Yesterday I started my day at 5:45 roaming the streets searching for a taxi to drive me to the starting point of the Dubai Creek Striders, a running club in Dubai, that I wanted to try out for the first time.
When I arrived I was instantly intimidated, these were runners, not people that enjoy running, or casual trainers, full on Dubai Creek Strider Jerseys, heart monitors, you name it. I showed up right as the people were about to start running, I did a quick stretch (just kidding...) and joined the first group that was taking off. I read about the weekly run and e-mailed Malcolm, the group leader, and asked about the distance and the pace, he said we would be running 22km-24km's and people varied from sub 3 hour marathoners to people that work towards 6 hour marathons, so people of all shapes and sizes. Uh, right. So we take off, I have on my Nike iPod thing that I'm addicted to and we're running maybe 8 minute miles or so. Which is way faster than I would run 22kms, but I wanted to keep up with the group. So every so often we would stop at these water stops and somehow there were people that I never saw pass me already there, but I just sort of ignored it and thought I was just going a little crazy. At about the third stop, an hour into our run, I'm starting to feel pretty tired, we are at this little market and everyone walks in and buys Mars bars and I look over to where the drinks are being poured, it's Coke! So, apparently, here in Dubai it's not Power aid and gels, it's Coke and Mars bars to energize you....
At this point, I finally ask someone how they are getting to the stops in front of me, it was driving me crazy! And this woman looks at me sort of funny and says in her Australian accent, "Are you meant to be in the farther, faster group mate?" Uh, no. But at that point I felt so dumb that I just decided to stay with the "farther, faster group." So apparently how it works is, there are two groups and they do different routes to meet at the water stops at the same time. Needless to say the 22 km - 24 km turned out to be closer to 32 km - 34 km. Let me just tell you, the difference between running at 6:30 here and 9:30 is unbelievable! The heat and humidity go up so fast and with the direct sun, it feel as if you might die. I did get a great tour of the city, I saw the creek for the first time and the Souk's I'd like to go back. When I got home, I was too exhausted to do much more than quickly eat a few bites of an apple, a spoonful of peanut butter and a glass of water, take two Motrin's, throw myself in the shower, put on my robe and collapse into my bed. Around 11:30 I woke up to a bunch of texts from friends wondering if I was alive... which I was, barely. We went to lunch at Lime Tree Cafe, the best place ever it feels like a cafe that might be at home, and then to this beach resort to play volleyball and hang out. It was a great day... we followed up a great day with an evening out for a bunch of October birthday celebrations. I thought it was at a night club place, which I don't like, but found instead that it was more like a lounge bar on a cruise ship with live music. Ah, life in Dubai. Today I am hosting a "wine and cheese" social to ask new teachers how I can better support them as a counselor. Fun times.
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