Double Gohtong & Fraser Gap

At Gohtong...

Superbikes at the Gap

Lepaking at Fraser Gap

At Gohtong, 2nd time..

Suddenly I got this idea of climbing Gohtong twice, with fraser gap to top that up. Now climbing from HOA gombak to Gohtong is really hard, but to climb from Batang Kali a second time, is something unknown, nor have I heard anyone doing it. Could it be done? Or would I puke on the second climb.

On the way up Gohtong, I met with Suhaimi Amy and his gang. They were stopping just after the first checkpoint from Sempah. At first we were together, but somehow he had went down to check on his friends.

Downhill gohtong to batang kali is dangerous but fun. Just remember to grab the brakes tightly, but not all the time. You don't want your rims overheating, which might burst the tyres. I had this once happened after descending from Genting peak, but luckily it happened when I was near HOA car park.

Then it was a boring, monotonous climb up Fraser Gap. I think the only fun I had was counting the decreasing kilometers on the cyclometer. At gap, met with 3 singaporeans who had cycled from Batang Kali.

I didn't plan to go up peak, so I headed straight down KKB, took a refill at Batang Kali, and then boom, it rained cats n dogs. Have to wait another 30 minutes before I could climb up Gohtong.

I wasn't worried on timing as there's ample time. As usual, climbing up this route, is mentally & physically draining. All climbs and climbs for a few km straight. The wet road made it easier, compared to if the sun was shining at your back.

Finally I reached Gohtong, which I so happily concluded that it's not impossible to climb it twice.

Then it's all the way back HOA.

I tried to roughly calculate the total ascent, and it should be around close to 2500m of climb. The view has been fantastic though, which is why I like climbing hills. The higher you get, the better the view, with sweeping valleys, and majestic mountains to accompany you.

Distance ought to be close to 180km. My meter said it was 176, but it had malfunctioned the last few k down.

---

I'll try to go up Fraser peak on the next ride. Now if only they would allow the route up Genting Peak, the 3 Peaks could as well be double Genting Peak & Fraser Peak. Now that would be something...

Nirvana Memorial Charity Run

At the start..

Chasing the 2 Caucasians..

But ended in 4th

It's titled 5km fun run. Now this is one of the shortest run course I've ever done.

Upon receiving the bib, not many had signed up. But on the race day itself, some fast legs were there.

There was 2 Caucasians, one elderly & the other young. And some local indians. When the race started, they were off sprinting, and I had to give chase. I was tailing them for some time, before the real fast guys (2 indians) just past us like effortlessly.

Well, this is a 5km race, and you just had to put the hammer down. But due to my lower cadence turn over, I knew it's next to impossible to even hang on to those guys, so I just tried to go at my own pace.

At the turn around, the indian pair went off even faster. I was still finding myself chasing the caucasians, whom one I eventually caught up with, the younger one. He had slowed down considerably, I think due to over pushing.

Ran back in 4th position in 15:53 for a distance of 4:34 (not actually 5km), pace 3.66min/km. It's a pretty flat course. I had run my limit, but as you go faster, certain limitations will kick in. Had to improve on my cadence.

---

Michelle got first in the ladies. Unfortunately no prizes is given, as it's for everyone. This ought to be rectified next year, if it's held.

Tioman Eco Challenge: Warning! For Military Personnel Only

After almost 9 hours from KL, we finally arrived...

My sis's first time here too...

A group pic before the start..

This is the easy part...

Before the start...I noticed a lot of strong guys taking part.

Sky divers putting on a show...

Hills here are indeed steep. The highest point of Tioman is 1000 meters above sea level.

Despite being a Pahangnite, I haven't been to the island before. Since the Tioman Eco Challenge is held there, with a promising 30km of trail run, I thought it would be a splendid way to visit and perhaps enjoy the trails.

Ray Ng, Mich Looi, my sis & I went in my car, with a journey that took 6 hours to reached Mersing. Then it was another 2 hours ferry ride to the island. What struck me upon reaching, was the tall & steep hills which starts almost immediately from the shores. Uh oh, this doesn't look good.

We had some briefing upon registration at Berjaya Tioman Resort. The trail is divided into 5 sections A, B, C, D & E. There's 3 checkpoints for A, B, C, and 2 chk points for D, and lastly 1 checkpoint for E. Cut off time is 7 hours. I thought I could game it in 5.

