Pro-Sports

Last Saturday, I attended B’s surprise birthday party and caught up with the rest of the Posers for the first time in too long. There were a lot of new faces in the group – some climbers, some not. It was nice to catch up with everyone again and to reminisce about the old days, but it was also kind of embarrassing.

When some of the A and W introduced me to K, they went on about my 7A achievements in climbing. As proud as I am with what I achieved through my climbing, I like to think I’m honest enough to feel embarrassed when I’m made out to be a better climber than I really am.

Listening to A and W, you would think I was a 7A climber. Well, the fact is, I have projected and red-pointed 3 7As, but that’s all I’ve done. By definition, a 7A climber is someone who can approach a 7A route and have a good chance of completing it. In other words, they generally climb at the level of 7A. Even at the best of my climbing, I was climbing at about a 6B on a good day and a 6A on a bad day.

Why the nit-picking about what I could and couldn’t climb? Because I find that I can only feel proud about what I can achieve when it’s the truth. I feel like a cheat and a liar to allow myself to be made out to be more than I am. At a time when it has become ever more important for me to remember the best of what I had been in order to believe that there has been at least some personal fulfilment in my life, it is important for me to have a clear grip on the facts and the fiction.

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I think of all the rock climbing expeditions I’ve ever been on with the Rockrats, my all-time favourite has got to be Gua Musang.  Although we had a lot of fun during all our climbing trips, this was by far the most relaxed because there were no expectations or a need to prove anything.  It was pure climbing for the enjoyment of the sport.

Gua Musang is located in the state of Kelantan in Taman Etnobotani.  It’s about 5 hours drive from Kuala  Lumpur and 3 hours by car from Kota Bharu.  I wasn’t the designated driver so I can’t really tell you how to get there, although there’s a description on Rock Climbing on how to get there.

There are dormatories located on site that you can stay at, but the nearest town is only a hop away so you have the option to stay there instead.  Even if you stay at Etnobotani, you’ll still need to drive to town to get food, unless you pack your own supplies. 

We were originally planning to stay on site but couldn’t find the caretakers so we ended up taking refuge in town.

Below: Simian Boy’s panorama.

One of the nicest features of Gua Musang is the ability to drive right up to the crag and park your car at the foot of Section A. 

Since the access is so easy, you can pack as much as you want (read: whatever fits into your car) and bring it along with you to crag - an eski full of beer if that’s your fancy.  You can bring along your camping chairs, or haul someone up to the anchor on top rope if they’re taking too long (just hook them up to the car and drive away - kidding!). 

If you’re bored, waiting for your turn to climb or just want something else to do, you can ride the horse in the nearby paddock.  Okay, just kidding.  I don’t even know if they offer rides or if the horse is still there since that was about 5 years back when we visited.

Gua Musang has five Sections - A to E.  We only managed to get time to climb Section A and C.  Section A is nice and easy with plenty of large, solid holds for you to take your pick from.  Grade ratings are all round 5B/C.  Section C was a bit more challenging, around about 6A/B. 

You can see from the photos that the belay stations for Section A and C are all pretty clear.  Section D which is the wall facing Section C (to the left of the photo above) shares the same belay area as Section C, but the routes look a lot tougher.  We didn’t get to climb Section D, but I think someone attempted one of the routes, albeit unsuccessfully.  Thin Man and I hiked around to check out Section E which had some pretty wicked looking routes that we talked about coming back to try when we were “better climbers”.  Unfortunately, that was my first and last trip back to Gua Musang.

There are also some pretty cool boulders slightly deeper in from Section C and D that are pretty interesting to boulder.  The ground cover is clean so they provide a pretty good area for some beginner bouldering.

Taman Etnobotani is also a training ground so they have an obstacle course in the park that you can try out for free. Well, it was free back in 2003.  I’m not sure if it’s still free now.

Stay tuned for the next post for the Rockrats’ Gua Musang 2003 trip report.

