Today was our fifth day in Dubai and we were greeted by a warm morning and a forecast of 31 degrees with humidity hovering around 70%.
As each day ticks by we are going closer to the cooler winter months here in the Middle East but ironically the weather is getting warmer and warmer.
And that is exactly what we wanted as a group. To train in temperatures that were consistently warm and humid to maximise our sessions and close ground on the opposition clubs that started training weeks before us.
Today we are arrived at the Dubai Sports City at 9.00am for a half day of training. The team split into their line groups and rotated between running drills, gym sessions and walk throughs, where we discuss our structures and how we want to move the ball.
After a solid three hours we had a quick bite to eat at the Dubai Sports City during which Boaky and Kenny were introduced to the captains of the five teams who compete in the local Middle Eastern League.
Soon after lunch we had a team meeting lead by our new midfield manager Phil Walsh and then we were on a bus to head to the local beach in Dubai for a well-earned dip in the Persian Gulf for recovery.
Following our stay at the beach we jumped in the team bus and headed back to the hotel for a free afternoon to do as we please.
What we had noticed along the way was how much quieter the main highways were today. Our trip to the Dubai Sports City was much quicker than any other morning, as were our other trips. After asking a few questions back at the hotel it turns out that Friday is the holy day in an Islamic country like the UAE in the same way that Sunday would be in the Western world. As a result, people don’t work in the Middle East on Fridays or Saturdays with these days effectively their weekend. Therefore, traffic congestion is significantly reduced. Everyone returns to work on Sunday.
With a rare afternoon off at our disposal a group of us decided jump in the bus a take an hour trip down to Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE.
On the trip nearly every player was asleep due to exhaustion but I decided to stay up and take in the vast desert surrounds as we headed to our new destination.
Awaiting us at Abu Dhabi was the world’s fastest rollercoaster that travels up to 260 kilometres an hour. Thrill seekers as we are, we all decided to take on the challenge.
After buying our tickets, we had the nervous one hour wait in line watching this missile take off every minute and thinking to ourselves “why are we doing this”. As each white-knuckled, green-faced punter stepped off after a ride they were given a rousing reception by the staff almost as a “well done you survived” type gesture.
Finally, after an agonising wait, it was our turn to be strapped into the rocket on tracks. As the seat belt got tightened, my heart rate was going through the roof. The controller told us over the loud speaker that we would be departing soon. At this point the roller coaster rolls out around ten metres onto the track and stops leaving you sitting like a shag on a rock with dozens and dozens of onlookers peering at you with sympathy through the window.
At this point you know the rollercoaster is about to explode into action, you just don’t know when. Then, without a seconds warning, you are off. The rollercoaster quite literally goes from 0 to 260 kilometres in around six seconds. Google it if you don’t believe me.
At this point my face had been rearranged by the incredible G force being exerted. You have to wear goggles to protect the peepers and ensure your eyeballs don’t blow out but from a facial perspective it still felt like both my cheeks had been left back at the start. But the worst was to come. At around the eight second mark the rollercoaster climbs at around 80 degrees for 50 metres and it at this point your life flashes before your eyes and you think you’re heading into orbit.
Then, to make matters worse, an incredible plunge follows where the rollercoaster is almost on its side and every twenty metres you feel as though you are about to be decapitated by a low hanging pylon.
The final part of the rollercoaster is just as frightening as the first but the only saving grace is that is all over in around 30 seconds. On completion, you step off onto a platform to a standing ovation from the awaiting staff. Adrenalin is pumping through your veins and in hindsight, as scary as it was, it was indeed an incredible experience. For photographic evidence see Port Adelaide’s twitter feed of a photo from soon after take-off of one of the carriages holding Bobby Carlile, Campbell Heath and Mitch Harvey. It is a sight to behold.
Following that experience our group unwound with a dinner in Abu Dhabi after which we jumped back on the bus down the highway for Dubai and back to our hotel to relax.
A full day’s training awaits us tomorrow where the boys will be doing plenty of running and gym work, some ball skills, and then plenty more running and gym work.
Cheers
Jasper
