Riding and Running Selfish?
How to keep your Spouse and Family Happy (whilst you’re training hard)
If you have not already noticed your partner may not be so supportive when you disappear for hours on end on the bike or you talk endlessly about your love of riding. So here are some tips to keep them happy and how to manage your cycling addiction whilst not creating world war three in your lounge.
Noel Carroll in 1981 highlighted that there was a ‘selfish runner syndrome’. He suggested that
‘Runners (change this to cyclists in our case.) may make better lovers, but sometimes lousy spouses: that is the problem’.
He stated that runners/cycling are an introverted lot. They like to keep their thoughts to themselves. Their behaviour is at best anti-social, at worst utterly selfish… It can create an atmosphere that does nobody any good, and certainly not the runner’.
Unless we are competing at a very high level and earning an income from cycling, we should aim to keep a good balance between cycling and the other areas of our life.
Tim Noakes in his brilliant book ‘The Lore of Running’ adds further to this with some helpful tips. The following is from his book.
1. Limit serious running to every second year and then to only a few months of that year
2. If you work in an office, run to and from work if at all possible. Alternately, run in the early morning or during the lunch hour or both.
3. Don’t allow running to affect the way you carry out your household responsibilities. Doing so provides your family with a tangible reminder that they come second.
4. Be aware of the ‘danger times’- you will know what these are in your household. At these times, be at your most attentive and, at all costs, do not open your mail to see if your running magazines have arrived, discuss running, or worst of all, go out for a run. Weekends too must be handled carefully to ensure that running conflicts as little as possible with the family’s weekend recreation.
5. Don’t get overtired. As a runner with a family you must have to accept that, for the sake of your family, you simply can’t train hard enough to run at your best. That is the price that must quite realistically be paid.
(Noakes, 2003)
Noel Carroll also stated that you should
· Never complain of being tired
· Don’t always want to go home early on evening out
· Don’t talk running all the time (have other topics of conversation)
· Always play down the importance of running in your life.
(Carroll, 1981)
at Friday, January 15, 2010 0 comments
Labels: Rides, Thoughts, Training
GBR Epic Route : Madness to the grind.
Image courtesy of Adzim, Mastermind by Terry , Supported by Fuzen , Chuah , Support vehicle by Shaharin & Razali. I would like to thank the guys in the ride and they out on support.
Truly. epic.
Just snort..if someone mentions broga...
at Sunday, May 17, 2009 0 comments
Labels: Rides
KLMTB Hash @ ulu rening
A nice progreesive build up ride nicely shaded with some fast fireroads.
its goona be a nice epic ride on 10th may
at Wednesday, April 22, 2009 0 comments
Labels: Rides
PCC - MUDD 2008
Incredible..there are rides which are just rides. MUDD has to be one of those rides which you got to be there to know how doubtful , crazy , tension , cold and tired it was . It had literally everything. it is an extreme ride. It made everyone a lil better, a lil closer , and whole lot more confident.
Everyone in for MUDD has a story to tell..( I'll tell you mine )
Due to heavy down pour of several days ago the rivers swell, it was our concern earlier but nothing was going to spoil our ride.
this is how it went , we reached there about 2 in the afternoon unpack out stuff. 4 of us chilled out at the balcony facing the open valley shower comes as frequent like when one needs to go take a leak when its cold , Everyone chilled out at the veranda ( insects too ) soon as hours pass everyone trickle in till 1.30 am due to delays and bad jams in kl.
Could not get enough sleep as there are plenty of heavy snorers in the bunker.
So everyone woke up at 5.30 am to prep. About 40 of us descend 7 km down to take the bus for breakfast and packed lunch. The atmosphere is great the amount of people there makes it really nice... like a small mini interstate.
Start of the trail wasn’t all that great, cutting thru farm’s mud hole and stinking fertilizer. However the second part was crazy very slippery moss and water coated cements made it very slippery.
Bombing thru the 1st section 4 was Lim , Kenny , Dan ( qwailow ) and me tailing . This fast slippery part everyone braked, Dan got caught slammed his brake thus i slammed mine , my front end gave way , I bit the dust hard going down on right side then to all four about 3 meter slide. Knees, wrist and shoulder are banged up ( now on inflammation pills). Recovered got back up on the bike , limp back into the pack.
The river is horrendous, its like teh tarik..endless flow of teh tarik.. There was no way we could pass thru. We went to look for alternative recce, did a survey and in our surprise we found a bridge made of bamboo, native engineering type. (A1 grade if you ask me.)
