie with front row seats, I’d say by far this has been an EXTREME day. Maybe, I should win the fear factor by default … :p
I pray for moderation tomorrow … and for days to come. Over and out!
Got up at 10+ am, headed for a light brunch … then off to the gym. Had a challenge with the same friend and we went through pump, rpm (although I left after half an hour) and ended up with Raymond’s combat class. Since I have not done pump and rpm in eons and never done Raymond’s combat in yonks either, it is quite understandable that I am in pain from the neck down. (That’s the reason, not an excuse! :p )
Next, rushed off to my beautician for a facial, which took almost two hours ~ had to do major repairs since my last visit was like 7 months ago. :D Due to the lack of sleep the previous day and the past week plus the extreme gym that afternoon, I slept like a log at the beautician’s. I woke up with a stiff neck and back due to the earlier work out. In the wise words of a young friend, “Why do you do this to yourself la? You are not sweet sixteen anymore.” Ouch! That hurt! :p
By the time I left the beautician, it was almost 8 pm and I was starving. Only had that wee bit of toast bread, half boiled egg and coffee for brunch. Met up with a few friends for a steamboat dinner but that was the quickest one I ever had. What a torture ~ gobbling up food on an empty stomach. We had to literally swallow our food and finish everything within an hour and a few minutes as we were headed to catch the 9.30pm movie “The Myth” at The Summit.
I thought by now, the relaxation bits would start to kick in. I need that quite desperately by then. Boy! Was I soooo wrong! My friend made a booking via sms. Little did she know that we got front row seats! Front row seats in concerts are fine but front row seats in the cinema … you know how it is! Oh well! Luckily it was an action movie with lots of martial arts movements; plus it has an interesting story line. (Interesting but not necessarily believable.) In any case, it was good entertainment value.
But goodness, between lack of sleep, starvation, extreme gym, stuffing food during dinner and hanging our heads watching an action pack movie with front row seats, I’d say by far this has been an EXTREME day. Maybe, I should win the fear factor by default … :p
I pray for moderation tomorrow … and for days to come. Over and out!
Body Combat with Raymond
Yup. This is the 3rd body combat post. So if you are tired of reading about combat, skip this one. : )
Raymond is back … and he just gets better and better! His combat classes are totally awesome! There is always so much pleasure (and pain) doing his combat classes. Geee … pleasure in pain? Now I sound like a masochist! :P
masochism n. pleasure in suffering physical or mental pain …
(source: The Little Oxford Dictionary)
Seriously, Raymond is really good. I learn more about the technique of combat from him than any other instructor. I get another chance to refine my kicks today … the side kick especially. Always have problems with that one. And he really makes us work to the max in that one hour. (I think I have lost feeling in my calf. :P) For instance, usually I don’t feel a thing in the first three tracks but today, feel it I did. He pushed us so hard, even in the recovery tracks that we were literally dripping with sweat. The interesting thing about combat or martial arts is that it’s not only the cardio bits that gives one such a good work out, but a combination of the former and the right technique where certain muscle groups get really stretched.
In Raymond’s words today, “First we concentrate on the technique, then the speed and the power, and finally the music.”
It’s such a pity that he will be returning to Hong Kong soon. It’s a loss to FF Malaysia for he is one of the best instructors there. Raymond, you will be sorely missed!
Raymond is back … and he just gets better and better! His combat classes are totally awesome! There is always so much pleasure (and pain) doing his combat classes. Geee … pleasure in pain? Now I sound like a masochist! :P
masochism n. pleasure in suffering physical or mental pain …
(source: The Little Oxford Dictionary)
Seriously, Raymond is really good. I learn more about the technique of combat from him than any other instructor. I get another chance to refine my kicks today … the side kick especially. Always have problems with that one. And he really makes us work to the max in that one hour. (I think I have lost feeling in my calf. :P) For instance, usually I don’t feel a thing in the first three tracks but today, feel it I did. He pushed us so hard, even in the recovery tracks that we were literally dripping with sweat. The interesting thing about combat or martial arts is that it’s not only the cardio bits that gives one such a good work out, but a combination of the former and the right technique where certain muscle groups get really stretched.
In Raymond’s words today, “First we concentrate on the technique, then the speed and the power, and finally the music.”
It’s such a pity that he will be returning to Hong Kong soon. It’s a loss to FF Malaysia for he is one of the best instructors there. Raymond, you will be sorely missed!
