Khao Yai Hash

I went on my first ride with the Bangkok Hash House Bikers last weekend. Had a great time, and got a prolonged lesson in fitness, which included blood, sweat, cramp, nausea, cramp, shredded paper, new friends and more cramp.

I'm going to try to upload an edited video but it's quite a big file so I've no idea if it will load, or if you'll be able to access it afterwards. Here's hoping. The camera's batteries lasted 56 minutes into a 2.5 hour ride, and I then cut down what I had to 9 minutes. I've added a soundtrack and faded voices up as needed, for people who were actually there to hear themselves speak....

(Yes Lyn, that is blood on my forearm. A mere flesh wound.)

Here's how the Hash House thing works: the route is researched during the preceding weeks by the "hare", who on the day lays a trail of shredded paper at the side of the trail for the pack to follow. This is done early morning so that the hare can be present at the start of the hash to give some clues as to what to expect. The paper is in little piles at about 100 metre intervals. There are false trails, deliberately laid to slow down the "FRB's" (front-running bastards). There are also check points, which are large crosses of paper, which mean that the trail continues somewhere within 500 metres of the cross. These also slow down the leaders, as people have to be sent in all directions looking for the continuation. In the video you can see that I was actually present for the breaking of one check point, meaning I was up at the front, or near it. That was before cramp set in, but that's another story. After the ride, the group "circle up" for the ritual humiliation of anyone who's done or said anything embarrassing durng the day. This involves being sent to the middle of the circle and having to drink a glass of beer in one go while the rest of the group laugh at your misfortune. It's all good fun, and the people are nice. There were over 100 at this hash. I joined up for the next one which is on my birthday at the end of April.

The ride itself was proof that I could be a lot fitter. Normally they do a "hangover ride" on the Sunday, but I was in no fit state this time so I got a lift home with two of my new mates. I felt sick, my legs were wobbly and I could feel muscle damage starting after being ravaged during the race by too much lactic acid built up in my overworked leg muscles. Next time I will definitely try the baking soda trick offered by our South Africa correspondent Odette. Cramp is incredibly painful and always seems to hit me after about 2 hours of exercise. One lady took pity on me and stopped to chat near the end, as I was off the bike ooing and aaahing and hopping around in agony. It wasn't the first time I'd stopped and people were always kind and helpful. I saw not one selfish act the whole day, most refreshing. I do hate feeling like an idiot though - I went into this expecting a bunch of casual riders who barely break sweat, but instead I was the lame duck. Next time.........

To give some idea of the toughness of the ride, I've been doing longish rides in the last month on the roads around Bangkok, and my average speed over say 60 kilometres is about 26.5 kph. In Kao Yai the ride was 37.5 km and I averaged 13.3 kph. That shows the difference between road and trail riding. Mind you, some of the hills were very steep and prolonged, which for some reason you can't see from the video. The downhills were nice though.

I must say, the Khao Yai area is very nice, lots of hills and farmland and much quieter than Bangkok. It's about 2.5 hours North of the city so I booked into a resort neaby for the night. That meant that theoretically I could have a few beers and relax in good company, but I'm afraid I only lasted till 9pm and conked out.

The bike worked well as usual. I was spooked by some of the horror stories the veterans were telling about Thai thorn bushes, so needlessly I bought a spare-spare inner tube and carted it around in my camelbak needlessly. I didn't get one puncture. The nearest I came to a mishap was riding through some shrubbery and knocking the camera off line. You'll see that in the video. Oh, and I also took a swipe from a branch and ended up with blood running down my forearm - also briefly visible in the video.

Some pics:

Belmont Village, my resting place for the weekend. Very Dutch Village. Windmills, dykes..



Mine was the green one.



Hashers in repose. This was the half-way water stop. I ate about 50 cakes and was still hungry. Sitting down in the foreground is Linda, a fellow noob, who in fact finished at the same time as I did.



Our van and trailer. Owned and run by Chris, a very nice ex-US marine who also did the ride. 20 quid got me and my bike taken there and back with 7 like-minded individuals. Great fun.

