The second event of the challenging Borneo Challenge was mountain biking in the scenic rolling hills of the Sabah Tea Plantation in Malaysian Borneo. That July 2007 the foliage of trees and plants was lush green, and the waters of running brooks were refreshing. We welcomed having to walk our bikes across these brooks, in the heat and sweat of the day.
I didn't do any special training on mountain biking, for the sake of time. Road cycling is my sport, and I was an avid cyclist in Dubai Roadsters. I don't actually like to mountain bike, and I have never done it. In fact, my heavy legs, and fast-twitch muscles in them, are better suited for the flats and for sprinting. Climbing up mountains is literally a grind on the bike and stresses slow-twitch muscles.
Anyway I simply had to draw on my smarts, strength and instincts to navigate the Plantation terrain: varying between gravel, soil, grass and rock. I had to draw on all these to manage the more complex riding. For example, speeding downhill on that terrain meant I had to make the right decisions, and quickly so, on what "line" to take. A mistake could've resulted in me wiping out on loose gravel and tumbling head over heels down the hill. So that riding was serious.
Brian Wilke, Chairman of Gulf for Good and our resident Challenge director, complimented my technical prowess. I smiled, and just thanked him, as I was literally just winging it.
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| Faye Marchant shared a diary report of the Borneo Challenge for Emirates Woman |
I also smiled, when I saw that Faye Marchant complimented Marjan and me on our mountain biking, in her post-Challenge article.
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| Faye Marchant is on the right |
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