We’re having a Malaysian Sunday.
What I mean is were spending our Sunday the way most Malaysian’s do – slept in, watched a bit of TV, went to mamak stall for breakfast cum lunch, read the newspaper, afternoon nap etc.
Now for most Malaysian’s that nothing to write about, for our family it’s rather special. Our usual Sunday’s are getting up at 6am, loading bikes in the car or preparing run-gear and we’re out of the house before dawn. Only to return at lunch-time; half-starved / sunburned & windblown and smelling like a bunch of sweaty otters (if I’m offending any otters here my sincere apologies). That is those Sunday’s were not out of town and attending a race some where (which still involves getting up at 6am, preparing bikes, run-gear etc –you get the pic). Reason for our abnormal Sunday – Kalam returned from Indonesia late last nite. Our maid is enjoying a weekend off so I can’t leave the little ones behind. However something doesn’t feel right, life is too static; Need to take the whole bunch out for a swim or cycle a few rounds.
Prize money
Last weekend we took part in Miri-triathlon (Kalam, Danial and me). It was a nice time meeting up with friends at the race. Nice to meet Scalo and wife Katherine, Michael Chong for the first time. Triathlon Malaysia is definitively growing, this year more than 300 participants. A few new faces in the womens’s category –mostly other orang putih’s who are living in Sarawak.
It was a very hectic weekend, got on the flight to Miri early Saturday morning – met Neeza, Steph, Wong/Hafiz (brand-new papa), Steve and Karoline at the airport. Kalam with Adam picked Danial and me up at the airport. Went to register and met a lot more familiar faces at the registration site. Quickly to the hotel (this year we were staying in town –not at the race-hotel), pasang the bicycles and get our gear ready.
A few hours later of to the start of the sprint-distance; Race went okay – still don’t like the one hill – ended somewhere at the end to finds hubby and son waiting for me (slow mama!!).
Seafood-dinner with paku-midin goreng belacan (I really miss this dish in West-Malaysia). Coffee after with Scalo and Katherine. Miri is a funny town – life seems to end at 7pm on Saturday-night. We had difficulties finding anyplace that was open after 7pm. What do people do in this town on Saturday-nites I wonder – all go to sleep early (high birthrate I wonder enuf –stop this train of thoughts)…..
Next morning race-day; Danial’s first Olympic distance, he was quite nervous but determined to finish the race.
Flag-off; I couldn’t find my pace in the swim. Having focused solely on free-style the last 3 months I was disappointed finding myself unable to navigate and turning to breast-stroke instead. Swim was definitely more than 1500 meter and I came out of the water with just a few participants behind me (Miri is also a very easy swim course for cheating and I’m sure several participants did).
Those few participants overtook me in the first 3km on the bike and I was left at the end with a police-car following me all the way. I really have a phobia about being last. Negative thoughts ‘why be so passionate about this sport while you have no talent’ kept playin through my mind. I wanted to just quit but: so far I have never quit any race, and I started thinking about Patsy (she wouldn’t give up). So I ambled on, cheered on by friendly waves from the other side of the road, cyclists on their way back.
There is a funny little bird in Miri that doesn’t like cyclists. The bird will come and peck on the cyclist’ helmets trying to chase them away –cute to see same bird was still around and still didn’t like cyclists.
With a police-car on my heels I had to face Miri’s dreaded hill –how to push the bike up the hill like that. And as usual if the mindset is right you can conquer –so I cycled over the hill and after which the police commented through their loud-speaker on how tough I am !!!(yeah right)
During the transition I took of my socks which were wet and irritating me. A very stupid thing to do. A few km later my feet had open blisters. Running is never my forte and the blisters made things worse –once again I walked most of the 10km. One of the marshallers accompagnied me and the last bit I ran together with Kalam and Danial. I arrived at a nearly deserted finish-line (I should be used to that). However looking at my watch I realized I finished in 3.35hrs. A whole 25 min faster than my maiden triathlon one year earlier.
Danial was estatic, having finished his first OD in 3.15hrs.
Lunch and prize-giving was fun. I got third prize for the sprint-distance (apparently two other women in my category didn’t finish). Nice to share the podium with Lea – one of my idols.
And being the last finisher I still earned RM100 for finishing 8th in the OD womens veteran category. For a moment Kalam and Danial wished they were middle-aged women hihi….
Back to hotel, short nap, pack bikes and gear, to airport, etc etc. Arrived home at 2am Back to work and normal life after a few hours and a short sleep…
During the cycling-leg in Miri one thing became evident – I need to get another bike. My Scotty is a size 52 which is actually too big for me. Last Friday on our weekly Putrajaya nite-ride I used Kalam’s bike and the difference was huge. Normally I start to squirm after 20km and my body starts to hurt in various places but with Kalam’s bike I was fresh after 45km. Hills normally dreaded, I now had the power to push. So I have to start looking for a smaller bike- however need to locate a budget first (Who wants to sponsor an overweight middle-aged orang putih??? Anyone???)
Danial is already happily eyeing my bike….
Clouds have rolled in and it looks that my bike/swim plans for this afternoon have to be cancelled. Of course I could go to the gym instead, however I don’t like gyms – makes me feel like a hamster on a treadmill………..