That's about it really. So many new things to think about, I probably should write them all down but my head is log-jammed with information.

Overall I loved it. Can't wait for the next one, which is happening an 26-27 April (my birthday, but don't tell anyone - I wouldn't like to end up in the circle drinking beer and being laughed at) near Pattaya. See you there.

Be good.

Epic

Sorry for the apparent media blackout. I haven't been kidnapped and indoctrinated into the red-shirt cult, I've just been busy. As the title suggests, the bike ride in Kao Yai was an adventure of epic proportions.

Watch this space for a condensed video, some photos and a lot of self-congratulatory twaddle.

Be good.

White shirts?

I know, I'm in danger of becoming your far-east shirt correspondent, but a strange new group appeared on the scene here today. I was out cycling - same route as last time but a bit further - and this time on the way home I witnessed about 100 folk in white shirts getting ready to head into town. They had Thai flags, and the occasional yellow flag, so maybe they are campaigning for the status quo. I couldn't tell if they were hostile (they all just looked bewildered) so didn't feel able to photograph them.

Anyhoo, on the subject of cycling, I managed 62 k today without too much drama. Made my juice a bit too strong, got thirsty and ran out with 7 k to go, which caused a bit of cramp. I think that because I sweat so much, the balance of chemicals needed to keep me going can easily get out of tolerance, so to speak. Or maybe the cramp was due to a build up of lactic acid and I need to take Odette's baking-soda advice.

I'm fairly confident now, that I won't be completely useless on next Saturday's Hash House ride. I will try to remember to wear the helmet-cam for that. Should be fun.

Here's a photo of home, from 3 k away:

Right, I'm off to relax for the rest of the day. Be good.

More red shirts

Yep, they're still around. They all went up the road outside our office today, on their way to the 11th Brigade barracks to harass the Prime Minister, who of course had already fled in a chopper to another location. That didn't stop them arriving mob-handed and allegedly throwing grenades into the army ranks. It's all go here, I tell you. Anyway, here's a photo - this stream of trucks went on for miles. Apparently there were 100,000 of the blighters. Thaksin's last throw of the dice? Who knows...
Sleep well, everone.

Red shirts, silly slogans and stuff.

I went for a nice long ride this morning, 45 kilometres. No problem with my new super duper electrolyte fluid. Anyway, I went about twenty k's and stopped for a rest in a shady spot under the expressway...
Yes not very inspiring I know. I can report that the land around Bangkok is as flat as a pancake for as many miles as I'm prepared to ride. Where was I? ah yes, in the shade. A bloke pulled up in his pickup and went fishing in the canal, and I noticed the guy who'd done the spray job on the car had a sense of humour...Says it all really, and a nice addition to my collection of nonsense slogans.

On the way home I found myself in the middle of a bunch of protesters getting ready to head into Bangkok. It's the big bash this weekend, when the red shirts are supposed to bring the city to a standstill. They hate the current regime (elitist, middle-class - allegedly) and they want new elections. They say they will continue to march until they get what they want. In fact they have all been paid 3000 baht to attend by Takhsin's lackeys. Power to the people!
Despite some hard looks, they seemed a friendly bunch, even happy to wave to the silly farang on the bike....

By the way, I must say it's nice, when you're tired and confused and don't necessarily know your way around, to be able to see your house from five miles away. Gave me a nice boost on the last stretch.

I'm all fixed up with accommodation... www.belmontkhaoyai.com and also transport to my first Hash House Ride in two weeks time. I exchanged some emails with a man with a van who takes groups there and back, with bikes, for a small fee. He assures me I'm going to enjoy the trip and says BHHB is the best thing that's happened in Bangkok since he came here 8 years ago. I'm really looking forward to it, which I've probably already mentioned. Now that I'm semi-fit, the physical side of it is less of a concern, so I can look forward to meeting new people and having enough breath to speak to them.

In other news, the F1 season got underway yesterday with quallifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. I loved it, and I'm just about to settle down and watch the race itself. The most interesting season for many years with as many as six drivers in with a very good chance.