How it was made was sheer brilliance, linked from the tree branch at the banks of the river to tree branch on the opposite end of the river , inter- linking it across with no nail nor steel cable , everything made from material found there. Imagine 4 parquet tiles wide with gaps of the river flowing thru without rail handles.
Soon , we walkie talkie back on the good news as the rest were waiting.
We cross in batch together with our bikes. Cracks are heard as pressure is laid on the some dried but slightly rotten bamboo. It does freak most of the riders, but darn it, it was pure adrenalin. (No ugly scene there)
Then we descend and cut across fallen rocks trees, mud traps. ruts and with leaves from small shrubs whipping our shin like we are asking for more, ironic masochist decision of going faster or getting whip harder.. all still very manageable.
We then came near to a real show stopper. A huge 40 foot swelled river crossing, some decide to turn back, and some decide to cross it. Everyone knew the risk bring trapped in between deciding and weighting (swept away or crossing the bridge again which is fragile)
Took the liberty to ask for a native helps which is isn’t too far away. One came to help us, 51 people stared at this native, all alone walked thru the torrent river flow by himself using his feet to feel the path of the invincible bridge below.
It doesn’t give confidence to most of all the riders and isn’t nice to see one going for a unintended ride with the class 5-6 rapids. Morale is at all time low.
I went back to the orang asli settlement. A massive climb greets me for the 3rd ...this time 5 of them came to aid us. However they will only help if they can ride my bike. They rode my bike as i walked back to the river bank.
Form a chain with bamboo-come-rope as support, we men cross 1st. The good feeling came back. Morale was good.
Everyone crossed the river safely but we lost massive amount of time with massive climbs ahead of us, nothing much we can do but soldier on...
The climbs to the constructed highway feels like genting, it grinds the granny, the need for traction. We (Lim .Kenny and me) got on to tar road for the 1st time in 8 hours, it’s just temporary. We manage to get into a construction site canteen which serves us fried rice and drinks. Gobble up, we had another 20 more km or climbs to go..soon more riders arrived , Rob, Kiat Dan, Joseph and so on.
I was alone most of the time when the rain came, the forest grows darker earlier with the jungle canopy. Pushing on, I dread the worst of not able to make it as its 7 pm now .I heard motorcyclist going thru with my friend on it pushing the bike while along on the motorbike , he told me he will send the motorbike back for me, soon, i met another biker so following him , but in a while i found myself ahead taking the wrong turn, going in 4 km away into the tea plantation , i was pretty afraid being lost in the dark with no orientation or lights but manage to bomb back down the hill again with to met the same biker named Ming again. I was seriously elated.
THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 7.00PM to 9.00PM:
Its 7.45 pm now, it’s very dark. Could not see a thing, but ahead we see a land rover coming, this orang asli came to help us by the alert of Kiat whom was on the motorbike.
We hop on, we went back to help the rest of the group about 8 - 9 they all seems pretty glad.
We got back by 8.15pm with 2 trucks one with bike the other laden with riders.
THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 9.00PM to 11.00PM:
There are 41 people out there still...its 10.30...it starts to shower hard..
10.30 pm ( Like 24 the series , except there is no terrorist ) We need a game plan to get them out. Deploy all capable vehicle to triage the stranded.Phones were ringing , calls are made.
Word out , everyone is out except Alvin , Pat , Brenda and etc. Stranded in some unknown place , order was out to get em move forward nearer to pickup location. Firstly we got to eat the roti canai before moving the VAN.
THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 11.00PM to 2.00AM:
Slowly the familiar faces starts trickling in wet clothes, pale and cold. it is not funny.
Last group came in at 1.45 am. physiological ride this is but what a memory.
at Monday, October 20, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Rides
Ready for some Cameron Highland MUDD catch and release.
Looking forward to do this.. on MUDD@Cameron Higland... :) i am more excited on mtb than road. Once a mtber always a mtber..mountain biking because the scenery is always good. Even if your workout sucks for some reason, you can have fun being distracted, going slow, trying little stunts and what not, and MTB racing is an awful lot of fun. It’s just bein’ out in the jungle, only faster. I love cross country and think I like endurance racing, but can see how folks love downhill also.
On the other hand road riding is an extremely distinctive pleasure. Training on the road has an amazing purity of purpose and suffering, it is the bike ride stripped down to bare essentials of turning the pedals and suffering, and feeling the speed. There are moments of pleasure but it's like the day you allow yourself an ice cold coffee/Beer , reload - diet; the little pleasures are better only because the pain tends to be omnipresent. Roadracing is fun, sitting inside a psychotic dogpack running on a treadmill where you can’t get off and somebody keeps hitting the Speed + button over and over again ‘til you can’t take it has its own charm, in a " DAMM if i do , DAMM if i dont" sort of way. Then there are group rides where you make good friends, see character revealed and go so far beyond your limits that you don’t recognize the pre-ride self.
