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What on earth are we doing?

We're doing the Saucony Half Marathon at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, on 18th October 2013. Our chosen charity is Myeloma UK. If you are so inclined, you can read about the unique challenges presented by training for a half marathon in one of the hottest places on earth on Imo's blog. When I say "unique challenges", we mean it's flippin' hot and the blog is Imo's attempt to make light of this and try to show that it is possible to keep up with outdoor exercise rather than hiding inside with the air con on full blast during the Dubai summer: http://dubaisandwitch.blogspot.ae/ 

Why are we doing this?

Imo's mum, Christine, was diagnosed with Myeloma at Christmas 2009 and we want to help her by raising money for the charity that supports Myeloma patients and carries out research into the disease.

What is Myeloma? 

The first thing you need to know is that it is not Melanoma. Melanoma is skin cancer, Myeloma is an incurable cancer of the bone marrow. You can visit the Myeloma website here for more info: http://www.myeloma.org.uk but, briefly, it is a type of cancer that arises from plasma cells which are found in bone marrow. Although it is treatable, it is not not curable, meaning patients have to find a way to live with it, always aware that it might come back or "become active" to use the medical terminology. 

Who gets Myeloma and why?

There are 4,000 new cases of Myeloma in the UK every year, although the chances are that you won't know anyone who has it. It affects more men than women, with most diagnoses taking place when the patient is over 60, although there are cases in younger people. Its comparative rarity means that it can be quite an isolating experience and therefore Myeloma UK is a vital resource for those who need information and support.

There is no established cause of the disease although links to certain chemicals, radiation, and other factors which you can read about on the Myeloma UK website are being researched.

Won't it be a bit roasty toasty hot running a half marathon in Dubai in October?

Er, yes. But don't worry, we're getting used to the climate after two years here and we're training early in the morning and in the evenings during the summer months so we should be tickety boo by the time the race comes round. Well, that's the plan anyway. The absolute hottest summer temperatures are in August whereas average highs in October are around 35C. Plus, the race starts at 6am so as long as Imo doesn't have a tantrum and kick her trainers off half way round, we should be done before it starts getting properly hot. Should be....  

But seriously, have we gone mad?

Well probably, but don't worry about it, just giz ya money. And if you're worried, you can check whether we're still alive and find humorous observations about running in the Middle Eastern summer by reading: http://dubaisandwitch.blogspot.ae/