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I’ve been down and out with a case of food poisoning so there hasn’t been any exercise for me over the last few days.  During one of my nightly episodes, I started mulling over the memories and I realised that I have never written about how the Rockrats got their nicknames.  So if you’ve ever wanted to know the story, here it is…

Thin Man - for obvious reasons.  You only have to see his picture to realise why he was dubbed “thin man”.  I don’t think I have ever met a guy who has a smaller waist size than I do.

Small Person - also for obvious reasons.  For such a little person, she really makes up for it with some very clever climbing tricks.

Simian Boy - well, it was originally Sim City which was a pun on his name, but I thought Simian Boy was more apt.  Don’t let that innocent face fool you - just check out those Pop-Eye arms of his.

Mutant Man - has a vestigial sixth toe (well, okay, so it’s more like a little nodule on the side of his foot) which we used to joke was the reason why he could climb so well despite not having as much practice as the rest of us.

Lelek Le Grunt - also for obvious reasons although you need to be present during a climb to observe (or rather hear) it.  You can tell Le Grunt’s on the wall from a mile away just based on his “grunts”.

Holdbreaker - is a real bomber belayer and also a great tester to check if the anchor can hold your weight - because if it can hold his, it can definitely hold yours.  Holdbreaker was dubbed so because he broke not one, not two, but several holds during the course of the Rockrats’ climbing history.

Fearless Leader - ploughs on to uncharted territories when no other Rockrat dares to.  Without Fearless, we probably would never have attempted to climb “Water on the Rock” at Damai and would probably still be climbing the 5Cs.

Cover Boy - well, just take a look at that pretty face and that should be clue enough for this nick.

Combat Girl - due to my signature helmet that I started wearing to all our climbs.

5C Master - after his famous quote “I’m gonna be the best damned 5C climber there ever was!”

Moo Moo Girl - the girl has bull strength!  Don’t mess with this one! 

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Okay, it’s been over a week since I decided I was going to start working out again and I’ve managed to complete three workout sessions.  The last three days were out because my MIL and SIL2 were out of town.  Today, I decided to do a bit of Yoga with Kathy Smith.  As usual, I went back to the basic routine and skipped the floor exercises so that it worked out to be a 40 minute workout with relaxation. 

Even though I selected the easy program and I took all the “easy” alternatives that Kathy recommended for beginners, I swear it was tougher than I remembered.  Looks like my fitness levels are really at an all time low - either that or age must be catching up with me…

On the up side, my left ankle and my elbows are feeling pretty good even though I haven’t been doing the ankle exercises prescribed to me by the physiotherapist from KLSMC or any push ups. 

In case you’re wondering about the push ups, I’ve found push ups to be a really good way to correct the pain and weakness in my elbows.  I reckon the problem was a result of muscle imbalance - when you overwork your biceps (such as when you carry a 12.8kg toddler for too long) and your triceps are too weak to compensate.  Push ups are a great way to work out your triceps.  Yoga Sun Salutations are another great way to work out your triceps.

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Yup, I’m still planning to introduce golf to Gavin and test out his championship potential.  These days, creating a world champion sports person is a lot easier because they run programs like “Kinder Golf” which are design to generate a toddler’s interest in sports as well as examine their potential for competitive sports.

Kinder Golf was founded by Donna Lee in 2000.  They have schools in SE Asia (currently Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia) and the US.  Malaysia has two branches:

KinderGolf @ One Utama
Unit S323, 2nd Floor, 1 Utama (Phase 2A)
1 Persiaran Bandar Utama
47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: +60 (3) 7728 8178
Fax: +60 (3) 7727 7178
Email: my.oneutama@KinderGolf.com

KinderGolf @ Bangsar
Unit S120, 2nd Floor
Bangsar Shopping Centre
285 Jalan Maarof
Tel: +60 (3) 209 35 300
Fax: +60 (3) 209 47 300
Email: my.bangsar@KinderGolf.com

Designed for children ages 2-7, Kindergolf offers three programs:

1. Tiny TEE - for children ages 2-3 years old.  These classes are designed to help young toddlers get a feel for the ball and golf swing, promote development of motor skills and to foster parent-child bonding as a parent is required to accompany each child.

