CYCLING GROUP MEMBERS SHIFT GEARS TO FAST AND KEEP FIT
▶ Ramadan can be hard for those who like to stay active but Raha cyclists are up to the challenge
I do short and easy sessions before iftar and then I do anything that is hard intensity or a long session of cycling after taraweeh prayers SHERIF SAID Raha Cycling group member
The athletic goals of many residents wilt and fade as the heat moves in. But even with the Ramadan fast, the Raha Cycling group has one response: challenge accepted.
These hardy cyclists, who have been training and competing in races during the holy month, want to prove it is possible to fast and stay active.
Sherif Said fasts while balancing a sedentary job and training through swimming, riding or going to the gym every day of the week.
This Ramadan, Mr Said, 38, took part in a 50-kilometre race on a new track on the recently opened Al Hudayriat Island and cycled 75km in the Nad Al Sheba Ramadan Nights Challenge.
“We are not meant to hibernate in Ramadan,” the Egyptian-British athlete says. “You carry on with life. There are challenges as the schedule is extremely tight with work, faily commitments and attending night prayers. It has a bit of an impact but it is manageable.”
Mr Said started cycling when he was a child but only began taking the sport seriously four years ago, and that is when he started training in Ramadan. The social group Raha Cycling rides on Friday and Saturday mornings with groups of 40 to 60 people, and during the week members train on their own.
Mr Said manages his training by cycling, swimming or going for a short run on a treadmill before iftar.
“I do short and easy sessions before iftar and then I do anything that is hard intensity or a long session of cycling after taraweeh prayers,” says the auditor, who works in telecommunications.
“Once sports and exercise are part of your daily routine, whether it’s Ramadan or not, it makes no difference. I don’t know anyone who has made sports part of their routine but don’t engage during Ramadan.
“The people who do this are the ones who train occasionally. They exercise one week and not the next.”
Lack of water and sleep are the biggest challenges for the cyclist, “especially when you combine this with the challenge the heat presents. You have to plan your exercise carefully”.
Mr Said likes to challenge himself and last month completed the Ironman South Africa, which involves a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle ride and a marathon.
Ali Abuobieda, 34, a Palestinian physiotherapist who has cycled as a hobby for more than a decade, is also a member of Raha Cycling. He started riding with the group two years
ago but began training during Ramadan three years earlier.
“In Ramadan I always try keep up my fitness levels up and at the same time ensure I don’t lose my strength,” Mr Abuobieda says.
While he trains and has long rides after iftar, he works out for 30 to 45 minutes before breaking his fast.
“Some people can’t exercise outdoors in Ramadan and that’s understandable, but they can be active indoors,” Mr Abuobieda says. “They can go to the gym or walk on the treadmill or do cardio.
Hydration is extremely important for the athlete, who ensures he drinks enough water and juice after breaking his fast.
“It’s very hard sometimes. I feel very weak at some points and then I rest for a couple of days,” Mr Abuobieda says.
His advice to people who are afraid to exercise in Ramadan is: “Try it a couple of times. It will be hard in the beginning but it will get easier”.