According to the spokesman, the path from A1 to C2 will be very hard, and if you can get to C2, the rest of the parts will be smooth sailing. Which is kind of untrue. We'll get to that part later.

---

Race day. Kind of lots of fanfare with skydivers & a VIP from the military to officiate. In fact there's lots of military guys taking part. And, best of all, the route is done by them as well.

The Kenyans were as usual in the international. My focus would be on Jasni, and of course superhuman Dino himself. Strategy is to just run in the front pack.

Race started, and soon we ran along the nice man made path, until we hit the hills. And that's where things get from easy to tough. First it's bloody steep. No one could run up, I just sort of trying to walk up as fast as I could, or as far as the lungs can take it.

Secondly, lots of thorny bushes, on the surface, or grown on trunks that you could have use your hand to hold them. Basically it's a bit of nuisance if you have to pass through them.

Thirdly, almost invisible small roots that you could have tripped if you aren't careful. Yes, even while walking, many times I got my foot stuck, and had almost fallen.

Needless to say, Jasni had already passed me. Dino had disappeared up front. And I was just trying to move as carefully as possible which wasn't a good idea if you want to go fast.

We had to follow yellow ribbons tied as a way point from one location to the other. Sometimes, even as a group, you might missed it, and you'll have to stop & look for it.

The ridiculous thing on steepness is, just imagine from start to A2, the height at A2 is 450 meters. It took me 40 minutes to reach A2. Then it was a bit of downhill, which was steep as well, and running is not a good idea. It's only before, and after A3 (at the waterfall), that you could run a bit.

I think Chan Mei Mei (first local lady), passed me after A2 on the downhill. The group that she was with was going downhill quite fast, and I was too chickened to follow.

The route towards B2 reached a resort at the beach. Then we have to move towards B3, and C1. Then finally go uphill (very steep as well), towards C2. While climbing the rocks near C2, I saw one guy lying on his back and resting. It taxed even the strongest guys I have seen on the trails.

I will see more of this later on.

There were some rain, which made the path more slippery, which made movement more dangerous. I was just adamant of trying to get to C2, in hope that the worse is over. Finally after 4:20, I did reached C2, which was beside the beach. I sat on the stretcher, took some bar, and drank, and it was the first time I questioned if the 7 hours cut off time is doable? Cause the problem was C2 is halfway point up to the finish.

Ok, the route should be easier, as the organizer had said. But easy it was NOT. We have to go back right into the wild bushes & hills, and it was quite wild. There's one section you have to climbed up a rock 4 meters high using a rope. It wasn't going up any major uphills, BUT the route looks like just newly hacked, goes up & down until you reached C3.

I just couldn't believe it. I thought we would be running beside man-made paths or beach, up to the end.

Finally did reached C3, which reaches Kampung Paya if not mistaken. Thoughts of DNFing was really etched in my mind. I was tired, hungry, hot, & disoriented from all the pounding up & down trails. I have got 1hr and 10 minutes left to cover 10km. Ah, this should be the easy part, so I started running.

After 5km, there's some trails we need to go through again. Nevermind, I thought, this could be the last one before we reach the beach. Then I saw the orange coloured apartment complex behind Berjaya Resort, and thought, yes, I finally made it. That's another 3km more...or so I thought.

Upon reaching the beach after the trails, I saw a guy sitting on a log, and he said he's quitting cause we only got 15minutes. I wondered why, until I found what the reason was: we have to go back up the trails again on the right!. And there was some uphills again! My spirit is almost broken, and I couldn't comprehend why we can't run on the beach? F**k this, hell, I would rather swim across than see another rock, tree trunk, roots. But I remembered what David Goggins said "Always open the door, which gave me a few more miles". Alrighty then, it's back to hill slugging.

Finally after much trail navigating insanity, I reached the final E1 checkpoint, to run up some gravel, and finally reaching the tarmac on the golf course. I couldn't be much happier upon reaching the finishing line. My sis had been waiting patiently for 2 hours more, and I didn't want to make her wait longer. This medal is so tough to get, I had thoughts of framing it up.

Time taken was 7:09:00

Dino got first, Jasni 7th, and most of the top 10 was won by military guys.

---

Ok, compared to Sabah Adventure Challenge, this is indeed harder by a few times. I didn't thought of quitting in SAC, but I had almost quit this due to the cut off time. Definitely the wildest trail I have ever been through. I mean, I have been through thorns & stuff like that, but not in a race where you are chasing for time. Some parts are dangerous, as one mistake could be fatal. I think around 50 made it back. The rest DNF.

