By the time he turned 39, Dubai-based sales manager Deepak Sharma had put on so much weight, he says it was like lugging around a 32kg bag. It didn’t bother him much, he says, adding that he was waiting to hit the 100kg-mark before doing something.
But it was a trip to the health insurer that changed things.
“He asked me to redo some tests and quoted a higher premium because I had high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and my lipid profiles were all haywire,” recalls Sharma, who says he first began to pile on the weight after getting married in 1999.
He never got to 100kg though, because Sharma started running.
He started walking on the treadmill, then built it up to running for 3km. Soon it became 3km in the morning and 3km in the evening. By 2013, he had run his first 10km race in Dubai in 51 minutes. In eight months, he shed 30kg.
“Google was my only ‘consultant’ because everyone has an opinion and it confuses you,” says Sharma, who ran his first half marathon in 2014.
“I finished it in an hour and 56 minutes. It was tough but I bettered the time a year later by 16 minutes,” he adds. He followed this up by Half Ironman, ITO Half and the Berlin Marathon this September, which he finished in four hours and seven minutes.
Sharma, now 43, is a proud member of the UAE’s growing running community.
“It was all pure hard work, no shortcuts or smart work,” he says. “You change completely. Now my body has stabilised and got used to the rigorous regime,” Sharma says.
Michael Lobo, 67, who has participated in several running events in the UAE and India, and ran the Boston Marathon in 2014, says that for beginners it’s always helpful to run with others.
“Whether it’s a club or a small group, you learn from those who are more experienced,” he says.
Finding a club will help you not only meet like-minded people, but also those that will motivate you and make the experience more fun, says Ellen Pavlovic, a physiotherapist who runs with the Dubai Creek Striders.
“Dubai has many running clubs that cater to all levels of running capabilities, from beginner to advance. A beginner should look for other beginner runners and a group they feel most comfortable with,” she says. “Running has made me a stronger and a better person.”
Challenging yourself
Marketing manager Brinda Hora, who started running because she wanted to participate in the 2010 Standard Chartered Marathon, says she started running to challenge herself. Now a certified fitness trainer, she is also part of the Run Concierge, one of the initiatives at The Westin, where she works, which encourages hotel guests to join a run or grab head out on their own.
Hora says she and her running buddies often start as early as 4.30am to run outdoors until it becomes too hot and then move indoors to achieve their 31km mark. Even during Ramadan, she keeps her routine. “When you cross that line, even though you’ve been asking yourself like a million questions, the feeling is indescribable,” Hora says.
Triathlete Steve Snowdon says running is his favourite discipline.
“It enables me to de-stress,” says the banker. “It also provides a sense of achievement whenever I set new targets and achieve them. I’m shortly due to celebrate my 50th birthday and am probably fitter now than I was when I was 35.”
Snowdon, who is preparing for the short distance triathlon in January and the Olympic distance in March, however, likes to go it alone.
“[Running alone] can help me tailor my pace to what I want,” he says. “What’s good is that [clubs] are for all abilities and that’s what I’d look for if I was a beginner. After all, everyone starts somewhere – something some advance runners and triathletes may forget.”
The UAE has excellent running weather for about five months between November and March, says Lobo. “[During] summer you can start early in the morning or later in the evening. Just drop the pace and distance you run in winter by 30 per cent or more, especially when humidity is high. I don’t like running on a treadmill but Dubai Sports World is great for indoor running and it’s open for three months,” he says.
Besides the health benefits, running is also about creating a sense of community and making friends, he adds.
“I’ve seen people who needed a recovery walk after running less than 100m and are now running marathons. The friendships forged and stories shared while running with people count more for me than the number of races I’ve run or won,” he says.
WHAT THE DOCTORS SAY
Due to its impact on leg joints and muscles, doctors says a thorough examination is advisable.
Dr Ramzi Bettaieb, a sports medicine specialist and a member of the selection team at the UAE National Olympic Committee, says someone who starts running without assessing his or heart condition or blood sugar can be at risk. “Physical activity has benefits but when you say ‘sport’, it moves to an altogether different level,” says Bettaieb. “First of all it’s important to make the difference between running and walking. One can run if they are not obese. Then the legs, the bones can support the body better.”