What I mean is were spending our Sunday the way most Malaysian’s do – slept in, watched a bit of TV, went to mamak stall for breakfast cum lunch, read the newspaper, afternoon nap etc.
Now for most Malaysian’s that nothing to write about, for our family it’s rather special. Our usual Sunday’s are getting up at 6am, loading bikes in the car or preparing run-gear and we’re out of the house before dawn. Only to return at lunch-time; half-starved / sunburned & windblown and smelling like a bunch of sweaty otters (if I’m offending any otters here my sincere apologies). That is those Sunday’s were not out of town and attending a race some where (which still involves getting up at 6am, preparing bikes, run-gear etc –you get the pic). Reason for our abnormal Sunday – Kalam returned from Indonesia late last nite. Our maid is enjoying a weekend off so I can’t leave the little ones behind. However something doesn’t feel right, life is too static; Need to take the whole bunch out for a swim or cycle a few rounds.
Prize moneyLast weekend we took part in Miri-triathlon (Kalam, Danial and me). It was a nice time meeting up with friends at the race. Nice to meet Scalo and wife Katherine, Michael Chong for the first time. Triathlon Malaysia is definitively growing, this year more than 300 participants. A few new faces in the womens’s category –mostly other orang putih’s who are living in Sarawak.
It was a very hectic weekend, got on the flight to Miri early Saturday morning – met Neeza, Steph, Wong/Hafiz (brand-new papa), Steve and Karoline at the airport. Kalam with Adam picked Danial and me up at the airport. Went to register and met a lot more familiar faces at the registration site. Quickly to the hotel (this year we were staying in town –not at the race-hotel), pasang the bicycles and get our gear ready.
A few hours later of to the start of the sprint-distance; Race went okay – still don’t like the one hill – ended somewhere at the end to finds hubby and son waiting for me (slow mama!!).
Seafood-dinner with paku-midin goreng belacan (I really miss this dish in West-Malaysia). Coffee after with Scalo and Katherine. Miri is a funny town – life seems to end at 7pm on Saturday-night. We had difficulties finding anyplace that was open after 7pm. What do people do in this town on Saturday-nites I wonder – all go to sleep early (high birthrate I wonder enuf –stop this train of thoughts)…..
Next morning race-day; Danial’s first Olympic distance, he was quite nervous but determined to finish the race.
Flag-off; I couldn’t find my pace in the swim. Having focused solely on free-style the last 3 months I was disappointed finding myself unable to navigate and turning to breast-stroke instead. Swim was definitely more than 1500 meter and I came out of the water with just a few participants behind me (Miri is also a very easy swim course for cheating and I’m sure several participants did).
Those few participants overtook me in the first 3km on the bike and I was left at the end with a police-car following me all the way. I really have a phobia about being last. Negative thoughts ‘why be so passionate about this sport while you have no talent’ kept playin through my mind. I wanted to just quit but: so far I have never quit any race, and I started thinking about Patsy (she wouldn’t give up). So I ambled on, cheered on by friendly waves from the other side of the road, cyclists on their way back.
There is a funny little bird in Miri that doesn’t like cyclists. The bird will come and peck on the cyclist’ helmets trying to chase them away –cute to see same bird was still around and still didn’t like cyclists.
With a police-car on my heels I had to face Miri’s dreaded hill –how to push the bike up the hill like that. And as usual if the mindset is right you can conquer –so I cycled over the hill and after which the police commented through their loud-speaker on how tough I am !!!(yeah right)
During the transition I took of my socks which were wet and irritating me. A very stupid thing to do. A few km later my feet had open blisters. Running is never my forte and the blisters made things worse –once again I walked most of the 10km. One of the marshallers accompagnied me and the last bit I ran together with Kalam and Danial. I arrived at a nearly deserted finish-line (I should be used to that). However looking at my watch I realized I finished in 3.35hrs. A whole 25 min faster than my maiden triathlon one year earlier.
Danial was estatic, having finished his first OD in 3.15hrs.
Lunch and prize-giving was fun. I got third prize for the sprint-distance (apparently two other women in my category didn’t finish). Nice to share the podium with Lea – one of my idols.
And being the last finisher I still earned RM100 for finishing 8th in the OD womens veteran category. For a moment Kalam and Danial wished they were middle-aged women hihi….
Back to hotel, short nap, pack bikes and gear, to airport, etc etc. Arrived home at 2am Back to work and normal life after a few hours and a short sleep…
During the cycling-leg in Miri one thing became evident – I need to get another bike. My Scotty is a size 52 which is actually too big for me. Last Friday on our weekly Putrajaya nite-ride I used Kalam’s bike and the difference was huge. Normally I start to squirm after 20km and my body starts to hurt in various places but with Kalam’s bike I was fresh after 45km. Hills normally dreaded, I now had the power to push. So I have to start looking for a smaller bike- however need to locate a budget first (Who wants to sponsor an overweight middle-aged orang putih??? Anyone???)
Danial is already happily eyeing my bike….
Clouds have rolled in and it looks that my bike/swim plans for this afternoon have to be cancelled. Of course I could go to the gym instead, however I don’t like gyms – makes me feel like a hamster on a treadmill………..