Compared to the TNF SG? I am sorry folks, TNF SG is like a walk in the park. On a scale from 1 to 10, TNF sg is at 1 or 2, SAC around 6 and Tioman Eco challenge at 10. So if you want to kill yourself, try this.

PCC Interstate 2011: 5 days of tarmac

Cycling with Poh Seng's group

Start of Day 3...

Ending at Damai Laut...

Interstate this year starts from Raub, and ends at Damai Laut, Lumut. The actual advertised distance for PCC interstate 2011 is 460km, which was a bit too short. So adding a day before and after the 3 days would make it longer.

Day 0: Cycled from KL to Raub. I've done this twice so it was basically a slow one covering 110km. The only serious climb was at Genting Sempah. Also learned that Vong, Adzim & Adeline had done the same as well. For hotels, we got a nice big house under Nice Stay hotel. It was great and not kind of crampy since most of us had bikes to ferry here and there.

This ride was important as a warm up, because I have done no mileage on the bike after Sabah Adventure Challenge, and it was the first time testing out the carbon road bike. Besides that, my right big toe was still in pain from all the impact on downhill running.

Day 1: Raub-Brinchang. This is a tough route. Basically mostly flats until you hit Sg Koyan. From the start I tagged along 2 guys who broke away from the rest of the peloton. We were quite alone until 30+km when swarms of P2K rushed up like soldiers on the battlefield. It was wet from some downpour, so drafting behind someone had water splashing onto your face. I tried to keep up with the front pack, which broke into two, but soon lost them after having the chains fell off from switching gears. Then they were long gone, so I did a lonely cycle till the last 10km up Ringlet. This is the toughest part up, as it was pouring and windy and cold.

Soon, Adzim, Andrea and some other guys caught up. With 2 or 3km to, we stopped for lunch break, which was kind of necessary after the energy sapping climbs.

Afterwards, it was a race up the hills towards Tanah Rata. I think the coffee did the trick, as I managed to put on a consistent power on the climb. When we reached Brinchang, and finally the hotel, I was glad it's done. Thinking back, this time the climb is easier compared to the last one I did under the hot afternoon sun. If it's hot, you won't have any shades, as it's a pretty new route with clearings on both sides.

Distance covered 150km

Day 2: Brinchang-Bukit Merah resort.

Started off approximately at 7am, and I couldn't wait to get back on the bike. We had to climb up Kea Farm, and then do a steep descent to Kg Raja. Now I've had this problem with my front wheel, which I think it's from the hub. Going fast downhill will create some sort of creaking sound. So to avoid that I just had to keep on pedalling while going downhill. Afraid of any mishaps, I decided to slow down just in case.

The route to Kg Raja has some uphills as well. Saw some riders, notably p2k guys, and I tried to attack on the uphills. Was fun until my shades fell off. Dismounted, and they passed. Then it was attacking again, and passed them. And then it was up the steep climb after Kg Raja, where I caught up with Sergio Consen.

Now this is the fun downhill part, but since my front hub is a bit faulty, I choosed not to go too fast. Once in awhile Sergio was in front, due to his size, he had more downhill momentum, and sometimes I was in front.

That was until when the P2k guys came rushing downhill at high speed. I think it's closed to 70kmh, and the leader of the pack is still pedalling! I had all my gears up, pedalling hard and still left in the dust. I decided to dropped back due to safety reasons. It was dangerous weaving through all the sharp corners.

I think Andrea, and a few other guys caught up and we pedalled to Simpang Pulai. Seems like the whole front group had stopped, due to a puncture. I didn't opt to wait, so it was up to the traffics then met with 2 other cyclist. I asked one of them if they know the way, which then he gave an affirmative.

So we pedalled towards sunway city, took a right turn towards Tambun, but somehow he wasn't sure of the way, until we saw the main pack passed by. Shit, it was back chasing the P2k guys, and I had to pedalled furiously to get back into the group. Missing the peloton means missing the fast train to Bkt Merah. Luckily it was some traffic lights that had to make them stop, or else they would have dissappeared.

Riding in the peloton, and going 40kmh was just great. We were riding fast and the locations just passed by without much of a notice. Once I got reprimanded for not 'doing the work' and asked to go to the back. So I tried to figured out what he meant. I think it's probably I wasn't too close to the front wheel or something like that, which could break apart the peloton. But actually I wasn't comfortable drafting such a close distance with the front guy.