Dr William D. Murrell Jr, specialist orthopaedic sports medicine, at Dr Humeira Badsha Medical Centre in Dubai, says it’s best for beginners to start walking, and gradually increase activity.
“Running is not necessarily directly harmful for knees and the back. There are many individuals who have long careers [in] running, and do not have problems,” explains Murrell. “The biggest problem that I see in Dubai, is that people do not, or find it difficult to, maintain their fitness. After [a long time of] not eating a good diet, getting adequate sleep, and appropriate water intake... a person who has done nothing for months, goes out and starts running. This a recipe for failure.”
Running on a cushioned surface absorbs much of the impact, instead of our bodies, he adds.
“Make sure that all the muscles are firing and ready. Remember when we run, six [times] our body mass is the force experienced by each limb while running… this is a lot of pressure.”
SOME RUNNING CLUBS IN THE UAE
- ABRaS Dubai. supersportsabras.com
- Nike Run Club (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) facebook.com/NikeRunningMiddleEast
- Urban Energy Fitness. urbanenergyfitness.com/running
- Dubai Creek Striders dubaicreekstriders.org
- Abu Dhabi Striders abudhabistriders.com
- Abu Dhabi Hash House Harriers auh4.org
- Reem Island Runners Abu Dhabi meetup.com/Reem-Island-Runners
- Sharjah Buhaira Striders facebook: @SharjahBuhairaStriders
WHERE TO GO RUNNING IN THE UAE
Dubai
- Al Barsha Pond Park
- Al Ittihad Park The Palm
- The Beach JBR
- Kite Beach
- Al Qudra Lake
- Mushrif Park
- Mizhar Running Track
- Mamzar Beach
- Dubai Canal
Abu Dhabi
- Yas Marina Circuit
- Zayed Sports City
- Abu Dhabi Corniche
- Al Raha Beach
- Eastern Mangroves Promenade
Al Ain
- Jabeel Hafeet trail
Sharjah
- Al Majaz Waterfront
Ajman
- Flag Park
- Al Safia Park
Ras Al Khaimah
- Marjan Island
- Al Qawasim Corniche
Fujairah
- Running track circling Shaikh Zayed Mosque
- Le Meridien Al Aqah
APPS TO HELP YOU GET STARTED
Tracking one’s progress helps in better performance. Here are what regular runners use.
Michael Lobo:
“I use a Garmin watch with an inbuilt heartrate monitor and Runkeeper on my cellphone with the volume turned up a bit.”
Steve Snowdon:
“I used to have a Nike running wrist device but this area of apps and watches have developed over the last two-three years to a large extent. My view is not to spend too much money on the latest device. Do your research, look for one that does what you want it to do and avoid paying for many options and data ability when you don’t need it yet. Eventually you can trade up if you want to. I use a Suunto watch which has the capability to monitor all the three events of a triathlon at the same time. I use this with a heartbeat strap and use Movescount, an online site and app designed for Suunto watches.”
Brinda Hora:
“I use a TomTom Sports watch. The results synchronise with the phone and I have detailed records from all those years on distance, timing, calories, each kilometre breakdown, average pace, actual pace, etc. I can add targets to it and plan my runs better, in fact use it even for swimming and biking.”
Ellen Pavlovic:
“I use a Garmin watch that I upload every now and then to GarminConnect.”
Other apps you can use:
- Runtastic
- Runner’s World Go
- RunKeeper
- Map My Run
- Nike+Run Club
- Pacer Pedometer
- C25K
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED
Most important are comfortable shoes. Steve Snowdon advises to find a shop that allows you to use them on a treadmill before purchase. Advice from an experienced person who can monitor it is even better. Brinda Hora suggests music is good for focussing. Ellen Pavlovic says a positive attitude is most essential because there will be aches and pains, and ups and downs along the way.
