Countdown: Less Than 3 Months to Go!

A quick ride before dinner cut short by a sudden thunderstorm.

Yes! It’s now September and less than 3 months to go before I begin my big ride from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching. It’s the Hari Raya holiday break this week from Tuesday to Thursday which sort of disrupt my normal cycling routine; so starting next week I’d better be more disciplined with regards to regularity and mileage. I really need to get on with my LSD training – long slow distance (not lazy sunday doldrums) and I hope the hot and hazy weather conditions will improve. No excuses though; I just need to get on with it!

Rained On (And Almost Deflated)

I thought the rain had already stopped when I set off for my night training ride. It has been raining very heavily late in the evening and I thought the skies had already emptied during that sudden downpour. But I was wrong.

It started as a slight drizzle and as the kilometres went by it starts to get heavier and pretty soon I was soaked to my socks when I have to ride through puddles upon puddles. Have to, as I have to hold a straight line following the white line so as not to stray into the traffic lane and onto the path of drivers with impaired visibility of the road and the way ahead.

I prodded on regardless eager to complete my training distance and while it’s not exactly enjoyable; it was bearable. And then the front steering went wobbly suddenly and I stopped to check to discover a puncture in the front tyre. I had a spare tube and small hand pump with me but after changing the tube; I decided to call it a night after which the rained eased off and stopped!

The next day as I drove to work; I had another puncture – this time on the rear tyre.

And while these two consecutive punctures did not dampen nor deflate my spirit; the callous remark from an old friend who called me a “weirdo” for doing this charity nearly did! Anymore discouraging or disparaging remarks anyone? *sighs*

Punctured!

A leisurely Sunday morning ride punctuated by punctures ...

Suffering a puncture is what every cyclist dreads but at the back of their mind they know that it is not a matter of if but when! So I trust that I still have my sense of humour with me in the event that I encounter a puncture or two on my ride down from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching and hopefully not on both front and rear tyres on the same day! ;-)

A Thought to Ponder

Where the river meets the sea on a beautiful day out kayaking.

The Dalai Lama was asked,
“What thing about humanity surprises you the most?”

His answer,
“Man because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. Then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn’t enjoy the present. As a result, he doesn’t live in the present or the future. He lives as if he’s never going to die. Then he dies having never really lived."

"Leg Power on Two Wheels to Raise Funds for Charity"

"The Borneo Post" - Thursday 18th August 2011

The Federation of Life Care Society had their first joint meeting in Sibu on the charity ride and called a press conference with regards and makes the news on "The Borneo Post" Thursday, 18th August 2011 issue.

This was also reported in the local Chinese daily newspapers, for those of you who can read Chinese.

 

My Father On A Bicycle

Mr. Ho Ho Lim, my late father a suave young man then in 1951, on his gentleman bike.

I have never seen my father on a bicycle before so I was quite delighted to chance upon an old photograph of him on a ‘gentleman bike’ which was taken in 1951, five years before I was born; otherwise I can say that cycling is in my blood!

And I think it is a really cool photograph and he looks really cool. And I also think that he would be really proud of and supportive of me on this charity ride if he was still alive today. I miss you and mum, dad.

25 accident-prone stretches in Sarawak identified

According to the 'New Straits Times' today, the Sarawak Road Safety Department has identified 25 accident-prone stretches of road in the state. I'll mark this down and will be extra careful when I'm on these stretches of roads. Safety first.

KUCHING: The Sarawak Road Safety Department has identified 25 accident-prone stretches of road in the state, director Rano Alywino Akat said today.

He said the stretches in Kuching were the Sultan Tengah Road, Km7 to Km15 of the Matang Road, the Stephen Yong Road, 7th to 15th mile of the Kuching-Serian Road, Km69 of the Lundu Road and the Tabuan Jaya-Kota Samarahan Road.

In Samarahan, the stretches were Km38 to Km59 of the Kuching-Serian Road, Km86 to Km87 of the Kuching-Serian Road and the Tondong-Bau Road.

In Sri Aman, the stretches were Km6 and Km106 to Km112 of the Sri Aman-Kuching Road, Km20 of the Sri Aman-Sarikei Road and Km16to Km19 of the Simpang Bukit Punda Road.

In Miri, the stretches were Km40 of the Miri-Bintulu Coastal Road, the Bakam-Luak Road, Km9 of the Pujut-Lutong Road, Km5 of the Miri by-pass and Km13 of the Lambir-Niah-Bintulu Road.

In Sarikei, the accident-prone stretches were Km33 to Km38 of the Saratok-Sarikei Road and Km25 of the Bukit Sebangkoi Road; in Sibu, the 6th to 13th mile of the Oya Road and the 32nd to 37th mile of the Sibu-Bintulu Road and in Bintulu, Km23 of the Bintulu-Sibu Road, Km15 of the Kidurong-Bintulu Road and Km30 of the Similajau-Niah Road.

Rano said that over the past three years, there had been a rise in the number of road accidents in Sarawak and road accident fatalities had also risen,from 323 in 2008 to 332 in 2009 and 365 in 2010.

"Sarawak recorded a loss in economic terms of RM4.13 billion between 2000 and 2010 as a result of deaths due to road accidents," he said. -- Bernama