Running Wild

Since my last post I managed to land my self the amazing position of Editor for Sound and Stage ME magazine. I’m still half expecting to get a phone call or email saying ‘sorry, we’ve made a mistake’ the position is that cool. Basically, I’ll be reporting on anything to do with lighting, sound or staging for concerts, plays, conferences etc. And while I’m not a music journalist/reporter, I’ll still be reporting on all that goes on behind the scenes for some pretty big music gigs. I think my first big report will be the Madonna concert in early June, which is pretty darn cool if I do say so myself. In all seriousness, as someone who’s been in music (and a bit of theatre–I loved being ‘Islander 1′ ha!) since Middle School, I’m so looking forward to having the opportunity see what goes on behind the scenes to ensure all of these events run smoothly.

As most of you know, I’m a runner. I don’t look it, but I am. I caught the running bug back in Sophomore year of college and haven’t looked back since. I even managed to complete my first marathon in London the day before moving out here. But my comfort zone lies in cold to mild climates and I fail miserably in heat. So it’s no wonder that I’m finding running here to be a massive struggle. In fact, one  might even assume that sports all together are out of the question here in the part of the world where temperatures can reach up to 120/51 in the dog days of summer.

As luck may have it, Dubai has much to offer in the ways of sports and outdoor activities. I first noticed the amount of advertisements for sports gear and gym memberships in the metro and bus stations, promoting a healthier lifestyle. Fitness First is the main fitness centre out here and the facilities far surpass even the poshest sports clubs in London. Much like the UK and US, these gyms offer a wide rang of classes (I’ve happily taken up Spin and Body Pump on Wednesday and Thursday evenings) and state of the art equipment.

The one thing I found the UK lacked that I desperately missed from the US were sports clubs. I realise that they exist in the UK, but it just didn’t seem the same after spending a season with a group like SOBO in Baltimore every Sunday. Lucky for me then that Dubai offers a wide range of sports

Just passing through while we were playing a bit of pickup…

teams. With sports like rugby, baseball, football, American football, etc. you’d be hard-pressed to find one that isn’t offered. They even have a massive ultimate scene, which I decided to check out yesterday. Pick up on the beach–I could get use to playing that every week. It was a great time over all and the players were beyond welcoming. Of course not having played for well over 2 years paired with the intense heat, I was on the pitch for a handful of points before I had to call it quits for the night. Regardless it was a great time and the few beers at the hotel down the street was a great way to round off the evening.

We’re lucky enough to have the sea practically on our doorstep. The water sports offered in Dubai are endless. Scuba diving and sailing are two that I’m looking forward to trying, even if I do have an unhealthy phobia of being in the ocean/sea–mostly the whole ‘drowning’ bit…

I started this post, ranting about the lack of running I’ll be able to do in the coming months. Perhaps this isn’t a completely fair depiction, seeing as there is actually a running club offered during the months of the year when the heat is slightly less fierce. There’s even a 10K rout  around the entire marina, which looks absolutely lovely in the evening. Finally, it seems Dubai took a page out of America’s book and decided to create ‘Mall Walkers’ every Sunday to Thursday morning (820am start) at The Mall of the Emirates. I think I’ll check that out tomorrow. I’m getting the sense that some people do actually run, rather than walk. Fingers crossed!

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