Personal Best

When we first got to Abu Dhabi, I wasn't thinking about training for another marathon or half marathon. But then, in the first week here, I saw in the paper that the Dubai marathon was at the end of January. Because the weather was so perfect and it had been a year since Hubs and I did our first one (Phoenix 2013! Painful yet awesome!), I briefly entertained the idea of putting in a month's worth of work to run the race.

 

Then I came to my senses and decided it'd be a better idea to spend my first two weeks in Abu Dhabi pool side and as relaxed as possible.

 

Excellent choice.

 

In early January, someone told me about a half marathon in Ras al Khaimah, an emirate north of Dubai. Perfect- a half marathon is much more manageable and I used my professional lobbying skills to convince Hubs he wanted to have "weekend away" with a 13.1 mile jaunt mixed in. He agreed.

 

The race is billed as the World's Fastest Half-Marathon and the elite field was impressive. The course was, indeed, super fast and even though I'd gotten pretty sick the week before the race and wasn't feeling totally better, I got a personal record (PR) by 14 minutes. Miles 9-11 were rough, but I felt great at the end and even better afterwards.

 

Hubs surprised me with roses afterwards since it was Valentine's Day. He's a keeper.

We stopped in Dubai on the way home and quested to find a café I'd read about. One thing I've had a hard time adjusting to here is that many restaurants are located in a hotel or mall. I've missed my Phoenix favorites and their locally-sourced, well-designed goodness. Finding Ultra Brasserie was like heading to one of those spots: all organic, clean and modern, healthy, with the first locally-roasted coffee I've seen (even though the place was on the ground floor of an office building in a giant office complex). 

And because I'd just run, I ate to my heart's content. Brunch really is the best, and brunch with my love after getting a PR and with a delicious latte in front of me? Perfection.