My Glass is Always Half Full - MUDS!

The set back of spending just 20 minutes in the saddle for the entire duration of the Malakoff Cahrity Ride has inspired me to sign up for the Malakoff University Duathlon Series, appropriately acronym-ed MUDS.

I'm eyeing the relay as my running is even worse than my riding, if that's possible.

My glass is never half empty, or even half full...it's just brimming over.

Team Malakoff @ Finish of Charity Ride - Tanjung Bin

Here's the contingent from Tanjung Bin. I asked the lads for a different pose for this one. This is more rugby than cycling, but its a nice change.

Seriously though, we need to get away from the 'thumbs up' and the 'V'/peace sign.

Team Malakoff @ Finish of Charity Ride - Prai

Here's the contingent from Prai. Check the discreet product placement for isotonic drink. I did not plant it there...

Team Malakoff @ Finish of Charity Ride - Lumut

Here's the Malakoff contingent from Lumut.

Team Malakoff at Finish of Charity Ride - KL

Apologies if not everyone is in the pix. Here is the Malakoff team from KL at the end of the race, when they arrived at the Batu Burok Beach Resort.

Speaking of which, why is the End, co-blogger and organiser, not in this picture?

Another Wacky Week of Wonderful Work

My favorite hair style of the night, which I will attempt once I find my cheekbones again

This has been another one of those weeks that I love.

Last week we spent preparing for a hair show that happened Monday night. It was fierce! The lead stylist was Japanese and hearing her speak was wonderful because she was amazingly polite and profusely thankful. All of this was in Japanese, so I'm just going by the tone and the repeated 'domo', 'arigato' etc and the bowing.

Here's a pix from the night. Not taken by me, although I wish I had as much skill and such super canggih equipment. The photographer is Michael Sin.

Have you seen 'camera envy'? I was sitting with some of the photographers and they were checking out each others equipment surreptitiously. Quite funny until I got caught up in it too and begin lusting after the super long lens and the extra powerful flash and the battery pack. Even with my kit lens at it highest zoom it didn't help much...sad, sad, sad.

Still it was a great night for hair design watching as there were 500+ stylist there and they pulled out all the stops and had unbelievable hair styles, and some super funky styles.

The next day was packed with interviews... in Japanese. Sho kawai!!!!

Wednesday, I'm still at it preparing for my mini break that starts in 6 hours or so, and I'm not packed yet. There is a place beyond panic where things take on a scary clarity - I'm right there at this moment. Also 6 cups of coffee.

What does this have to do with the Malakoff Charity Ride?

Well, I did ask every other person I met there if they ride - some of the answers were hilarious and not suitable for a family type blog, so I will leave it to your imagination.

Terengganu Young Riders

The young riders with their support team and some of the Malakoff riders (white & green jerseys)

...and after I asked for riders under 18 only

I've gone on, and on, and on about the young riders from Terengganu. Finally managed to find the pix of these young people, although not all of them.

When we set off from Gombak there were a few young riders with us as well including Rahimi who I've posted on earlier.

Once in Temerloh, Ishak joined the ride with a few young riders who had cycled from Kemaman the day before. I don't have pix of this team - if anyone does please email to malakoff.cr@gmail.com or post a link in the comments.

In Kemaman another group of young people joined us, with their own support team of parents in tow. They had found out about the ride through Ishak and the Kemaman Teachers' Cycling Club.

So on the final day, the Malakoff Charity Ride, numbered more than 120 riders, and had a much expanded support team too.

All these riders are under 18 years, most are between 12 to 16 years.

Not all of them are from loaded families but they have the interest and the passion to ride.

You know that they have been training hard from their tans which have gone past golden brown to the burnt to a crisp level.

And surprise, surprise a number of them are girls, and they were as fast as the boys, and a lot faster than most of the men aside from the pros (no offense to any of the male riders). Anyway this was a ride and not a race, so placign doesn't matter.

But back to the young people. Terengganu seems to be the place for raising professional riders.

Is there a cycling academy in Terengganu? Would anyone be interested to set one up there? If the parents of the young riders are an indication, it should be easy to get support for such an academy.