I saw something that had me in awe. One of the cyclist took off both hands from the bar, took a bottle, unscrew it, poured powdered electrolytes, mixed it with water from another bottle, and threw the other bottle away, all while doing 35kmh.

Soon, we stopped by at Sg siput for lunch. I had my cereal bar, downed with some drinks. From here it's another 80km to Bkt Merah, still quite a long way to go.

There was a steep climbed next to a highway, and that's where the group broke when some attacked. When I descended, managed to regrouped with Adzim & Sergio. Soon we were racing on the flats and some even drafted lorries. Then I noticed the group was having a rest stop at a petrol station on the right. I decided to push on.

Now it was time trialling session. Riding with the peloton was fast & saved quite some energy, but I preferred a solo more. There's no cues to give to the back or someone to chase. Only you and the bike. The route was flat onwards, so it's easily 35kmh over. I wasn't sure of the road and had to stopped once to ask for directions.

Adzim had mentioned a surprise when we reached the resort, and yes, it was a bloody steep climb up a few hundred meters. After almost 200km, this was tough, but I didn't want to walk up.

Finally reaching the resort at 1:45pm. Distance covered 200km

Day3: Bkt Merah - Damai Laut Lumut

It ought to be an easy day today, with a distance of 110km. The organiser gave us a choice to ride uphill or a longer flat section, of which most of us voted the flat one. From the start, we cycled behind the PCC 4wd vehicle, until the main highway.

As the signal is given, 3 guys in white & green jersey took off, so I mounted a chase, which I was able to caught up with them. We took turns doing some work. Not long after, the main pack caught up with us again. Yet it was still a fast group, as we easily reached 40 above.

Then it was a right turn, then left turn into some village route, which wasn't even, and had holes and certain sections. I found myself at the front, and unfortunately, my back tyre busted. So, it was 10 minutes down fixing the tyre. Poh Seng dropped by and then we're off again cycling. But somehow I lost the fast legs prior, so we weren't going very fast.

He wanted to catch up with his group, so both of us pushed on until we caught up with them. Riding in this group was kind of nice cruising around 30-35kmh. We had a stop for break. Then it was back to riding.

As we were heading towards Pantai Remis, another group doing 40kmh passed by. I couldn't resist the temptation to go fast and hopped on. Unfortunately they stopped at a petrol station soon after. So it was back to solo cycling until some guys caught up.

Then a huge guy with a TT bike surged ahead. I tried to move up draft him, but he seemed so strong mashing the pedals that I soon lost him. He was doing speeds exceeding 40kmh, and it was just hard to keep up.

The route to the resort wasn't easier as there's some hills to conquer. And it's all worth it once you reached the scenic Damai Laut resort.

Distance: 110km

Day 4: Damai Laut-KL

After 4 days of cycling, surprisingly I wasn't too beaten up. I think it's due to all the nice drafting riding in a peloton.

Adzim and I were supposed to ride together, but he started at 7am, while I started 45 minutes later. So, it was a solo ride all the way back KL. To keep things fast, I tried to be aero as possible while maintaining 30-35kmh.

We did a few exhanges of message to meet somewhere ahead, but we were too far ahead, and I sensed that he's going faster.

Route was flat as a pancake, except approaching Sg Buluh, and going into KL area.

After 9 hours on the bike, and 233km, I finally reached home. Bonus was getting an average of 30.3kmh.

Total 5 days: 803.3km

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Sabah Adventure Challenge Ultra Run: Paradise in Tambunan

Lai Kuan, Edwin Goh & Tony...

I had to smile just for the cameras, but in fact I was pretty wasted...

Trudging along...not easy at all..

Race day 2 start...

Reaching CP6, I think I was in more than 10th placing...

With Aunt Helena's homestay house...

I think the Sabah book was a nice gift...

I'll have to admit. The first time I saw the distance of 60km of trails over two days, I thought it was easy game. After having done them, easy isn't a suitable description.

Initially we're supposed to run 30km day 1 and 30km day 2. However the last few days, with incessant rain pouring over Sabah, they had to changed the route for both ultra runners & adventure racers, due to landslides.

Tony, Lai Kuan, and Edwin, departed in the same flight from LCCT and we arrived at the hotel at KK for registration. Nothing much really, just checking in our name & getting the bib. Then we're all transported via bus to Tambunan.

