I can’t make up my mind about this weekend. I am going to Dubai next weekend for a brunch with Julian and some of his mates (one of them is having a stag weekend) so that is likely to be carnage, even if it’s not very expensive, and then I’m coming up the following weekend to see one of my old colleagues from the previous AD job who is flying in from KSA, and the following weekend is the mental bike race at Yas.
I have the NEED for a few bike bits that I can only really get in Dubai, as well as s few food items which I can’t get in MZ, but I’m sick of driving, having gone to AD about 6 million times in the last 3 days (or so it seems). So what to do !
The weekend, if I stay here, is as follows – exercise rest day today, walk to town centre and buy something take-away for dinner (might have Chinese from the mall or mixed grill from the Lebanese restaurant I sometimes go to when I have people here). Friday – cycle to Tilal, swim, cycle back (it’s about a 40k round trip if I go the long way round coming back), lunch and then 10+k run in the afternoon/evening and something out of the freezer for dinner.
Saturday – I might go to the Tilal, use the gym for something (either a gym session or possibly a long bike/treadmill/x-trainer session) and then pay for breakfast and spread myself over a large area with the paper and proceed to sit and eat, drink coffee and do Sudoku for the best part of 3 hours. This is quite an attractive option actually, and I could, if I wanted to, take my book and some suntan lotion, and lay by the pool all afternoon…… mmmmmm what to do !
The downside to all of these things is that I will barely exchange a word of English with anyone other than shop, restaurant and hotel staff over the whole weekend. There will be Skype conversations with family and the odd friend no doubt, but it’s not really the same is it.
The whole Tilal thing is a bit of a blag as well at the moment – my membership ran out a couple of days ago but they are so badly organized that they don’t have any idea when, or even who, is supposed to be in or out. I’m going to renew it for another month, probably this weekend if I go there for brunch on Saturday, so that it takes me through to the Yas Triathlon in April – I need access to the pool at least 3 times a week at the moment, otherwise I wouldn’t pay their ridiculous fees !
Julian is away in the UK at the moment so I won’t have anyone to talk to in Dubai particularly. I’ve made enquiries of the other people that I generally know there outside of work, and they are all either away or doing something of their own, or have people staying with them so haven’t got time for me – it’s sad really isn’t it !
I know from experience that you can go stir crazy in your own company for too long, and my work colleagues (in MZ) are great but they are not social beasts in any way shape or form, and my colleagues from AD are generally either from Dubai and/or married and have their own weekends planned – and those that are single are generally in an alcoholic haze, which is neither helpful from a training perspective or from a saving money point of view.
Whatever I try and do I don’t think I can avoid spending some money, and it may actually cost me more to stay in MZ than go to Dubai, if I decide to treat myself to breakfast at the Tilal anyway. I will undoubtedly spend money in Dubai, on food if nothing else, but it would mean that I had the bike bits a week earlier…..but does that really matter………
So – What to do ! I guess we will find out soon enough.
I now have the promise of some pictures from last weekends Triathlon, so as long as they don't make me out to be a old fat sweating tub of lard then you'll be the first to see them !
The only other news is that I've entered a 42km bike Time Trial in Dubai the week after the Yas Triathlon, so I should be in tip top form to lay down a (hopefully) quick time - I'm entry number one, so there's a pretty good chance that I will go off first........ once again, we shall see. Right, off for some lunch. Later Dudes..........
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