Untitled - Dark Peak Fell Runners

isn't and I've never seen so many pi?s artists as ther are among
Brits out here.
There sren't n,?ny hills to run on where we are, anything
over 50ft being exceptional, but we have pot plenty of
desert,and running across it is quite entertaining. For Alan
Yates sake I should Add that a camel 's hind feet are far too big
to fit down the front of his wellies. 200 miles north of us near
the 0m,ini border, there are some very imoressive mountains. Not
particularly high but totally barren. Nobody runs on them, nor
even walls on them, but if I could find somr-ona barmy enouah I'd
love to try.
What about the heat" I've been pleasantly surprised. For
eight months of the vear the weather in the evenings is
absolutely perfect for running. No risk of either dehydration
orpenile frostbite. It can get pretty hot and humid in the
summer months, particularly Only and August — 120 degrees and
100 per cent humidity at midday, but people do run A or 5 miles
even in the summer evenings. I ran 4 miles a couple of times in
the afternoons with the temperature at 110 and survived. Mind
you the feeling in my mouth and throat was a whole new
expierience, Ilka someone had lit a fire on my tongue. However
all the buildings are air-conditioned, even the huge sports
halls, so there s no problem playing squash, basketball etc.
Talking about indoor sports brings me nicely to the
subject of exercixe biles. Now I ' ve always despised people who
have these things in their houses (rowing machines too for that
matter.) I've always considered them to be at best posers and at
worst pansier, or even downrioht pooftahs. Now I've got one
myself. "Is he going soft?", "Has Moseley lost his marbles?",
"Has he been running without a sun hat?" Let me explain.
In the oast year there have been about half a dozen road
races in Abu Dhabi, the capital. Races of 101m are usually won
in about 31 to 33 minutes, but outside the first five or sin
runners the standard drops off pretty rapidly! In the town where
I live there have been two races and the standard of the runners
is, well, mediocre. The average DPFR member would do pretty
well. They're that poor. But the prizes are spectacular, however
lowly the race.
Last weel; we had a 71m road race here.When I tried to
persuade the organisers that it could be a run across the desert
and over a little hill they stared at me in disbelief. I proudly
sported my Dark Feak vest (In that case you'll have to pay your
subs. - Ed) Result'
lst Dave Moseley