As for accomodation, I think our homestay owner is one of the nicest person I ever known, called Helena. She has let us stayed for 3 nights and cooked dinner too. Coincidentally it's the starting line for day 2 as well, located at Kampung Mansok. There were 5 of us there, 3 from Singapore (james, Ching Soon, Teo) , and 1 french guy (Vincent Casanova...I am jealous of his name).

Day1 Race:

Julie had told me of Dydimus Talaji, who had clocked 3:41 at Kinabalu Climbathon 2006, doing the race as well. Now, I've tried twice and failed at both accounts. So this is indeed serious competition.

We started running from the Tambunan Village Resort Center, then headed north eastwards for 4km. The adventure racers have to run the same distance as us, and they'll continue with the bikes after the run.

No sooner, Dydimus came to the fore, and I joined in as well. I think we're doing quite a fast pace. Earlier the Aussie Solomon team was ahead. After like 20 minutes, there's a sharp right uphill, which leads to CP1. I wasn't sure and asked him if it was the right trail. After checking the map, it looks like it is. I think I've never seen such a steep trail before, and we had to walked.

After signing in at CP1, it was some more uphill before we reached a gate that can be opened. Then there was 2 roads. One uphill on the right, the other straight ahead. Dydimus took the right, and I was once again questioning if it's the right one. After checking the compass, it was wrong, and we went the other way.

Then we reached a bamboo gate, which you had to climbed over. Some halting here, and the rest of the pack reached us, including the solomon guys, and some other runners. After this, it was kind of like a chase pack. We kept running, and slipping over muddy terrain, with each one of us not willing to slow down.

As the route became smaller & wilder, it was harder to find. Some stop was needed to verify our bearings, but we didn't got lost. I noticed the solomon guys had a tow line tied to each other, something I haven't seen before. The guy at the back would read the map while the front guy ran ahead.

After CP2, it was heading downhill abit towards a stream. Dydimus and some others took a short cut, but the solomon guys, and another guy named Matthiew Ling, proceeded to take the main road. I joined this group thinking it was better to run further instead of getting lost. Anyway, soon we reached the earlier group who had stopped by a hut to ask for directions. I guess not much difference anyway, as we ran together again.

Then we went down some really seriously steep & muddy slopes. I had to slow down considerably. It was here that Matthiew strained his ankle. Dydimus and the front pack soon disappeared ahead.

After the stream crossing, it was uphill again. Now, certain hill sections here are pretty steep. Running is a waste of energy. I think all of us walked, but the solomon guys walking pace is way faster than my walking pace. Soon, they dissapeared as well.

I fell twice on the course. Once during downhill while stepping on a hard stone, and another time after crossing a bridge just before CP4. 2 adventure racers team caught up with me here as well.

As I reached CP 3, a huge guy in white shirt caught up with me (adventure race), we kept on running. Then we bumped into the solomon guys who had headed the wrong direction into a village. Yet after that, they still run/walk faster than my pace.

As I approaced CP 4, the route was made of concrete pavement, which went down a bridge. As I signed in, I was surprised to see no runners had passed. I had actually reached CP4 first. However I still had this feeling that that couldn't be true, until I saw Dydimus running on the opposite direction. Perplexed, I asked him, and he said he had got lost. So he was running to CP4 to get his name there.

Anyway, it's still a long way towards CP4a (ending). The route was made tougher by the heat & many more uphills & downhills. I was just glad to see the finishing, when I spotted some 4wds and tents.

Now at this point I didn't believe I was first until I really checked in. They had a rafia string as the crossing, and some camera men was there. I couldn't be more happy. I finally won a running race. But I wasn't too overjoyed. Dydimus came in second with Abdul Khaliq (Singaporean) together just 5 minutes apart.

Distance: 32km Time:4:12:41

Day2:

The adventure racers would bike from TVRC, and doing the same route from CP2 onwards. The runners starts at CP2. I've been memorizing the instructions from the map, and could recall every single thing. Rumors had it, that today would be easier.

But easy it was not, as the start is a road that's so steep and long, the only comparison is the sharp turn up Genting Peak. And that was a hundred meters. This was almost 1km or more. We were let off after 7:30am. Immediately I pushed the pace. I think Dydimus followed. I know I had to lost them on the uphill, or just to test if they could really follow my pace. Soon afterwards I couldn't see them. I was confident that if I pushed the same intensity, I could game this race. I had wanted to win this race convincingly & decisively.

