Dubai Marathon: Running fever catches up

From a passion for humanity to a deep desire for travel and pushing one's own limits, we look at what keeps the city's runners pounding the tracks and on course

Why would anyone want to put their body through so much strain? It's the thought that run through many minds when you hear of people pushing themselves to a finish line that's 42 kms away. Yet, thousands of runners will meet at the Dubai Marathon's starting line come January 26, ready to tackle what is no doubt a physical and mental endurance test of epic proportions. Speaking to the city's runners made one thing clear: there are different motivations that drive these athletes, each one just as strong as the next. WKND profiles a few here for a look at what keeps them putting one foot in front of the other.

For the love of travel: Jo Metzke

Australian expat Jo Metzke has run 14 marathons in the last five years - 12 of those have been in various countries around the world, from the UK to Germany and Japan to the US of A. Her great love for pushing her own limits through these runs means she doesn't bat an eyelid when booking tickets to the other side of the world for the sole purpose of running a marathon. A tad excessive? Not really, when you consider it's a great way to see the world, says Jo.
"Running 42 kms through a city is an amazing way to explore its neighbourhoods and people - particularly when you're there for the first time. So, yes, I'm sure many would prefer to do so by bus or car - but there's nothing like running through all five boroughs of New York to get a feel for the place."
Jo's first race was the Dubai Marathon in 2013, and she will be running it yet again this month. "I loved every single moment of that first run, and actually found it relatively easy, because I had no idea what it was going to be like," she recalls. She assures us she's not all that superhuman by quickly adding, "But I now know at exactly what point I'm going to hit a low point, so the races that followed have been more of a struggle and not as easy!"
Breaking those self-imposed limits is a major motivator for why she continues to put herself through the paces. Jo remembers her 2016 New York marathon as a stellar example of this. "I ended up vomiting at the medical tent halfway through the race, and even had all the forms filled out to leave the race," she says. "But I wanted to finish the last 21 kms, so after getting cleared by the medical staff, I continued. There was nothing in my stomach, as I couldn't hold down any food or water, but just finding that something in me - call it stupidity or resilience! - to finish that race definitely made it the most memorable one for me."

Travelling for marathons can be a pretty expensive hobby, so some ways she works around that is by budgeting and planning the trips well in advance, not staying in those countries too long, booking hotels as soon as she applies so as to take advantage of early-bird deals, and finding local places to eat in while abroad.
Many of her runs overseas have been in aid of leukaemia, in honour of her mother who suffers from the disease. "It's my way of trying to support her even though I'm away from home," says Jo, who has raised over US$20,000 to date for the cause. Jo's great aim had been to win the Abbott World Marathon Majors six-star medal - awarded to those who complete all six world majors: New York, Chicago, Boston, Berlin, London and Tokyo - a goal she achieved last year in Boston. Next up? The Comrades ultramarathon in South Africa. Distance: approximately 89 kms. Clearly, there's no resting on her laurels for this athlete.
Thankfully, she loves the discipline of training, so it's more passion than compulsion - an invaluable trait for someone who is no stranger to waking up at 2.30am for runs! "I'm grateful Dubai is such a safe place that allows me to do so," she says. "And because I'm up so early, I'm usually done by the time most people get out of bed - and still have the whole day ahead of me."
The mental training is the make-or-break factor, she feels. "It's the thing that can either turn marathons into disasters - or push you through the pain." On her runs, Jo sets her iPod to shuffle through a list of 400 upbeat songs - but says it's amazing "how much you don't actually listen to the music" during a race; it's often the crowds that keep her going. "The ones in New York and London are amazing," she says. "I always wear a T-shirt with my name on it, and it's incredible the way perfect strangers cheer me on by name, especially when they see I'm flagging or struggling."
There are several elements in a marathon that you cannot control: like the weather. It could rain, or be a lot hotter than expected. You may even land in a city for a marathon, only to find it's been cancelled due to hurricane devastation - which was what happened to her in 2012 in New York. But what you can control is your approach to the race. "Sometimes, we go in with predefined times [in which we want to finish the race] and stress out so much about trying to achieve them that we forget to enjoy it at all," says Jo. "Trust your training and try to enjoy the experience - because it's going to be amazing when you cross that finish line."