Each has its place. so let's come on over and shoot the shit.. 
I have neglected this bike for sometime now. Its time for some Highland "MUDD Tea" rocking.Got a secondhand 08 xt m770 for this..pretty sweet crank i'd say much better then my square taper'd BB crank. Got to get use to the weight of this pig again.
at Wednesday, October 15, 2008 0 comments
Glue
Sometimes its sure hard not to sniff to much glue with your preping em tires..it gets even worst when the head of the brush drop into the spokes hole and you cant get the damm head out....( when the damm brush head dried and glued in there )
at Monday, September 29, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Parts Review, Rides
Hornet Juice Performance Supplements
Tried this months ago, believe me i was sceptical and i don't usually write about the stuff i take , just to give you a glimpse of what i know and tried was Amino Vital Strenght and Endurance, Hammergel Recoverite , GU Energy Gel ,Amino Acid base Controlled Labs Purple Wrath and others ( under my nutrition section )
Then i tried this, it totally changed my perception of Amino Acids supplement from the above. its above and beyond then the rest although it does not contain any carbo base. I seriously don't know how to share my enthusiasm to you on this with out being bias. Just google "hornet juice + VAAM"
It has helped my thru my training and competitions in the beginning of my season and till now. In high level , it gives better flow of energy and less effort on anything that is endurance based. i believe in it soo much i've decided to bring it "ON" to the rider, runner or triathlete here in Malaysia.
It is an energy experience that is worth having for an important event that you need to do your best in. please do let me have the pleasure to share this with you at a much better price and the experience of talking about it after you have crossed the line.......email me at hornetjuice.my@gmail.com ( Malaysia or Singapore )
Update : Run Strong on VAAM and others (you might find it informative)
http://books.google.com/books?id=qOgIdirlYrwC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=vaam+japan&source=web&ots=xDbZjShvcR&sig=auF_iB7MMGzgVG16M4iCn7BwCnI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA163,M1
Note:
So far everyone whom uses this works for them. Most of the main mistake of not feeling the effect is not using it prior to the session. It does not work best if its usage is halved or if its digested with protein. Best result is drink it before a carbo breakfast.
at Wednesday, September 24, 2008 1 comments
Labels: Nutrition, Race, Rides, Thoughts
EuroBIke 2008 update
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tfj77/sets/72157607097009297/
http://www.velogessien.com/article-22591864.html
http://picasaweb.google.it/ilguslo/EurobikeGiorno2#
http://picasaweb.google.it/ilguslo/Eurobike2008FirstDay#
Enjoy!!
at Thursday, September 11, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Parts Review, Rides
Drafting Survival Tricks
There's a simple way to survive that scary situation when an overlapped wheel is bumped: Turn into the direction of contact. if your front wheel taps a rear wheel on your right side, turn the handlebar right like you are trying to use the front wheel as a hockey stick. This provides a counter force that pushes you and the bike away, together, from the rear wheel without losing your center of gravity. In this technique, your entire body and bike will act as one solid unit and be more likely to bounce off rather than jackknife into a crash.
wheel getting too close? another simple way will be using the whole body as a negative spoiler to slow you down ( upright position ) thus without tapping on your brakes. Still to fast? beside the above, start coasting to scrub speed off.
In evasive maneuver in case of hole or pothole avoidance but you cant see or don't know whats going on the front? hear for shoutout and the riders hips in front of you.Usually hips movement is very noticeable if its a left or right swing to avoid road hazards.
Never the less don't ever forget the etiquette of peloton riding
at Thursday, September 04, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Rides, Thoughts, Training
Interstate 2008
http://www.pcc-cycling.freeservers.com/
Yess, 2 more days to ride freedom , i seriously think its gonna be a wet one...judging from the weather.
Apparently its is goona be all clear only in the morning for all 3 days...
Update 01/09/08 WRONG.. it rain on friday!!!
at Tuesday, August 26, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Rides
Come, lets take a ride on the 20th.
A Lil bit itchy.i just need some really fresh air and wide open space.
I'd like to propose a ride on the 20th of March.
Destination KKB. Frasers Hill.
Meet time. 8am
Come, on who's in? or you ve got a better idea?
email me. Bernardtan.jenn@gmail.com
at Friday, March 14, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Rides
Presidential Ride 2007 : Post Ride Analysis
As i made the U-turn , WOw..the amount of cars which are already parked at 7am , just astonishes me..the row of cars just grows longer every year...
