Running the 2014 Penang Bridge Marathon

First published in The Star, (Malaysia) Dec 13, 2014

In 2013 I signed up for what was supposed to be the first run on the then spanking new Second Penang Bridge.   As it turned out, that run was held for the last time on the First Penang Bridge, but things turned out OK because I still got bragging rights to running my first run in Penang for the last run on the First Penang Bridge.

In 2014, I signed up for what would certainly be the first run on the Second Penang Bridge.  I’ve always been irked by the unwholesome hours for the Penang Bridge runs, at the best times to sleep.  The run on the Second Bridge was no exception, but I guess that’s the price you have to pay for bragging rights.

I drove up the day before the run, and basked in the warmth of friends in Penang complaining of knee, joint and other assorted pains so that I could smugly inform them I was running the next day and enjoy the look of incredulity of their faces.  The advantage of smugness over bragging rights is that you don’t actually need to have done anything, just announcing your intention is enough to elicit a response. It’s shallow and all that, but we live short lives filled with moments of instant gratification.

Riding the 2014 PCC Interstate

First published in The Star, (Malaysia) Oct 11, 2014

Photographs by James Bak

In road cycling, a ‘century’ is a 100mile or 160km ride.  A century is a non-trivial ride, but take 3 centuries, ridden consecutively back to back over 3 days, stretch them each a little, throw in a couple of big climbs and what do you have?

You have the 2014 PCC (Pedalholics Cycling Club) Interstate ride, a 3-day, 525km cyclefest of pedalling, more pedalling, camaraderie and lots of suffering.  The first PCC Interstate, held in 1998, attracted about 20 riders on mountain bikes, but the 2014 event had hundreds of cyclists riding road bikes.  

The event, which attracts plenty of attention from the cycling community, was fully subsribed within hours of opening for registration early in 2014, and saw cycling clubs and individuals from as far afield as Penang, Malacca, Singapore, East Malaysia and two monstrously strong Indonesians who rode all the way on their mountain bikes with knobby tires.  

Swimming the 2013 Kapas-Marang Swimathon

My friend asked, a few months ago, if I’d like to join him at this year’s Kapas-Marang Swimathon on March 24, an annual event when hundreds of swimmers thrash, splash and swim the 6.5km from the Pulau Kapas to the mainland.  The event was first held in 1997 and this would be the 14^th time the event was held.  

There’s nothing like commitment to focus the mind. As soon as registration opened, I registered, paid the fee and made travel arrangements. With a couple of months to go, I had committed myself, that I was going to do the event or my darn best, anyway, before I had time to mull it over and chicken out.

My aim was very simple. I wanted to complete the event in reasonably good form, within the cut-off time, without bringing disgrace to my ancestors.