OCBC Cycle 2011

This event took place two weeks ago and it was fun and a big challenge for me.


I do not cycle and have very limited experiences with cycling. My best-ever-to-be-remembered cycling episode was riding a rented bike right into a stationary pick-up truck, causing a great bruise on my shin and a dent on the truck, scaring the driver out of his seat and worried that I was badly hurt... (he was kind enough not to scold me though). I was about 21 years old then.



It was also at that age I met my Superpig and I had a date with him in my bruised shin and instead of a pat of comfort, I saw him huddled over laughing at my mishap. Him, on the other hand, was a pro in cycling (before he injured his knee) and was all athletic (note the used of the past tense!) After that incident, he decided that he should teach me how to cycle. However, his teaching amount to nothing as I fear cramped and crowded places. Anyone was to be near me when I was cycling, you could hear me SCREAM!!!



So I only cycled annually during the holidays with the kids on rented bikes. Those annual cycling exercises didnot amount to anything but butt and body aches and screaming at Superpig that I would not do it again.


Well, the screaming did not work. Instead, I was dragged into signing up for 20 km community ride. He promised that with 3 months to train, I should be well ready for the 20 km. Alas, 3 months went by with NO training ... except on one miserable night. I took 1.5 hour to do 10km... and I almost called in sick the next day due to all the aches I felt in all the muscles that I never knew they even existed.

The day eventually came and I did try to chicken out and was even scheming to eat lots of clams (see-hams with balachan chilli) to cause a dangerous stomach flu so as to get out of the 20km COMMUNITY RIDE (note the words in capital letters). No... my scheme did not work, Superpig was not letting me win this battle. The early morning of the fateful day, our bikes dismantled and packed into the car, our helmets tagged, we set off to the venue.

After breakfast, my hero went to put our bikes together again. Me... still trying to convince him that I will be a joke and please let me chicken out.

So obvious that I was not winning this 'chicken-out' battle... alas, a picture of us... before the COMMUNITY RIDE.

We... okay... I, made it to the start line. Without first, getting pushed around by some PRC rider that insisted that he had to cross the road before me and causing me to have a collision with my bike pedal and my shin... OUCH!!! And another accident, whereby I had to stop as there were people in front of me stopping to drink water and I had not able to switch lane as someone was coming up from behind... well, another someone rammed into me causing another shin and pedal collision ... OUCH!!!! (I found out later that the other someone was not very good in cycling too and he was wearing the click-on shoes for cycling which he was not confident enough to unclick himself...). There at the start-line, with bruises and blood on my right shin, we took a picture.

The massive number of cyclists at the start-line of the 20km COMMUNITY RIDE!

I cycled...I huffed and I puffed... all the way till I reached the 7.3km rest point (proof in picture below). Superpig laughed at my huffing and puffing... fine... I huffed and puffed... big deal. Yes, it was a big deal because I think I was the only one huffing and puffing away.



See my red face... I really am tired and shaking and trembling. I drowned 1.5 bottle of 100plus at this stage. 7.3 km was a mean feat for me already.

Then somewhere after the 7.3km came this long up slope! It was the Bayfront Bridge that has the Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyers as its neighbours ... UPSLOPE!!!! You got to be kidding... volunteers at the bottom shouted out encouragements (as if it worked... duh...wanna come try doing it on my bike?) Superpig was on the way up... no problem for him at all... what a breeze! Me? I huffed and I puffed and my legs pedalled real hard but my bike was moving an inch with every twenty round of pedallin!!! I could have dismounted and pushed my bike up the slope. NO WAY!!! I am not letting Superpig a chance to laugh at me... I huffed and I puffed and I huffed and I puffed and I managed to get to the top of the slope (bridge... whatever!)

See his smirking face! ARhhhhh... how I LOVE him!

Here I was... trying my best to look as cool as a cucumber!


Now... look at the background and you will see a little girl... it was a breeze for her too!!!! I did mention that it was a community ride, didn't I? Which meant it should be a leisure ride, something that will not result in anyone HUFFING and PUFFING!!!

For the rest of the journey, it was still a huffing and puffing experience for me but I pedalled on till the end... 20km! I made it!


There we were at the end, with the medals to prove our success... okay, my success. I drowned another bottle of 100plus here. I was totally weak by now. Superpig had to help me with my bike. I had butt ache, calves cramps, shins cramps, toes cramps... and we still had to make our way back to the car which was a distance away.

There... I had completed my challenge. Next year, it will be another 2okm and I will not huff and puff anymore! I am determined to build up my stamina for it. And hopefully, in 2013, I can go on to the 40km challenge (OCBC should by then not be having this event anymore, considering the massive amount of money and manpower they had to put in for each event...)

Join me... anyone? 20km community ride for 2012....

My heart is heavy

Japan's massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear leak... these are on my heart. The people suffering there, they are on my mind. I cannot do anything except to pray for every soul found (whether they survived or not).

It hurts as I do know people living in Japan, my old classmate, my Japanese language teacher's family, fellow bloggers... I pray for all to stay safe.

It simply hurts too much to watch the news.

I hope I can do something but what...

I can only pray for them and also for everyone that I love...

It really hurts a lot.