Today's route wasn't as confusing as day 1. I went along until CP4 doing 2 hours. Saw some bikes lying there, which means the adventure racers had reached. But it was a hard sight to see some of them pushing their bikes uphill. Running up these steep slopes had been hard. I think pushing a 10kg bike is harder still.

From the start until CP5 (which is also CP2), I was in first position, with Dydimus probably 10 min behind. Now here was my mistake. There's 2 routes up CP6. I took the longer one, which had some stream crossing. CP6 sits on top of hamburger hill, which is a bloody steep hill with uphills & downhills that can kill your legs.

When I reached CP6, the leader had came in 40 minutes earlier. I know then, it was hard to chase them. But I kept on going. By this time it was getting hotter. Had to stopped at a small house to get some water just in case. The 10km almost flat route in the heat back was probably the worst journey of all. I was also low in energy. I had taken only 1 cereal bar & energy drink, and I think it wasn't enough. So the journey back was more to run/walk. My only motivation was sitting at the restaurant at TVRC having iced milo.

Some runners soon caught up, including Abdul Khaliq. But I somehow managed to get ahead until the finishing in 4th place with a time of 5:09:28, that had placed me overall 3rd.

Distance: 37km Time:5:09:28

The next morning, with no race ahead, only did I realized Tambunan is a very idyllic place, with cool breeze, and unique vegetation, unlike any other I have seen. I haven't been paying attention to the scenery much during race, so today was more into savoring what went by.

---

Some thoughts on the event. It's very well managed, with very punctual timing. If the organiser said it starts at 8, they really mean at 8 and not 5 minutes later. I think one of the nice feeling you'll have, is the organiser makes it as though you mattered. Almost everything is taken care off, so you don't need to worry on the directions & logistics.

Tambunan is really a beautiful placed, situated 500m above sea level. It could be hot, but generally it was cooling after evening. But one thing I didn't anticipate was the hills. If you thought FRIM steroid hill is a killer one, try imagining multiples of that in one race course, and some even steeper and longer too.

By the way, the same organiser will organised a 100km trail run in Sabah in November 2011. I might join this one.

*pics copyright belong to their rightfull owners*

Kenyir Tri 2011: Wettest Tri Ever

Nice view, if sans rain...

The rupiah joke is always up...

New route, the bike route (red) turns right, and we had to climb that #Q$%# hill.

Along side Msia Ironman legend (Sofian)

Opps..a bunch of guys at my tail...

Damn...I missed my running train...

Sofian and Richard Tang should turn pro now...

This year's kenyir tri was probably the wettest in history. I am used to monsoons at the eastern coastal areas during the season, so it wasn't something I haven't experienced. However it's odd that it came at this time of the year. Usually monsoons period hovers end of the year.

With such bad weather, the organiser had almost called off the bike leg.

Now this wasn't something I had wished, neither does the rest of us. The last time I was in kenyir was 3 years back for my maiden tri, so to have that, would have been a bummer.

Fortunately, the race went on.

Now for the swim, I hadn't been doing much swimming. So I wasn't really going fast. The start was ridiculously chaotic, as if suddenly everyone wants to sprint distance swimming. It took awhile to coast down the heart rate, but my strokes were pretty bad. When I came up, I saw Sofian along side. And seems like many athletes had made their way up.

Went up to the bike transition, and took awhile before I managed to get in the socks. I think that could have been 30 secs, as I tried to get my bearings right. I didn't brought the shades, and that proved to be an error later.

Quickly I took the bike and ran to the starting bike line, mount on it, and quickly dashed up the hill. Passed Sofian as I went up. Bike is not my forte, but I've been doing tons of hills at hulu langat, so the hills were pretty ok. But I was afraid I couldn't hammer on flats.

This year's bike route took a change. Rather than turning left towards the dam, now we have to turn right, go down a steep downhill, then turn left for a 12km rolling route, and back.

Since I hadn't got the shades on, riding behind someone has water splashing all over your face. Doesn't help that mother nature dumps torrents of blinding rain when you're going fast.

There wasn't much drafting to be done. I tried to work with someone for a few k, but that guy pace was a tad slow, so I thought I would just do it all alone. I did pulled him for sometime though. Before the 5km u-turn, I saw the first guy on the bike, then a peloton passing by. Opps seems like I am way far behind.