2. Kinder Junior TEE - for children ages 3-5 years old.  These classes teach independent toddlers ball skills, golf swing and techniques and is geared for outdoor golf courses and competition.

3. Kinder TEE - for children ages 5-7 years old.  These classes further develop golf swing and focus on golf techniques with a focus for outdoor golf courses and competition.

They also have follow-on programs for older Kinder golfers ages 8 and above.

Currently, classes are RM300 a month (four lessons over four weeks) on weekdays; RM360 a month on weekends (which include lessons after 6pm on weekdays).

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Friday to Sunday last week, I was down in Singapore so my exercise schedule went out the door.  I did carry Gavin a lot more (especially when we went to the zoo because he didn’t want to walk and he wouldn’t let us sit in the zoo train), so perhaps that made up for it some what.  On the other hand, I’m now starting to feel a little bit of tennis-elbow in my right arm and my left ankle is playing up again.

Yesterday morning, I took Gavin to Kizsports so I didn’t get a chance to workout in the morning - although crawling after him in Playland certainly felt like a workout in itself.  By the time I walked out of Playland, I was sweating like I had just done an aerobics class.

My SIL2 kindly minded Gavin in the afternoon while I snuck off to do the lower body workout from the Yogalates DVD.  I would have done more but I could hear Gavin’s summons and I knew it was probably only a matter of time before he defied my SIL2’s instructions and crawled up the stairs to look for me. 

Despite only completing a fairly short and easy workout yesterday, the tightness I felt in my gluts and hips seem to indicate that I did achieve something beyond rehabilitating my left ankle.  Or perhaps it was due to all the commando-style crawling I did in order to fit through the tunnels at Kinderland?

Regardless, it looks like between playing with Gavin and what little DVD workout I complete, it appears to be sufficient to stretch my current level of fitness which is, after all, my current goal.

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My MIL agreed to mind Gavin for an hour in the mornings so that means I can start working out again - and boy do I need to!  Lately, I developed a tennis elbow - yet again - from carrying Gavin. 

It is easy to get carried away and push too hard when you start exercising again after a long break.  It then makes it hard to keep up the progress that you started with and the tendency to keep putting it off becomes too high.  Ideally, just start off easy, about half an hour and nothing too tough.  Above all, have fun.

So for my first day, I decided to try the Fitball DVD I bought recently.  It is a 30 minute of pure pilates workout on the ball.  Nice and easy - not to long and not too tough.  That’s what I love about pilates - you get to work out without killing yourself.  I also love ball workouts because it’s kind to the joints - no stress, and it’s fun.

I did run into a bit of trouble.  I started on my own fitball since I couldn’t be bothered to blow up the one that came with the kit.  I found mine too flat, so ended up pumping up the new ball only to discover that it is too small for me.

When I did pilates on the ball at Fitfor2, I discovered that the optimum ball size should be one where your thighs are parallel to the floor when you sit on it. 

In the end, I just added more air to my ball and got a mini arm workout from pumping up the new ball for no reason.

That was it for my first day into my get fit plan.  Next up, I think I’ll try the ball and band exercise DVD…

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Looks like it’s official although there is still no confirmation on the new venue.  How sad…  I had such fond memories of the place…

The office will be moving to:

525, Jalan 17/13,
46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: +6(03) 7958 5152
Fax: +6(03) 7958 1710
Contingency number: +6(016) 202 1936

info@nomadadventure.com

Although the gym will be closing temporarily for now, the good news is that the pro-shop is having a clearance sale so you’re bound to be able to pick up some bargains - I think (depending on what Yuen Li’s idea of a bargain is, I guess). 

In the meantime, if you want to keep tabs on the news for the new Summit Gym site, you can add Nomad to your Facebook account.

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I started 2008 with a resolution to get fit and I bought several exercise DVDs so I could work out at home.  I managed to pick up titles for Yoga, Pilates, and a series or quick 10 minute workouts for RM10-20 each, which I thought was pretty worth it considering it costs me RM10 for one yoga class at Fitfor2.  The only DVD I was missing that I really wanted was an exercise with the fitball (or fitness ball).  Since I already had a ball at home, all I really needed was the DVD. 

