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Sunlight gliStenS on the water, a tranquility that contraStS the turmoil inSide aS you try to quiet

a heart hammering inSide your cheSt. you wonder if the Same battle iS being fought by the

people Surrounding you, but a quick glance giveS only an impreSSion of focuSed determination.

you return your gaze back to the expanSe of water ahead of you, breathing in deep

aS you try to make yourSelf Still.“30 SecondS,” the cry goeS up. calm iS impoSSible now,

your adrenal gland iS dumping endorphinS into your SyStem, preparing your body’S ‘fight or flight’ inStinctS.

what faceS you iS both, fight and flight; Speed and Spirit will be required for the challenge ahead.

“10 SecondS!” a laSt glance to your left, whoever it iS they look ready, are you?

“go!!!!!!”like SoldierS going over the top you plough ahead,

Sprinting into the water. the cold hitS you firSt, then the reSiStance, aS you get deeper into the Sea. ahead of you

thoSe more athletic are already arching into the azure and Stroking away.

taking a deep breath, you extend your armS and take the plunge likewiSe, fighting the temptation to thraSh

blindly you hold back yourSelf back, your armS, know what to do.

one Stroke, angle the handS So they cut into the water rather than Slap the Surface.

two StrokeS, reach further to extend the pull, tilt Slightly to the Side to eaSe your body’S

paSSage through t he water.three StrokeS, tilt the head up for your firSt breath of

freSh air. aS your eyeS break the Surface you take a freeze frame Shot of the Scene. the blue Sky, the Sun, the Sea and the dozenS of bodieS around you

powerfully moving forward all with the Same purpoSe aS you.

the viSion laStS but a moment before you turn back into the water. you control your pace, you control your

Stroke, you control your breath, for you know you will need your Strength,

and your Stamina, for what iS to come.

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by Scott armstrong

Visit ht tp://

abudhabi.

triathlon.

org/enter or

scan the Qr

code.

this is what the first minute of a triathlon feels like… and it really is time that you tried one. Against a back-drop of rising obesity across

the Middle East, currently 51 million classed as overweight, a movement has been gathering momentum that defies that trend, with triathlons rising in popularity.

From a handful of events the sport has boomed over the border in the UAE and with that in mind now the governing body, the International Tri-athlon Union, is about to stage its first event in the region in Abu Dhabi.

The 2015 ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi will be held over March 6 & 7 on the capital city’s Corniche and this year the focus is as much on getting amateurs to try for the first time as providing a challenge for the professionals.

On March 6 it has a day of event dedicated just for children, such as the Tiny Tri, a 50m swim and a 100m run, or there is the Junior Race, 200m swim and 1.5km run, and then for your super fit youngsters there is the Super Sprint with a 350m swim and a 2.5km run.

Organisers this year have also tar-geted adults and are determined to encourage even the uninitiated to give it a go on March 7.

For that reason they have designed a sprint course that is not too daunting, with a 500m swim in the calm waters of the Corniche, a 20km bike ride on a flat course, and a 5km run.

Of course, for those wanting a big challenge there is still the Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 40km bike

Try The TriaThlon

20 T H U R S D A Y M A G A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 F E B R U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 T H U R S D A Y M A G A Z I N E

ride and 10km run) and there is the Maxi distance (2km swim, 80km bike and 20km run).

One man from Oman who will be on the starting line for the Olympic dis-tance will be Mohamed Al Obaidani, di-rector of the Muscat Triathlon Club.

He welcomed both ITU’s debut in the Gulf and initiative to launch the short Sprint distance.

“It’s great because you have to take the first step. You cannot go for the Olympic distance right at the beginning.

“So to encourage people and get more participating in this sport it’s great to give them this taste of it. ITU have de-signed it nice and smooth to welcome more people into triathlons.

“We are really looked forward to see-ing people from around the Gulf taking part. “ITU is a big name, to do one of these events you can show the world you have done one. You are involved in the World Series.

“It is very positive that ITU has come to this part of the world, we are very hap-py. “It is like a dream that this has hap-pened. Abu Dhabi has done a big favour for the GCC triathlons.”

Mohamed himself is a great example of how a complete amateur can get in-volved, back in 2008 when he first saw friends doing a triathlon he could not even swim.

Now this year he is already planning to compete in the ITU in London, and a half -Iron Man in Australia.

“The reason I love this sport is be-cause I can always test my limits, I can always do more. When you cross the finish line you really feel it, that sense of achievement. “Triathlons are a great way for people to stay healthy. Here in Oman we have issues with diabetes and blood pressure. This is such a great sport to stay fit because you have the three disciplines.

“Swimming is great, it develops all your muscles and gives you long life. Cy-cling is great for your heart and running we know is good for losing weight and fat. All combine to help defeat diseases such as obesity.

“We have members who have lost 12kg in three months, they were 115kg and now they are 102kg and now they are getting the shape and losing their fat.”

Launched in May 2013 in Salalah, the club itself has held 18 events

across Oman. “Triathlon is one of the fastest grow-

ing sports in the world. It is a new sport in Oman, to Omanis there are not so many but since we have started we have grown. Now we have an official team of 19 members, from 15 years old to 42 years old.

“Expats are a good part, there are more than 500 members in the Muscat Triathlon Club.

Registration for the 2015 ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi is open until February 27.

* Visit the facebook page of Muscat Triathlon Club by scanning this QR code.

21T H U R S D A Y M A G A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 F E B R U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 T H U R S D A Y M A G A Z I N E

scan to

Visit the

facebook

page of

Muscat

triathlon

club