I'm off. Be good.

Letter to the BBC trust

I've sent this to the BBC trust, who are deliberating on the proposed closure of 6music:

****************************
Dear BBC Trust,

The closure of 6music would be a disaster both for me personally, and for British music in general. Here's why:

In the past year alone (and 6music has been around for 8 years) I've spent approximately £150 on music I heard and liked on 6music. I can assure you that I could not have heard that music on any other radio station. Therefore there would be no possibility of those albums being bought without 6music. Multiply that by 750,000 (the estimated listener figure) and you have a compelling reason why the UK music scene leads the world in terms of creativity and diversity. Without record sales the industry would die.

I listen at all times of the day, being fortunate enough to have a job which allows it. If 6music closed down, there would be no alternative for me but to turn to randomising my current collection to make my own playlist, and "Guessing" what to buy next. It's a depressing prospect.

The suggestions for putting some of the content from 6 onto other stations is ridiculous. It's like evicting the population of London and telling them there are some nice new estates on the Isle of Wight to live in.

I urge the trust to reconsider this awful decision.

Regards

Russell Hindley

***************************

If you feel strongly about the issue, or you just want to stay mates with me, visit this link and say your piece:

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/email-the-BBC

Be good.

One thousand metres

Got home, apartment stupidly hot, nothing to do while the AC got going. No wife to talk to, nothing on telly, back too bad for cycling/gym/squash. Went swimming. 1km in 27:52. Quite proud of myself for going, if not for the time.

I did stupidly forget my goggles, with this result:

...I apologise to those of a nervous disposition...

I'm off to be smug now. Later, couch taters.

Now, where did I put the optrex?

Cool

On the walk to work this morning it was cloudy and there was a slight breeze, meaning it was "only" about 30 degrees. I was still sweating by the time I got to the lovely air conditioned office. On the way in there was a Thai bloke in a bobble hat, presumably to keep his ears warm.

That is just plain wrong.

Sponsor Colin

Colin is running a mile for charity.

http://www.mysportrelief.com:80/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=300476

Go on, you know you want to.

Advertising is dangerous

I was walking home today, going past some of those plastic-tubes-that-blow-up-in-the-air-with-logos-on, when one of them draped itself across my head and nearly dislodged my glasses. Most embarrassing.

About my music links

It's come to my attention that if you're reading the blog in an email, the music links don't work. That's because when you open the actual blog it surreptitiously loads the music player, if needed. Email doesn't do that.

SO what I'm saying is, if you want to hear what I'm on about you have to open the blog itself, not an email. Sorry and all that.

..Clear?

General chit chat

So, what shall I waffle about today?

Well, what about the terrible news that "They" are thinking about closing down 6music?

For those who don't know, and shame on you if you don't because I've blathered on about it on here enough times, 6music is a digital BBC radio station, available on iPlayer... http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/playlive/bbc_6music/ ..., either live or in listen-again format, and also DAB.

6music does not tailor its content for the mainstream, as do Radio 1 and Radio 2. That is its strength AND its weakness. The diversity of music on the station is huge, but be warned: tuning in "on spec" is like looking at the night sky through a toilet roll - you just don't experience the wonder of it all unless you give it a chance. You might be unimpressed by Orion's belt (especially if you haven't seen it before) but Orion itself is stunning, and beyond that the greater glory of the Milky Way is unparalleled.

I say - DROP THE TOILET ROLL!

Stop press - they just played all 23 minutes of "Echoes" by Pink Floyd. Who else would dare? Prog-tastic, pop pickers.

Anyway, I still hope they will change their minds. I've filled in the consultation... http://bit.ly/srconsultation ... and signed the petitions... http://www.petition.fm/petitions/6musicasiannet/1000/ .. and now I'm just hoping. The last eight years would have been (musically speaking) much poorer for me at work, if I didn't have the endlessly changing music scene as a backdrop to the daily grind. Yes folks, it's official, work is dull without music.

