The Abu Dhabi Mile

No day at the Beach - Here I am running for the finish line.

Ranier and I with our T-Shirts following the race. Christine looking good.

Ranier and Ewald preparing to get his cap on - it was a real struggle

Pepan and Leonard - Marlene and Ranier's tw other boys enjoying the sand.

Hi All,

Many of you know that I have been swimming for health and weight reduction purposes and one of the motivators was the announcement about 2 months ago of the first ever Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival which included the Waha Capital Mile. The swim was held at the Corniche Beach. The race went off at 7a.m. There were 180+ male swimmers (females left 5 minutes later). Christine says I came in somewhere between 35 - 50th. I was very pleased with my time- 28:27 as I had timed myself in the pool at 35 minutes. Winning time was 17+ min. (the same guy also won the other big race of the day - a 700 meter swim - in fact the same woman who won the mile in 21 + min also won the womans 700 meter .

First place for the Mile was 5000AED or about $1400 US and for the 700 meter was 2 business class tickets to Europe.

I obviously didn't have any expectations of winning but made the suggestion that there be age group winners - not for the prize - but it would give you a better idea where you fit in with your peers. Well Christine snared the event organizer and told him the same and we saw him later and he said that next year this would occur. - So now I have even more motivation to get out there and keep my daily routine up.

The biggest problem with open water swimming is swimming in the right direction. In a pool you subconsiously make the adjustments to keep in a straight line, in the ocean - you can barely see and as with all swimmers one arm is stronger than the other - for me it's my right arm - so I am constantly veering off to the left. Then when you try to correct, you can't see who is on your right - and you usually run into the guy next to you. I was bumped and did the bumping through-0ut the race.

My friend Ranier - from Holland - rode down with Christine and I so that his wife Marlene and 3 boys could come in a little later - their son Ewald (not how it's spelled but how it sounds) who is 11 also swam in one of the many other events they held. Ranier came in 3 seconds behind me - I was so pleased to beat him - he is a Tri-Athlete and is the one who has taken me to another weekly open water swim event. They are a wonder family and we enjoy their company very much.

We left the beach at 11a and returned home to shower and rest. We then celebrated Christine's birthday by going to a Brazilian restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel where we ate our fill of wonderful roasted meats sliced from the spit. Various cuts of duck, beef, lamb, chicken, sausages and grilled pineapple. We enjoyed a bottle of sparking wine and toasted our new lives and all of our adventurs. The dinner ended with a surprise chocolate tort with Happy Birthday written in chocolate on the plate. All and All - a Wonderful and Memorable Day!

Love to all, Scott and Christine