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Back on the Dubai running scene

 

“The beauty of running is in its simplicity; just you, your breath, and the road ahead.”

After a long hiatus, I finally made my return to the Dubai running race scene!
When I first lived here between 2012 and 2017, I took part in many road races and absolutely loved the local running community. Even after moving to Vietnam, I kept the momentum going for a while, completing a few 10km, 21km and even a full marathon, especially in my first year there. But as I got more into CrossFit in 2018, running gradually took a back seat.

Since then, I’ve continued to run, but without the same structure, purpose, or goals I once had. That all changed a couple of months ago when I decided to reignite my running spark and even joined a few run club sessions. I’ll be honest; those group runs have really pushed me out of my comfort zone! I’ve always loved a nice, long, slow run, but short and speedy intervals? Not so much.

Still, being surrounded by people who share a similar mindset, who challenge themselves and me, has been such a game changer.

Today was my first 10km race in quite some time, and though the competitor in me wishes my time was a little better, I'm incredibly happy and proud with how it went. It was a course with a few sneaky hills, and still, I managed to run under 5 minutes per kilometer the entire way through. I honestly have no idea if it was a personal best as I haven’t been tracking much over the past 5 or 6 years, but it was definitely the fastest 5km and 10km I’ve ran in a very, very, very long time.
To top it off, I placed 2nd in my age category for the females! That little win brought back so many memories from my earlier running days here in Dubai.
Choosing what to focus on can be tough when I enjoy so many forms of fitness, but one thing’s for sure, this race reminded me how much I’ve missed the buzz of the start line and the shared energy of fellow runners.

There are no plans yet, but I’ll most definitely be racing again in the near future. 
What a way to kick off the Dubai 30x30 Fitness Challenge!

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