After the u-turn, it was pretty much a lonely affair, save for another athlete who managed to zoom passed. We cycled together, but not much team work, till we reached the dreaded hills back. I reckoned it's steeper than Bukit Hantu. Some cyclist were zig zagging on the way up. I thought, no way I am going do that, so I stood up and went straight up.

As I went down the slopes towards the transition area, I saw Dush, Andy with a bunch of guys already running in a train. Opps, looks like I got some catching to do. I think I could punch this one. The previous day I did a test run 4.84 km flat in 17:37 (pace 3.63m/km), so I know I could muster the speed needed.

Soon enough, passed Andy, then some thai? guys, and finally Dush after the left turn. Then caught up with the first girl winner, and then passed another 2 guys along side her. Afterwards, it was running on the dam itself.

It could have been scenic had it been not raining. I peered at the horizon and could see 4-5 lads around 500m in front. I have been running at high intensity, and this time it was the time to kick it. However it was futile effort, as I couldn't reach any of them.

Surprisingly I saw Shahrom coming down after the final u-turn towards the finishing. So I thought I couldn't be doing that bad.

After crossing the line, I went to checked the clock timing and was pretty surprised to do 2:13:08. I hadn't wore a watch, thus I was racing blind. I guess racing without one feels more carefree and you just go on chasing the next guy.

Got 5th as well in my age group (30-39). Something I thought wasn't possible.

---

Summary: I was able race at a higher holding heart rate. So, in terms of cardio fitness, I was ready. However the swim was terrible. Yeap... I was actually lazy and skipped some sessions.

So, it's back to the drawing board. Lots of work to be done.

Cameron Interstate Ride

Genting Sempah...not much riders today...

Stopped for a gel.

Raub!

Bleerggh route towards Sg Koyan.

Felda Sg Koyan...

Approaching the ranges of Titiwangsa

The route's condition is pretty good.

Long long climb...

And the view is nice..

Oh, finally seeing Cameron...

A tribute to my bike...

Kea farm..

Going uphills towards Kea farm

At this point, it's all downhill from Cameron...enjoy an hour of bliss..

Pretty descriptive...

The valleys beside the road.

Kampar...still way far from home...

Now if there's one thing that intrigued me, it was how many routes one can take, to go up Cameron Highlands. I've done 2 well known ones, Simpang Pulai & from Tapah. There's another one from Gua Musang. And it was a surprise to find out that there's a new route from Sg Koyan. It doesn't exist in Google maps, hence the surprise.

From some googling, it seems the route was completed last year. And there's some info on the GPS elevation from Sg Koyan to Ringlet as well. Day 1 of Interstate will start from Raub to Brinchang and that's a good 145km distance. But I was wondering if I could start from KL.

So here goes. Started from KL at 7:36am. I had wanted to start early, but due to some issues, I woke up around 3am and hadn't slept much then. I had packed 3 tubes, 1 spare tyre, a pair of clothes, tools, and 2 Accelerade gels. Yes, that's my only nutrition if something goes wrong.

The bag wasn't heavy, which is close to 3kg. Sped off on the MRR2 to head towards gombak. Reached HOA with the distance of 27.4km only. I thought it was 30km, but oh well. Then it was a slow grind up Genting Sempah, and quick descent towards Bentong.

At Bentong, I stopped for nasi lemak & iced kacang. This would be the last time for a heavy meal for the day. Then it was reaching raub (distance 113km). It was getting kind of hot. And there's nothing better than downing 2 cups of cane water, then eating fruits. I was kinda bloated...but I think that would go off soon.

Then it was embarking on the unknown route towards Sg Koyan. The route can be described as rolling and not so well maintained. The tarmac looks like it could use some repair. You will passthrough a section of palm oil plantations until you reached Sg Koyan itself. Had a bit of a scare as a "musang" ran across the road. I had almost knocked into it, but missed it inches.

Reaching Sg Koyan marks 163km. Had to stopped for some tasteless chicken rice, because the route ahead will have no stalls or shops for one to refill. There's a Petronas section ahead from the turning into Pos Betau around 1km. I head there first to refill on soya & some can drinks, instead of only having water.

Started from the junction towards Ringlet at approx 3:15pm. From my guess, it's a good 10okm up to brinchang. And I was hoping to reach Ringlet in daylight, if possible.

