Power cycling

To Bukit Timah Hill, 54 km. Cycling needs power and knowledge is power. So I cycle today to check out Sunday's race route. Problem is, I don't know where exactly the start line is. Today is my worse ride in BT. After overtaking a big guy on the trial, that somehow unnerves me, which almost unbalances me: i) I glance off the side of a trial; ii) stumble over a rock (if I wasn't tethered to my pedals, my tottering would've led to a fall) and iii) stall uphill (after passing two hiker babes who stare at me like I'm from Mars). Even at 4 pm, there are hikers on the trail. I also find out that the clattering on the trail isn't a rock hitting my frame; it is my now-missing pump, which I replace with a Topeak. At the bike shop, I learn about pump design. I'm all pumped up anyway, after three near falls on the hill and three run-ins with trucks onthe road during rush hour.