Although we got off to a good start, my little exercise regime was quickly put to a stop by my son who decided at that time that he didn’t want to play by himself for the brief half hour to one hour that it would take for me to complete my workout.  In fact, it got to the point where he was able to turn off my DVD so it wasn’t like I could persist with the exercise plan.

I decided to shelve the whole fitness plan until Gavin could play by himself without wanting my involvement.  Unfortunately, that day hasn’t quite arrived yet - or rather he can play on his own unless he sees me doing something he deems is unnecessary.  At this point, my exercise plan still falls under the category of “unnecessary”.

On Saturday, when I took Gavin to MPH with the intention of buying him another Thomas and Friends book, I came across a Fitball exercise series that I just couldn’t pass up.  Check it out:

The exercises are designed to work on:

• Body and movement awareness
• Joint stability
• Posture
• Muscle balance

It utilises Pilates principles using the fitness ball, the stretchband, and resistance web.  At a bargain price of RM79.90, it comes with a book that details all the exercises with pages of colour photographs.

It comes with not one, not two but three exercise DVDs:

1. Simply Ball with Pilates Principles – 36 minutes, targeting core muscles
2. Simply Ball and Band – 106 minutes, developing strength, core stability, and cardio fitness
3. Simply Ball and Web – 70 minutes, promoting fitness, muscle tone, and weightloss

Considering that I used to pay RM20 for one exercise DVD, the DVDs plus the book is already worth the price I paid for it.

Here are the DVDs:

But wait!  There’s more!  They also give you a ball!  Yeah, I already have one but since it comes with the package…  And to think I paid over a 100 bucks for my ball!  Crikey! 

They also give you a pump for your ball - something I didn’t get when I bought my hundred dollar plus ball. Although I did get an exercise DVD with my ball which was totally useless to me because it was completely in a foreign language I couldn’t understand.

They give you a resistance web.  When I bought the resistance web from the Sports Medicine Center, I paid RM30 for it!

You also get a stretch band - don’t really know how much a set of these cost since I’ve never bought one but I’m sure they don’t come cheap either.

Even though I haven’t really been exercising, I figured the package was worth getting.  Aside from that, I have a thing about getting new stuff and new equipment.  It always gets me really fired up.  For instance, back when I was climbing, one of the best ways to get myself back into the climbing spirit was for me to buy a new pair of climbing shoes, a new rope or some new piece of climbing equipment.  I just love new stuff - especially using it.

Hopefully Gavin will be kind enough now to let me start exercising again.

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When you want to reach new levels in sport, training hard is important but I’m sure you’ve heard about burnout.  Sometimes taking some time out away from training can be just the thing to help you break the barrier into the next level.  You can find yourself improving in leaps and bounds upon returning to your sport after a short leave of absence.

There are times when being away can be a curse, however.  That is when you’ve taken too long a break from your sport.  This was what my SIL2 discovered when she started doing Yoga again yesterday after stopping for a couple of years (she went to the States to complete her degree).  The body couldn’t perform as well as what the mind remembers being able to do and she was naturally frustrated. 

Well, I can identify with that.  A few years back, I took a break from climbing and when I started climbing again, it was intensely frustrating to find I couldn’t climb like I used to.  It was a strange sensation because I would look at a route and assess it assuming my ability was still as it was before the break.  When I couldn’t grip a hold or make a move like I remembered being able to do, there was at first surprise - the kind where you do a double take and wonder if someone is playing a trick on you.  When you discover it was no mistake, frustration sets in.

While it is naturally to lose some level of competency, the up side is that it will take you a lot less time to build it back up compared to the first time you learned the skill.  That is because your body already remembers how things work.  It’s just your muscles that have weakened.  To put it another way - it’s like riding a bike.  You never really forget how.  Even though you might be a little wobbly getting back onto the bike after years of not riding, you still know how to ride and that means you’ll pick up your ability a lot faster the second time around.

In fact, once you regain your strength, you’ll find yourself improving again and even breaking your glass ceiling.

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