The route is basically devoid of vehicles, pretty well maintained, and new as well. There's a few uphills & downhills up to Pos Betau. And from there the steepness of the climb slowly increased. But it's still rolling up and down as well. So it's kind of frustrating in that you hope that you wanted to keep the elevation gained, but then it's all gone on the downhill. Brinchang is at the height of 1500m, so it's not going to be easy.

At the 44km mark from Sg Koyan, the route became visibly harder as it snakes up the mountain range. I think this is when tough becomes tougher. It's a good 2-3km non stop climb, then some flats. And then some more climb. But there's some downhill section as well.

The first visible signs of nearing Ringlet is farms on the side of the road. At this point I was really bonking. I didn't know what the distance was to ringlet, and I could only speculate. Finally a signboard for some hotels in Brinchang came into view, stating it's another 28km up. Yes, that's the only distance marker for the entire climb up Ringlet. But 28km isn't on flats.

I had to stopped for awhile. My back were aching from the bag, and I was famished. Downed a gel, then went back into the climbing game. Finally to my joy, I reached a sundry shop, so I stopped by, grab a bread, some drinks and chilled out at the stool outside the shop. If there's a definition of bonking, I think I found it there and then. I was staring and marvelling at the farms set up high on the peaks of the hills. I wonder how on earth did they build those structures up there.

But it was getting dark, and it's time to get on the bike and pedal. There's still rolling hills, nothing pretty much hard until you reached the final long steep climb up Ringlet. It's a good 1-2km. I was hungry again, so I stopped to have tosai with egg, and to get some rest. It tasted so bad, that I didn't finish it.

It's another 15km from Ringlet. And by this time, it's truly dark. I restarted cycling at 8:15pm. There's some downhill from Ringlet, then some flats, and then 7-8km of climbs up Tanah Rata. I had my front LED light on, and since it's climbing, it's pretty safe as long as vehicles can see you. At this point, it's just trying to complete this whole thing in one piece. Slowly but surely, I am gaining distance, so that's all that I needed to know.

After Tanah Rata, it was pretty flat, but once I reached Brinchang at 9:30pm, it's a final 15% gradient up again. Pretty crazy way to finish this whole route. I was just glad to finish off this ride safely.

Dinner was pretty tasteless. After such an effort, the food doesn't taste good at all. I checked into Kowloon hotel, and promptly slept.

Day 1: 263km

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In the morning I went sight seeing around the area. I hadn't explored it from the last visit. I visited the nearby Strawberry Park Farm, and that was an enjoyable experience looking at so many types of flowers which I hadn't seen before. Had strawberries, honey & yogurt with tea, and it was just splendid in the cool morning air.

Today's ride was just basically a relaxing one. I was taking my time to enjoy every bit of Cameron, so the ride was pretty slow. Then descending from Cameron was pretty exhilarating, as you don't need to do much work to keep the wheels going. But there's some hiccups on the way down. Somehow the front rim had a screeching sound as though the brakes were applied. But after some checks, the brake calipers were opened at its widest, so how was that possible? It only happens randomly.

Then as I reached Sg Pulai, my back tyre burst. After some checks, the cause was the old rim tape being in a state of damage at certain parts. It's made of plastic. And some parts weren't even, so that putting back the tube meant that the whole tyre isn't even. I was worried that puncture might recur. I slowly cycled to Ipoh to checkin into the hotel . Question was should I fixed it?

Day 2: 89km

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After getting some info on the bike shops near town, I think it's best to get it fixed. It didn't took long, but cost me having to start at 10am. I was just hoping to reach KL within day light.

So, this time it's TT mode, heads down and pedal like mad. I was kind of happy to see an average of 30kmh after 100km. But it's been hot the whole day, and late noon was hot as well. I stopped a few times to get drinks, lunch or a wash.

After reaching KKB, I decided to try the Rawang route for a change, back to KL. It's a bit further, and totally unfit for cycling. Firstly the traffic is bad at the route up Templar's park. Lorries were moving 100kmh beside me, which made me wonder what in the world are they rushing for. I had thought that the climbs here would be minimal compared to Ulu yam, but roughly you still do the same work.

Then it was KL back again. Got stucked in a bit of traffic as usual. After cycling through Jln Kuching, Loke Yew, finally I reached home at 7:15pm

Day 3: 217km

Total: 576km for 3 days.

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For those doing PCC Interstate this year, be prepared for lots of climbs. Try broga reverse until you feel comfortable as you'll have climbs of similar steepness and distance. The route from Sg Koyan to Brinchang will test your climbing skills to the max, and I am not kidding.