Went there , found a parking lot. got the bike and stuff out , uh.... where's my bottle? crap! (your just never prepared enough..being sick makes it freaking worst.)
Anyway , easily 850++ riders + gatecrashers by the side of the road waiting for the horn to blow@8.00am, well some waited further ahead to beat the crowd. And GO!!!!!!!...
man,if this is a road event everyone will take it easy thats for sure...thanks to the hole shot in off road biking ,everyone is hammering for it else get stuck in the backlog.
Stage 1
Fairly manageable , as everyone is still fresh, (yeah it aint that tough alright) but i thank the PCC M&D for not making it any worst.
Stage 2
I take back what i said about M&D @ stage 1, the sickos knows how to smile when they see us suffer..... now this aint easy even after some hard climb , the requirement to pull of some technicals manoeuvre in fluidity in these wet condition is seriously difficult. Quite number of rider were dehydrated.
stage 3
pretty much similar like stage 2 but with less single track,more pushing i think..
( huh ? izit? no meh ? ehh gimme a break , i cant remember every puddle of mud la.)but i know water melon is a good thing !!!!so is bananas... but i was pissed at few things that my bottom bracket screwed it self out... ( picture later ) thus cant hammer as much and some idiotic rider just showered himself with a full bottle of mineral water...
Stage 4
the last 14 km to break all 4 loops. not easy. in fact to make it worst are small gradual hills that turns into mountains. and ladder climbs?? ughh which's sickos idea is that?
I'd say this year is tough in terms of technical and focus. heard of plenty of crashes and falls going around stage 2 ( even stage 4 , at the resident's ditch single track!) Gonna catch some rest.
10 min clip of stage 2
Thanks again to the PCC community for this excellent event.
Post Ride Checkup:
Post ride check up:Right BB screwed out.. :) had to tighten it back with fingers.
Broke brand New Profile plastic water bottle.
and my missing cateye Enduro...
at Monday, November 19, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Event, Rides, Thoughts
Presidential ride 2007: Pre-ride check up: Eggbeaters
Some pre-ride maintainance tip i'd share to those out there with egg beaters.
Item required : tube with grease preferably Finishline. it last me 4 years.
: Flat head screw driver.
: Tissue or cloth
step 1: unscrew the plactic cap out.
step 2: check for free play. else get a rebuilt kit.
at Thursday, November 15, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Rides
POWERMAN 2007 : it was the DOG'S Du Du , alright.,
Went there with Reza,Carrie , Gibs took a drive down with the all the stupid roadblock due to the BERSIH protest.
Went there saw the usual suspects. registered for the timing chip. Ate some excellent Ikan bakar... massive attack with " Feast of fury "on the dishes. Fried squids balls as big as bull's bollocks.
Didnt really hang around much except to get the essential items, everyone stayed in a different hotel except for Andy ,Su , Karen and Chad hanged there for a while..cracked some joke before the pain comes..
Race days
started sharp at 7.30 , ready as the rush comes. settle into my pace. didnt really bother about those fast runners. cruise to my pace. didnt make much ground in transition. estimated 58 mins or so... maybe 1 hour...
when i reached back , head for the bike. start whopping some ass on the bike. cut many many nice looing bike... the freaking aero helmet works wonders ! its silent and its just so peaceful in there and it feels fast too... heck yeah 38-40 kmh... untill the the 30th km my knee gave way...it hurt soo bad. every 12- 8 'o'clock crank stroke hurt like pulling my leg apart. seriously wanted to pull out of the race.
i cant even fucking pedal... it went to bad to worst. cramps set in, no salt. lack of water. seriously in no mood to even look at anyone.. lowered my kmh to 28-32.... reach back about 2 hour.
now the last leg.. i swear the pain is still in my head as i am writing this . with my knee injury ( I can manage cramps ) but fuck i cant manage my knee's going under the hammer. i walked and walked ... everyone and i mean everyone jogged passed me. my advantage of 15+- mins just walked away.
i wasnt amused at all... with people asking are YOU OK? i retort back NO. i just walked...
tried brisk walking but i got nuthing left. i walk again. tried jogging again , shouted" fuck " instead. Well there is a nice guy with NO.109 whom said "come'er mate walk with me"
Sure, hi Name's Bernard. he went i'm Bernard too..he lighten me up abit..cracked a few jokes...
fast forward....