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
A mountain biker in the making ... NOT
The only bike rides I do these days are the stationary ones in the gym. And what's worse, I have a slave driving instructor! :p
In any case, thought to share musings from my past with you. This was my first and last ride. It was great fun but asking too much of me on a beautiful Sunday morning that's meant for sleeping in. :D
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The New Year brings with it new resolutions, which unwittingly screws up a perfectly logical mind into thinking that … yeah, this is THE experience that would add spice to this newbie’s life for 2002! And that was how I ended up at Ulu Yam last Sunday albeit erm ... a little late … ok, ok a lot late. Sorry folks! I really wanted to make an impression …
Should I pause here and mention that waking up at 6.30 on a Sunday morning is totally against my religion??? Driving for miles after that towards the godforsaken end of the city and leaving my entire being at the mercy of fanatic bikers bent on racing like bats out of hell through jungle terrain … yadda yadda yadda … Help! I must be certifiable! Yeah, yeah … I am exaggerating but it does make for good reading!
The first inkling I had of how serious these bikers are about the sport was the absolutely cool outfits and accessories they wore. And there I was in my t-shirt and my totally un-canggih “ah sum” shorts. Nevertheless, I persevered. The show must go on … fashion be damned!
Riding the first few kilometers on dirt road was easy enough. “What is so difficult about biking anyway?” I remembered thinking to myself. A few more kilometers later and the path started to slope upwards and became more uneven and gravelly as we progressed.
Now, having ridden on chopper bikes and ancient grandfather’s bikes all my life, had not really prepared me for the shifting of gears in this modern day contraption disguised as a bike. A 3-gear chopper compared to an 8-speed bike with 24 gears – now how complicated can that get?!! Well, I would have taken to it like a duck to water but …
I was given clear instructions the day before on how and when to use what gears. Easy! I remembered being told specifically to keep my front gear at 2 since I am a beginner and play around with my rear gears to adjust to my riding on the terrain. Being the good little Girl Scout that I was, I listened to instructions carefully and followed them to a T!
Little wonder that I huffed and I puffed and I … pushed the bike up!!! I had to push the bike up 2 slopes before I finally discovered the wonders and joys of using the low front gear. Hallelujah! I can finally ride up a slope! Applause please, folks!
The rest of the ride went past in a blur. As the saying goes, what goes up must come down. And “weeeee”, did we go down! It was exhilarating! It was amazing! It was well worth all that huffing and puffing!!! And thank god for full suspension bikes!!!
The trek led us across streams where we had to carry our bikes and towards canopies of trees. Paths that heretofore only meant (to me) to be trekked on foot had me carefully balancing myself on two wheels. The ledge had never looked narrower from that vantage point. At some point, foliage seemed to grow all around us and I felt like a clumsy elephant trudging and crashing noisily through them.
Approximately 3 hours or so later, after some pretty hard riding (for me), being led down the wrong path, back trekking that wrong path, having an almost face to face encounter with the ground, stopping by the hot spring, resting, eating and exchanging friendly, verbal abuses … we finally arrived at the water falls. Oh, what a perfect end to an incredibly butt numbing and muscle aching morning. Well, almost. We still had some ways to go before we arrive at the entry/exit point.
Three days later, with butt aches and sore muscles in places I never knew existed, all I will say is this. When I next go biking, butt pads, sunglasses and gloves are a must! And hey, at least my 2002 began with a blast instead of a whimper!
Kudos to the organizers! Thank you for making this ride enjoyable enough for the newbies without us feeling pressured to hit the high speed. Would I come back for more? Probably. Would I take up biking regularly? Here, I will once again pause and think about the fact that waking up at 6.30 on a Sunday morning is against my religion. Then again, when there’s a will, there’s a way.
Happy Cranking! (hope I got the lingo right … )
In any case, thought to share musings from my past with you. This was my first and last ride. It was great fun but asking too much of me on a beautiful Sunday morning that's meant for sleeping in. :D
---------------------------------------------------------------
The New Year brings with it new resolutions, which unwittingly screws up a perfectly logical mind into thinking that … yeah, this is THE experience that would add spice to this newbie’s life for 2002! And that was how I ended up at Ulu Yam last Sunday albeit erm ... a little late … ok, ok a lot late. Sorry folks! I really wanted to make an impression …
Should I pause here and mention that waking up at 6.30 on a Sunday morning is totally against my religion??? Driving for miles after that towards the godforsaken end of the city and leaving my entire being at the mercy of fanatic bikers bent on racing like bats out of hell through jungle terrain … yadda yadda yadda … Help! I must be certifiable! Yeah, yeah … I am exaggerating but it does make for good reading!
The first inkling I had of how serious these bikers are about the sport was the absolutely cool outfits and accessories they wore. And there I was in my t-shirt and my totally un-canggih “ah sum” shorts. Nevertheless, I persevered. The show must go on … fashion be damned!
