Monday (3-Apr) Training (Swimming)

Today I decided to try doing as many laps as I could manage in the swimming decipline. Reach the MPS Swim complex sharp at 6pm, get changed and dive in the pool. I did a warmup breastroke for 100m before starting the full run.

Since I knew that my freestyle is still pretty crap for now hence I have decided to do the training just concentrating in my current best style i.e the breast stroke. I have split the training into 3 intervals each about 8 to 10 laps for three interval. Each lap is 50m. Meaning that I should complete about 1.5km if manage to complete all three interval of 10laps :)

Keeping the log short, I did the followings:

Interval1 8 Laps (50x8=400m)
Interval2 10 Laps (50x10=500m)
Interval3 8 Laps (50x8=400m)

a total of 1.3km swim for today. Time is none of my concern now as I was aiming to complete the distance of 1.5km.

There was problems after interval1 since public start coming in more and more. They start filling the pool with their kids & friends. Argghhhh... can't concentrate on my training. Keep bangging people in the pool every now and then but I try to keep as cool as possible to avoid breathing struggle. I take it as part of my training in the water as with normal races you won't expect people to race in the open water in a proper line, can you? Think positive I told to myself.

But there are quite a few incidents that really pisses me off when a bunch of this sikth with a few friends started jumping (I heard they called it 'diving') in front of me while I was doing a relax and steady swim after the 6th laps. That stupid guy jumped in front of me and stay there even though he knows I'm coming towards his way. Not my fault thou since I was swimming that same lane for almost half an hour or so. I think people should respect someone's else in the swimming pool and they should know the decipline and etique while you are in the public swimming pool. As in my case, they should have known that someone was doing laps after laps on the same lane, so just buzzz offf. It happenned another time when I return for another lap. This time, I didn't tolerate any more. I just swam over him and giving a slight punch during the breast stroke just to remind him to get (lost) out of the way PLEASE in a silent way :) he he he

Conclusion.
Never in my swimming when I finished I felt so tired like today and felt like I'm actually sweating coming out of the water. Today is my first time ever long distance swimming and manage to complete a total distance of 1.3km (for 3 intervals of course).

Triathlon Training Day (Kononnye....he he)

After last thought about the Kenyir triathlon, I think I'll give it a try also. So today I dediced to do a dual-event training i.e. swimming & cycling despite yesterday's epic MTB ride at Kemensah-Kuala Tedung.

My plan was to part at the Selayang Swimming complex (MPS) and cycle from there going via Ulu Yam's route until the peak (where the natural mineral water station is) and come back for the swim. So, as you can see I have to do the other way around i.e. ride first then swim since if you go for a swim first then by the time you ride, the sun will be on top of you.

This will be my last week for the tri training if I decided to go for it. I've been doing running and mtb-ing for the couple of weeks and so left out the road riding. Today's ride started well with (ehemmm...) my new Kuota bike. It felt so different from my previously Look bike since the Look frame is too big for me. The Kuota's felt smoother during the ride despite all other components I use are still the old ones. The frame (especially the correct size) does make a different to your riding style. The climb started just immediately after the TNB powerstation for about 1 to 1.5km and it's killing me. I only managed to do the climb about 11km/h, shesss....pancit. Need more road ride with the big gears.

I managed to slowly complete the climb slowly. Strange thing though, because my heart rate was doing well during the climb about 156bpm and definitely below 165bpm. But I guess from yesterday's epic ride, my leg was still in a fatigue mode I guess. After the climb, I proceed the ride until the peak. The route is a good training for me since it's a gradual climb kinda like Genting Sempah but open (hot...). Since my intention today is just to get a feel of both events (swim + cycle), I just do a relax ride to the top. My Suunto recorded only 14km from the MPS swimming complex to the peak so going back should only covers about 30km. Oklah for now since I'll be doing swimming after that.

Going back from the peak was quite exhilirating for me. My speed reached 70+km/h during the descend and as I was speeding down there was a bunch of these superbike group going up. I can see them looking at me as I speed down the road with the aerodynamic position. Probably in their head was something like .."mamat ni ingat dia laju sangat la tu ....." . What the heck, come and ride with your bare power la and you'll know what it takes to drive a machine with your own strength.

I reached the start hill again but the opposite way and have to endure the last climb. As I was changing my gear to the lower one, my chain just get stuck and drop. I lost my momentum and had to stop in the middle of the hill climb to fix it. Really ruined my ending...

After a while I managed to fixed it and start the climb again but with no momentum and at the middle of the hill. It's quite hard to start the ride from the middle but managed to get it done with and rode slowly to clear the climb.

Reached back at the swimming complex car park at 10.30am and start dismounting my bike for the swimming session.

I only managed to do about 10 laps for the swimming as my leg are starting to tense due to the riding. To avoid from cramping I stop for a break and did a relax lap only.

Training session ended at 11.30am.

My next training plan is to come for the bike a bit early at the MPS swimming complex.

Today's Training
Cycle: 30km
Swim: 10laps

Sat 1/4/2006 Kemensah-Lubok Tedung Ride

Just a quite update on today's ride.

Today derojak team plus some from MDC team was riding the Kemensah-Lubok Tedung trail. It was quite some time since I rode there, last time in 2004 I think. A couple of weeks ago there was a tragedy in the trail there where a bunch of mtber found a dead man's body (naked) in the jungle and they have to call off their ride to call the police about the incident who later came to the location. Well, that's quite a spooky thing to know where you are riding pass that section later on (hopefull, I don't remember the incident when pass the location).

The ride started a bit late about 9.30am since the group parked quite far away from the entrance to the trail. We don't have much time to have a breakfast hence we just "tapau" the nasi lemak and bring it along in the trail for later.

We reach the lubok tedung about 12pm if I'm not mistaken and had a good deep in the cool river. Fantastic and I love it very much.