BORN TO RUN: (left to right) Jo Metzke, Dan Furlong, Savita Kapoor

For a good cause: Dan Furlong

The longest distance English expat Dan Furlong had run before the start of this year was 10 km. In other words, he'd never run a full marathon - 42 km - before. But when the entrepreneur teamed up last year with non-profit BlinkNow Foundation, which works to provide a safe environment for children in western Nepal's Kopila Valley, he decided to go the whole hog - by running a half-marathon every day for 30 days this month. That's 600 km in four weeks. Talk about going for gold!
Dan's reasoning is two-fold. "I wanted to show the children of Kopila Valley that they should never be afraid of taking on something big. But, also, if I'd run a marathon, I would only generate a little interest and a small amount of fundraising." Hence, the staggering 600 km - the hope of which is to help support more than 50 children living in Kopila Valley Children's Home, the 400 children who attend the local school, and the many women employed there.
The terrain - from Kathmandu to Surkhet - has been challenging, and even dangerous at times, consisting of tough mountain roads, trails and elevation changes every day. Although running has "always been in [his] locker" - Dan has, in the past, done a series of obstacle courses and endurance challenges, such as the Desert Warrior and Paras 10 - this is the first time the fitness enthusiast will be showcasing his running abilities. "I trained in seven-day blocks and built up mileage gradually, while also learning about fuelling my body to repair." Now, almost two weeks into the challenge, his enthusiasm hasn't waned. On the contrary, he says he is loving it.
Dan's current schedule kicks off with a 5am breakfast and he begins running at 6am, keeping at the course for more than three hours. The rest of the day is spent preparing his kit, eating (or rather, refuelling), undergoing safety briefings, planning the route - and even getting in some football with the local kids. "Running is a constant battle between one side of your brain telling you to keep going and the other side telling you to stop," he observes. "But the hardships I will go through on this challenge are short-term. I'm doing this because many people in Nepal live with a daily struggle to access food, water and education. These are basic rights and I hope this run will show them that Nepal has not been forgotten." That's the great part of doing this #Nepal600 challenge, he says: getting to "tell the whole story of Nepal and its beautiful people". 
By the first week alone, Dan managed to raise money for a school bus for the kids. He is now working towards being able to make a significant contribution to the construction of a new high school at Kopila Valley. Looking forward, he is considering working his way up to 24-hour marathons or ultramarathons, but hasn't decided yet. "One expedition at a time is my motto, but whatever I choose, I will always be doing it for BlinkNow Foundation," he says. The ambitious marathoner would encourage everyone to run for a cause they're passionate about. "It's a great way to get yourself out the door, give your goal 110% - and far more rewarding than running for yourself."

For fitness' sake: Savita Kapoor

Dubai-based Savita Kapoor finds running such an addictive sport that she tries to get in one or two runs every month. Did we hear wrong? "Nope," says the freelance professional, who hails from Bangalore. "There are always runs happening in Dubai!" Nothing is a deterrent for this 44-year-old mum of two: not age, not that elusive work-life balance, not even holidays. During a recent 12-day vacation to India, Savita says she managed to make time to go running - thrice. Her only regret? Not being able to run more.

The Indian expat has been doing 5-10 km runs, but will be attempting her first full marathon this month. It all started in 2012, when an old school friend encouraged her to take up running again (Savita had participated in athletic meets in her college days, but had long since "forgotten everything" [to do with her training]). She hit the ground running with her first official race in 2013 - and, as she puts it, she's been running ever since.
She too believes the mental grind far outweighs the physical exertion, noting, "A lot of people give up during the training itself. But we've been taught that, whenever your mind starts playing with you, run with your heart. The feeling of crossing that finish line is what I keep clear in my mind's eye when I run."
"We" is a reference to the Dubai Creek Striders Club, a local running club that takes the activity very seriously indeed, and with whom she has been training intensely for the last four months in the run-up to the 2018 Dubai Marathon. Her constant outlook is to inspire more women to take up the sport to stay fit. "Running is not everyone's cup of tea," she agrees. "But the Dubai lifestyle is very sedentary and my aim is to get people to move. The human body is made to endure trips outside our comfort zone."
How does she juggle responsibilities at work and home together with the constant training? "I use time when my twin 13-year-old sons are at school to run. But it also helps greatly that my family is so supportive of my fitness goals. In fact, my husband paid for my upcoming full marathon: it was his Christmas gift to me." Some day soon, Savita says she is also hoping to do an Ironman Triathlon - which consists of a 4km swim, a 180km bicycle ride and a 42km marathon, executed in that order and without a break. A daunting challenge, but she is undeterred. "My only regret is I didn't start sooner."
What to remember in the run-up to the race
If you're one of the many participating in the Dubai Marathon come January 26, consider these tips from Dubai-based fitness expert Nicolas St Maurice (pictured below) at The Physical Training Company, who has teamed up with food delivery service Deliveroo to offer insights into what to eat before a marathon.
Whether running a 4km or a 10km race, Nicolas says eating well beforehand ensures that you'll have enough energy to perform, and also to recover quickly. How much to eat comes down to personal build. "Depending on how much you train and how lean you are, you have to vary the number of carbs you have," he says. "The average runner does not need to eat that many carbs a week before a race. The more you train and the leaner you are, the more carbs you should eat."

Some options aspiring marathoners can consider including in their diet are:

. Sushi - It replenishes the glycogen (energy) reserves in the muscles. But try to avoid the fried and cream cheese-filled ones, and eat everything in moderation.
. Steak and egg - You can't go wrong with protein and eggs. It's the perfect breakfast meal on days you choose to train a little later in the day.
. Noodles with eggs, shrimp and beef - This is the ideal dish to have the night before a long run to load up on energy and protein.
. Acai bowl - This can be had as a meal throughout the week to help recover from hard training.
A few days before the race, Nicolas also recommends doing lighter workouts such as yoga and stretching - as you will need to store your glycogen for the race - and rest, both mentally and physically.

karen@khaleejtimes.com

Karen Ann Monsy

• karen@khaleejtimes.com