Riding the first few kilometers on dirt road was easy enough. “What is so difficult about biking anyway?” I remembered thinking to myself. A few more kilometers later and the path started to slope upwards and became more uneven and gravelly as we progressed.
Now, having ridden on chopper bikes and ancient grandfather’s bikes all my life, had not really prepared me for the shifting of gears in this modern day contraption disguised as a bike. A 3-gear chopper compared to an 8-speed bike with 24 gears – now how complicated can that get?!! Well, I would have taken to it like a duck to water but …
I was given clear instructions the day before on how and when to use what gears. Easy! I remembered being told specifically to keep my front gear at 2 since I am a beginner and play around with my rear gears to adjust to my riding on the terrain. Being the good little Girl Scout that I was, I listened to instructions carefully and followed them to a T!
Little wonder that I huffed and I puffed and I … pushed the bike up!!! I had to push the bike up 2 slopes before I finally discovered the wonders and joys of using the low front gear. Hallelujah! I can finally ride up a slope! Applause please, folks!
The rest of the ride went past in a blur. As the saying goes, what goes up must come down. And “weeeee”, did we go down! It was exhilarating! It was amazing! It was well worth all that huffing and puffing!!! And thank god for full suspension bikes!!!
The trek led us across streams where we had to carry our bikes and towards canopies of trees. Paths that heretofore only meant (to me) to be trekked on foot had me carefully balancing myself on two wheels. The ledge had never looked narrower from that vantage point. At some point, foliage seemed to grow all around us and I felt like a clumsy elephant trudging and crashing noisily through them.
Approximately 3 hours or so later, after some pretty hard riding (for me), being led down the wrong path, back trekking that wrong path, having an almost face to face encounter with the ground, stopping by the hot spring, resting, eating and exchanging friendly, verbal abuses … we finally arrived at the water falls. Oh, what a perfect end to an incredibly butt numbing and muscle aching morning. Well, almost. We still had some ways to go before we arrive at the entry/exit point.
Three days later, with butt aches and sore muscles in places I never knew existed, all I will say is this. When I next go biking, butt pads, sunglasses and gloves are a must! And hey, at least my 2002 began with a blast instead of a whimper!
Kudos to the organizers! Thank you for making this ride enjoyable enough for the newbies without us feeling pressured to hit the high speed. Would I come back for more? Probably. Would I take up biking regularly? Here, I will once again pause and think about the fact that waking up at 6.30 on a Sunday morning is against my religion. Then again, when there’s a will, there’s a way.
Happy Cranking! (hope I got the lingo right … )
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Mountain Trekking
People often confuse mountain trekking with mountain climbing. The truth is they are far from the same. Mountain trekking is when we do non-technical climbs i.e. mountain climbing equipment is not required.
Mountain trekking is generally a lot easier than mountain climbing. All you need is a pair of strong legs, a good pair of lungs, a lot of stamina and a “never say die” attitude, and of course, the persistence to walk or trek up steep inclines continuously for a couple of hours a day. Generally, you would also need to be able to rough it out in tents or in the simplest of accommodations with au natural toilet service, and very basic nourishments. It would also make life a lot easier if you are not prone to AMS (acute mountain sickness). And finally of course, you should be armed with a good pair of hiking/ trekking boots, enough warm clothing and sweat proof clothes (if possible, so that you don’t catch a chill) and sufficient drinking water to prevent dehydration. Now, you are set to be a mountain trekker. Sounds easy and doable so far? If yes, read on.
Why mountain trekking? Why not just sit at home and watch discovery channel? Why not pay the money and fly over the mountains for a view? A friend once described mountain trekking as a very boring event and couldn’t fathom my passion for it. My boss often tells me that I am paying money to suffer when I could just sit in front of the idiot box with all comforts of life within reach. I couldn’t disagree more with both of them. However, I think the reasons one choose to go mountain trekking is very personal. For me, there are two prevailing reasons. One, the pleasure to witness the majestic mountain ranges at such close proximity and with my own eyes is very different from sitting at home and seeing it through the idiot box. Two, the sense of satisfaction and achievement is so incredibly heady. You could be on a high for several days and at that very moment when you conquered the mountain, you feel that nothing is impossible; nothing is beyond your reach.
