The big Three-Oh!!!

My birthday today, guys and gals...and not just any old birthday but my 30th.

So, how have I celebrated? Well, last night I nailed a pretty good 3,500 yard session in the pool. I know - Rock and, indeed, Roll. As a young whippersnapper I swam pretty seriously (every day and often twice a day) up to a national standard and I'm really enjoying getting into my swimming again. I'm now starting to step up the sessions a little too. I've a list of around 15 hour-long (3500-4000 yard) sets and work my way through those one by one. Some are just standard sets, others are aimed a little more at building good distances - essential for triathlons.

This morning, I was up at 6am and did a 30km cycle on my mountain bike - felt pretty good too. We've a long weekend here in Dubai (it's Islamic New Year) and I'll look to get one circuit session in and one BRICK (transition practice - probably 500m swim along the shore in the sea, run back to starting point - repeated three times - great for getting used to that 'jelly legs' feeling you get when coming out of the swim and heading into the cycle but also a really good cross-train experience) over the course of the three-day weekend.

The point of this is...well?

Firstly, it may be useful info for anyone else at the early stages of training for triathlon. More significantly, I remember when I was swimming competitively just how unmotivated I often was - and how much I tried to avoid morning training.

It's funny that, now 30-years-old, I have more determination, motivation and even competitiveness than I did back then. I can't wait to train this weekend and almost jump out of bed on those early mornings, coz of all the energy I have.

I recently saw a photo on Facebook from my 28th birthday and, from a vanity point of view, two things occurred: 1) I looked older then than now; 2) It looked like some fat kid had eaten Matt! From a non-vain point of view, exercise has brought so much back to my life. I feel younger and better than I have for years, I have tonnes more energy and I just enjoy the variety of things I have to do.

Sure, I can tell you that beers, vodka cranberries, junk food, late nights and some truly embarrassing dancing are all likely to feature over the course of this birthday weekend, but that's not all there is - that's not all I am.

After all, what better way to crack through a hangover than a beach BRICK session?

Matt

Time for reflection...

I have to admit it: the last couple of days of the Adventure Challenge were tinged with disappointment for me.

The very first morning - competitors prepare their boats on the Abu Dhabi corniche

Maybe I was too close to the whole thing but we'd set ourselves the aim of completing all the events and, well, that didn't happen. We put a valiant stint in, no doubt. Maybe a little of the personal disappointment came from the fact that I knew I had a little more to give (except in the kayaking - I gave my all including, it would seem, a life without chronic back pain, in that). But on the last day and ever since, I've become a little cheerier and more positive.

Pre-dawn alterations are made

Almost all the other competitors were either professional athletes or came from a background that included a long history of triathlon, Ironman or endurance racing events. We didn't. Most had been training specifically for this event for six months. We had eight weeks.

Jeff and Pete put up their tent on the first evening in the desert.

In hindsight, our goals were probably a little unrealistic and what we did achieve was fairly monumental. We were woefully under-prepared - physically, mentally and in terms of experience of such events. Hats were forgotten, food was lost, water was wasted...we made mistakes that, I'm fairly certain, other teams did not make - but that's what your debut is for.

Stunning scenery on the first mountain biking leg.


We still put a real effort in and I think everyone was surprised by how much we did manage.

A word here for our fellow competitors: wonderful, beautiful, genial, helpful, encouraging, motivating heroes each and every one of them. Inspirational in the way that only truly exceptional people can be.

One competitor finishes the stage and checks in with her electronic timing plug.

I won't tell you all the ways in which we hurt or were uncomfortable during those six days - Jeff has already done a marvelous job of that in his last post - and the 30-minute shower I treated myself to afterwards was one of life's greatest ever feelings.

The American team uses some unique yoga poses to stretch out after the cycling.

But that shower also gave me time to reflect and what I realised - much like Pete - was how much I had enjoyed the past few days...the 3am starts, the uncomfortable nights' sleep, the Army-grade food...the competition, the stunning scenery, the great outdoors, taking on nature and not having to worry about a mobile phone, car keys, email or my wallet for almost a week. Just about everything.

The teams line up outside the beautiful Qasr Al Sarab resort.

In that way, I guess you could say that the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge was genuinely life-changing for me and, from the impression I get when we sat down for that beer after the final day's competition, I think Pete and Jeff would agree.

So, life-changing how exactly?

Basically, I have realised just how much I like being fit and around fit, healthy people. So, I've finally done something I've been promising myself to do for ages and signed up for a beginner's climbing course. I've also recommenced the once or twice weekly pre-work games of tennis with my housemate.

It's been a long, hard day.

But the experience has also made me a lot more serious about my training. Yes, I want to have a life, socialise and not just be one of those boring people who can only talk about gaiters, aerobars, negative splits and rehydration supplements...but I also love competition and I intend to train towards taking on a few more duathlon/triathlon/running events. My ultimate goal would be to make it up to Olympic distance and then try a few 70.2s - basically, the half Ironman distance.

The early morning ascent of Jebel Hafeet.

I've set myself a new, fairly flexible programme with an emphasis on pushing hard and training smart across swimming, cycling, running and strength circuits. I can't wait to get going on it with a 3500m swim this evening.

The (worthy) winners cross the finishing line in Al Ain.

An extremely painful back problem has also taught me that looking after and listening to your body involves more than just being fit. Yoga and massages (between the road bike I'm about to order, wetsuits, running/cycling shoes, helmets, gloves, tri-suit and yoga, stretching and massage sessions etc etc I seem to have chosen just about the most expensive hobby in existence!) are going to play a significant role going forward - especially as it appears that the muscular back problem is one I'll have to manage rather than one that can be solved.

So, all in all, one hell of an experience and one that could have even shaped the rest of my adult life.

The big question though, the one that everyone really wants to ask - would I do the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge again?

The Desert Hacks/Xtreme Journos celebrate the end of the Adventure Challenge.

I'd need to start training - kayak especially - with at least six months to go and, given what the rest of the Desert Hacks have said so far, I'd need to find three new team members but I think that maybe, perhaps, possibly, in the right circumstances, I  might consider...oh, who am I kidding??? I'm going to be booking six days off at the beginning of December every year until I get a media team through the whole of that race if it's the last thing I do. Which, admittedly, it could well be.



So, if you're a mental (sorry: fit and healthy) media professional that is crazy (erm: willing) to put in some heavy training and endure (whoops: enjoy) the toughest six days of your life next December, do leave a comment here or email mattalfie@gmail.com. Ideally, based in the UAE but, to be honest, I'll accept all-comers.