The desert calls! (13.11.2011)

Faris Al-Sultan, Kristin Möller and Swen Sundberg went to the desert at a rather unusual time. Faris send one of his reports back home.

Just after the drop curtain of the main performance was closed the athlete started to be active again. Many of my colleagues would like to do their mandatory Ironman. So some of the second-rate races get a world-class field of pro athletes. Other would like to earn points and the last group just enjoys the time at home swimming, running and riding their mountain bikes. Swen, Kristin and I have decided to avoid gingerbread and MTBs and we went to Al Ain. Swen works on his form for the Ironman on the Mexican island Cozumel. Kristin would like to do some basic training and some swim technique without any disturbance. Her goal is to race in Western Australia where she wants to set a new run course record again. And I want to work on my body fat reserves I have filled in the last weeks and to let the form slowly come.

After 10 days I can say that Swen is in shape but my body fat is still there and Kristin did not really improved her basics. Actually it is good that Swen will leave soon and we can concentrate on our goals.

Al Ain has changed again. But that is nothing new. Beside completed or new roads a kayak and surf area with 2 man-made lakes was built at the bottom of the mountain Tschebel Hafeet. Our friend Dave whom we know already for a long time establishes here open water swim training and races. New hotels and shopping malls were built and during the Eid Al-Adha holidays, which are the most important Islamic public holidays, the town was so crowded I never saw before.

In Dubai the cycling scene increased a lot. It makes me really happy that there are also young locals who join the rides. One reason for that is Wolfi Hohmann’s  (from Wolfi’s Bike Shop) tirelessly effort. That cannot be mentioned too often.

That great development is overshadowed by road accident. Of course that also happens in Europe and elsewhere. But the way these crashes happen shows that cyclers are still not equal road users. The development of human capital seems to be slower than the road works. Anyway, Al Ain is still a perfect training location.

The desert calls!