Wet and Wild, But Whatever!

‘One day it started to rain, and didn’t quit for four months! There was a little bit of stinging rain…and big old fat rain…rain that fell sideways…and rain that seemed to come up from upside down! Shoot – it even rained at night!’ ~ FORREST GUMP.

We could have stayed in bed, and found solace and excuse in the rain. Yet, we chose to commit to our plan to ride in Desaru, Malaysia – a boat-ride away. The weather held, gingerly, in the early morning when we enthusiastically met up at the immigration checkpoint of Changi Jetty.

Over at Desaru, the main group splintered away early, with a 6:3 split. Andy, his friend Alev and I decided to wait out the sudden downpour. After some preamble, including a quick breakfast (as it rained mercilessly with minimal visibility), we met up with the rest about one hour out from the town – with pelting rain, persistent headwinds and wantonly speeding traffic. Once again, the group connected, and then disbanded as quickly – headed for the jetty.

Hui Koon described his experience in our wettest ride ever. It pretty much sums it up. I am glad we did this trip, despite the challenging conditions. I also adored my relatively new bike, and the latest finer fits to my aero-bars. My ride was smooth and comfortable in spite of the numerous pockmarks on the foreign roads.

It was a cold day, which reminded me of the cold races I had to bear: Berlin Marathon, IM New Zealand, and IM Western Australia. I prefer my races and training hot, as I am consciously hydrating my body with fluids. Today was exactly one year since I did my last Desaru ride, where I was unfortunate to be hit by a taxi on home soil, after a satisfying long ride. I had to face my demons, and overcome my residual anxiety with riding.

Leadership lessons learnt today: Never let up on an opportunity to test myself. Keep my sense of adventure. Manage the variables. Stick stubbornly to the plan. Adapt and adjust your plan when risk factors surface and accumulate. Above all, engage my values of persistence, patience and sense of purpose.