Having survived that test, the trainers strapped us up in the hotel and we jumped back on our bikes for the 4km warm-up ride to the NAS (Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex).
It was good to see spirits within the group remaining high in the morning, despite the sore bodies and another big day confronting us.
We received some great news before the session, with 'Lobbes' announcing he'd extended his contract for four more years - dinner's on him!
The big fella is one of the hardest workers at the club and it’s great for him to commit until after he turns 30!
In his last two seasons the Lobster has taken his footy to another level and the way he carried his ruck duties single-handedly for much of the 2014 season was a credit to him.
The morning session involved a mixture of footy drills and running with the constant Dubai heat kicking in earlier than the day before.
I’ve always found running seems easier when you get to chase the footy around!
Meanwhile the rehab boys settled in for another 'sweaty' which, for those that don't know, is 'off-legs' physical conditioning using a stationary bike, rower, cross trainer or ski ergo.
Mackers (Ian McKeown, Head of Athletic Development) has assured us that rehab will be as tough, if not harder, than the main training, in an effort to make sure that the injured boys don't fall behind.
Certainly there were a few guys who could attest to that today.
After lunch things got really tough.
I was resigned to trying to beat the daylights out of my teammates in the boxing ring, while the rest of the boys rattled off countless laps on the athletics track.
Again it was great to see the boys supporting each other as their different teams competed to avoid a punishment at the end of the session.
There were some closely run races as Kenny looked to bring in a last lap handicap system to give everyone a chance of victory.
I’d like to apologise for the odd stray blow to my opponents in the boxing ring but it’s all part of the pre-season experience.
Second-year player Karl Amon once again stood out in the running, staking his claim as one of the best runners in the club.
His fluid running style is something to see and he knows how to push through the pain barrier.
He’s got plenty of company with Tom Clurey, our captain Travis Boak and the ever durable Kane Cornes also leading the way.
Anyway that's it for today, back to my hotel room for some extra recovery and a big feed before another early night.
