The Mettleset Podcast

Hi guys,  Our guest today is from Morocco, a country that was recently rocked by a devastating earthquake. We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the loss that Morocco has experienced and our thoughts are with its people during this difficult time. We’ve also linked some global aid initiatives that you can support below.  Back to today’s guest and an honest unveiling of the hustle...

Today’s guest is from one of the flattest countries in the world, Bahrain.  In fact, the highest point in the entire country is only 134m above sea level and that’s not even open to the public.  Why is that relevant you may ask?   Well, our guest today just completed what is widely considered the hardest ultramarathon in the world, UTMB.  For those who don’t know UTMB stan...

Hello Dawn here,  I hope you’re all doing well. Summer 2023 is over and well, mine was EPIC with not one, but two adventures involving bikes.  Today’s episode is all about bikepacking in South Korea, more specifically, the 4 Rivers BIke Path in South Korea:  approx 600 km of mostly car-free, dedicated bike paths extending from the Capital city, Seoul, to the southern sea-side city o...

Hi Guys - Afshan here Dawn and I are enjoying a summer away from our adopted home Dubai, but are always thinking about you, our listeners, and how we can bring you the most diverse and relatable chats with athletes from the region and beyond. If you’ve arrived at our show for the first time - welcome, there’s a lot of amazing content to go through, and hit that like and subscribe button for future...

Hi, Dawn here, I hope you are having a wonderful summer. Before I get into this episode, we want to remind you that we now have a YouTube channel. Expect video episodes - live right now- and new and fun types of content. Please subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@themettleset   So back to this episode. This is the start of a new series which is dedicated to the Beginner Mindset. If you’v...

Hey guys, Afshan here - I recently came pretty close to being swept away by the fanaticism of cycling spectators that I had only ever seen when sitting on my couch miles away watching livestreams and reruns of Tour de France. Last month, I was among thousands of fans crammed on either side of Solar Hill , a climb that is one of the most anticipated points for the 3,500 triathletes participati...

More than 3,500 triathletes, 7,500 volunteers and 300,000 spectators have been descending on a small town in Germany every summer since 1990. There’s a reason Challenge Roth is considered among the top three long-distance triathlons in the world.  And each year, the race sells out in under a minute - this year in 40 seconds for the 2024 edition. As you’ve heard from two triathletes from the M...

Hi Guys, Afshan here, You’ve probably listened to our FIFA special episode with UAE National Football Team player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi last week. And if you haven’t, click through to EP39: ⚽⚽⚽ and FIFA Women's World Cup: UAE National Team football player and Adidas athlete Areej Al Hammadi on the changing face of women's football in the region and globally to hear about how she c...

Hello, it’s Afshan We’re only days away from the 9th edition of the Fifa Women’s World Cup, which is held every four years. There’s a palpable excitement in the air as women’s football has grown in stature, with an expanding fan base that is now being recognised by sports associations, brands, governments and the media. This edition of the World Cup, which is being held in Australia and New Zealan...

Hi, Afshan here - We’re continuing our rewind series this week as Dawn and I are taking a break for some summer adventure. But we are also working hard on exciting new content and sports stories from the region and beyond. So, keep listening! In the meantime, here’s an episode that I’ve chosen because I just witnessed one of the most electrifying long-distance triathlons in the world – Challenge R...

Hi all, We hope you're having an amazing summer. We're working on some great new episodes at the moment. We're also having some new adventures that we can't wait to share with you all. In the meantime, we wanted to share once again the story of Nelly Attar, the first Arab women to summit K2. We hope that it inspires you to reach new heights! xDawn ***** July 22, 2022 – On this day our guest, Nelly...

Wow, how is it June already!? So much has (and is happening) at The Mettleset that we decided to do a little mid-year check in to share what’s been happening in our world, and what new challenges we have in the works.  We also give you a preview of our upcoming summer series.  In what may need a spoiler alert if you’re reading this before listening, links to some of the events discussed...

Hi Afshan here, In a new book by sports journalist Sally Jenkins called The Right Call - What sports teach us about work and life, she says that we are all a combination of light and electricity as much as tissue. Sports and exercise light us up like a swarm of fireflies.  It sounds romantic but if I have to bring it to reality and layman terms, it’s that rush of joy I feel when I get off my...