Actually my first encounter with mountain trekking was in fact as recent as 2002. A friend and I decided to trek up Table Mountain in Capetown (which is all of 1000m high ~ don’t laugh la, we have to start easy first ma), instead of taking the cable car to the top. We managed to reach the top in 3 hours plus but could have done it in lesser amount of time if we had not gotten lost. That inspired us to try Mount Kinabalu (4,095m) and Annapurna Base Camp or more popularly known as ABC (4,237m) in Nepal the following year. Mount Kinabalu was a testing ground for my friends and me, before we attempted ABC. As history would have it, we came through with flying colours! We were definitely on an adrenaline high when we reached Low’s Peak and witness the incredible sunrise on Mount Kinabalu. That spurred us on to trek ABC.
Our expectations of ABC trek were similar to that of Mount Kinabalu. How wrong we were! ABC turned out to be a 10-day continuous trek as opposed to the 2-day trek at Mount Kinabalu. I think by the time we finished the trek, we have walked about 100 kms up and down the mountains. But instead of merely trekking and scenery watching, we experienced a whole new culture ~ that of the Nepalese people and the life they lead living in the isolated villages in the Himalayan Mountains. It was such an amazing adventure that it spurred us onwards to attempt Mount Kilimanjaro (5,896m) in Tanzania last year.
Kilimanjaro was a different ballgame altogether. We were totally unprepared when we were told we could not bathe during the entire trek. Secondly, although it is only a 5-day trek, the distances and inclines covered each day were tremendous. The trek was not very difficult but the altitude was playing havoc with our heads and tummies. Once again, the trek to Kilimanjaro was beyond our expectations. The sights were incredible, the cold was nasty and the AMS hit us badly. Despite all that and in spite of it, we had a grand time and a fantastic adventure.
And yes, we would attempt another mountain soon. We are already eyeing the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia or we could do the Annapurna Circuit or the Everest Base Camp. There is really no short of mountains to trek in this world.
I will leave you with these wise words.
“You don’t have to be a Sherpa to be a Himalayan climber; you don’t have to be an Inuit or a Norwegian to be a polar skier. What you need is the audacity to conceive the dream, the passion to fuel it and the tenacity to go the distance.”
~ Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund Hillary
“I am still attracted by what seems at first glance to be impossible. To me, the ultimate in adventure is to convert this impossibility into the feasible …”
~ Sir Chris Bonington, one of the most successful expedition leaders in the history of mountaineering
“Some plan their entire life and achieve nothing. Others achieve amazing things without a plan.”
~ Khoo Swee Chiow, 1st Southeast Asian and 4th in the world to complete the “Adventure Grand Slam”: the North and South poles and the Seven Summits
Body Combat 25
What a fantastic workout! Alvin Phey, you are the best! Or maybe it’s due to the fact that I finally managed to attend the new combat release after being away from combat classes for a week plus. : ) In any case, kudos must be given to the instructor, in this case Alvin, for driving the class to such limits. This brings to mind another instructor, Raymond. His style often squeezes the maximum energy out of his class. Unfortunately Raymond is hardly in Malaysia these days as he is based in Hong Kong ~ or so I heard. (But he is back in Malaysia for a short stint now ~ gym rumour.)
In any case, the new release is simply awesome. The energetic workouts supported by well chosen song tracks make this a killer combination. I especially enjoy the tracks on Power of Love and Sweet Child of Mine. Only issue I have with the new release is the choreography. Perhaps I am unused to the combination and coordination of the new moves.
Imagine the following; uppercut, uppercut, and hook. Then, another combination; knee, knee, jab, jab, front kick, front block and ends with a jumping kick. This combination is a real killer. I can still feel my muscles aching now. :p And I thought the old “Muoy Thai” track was bad as there were 16 knees at one combination. The cool down choreography is great and exceptionally beautiful if the tai chi moves are executed correctly. Loved the way Alvin did it but I think I would need a bit more time to learn the moves. *Wonders if I will ever be able to execute it as beautifully* :P Oh well, one can dream right? ;)
Till the next combat session.
In any case, the new release is simply awesome. The energetic workouts supported by well chosen song tracks make this a killer combination. I especially enjoy the tracks on Power of Love and Sweet Child of Mine. Only issue I have with the new release is the choreography. Perhaps I am unused to the combination and coordination of the new moves.
Imagine the following; uppercut, uppercut, and hook. Then, another combination; knee, knee, jab, jab, front kick, front block and ends with a jumping kick. This combination is a real killer. I can still feel my muscles aching now. :p And I thought the old “Muoy Thai” track was bad as there were 16 knees at one combination. The cool down choreography is great and exceptionally beautiful if the tai chi moves are executed correctly. Loved the way Alvin did it but I think I would need a bit more time to learn the moves. *Wonders if I will ever be able to execute it as beautifully* :P Oh well, one can dream right? ;)
Till the next combat session.
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