In other news, I went for a ride in 36 degrees yesterday. It was.... hot. I used the CamelBak so I was well hydrated, but boy does the sun slow you down. I will definitely be better when I get my e-replacement powder some time this week (thank you eBay). I rode up to friend Terry's house and played squash with him, then rode home. Needed a rest after that, I can tell you.

While we're on slowing down, Bangkok is definitely not built for cyclists. If cities can have opposites, Bangkok and Copenhagen are examples, and not just on the Celsius scale. There, the cyclist is king, lording it over pedestrians, buses and even, shock horror, the automobile. Here the cyclist is the runt of the road. I regularly have to pick the bike up and hump it over barriers, climb steps to overpasses, jump ditches etc etc. just to get where I'm going. And the diesel-belching buses, oy. I will persist though. Still a lot of fun.

Been listening to Turin Brakes for a couple of years now, and only lately realised how much I like this song:

Turin Brakes - Average Man

It's rare for me to like somthing with a slide guitar in it. Mind you, this one would benefit from it being removed. Stick a kazoo in there, anything but that awful caterwauling. Luckily it's only prominent in the intro. Must try to see them live. That might be possible this year, since a new album is now out and surely there will be a tour. Stop press - according to Wiki they are British, from Ballham, no less. I thought they were Canadian or summink. Ah well.

While we're on music, I've always heard people going on about how great Miles Davis is, and recently my drum teacher advised me to buy the "Kind of Blue" album, which I did and liked it a lot. I won't post any tracks here because that would make me a jazz fan, which I'm not. That said, it is a very good album, and I listened to it the other day on my way to "Niu's on Silom" for drinks with Bart. Niu's is a very cool and stylish Jazz/Blues bar and restaurant here, and for anyone visiting Bangkok I'd put it high on my list of places to go. Great musicians right there doing their thing within touching distance. I loved it. Actually I'd been there before with Lynny last time she was here. Poor love was still jet-lagged and she fell asleep. Mind you it's a very relaxing place.

Nothing more to say now, just checked the phone and I've taken no photos recently of interest, so sorry for the lack of visual input. It's all getting a bit wordy init. Does anyone care? Suggestions for content type please (More crosswords? More top tips? Naked photos of me?), on the back of a 1000 Baht note to the usual address. Yes yes, I've used that gag before, well spotted.

Be good.

Electrolytes

Warning - this blog is basically me thinking aloud, and unless you're into issues around endurance sports it's extremely boring. If self-indulgent ramblings are your bag, read on....

We're constantly reminded, us sportsmen (don't laugh) about the need for correct hydration and electrolyte balance for optimum performance and endurance. Whew, what a mouthful. Anyway, with all that in mind, and mindful that taking on endurance sports in a climate such as exists here in Thailand causes added strains on the body's fluid levels, I looked around for an outlet for electrolyte replacement products.

Not a sausage could I find.

In a major city like Bangkok that's outrageous. One store answered my email with a promise that, although they don't stock the product I enquired about, they do stock other products by the same company, and they would get some in the future. That's a start I suppose, but these things are driven by market forces obviously, and the "Sports" market here is mostly blokes wanting to get much, much bigger.

In my book, that's not sport, it's pharmacy.

The basic premise in the minds of today's "yoof" is that the hours/days/weeks/months of hard work in the gym (allied with a healthy, suitably high-protein diet) required to build the desired physique can be avoided by swallowing regular handfuls of borderline illegal, life-shortening, hormone-balance-wrecking crap, and occasionally swanning down to the gym suitably attired in the latest glamorous lycra posing-tops.

The stuff you can get here over the counter is quite dangerous - human growth hormone, steroids, anything you want. This trend is duplicated in the actual company I used to buy my stuff from in the UK, an Australian company called Musashi. They now seem to concentrate on bloat-up protein shakes, amino supplements, whey powder, and in a small corner of their website you'll find the endurance stuff.

So I've jumped ship.

There's a UK-based company called Science in Sport, which has a line of products aimed at runners, cyclists and triathletes. Their stuff is even for sale in Tescos. I also found it on eBay.