Hello Dawn here,  If you’ve been following along, you know I spend a lot of time on a bike. Particularly in the lead-up to a big race. Like many cyclists or athletes who absolutely love one particular sport, I sometimes ignore strength & mobility. Two areas of fitness I also love, but always seem to come second place to cycling.  Enter Barre Effect in Dubai, which was recommended aft...

Hey Guys, Today, we’ve got a special episode with questions about athlete health that you shared with us on our social platforms. Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai, stayed back after our two-part episode on female athlete health, which you can find here: Part 1 , Part 2 , to answer them. So, if you ever wondered why and how to to...

Today’s episode is a  continuation of our discussion on female athlete health with Dr Kate Jordan, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai. The first part of this episode came out last week, and you can access it directly from here: EP33: Part1 Female athlete health: Sports and Exercise Medicine doctor Kate Jordan on common injuries, LEA and right fue...

Concussions, shoulder troubles, ACL tears, low bone density, Low Energy Availability, menopause … Sports, and injuries from it, tend to impact female athletes in a different way to their male counterparts.  Yet, it is only now that awareness and medical research has ramped up around the gender differences in sports medicine.  Joining us on today’s show to discuss some of the most pressin...

Hello Dawn here,  So earlier this year, I participated in my fourth ultra cycling race, the Race Around Rwanda. A race I did not finish. Please check out episodes 29 and 29a for my DNF race report.   As with my earlier ultra races, after Race Around Rwanda was done, I quickly signed up for another race. This time, Dead Ends & Cake , a three-day self-supported ultra that sees tho...

No matter at what age you enter a sport, your attitude is what cements your success.  Today’s guest and the first woman to join the Saudi Arabia Alpine Skiing Team, Sharifa Al-Sudairi, epitomises courage in competition.  The 36-year-old athlete only took up professional ski racing in 2020 and admits that she has a long way to go. But Sharifa has already become a trailblazer among Arab wo...

When Rally Jameel, the first navigational rally in the region exclusively for women, was launched in Saudi two years ago, we were excited to see how this event with a low barrier to entry would encourage more women into motorsports.  Today, we have one half of this year’s Rally Jameel’s winning team Hanna Riehle, who takes us a little bit closer to what it was like on ground, navigating the d...

Today’s guest is playing a big role in the development of cycling in the UAE, particularly for women.  Melissa Moncada is the Head of Team  at UAE Team ADQ - that’s the UAE’s Women’s WorldTour Cycling Team.  She’s also Vice President at Colnago.  As you’ll hear in this episode, UAE Team ADQ extends beyond a pro team, it's a movement. It features a pro team, a development team -...

What does it feel like to row across the Atlantic Ocean?  What motivates you to do something like that?  Toby Gregory, the Founder and Director of the Arabian Ocean Rowing team,  is here to tell us exactly what it felt like to row the first UAE-flagged boat across the Atlantic Ocean unsupported and unassisted.  Interestingly, more people have been to space and climbed Mount Eve...

Hello Dawn here,  So here it is, my Race Around Rwanda race report - part 2. If you follow the podcast, it comes as no surprise that it is a DNF story. For background, the Race Around Rwanda is a self-supported ultra cycling race that takes place annually in February. It is 1000 km with 20,000m of climbing and this year it was billed as 30% gravel.  Joining me to relive the experien...

Hello Dawn here,  So here it is, my Race Around Rwanda race report. If you follow the podcast, it comes as no surprise that it is a DNF story.  I did not finish the race. I peddled - and walked - some 713 km out of a possible 1000km in the race that took place in early February.  For background, the Race Around Rwanda is a self-supported ultra cycling race that takes place annually...

Hey guys, Afshan here! The Mettleset is doing its first running race as a team…and it’s all for a good cause.  Dawn and I have signed up for the amazing annual Wings for Life World Run, which supports the Wings for Life Foundation for spinal injury research. The race happens around the world on the same day and at the same time - this year being May 7.  It’s exciting for us to join this...