How can a project management professional by day and an aspiring poet by night reach his fitness goals and join the next race by UTMB this September? Mohammed Ameenuddin is living his best fit life and he’s ready to conquer new fears, new heights, and new distances, including the superb 59km course that will take him from Menton to Nice.
In 2017, Mohammed Ameenuddin was 120 kilograms heavy and shopping for 3XL shirts and thobes. Several thoughts came to his mind while doing this stressful task making him rethink his health choices. He then started using the treadmill and eventually lost a few kilos. But it wasn’t enough, especially when in 2018, a crisis hit his life that affected his physical and mental state. In November of 2018, he joined a running event by a local group; his first ever 10K run for about 70-80 minutes had a positive effect in his mind and changed his perspective in life. He joined his first marathon in Dubai in 2019 and somehow completed it even without proper training and hardly enough know-how. His feelings after the race lifted his spirits and soon, he was on his way to making his weight loss hobby into a serious, dedicated passion.
Ameen weighing 120 kg, before he discovered his passion for running.
Running became a therapy for him. Mohammed Ameenuddin, called Ameen by his family and friends, has since joined various marathons like the New York Marathon in 2019, Eco Trail AlUla in 2020, Riyadh Marathon 2022, and many local races in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. However, the most memorable for him would have to be the Ultra Mirage in the Sahara Desert Ultra Marathon in Tunisia last 2021. Training for this marathon was done during summer time in Saudi (and we all know how scorching hot it is) and Ameen used to drive alone for an hour to go to the deserts of Riyadh. All his training runs and strength sessions were done solo which helped him develop stronger stamina and mindset for a bout with the desert’s harsh conditions. His journey to Tunisia also took 17 hours during a pandemic. Exhausted, all he could think of was crossing the finishing line and hugging her daughter, who for the first time came with him to witness his participation. Her presence was the biggest inspiration and blessing.
Being healthy has done good for his body and lifestyle.
And now, another race is upon him: the Ultra-Trail Metropole Nice Cote d’Azur happening this September 2022. The race has four adventure races to choose from. Ameen is joining the Menton-Nice 50K run on September 24, 2022 that will start with a vertical ascent to the Col du Berceau, passing through the Borrigo waterfall before crossing the medieval village of Sainte-Agnes to reach the Cime de Baudon at 1266 km. It will then take participants on the peaks via the Fort de la Revere and Mont Bataille. The finale will take place on the Promenade des Anglais. It is quite a beautiful trail but also very challenging.
“For me, UTMB is for trail running races like what FIFA is for football. The vibe of this event is totally different. I have been watching my coach and other runners do different UTMB races and I can easily feel the excitement,” Ameen shares. “The races are done purely in nature but they are tough and brutal. The challenges they throw at you brings the best potential out of you. I am sure I will discover more of myself during the race in Nice.”
To prepare for the race, Ameen is planning tremendously and training seriously. “Running involves many parameters if you take it seriously and want to run for a long time. A lot of technicalities are involved from nutrition, fueling, structures of runs, training, and coaching,” he says. He is being coached by one of the best endurance coaches in the region and his weekly training plans and regular feedback enhance his performance.
A typical training day for him starts at around 3:00 in the morning. He drinks water instantly after getting up from bed and meditates. He eats 3-5 dates with a cup of black coffee to fuel his run. Post-run, he hits the gym for strength training and heads back home to start his day with a good breakfast.
Ameen shares that food is very important in his training too. With the support of his wife, he preps and cooks his food at home so that he can control his portions and count the nutrients needed for his training.
Training in Riyadh during the hottest summer is also a challenge. “The heat makes the running tough but it also makes me tougher in learning about adequate recovery and balanced hydration which are vital to the upcoming marathon,” he said. Apart from the weather conditions, another challenge for Ameen is to balance his training with his daily life – being a husband and a father, office schedules and pressures, and social life. “I don’t find time for my training; training is a part of my daily schedule. It’s never easy to manage all these things at times which is why I get my workouts done early in the morning which provides me ample time to take a rest too.”
Ameen focuses on his training but also keeps his health a top priority. “I believe one of the best ways to take care of your health is to have fitness related goals. They will not only help you but will also have a positive ripple effect on your family to stay active and healthy.”
For those wanting to start running races, Ameen advises to start slow. Speed will eventually come with proper training. “Make your running goal-oriented so that you can stick to it with ease. Running is a heuristic process. Do it not to be faster or better than others but to be a better version of yourself. Get motivation and inspiration from the runner ahead of you and become an inspiration for the one behind you. Above all, make sure to just enjoy running.”
Ameen is planning to join more races in the future like the Dubai Marathon and a big solo run that will happen by the end of the year.
There are so many races to run, and thinking about it, it’s easy to lose motivation. How does he continue? He wrote a quote a few years ago that keeps him motivated until now: “Motivation will always be a temporary guest. Make discipline your permanent everyday partner.”
As for the Ultra-Trail Metropole Nice Cote d’Azur, Ameen will be there in the coming days. He will go the distance!