The reason for all this girding of loins endurance-wise, is that I have a long offroad ride with the Bangkok Hash House Bikers at the end of this month. If I try to do 45 km in 35 degrees, with just water to keep me going, I'll get the worst case of cramp ever. I've always had problems keeping hydrated during sports. I sweat freely just walking along the road here in Bangkok, and that's not an exaggeration - ask wifey. Speaking of the ginger-headed one, she posted an enquiry on the ThaiVisa forum, which around here is the best way to find out anything about anything, asking about electrolyte replacement products. Answers? Plenty. One bloke suggested chocolate drinks are the future for endurance sportsmen. Another seemed quite taken with coconut water. Bizarre. The point is, there's just no interest over here in Triathlon, Cycling, Running or even Squash, because it's just too damned hot. It's only us stupid farangs that can be bothered.

I've already booked the hotel for the BHHB trip. It's at Khao Yai National Park, about 2 hours north of Bangkok. They usually do a big ride on Saturday, have a few drinks in the evening, then ride again an the Sunday. Then it's off back to Bangkok in time for tea & medals. I'm looking forward to meeting some like-minded people, possibly making some friends, and getting some good exercise at the same time. A full report will appear here. Lyn arrives in Bangkok two days later, so I better not get too badly injured. She'd kill me.

Later taters

My Hero

(Takes a while to load, needs sound for best atmosphere)

http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1267656188005RA80

Rousing stuff.

Well, I liked it anyway.

Hua Hin, and bike stuff

Hua Hin:

I went (with Bart) for a long weekend down to Hua Hin, a resort on the coast two hours south west of Bangkok.

Or rather, I went to a resort near to Hua Hin.

Or rather, I tried to go to a resort near to Hua Hin but ended up in a mostly empty place 40km from Hua Hin.

Here's an enormous two-headed elephant statue I spotted en route..
*Note: The elephant wasn't en route, I was. I doubt the elephant's moved in years.

Anyway wherever I went, it was very, er, relaxing. Actually on the first night we chickened out and drove to Hua Hin itself and booked into a hotel. Horrendously expensive on top of the cost of the resort itself, but at least we managed a decent pub crawl without having to drive afterwards. The receptionist at the resort had laughingly suggested we drive into HH, have a few beers, and drive back. "haha, don't worry, it's fine to drink and drive in Thailand". Fine yes, but what if you kill someone? They just don't get it here.

Here's me wearing someone else's hair halfway through the afore-mentioned pub crawl..

A good night was had by both, and at 3.30am I was still awake. Quite an achievement for this old codger.

Bike stuff:

I was talking to squash-friend Terry the other day and mentioned that I'd been in a mountain bike race in New Zealand three years ago, and that there was photographic evidence on the internet somewhere. Subsequently I went looking for the photo's and I've finally decided to download them. Originally I'd refused due to the fee involved. Here are three of the pics, and in order you can see:


Me on the last downhill stretch at 45kph, stupidly waving to the camera. (Mistake)


Me realising that, due to waving, I'd missed my braking point and that the oncoming hairpin bend was rushing up a little too quickly


My bike, having gone over the edge in a most undignified fashion

I actually did a face-plant into the hillside and blacked out for a few seconds. When I came to I was 20 feet below the road caught up in a bush. There was a considerable drop still below me. Very lucky not to do the full plunge, or break my neck. I looked up and there was the photographer saying "oh dear". I managed to collect the bike and finish the race, albeit with a nice gash across my nose, no peak on my hat and a general feeling of second-handedness. Ah well.

In other (and better) news, I took the bike on a little spin around Bangkok yesterday. It's running well after its trip here and being reassembled by me. Predictably I ran out of water on my 30km ride, and equally predictably I got lost. Good fun though, can't wait to go on a proper offroad ride. There's a group here called Bangkok Hash House Bikers, and they meet once a month in different locations around Thailand, ride all of Saturday, have a few beers and stay overnight, then ride again on a Sunday. Then they return to Bangkok. Sounds like just the ticket for me, more to follow. I need to get up to speed though, they do 40-50 km offroad, which is a lot.

More soon, be good.