One thing i dont appreciate is " stepping on someone when he or she is down " so if anyone out there whom thinks its alright... i'd wish you to " go ahead and fuck yourself and be happy "
Finished my run in 1 hr 40. its the dog shit alright.
sigh... yeah i am pissed. i need therapy. knee therapy.
congrats to all whom had a good time out there..
i'd lo0ok forward to Presidential ride. hopefully my knee will do okay. then i wont be pissed..
nite again.
at Monday, November 12, 2007 0 comments
i miss the dirt.....so muchhhhhhhh :(
shit this is awesome....
goona ride my mtb... mtb...mtb .. road mtb... road NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! ( cranium ache ) road... mtb.. road mtb..... road.... sighh mtb road... :( mtb road? mountain biking on road??....
at Friday, October 26, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Rides
Bukit Timah@SG
A lil stupid to videocap this while steering with one hand..but hey its insanely fun... a good trip there to sg hiting the trails and meeting the natives there..
Update:
Ohh heck,after only being on a mtb for 3 times in 8 months and now hitting the trial in Sg i'd say its fun being on a mountain bike again.... there..i updated already....Aiyaa, DAMM IT if i say its fun,its fun ler...IF YOU WANT to know more on how its like , go register Presidential ride. BeLIEve me...
Here are some pics fromthe ride.
http://picasaweb.google.com/bbrtan/SingaporeWithPCCBTPUBIN
at Tuesday, October 02, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Event, Rides, Training
KOUTA - KEBEL
at Monday, September 24, 2007 1 comments
Labels: Parts Review, Race, Rides
Hin Tong with 3 out of 46 teeth slicing to a 6 inches gash during a MTB ride....chain lube included....(Presidential RIDE 2007...be very afriad)
at Sunday, September 23, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Rides
BIKE LIFT.
dont think we need one here... since no not many cycle to work here. who am i kidding.. like the city council will actually do one or perhaps for the DH'er at Kiara will lobby for one..
at Sunday, September 23, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Rides
INTERSTATE 2007 Pcc Cycling - Feel the love yet?
How does one start writing-up an epical bicycling adventure that starts in the suburbs of Ipoh and traverses to the coastal town of Penang in 80 hours? It is difficult enough to remember exactly what happened right before, during and after those 80 hours, the whole ride seemed a blur.With the knowledge of knowing that this Interstate sets the bar in terms of luxury accommodation,ballroom presentations and not forgetting the food.... Here's what left a lasting impression.
Everyone wakes up,fill up ,gear up,jeered up and meet up at the lounge of casturina hotel.I'd said i'd promised to stay with the group. (which i did not manage to,either too fast or too bonked ).Then blame it on the ever uncertain dynamics of the whole peloton with the rider's personality mixed up with their bikes personality and the exchange of energy between them, i'd swear they are half people , half bicycle .Which in results i came to an epiphany of realizing that every trial and tribulation in a long distance event is root caused by knowingly being there on the bike and "gives'ing it "
And yep folks - it's all in the mind, especially in a cyclist mind riding Interstate 2007.
"When you're out there on the bike, you've got a lot of time to think. And what goes through your mind has the power to get you that extra 50ks or bring you down and make cycling seem impossible."
"when you're out there on the bike , knowingly push on with the fact there is 30 riders following , what goes through your mind to power on for the next 30mins to make the pull"
"when you're out there on the bike , knowingly pushin on with the fact there is 10 riders is catching up on you , what goes through your mind to catch them when they pass by while having limited or no reserves left within to hook on "
I'd says there's no rules for good and bad days.
Sometimes you do 150ks and you feel like you could go on for another 50 more - it might be a beautiful day or you might have a good tailwind. But when you're sun-stroked and burnt and there's another 40 ks to go, sometimes you do want to stop. You have to be able to imagine the friend that's waiting for you , the nice cold shower or the nice cold drink to take you through the last k's .. otherwise you couldn't do it. Knowingly there is an untapped reserve within that guides you thru an autopilot of zen like nature which pushes and says "its alright, you'll make it"
The memories of motion still lingers in the muscles of the legs and round and round they seem to goes.( i'd swear i still feel it now)
Feeling satisfied in life is a matter of finding the right perspective from which to view it. At least that's the conclusion I came to after finishing this year's Interstate 2007.
In epilog,
i'd say its job well done to the PCC committee..i'd thank the collective effort of everyone ( including sponsors,support, camera dudes & dudettes ) in which this will never be able to materialized. i'd say thanks to those extra 110++ rider to make up the amount from last years 150 to 260 this year ( whom dared to register) . i'd say thank for the awesome weather.
and i'd say thanks that everything went well...and no bike were harmed. ;)
at Wednesday, September 05, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Event, Race, Rides, Training