Due to Dubai Sound City and kayak training every day, this past weekend was one of burning the candle at both ends for me…and I can tell you that today I have all the energy of a flat battery, the motivation of a block of cheese and feel as athletic as an 80-year-old chain-smoking alcoholic.
Fittingly but most unfortunately, I also kayak like aforementioned octogenarian.
If I’m honest, I am, perhaps naively, not overly concerned about the rest of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Although I know the desert orienteering and cycling etc will all be really tough, I’m a pig-headed idiot and WILL get through them.
But the kayaking…I put my heart and soul into it and, in return, I got blisters all over my hands, a sore back, stiff shoulders and went five yards backwards. I REALLY need to train at this. Thanks, by the way, to Suzy at Nautica 1992.
Anyway, on to cheerier matters. The one thing I’m really loving about this ridiculous and flawed plan to take on the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge is being active and working out with my team mates – a finer four folk I couldn’t ask to do this with. While I was a bit down about the kayaking, they helped lift my spirits.
We followed Friday’s session with lunch at Café Culture (I think) at what was The Harbour Hotel – a damn tasty pie with lovely strawberry smoothie which a) is like a fruit party in the mouth and b) is sure to get you ridiculed by your team mates.
Saturday, we hit a burger and ribs joint in Dubai Mall – the world’s biggest shopping centre, apparently, complete with giant underwater zoo and an Olympic-sized ice rink (yes Pete, that’s ice!) and I loathe the place. If Satan shops, that’s where he goes. That’s not a giant aquarium; it’s actually the River Styx flowing right through the centre of it.
The reason for this trip was trainer shopping for our event runners – courtesy of the kind people of Abu Dhabi! Three of us opted for Saucony trainers – a word here for the wonderful staff at Saucony who knew more about our feet than we did – while Jeff and Lucy opted for Asics.
Pete obviously tried to buy two left-foot trainers but they wouldn’t let him.
The Saucony staff noted the type of feet (width, how much arch etc) and recommended accordingly. Now, I’m so flatfooted that the Saucony man looked at my feet and basically laughed, took a pic with his camera phone and sent it to his other foot pals...my feet are probably now on YouTube.
My new trainers are, therefore, kinda odd looking with “extra protection and padding” to help me with my deformed feet! I’m going to do a short run tonight in them, so I’ll let you know if they make much difference from my old, bog standard New Balances…
Matt 'Warchild'
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