“You have to accept the pain you get when you run.”
Could you please introduce yourself briefly?
Hi, I am Alaa Bensalamah. A 25 years old Kuwaiti girl living in Kuwait
Tell us about your education.
I’ve completed a degree in medical engineering from the UK and also continuing my master degree in advance medical engineering from UK Yorkshire.
What incident or moment made you decide to lead a healthier lifestyle?
The idea of being healthy was on my mind since the age 6. I suffered from obesity for a really long time and it was really hard for me to go on any diet, but at one moment I had enough of not finding my size in stores and not being able to walk for 15 minutes straight. When I was studying abroad and by myself alone, I came to realization that you only have you. And you are the only person who will take full care and responsibility about your health. So, I had no choice but only to start and try to tweak some of my bad habits. It wasn’t a straight line but I got it at the end.
Why did you choose running?
Where do I start from, running is a necessity to me. I need to run because I love having that connection with my inner self. It’s where I go to feel free, it’s where I go to distress and it’s where I can find most success and achievement. It’s something that you see your progress in. It gives me that happy feeling and also carb loading.
After how long were you satisfied with your results and decided to continue running?
It was just a cardio on treadmill at first and I used to hate it as much as most people do because it was so boring and tiring. I tried once to run outside for 15 minutes (2km) and I loved it!! I started here to run more and then I started to manage my pace and go faster, until I participated in plenty of races and I got really addicted because I have a competitive personality.
When and how did you become a certified running coach?
I got it last year. It was an extensive online course about running from United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy.
What was the first big race you ran?
The first race for me was trail race on the beach organized by suffix in Kuwait.
Briefly describe your running career and accomplishments.
My running career is associated in letting people to believe in themselves especially here in Kuwait. The majority tends to do a surgery to lose weight and just give up. So, what I do is try to let them trust themselves and trust their will by giving them the right strength workouts and also a running schedule. For now, my audience are beginners so my accomplishment is seeing my clients hold a good running pace and also building muscles.
What’s your opinion on the state of running in Kuwait?
Running in Kuwait is tough compared to other western countries because of the weather and lack of running tracks. It’s a challenge for us (the running community) to keep running in these conditions but we’re trying our best and mostly the running community is really friendly and they will push you to stick on your journey by motivating one another. As Nike says, runners support runners.
What are your favorite strength and mobility exercises for runners?
Strength would be leg extensions because it relieves my knees pain (strengthening the quads), mobility would be 90/90 hip mobility because it targets the hip and reduce hip pain.
Where do you presently coach?
I do freelance at outdoors (Shaheed Park) and also I do freelance PT at Flare Jabriyah Gym.
What is your biggest challenge as a female coach?
My biggest challenge is understanding how different clients respond to the workout because some people love to be pushed and some would prefer going slowly step by step. So, understanding how the client will take the workout needs more time and observation.
How do you motivate your athletes?
I always post on Social Media my progress and my workouts, reminding my followers to move and stay active. I also don’t get embarrassed by sharing my failures with others. So, if I failed in doing a certain workout I still post about it. I believe that motivating others more than success, because they can see reality and can relate to it. Moreover, from time to time I post about my story of losing 40kg in the gym and with dieting.
What advice would you give to someone who is just getting started as a runner?
You have to accept the pain you get when you run. It’s not going to be easy. You just have to push through it. Just remember you got this and everyone has to start somewhere.
What are some of your future plans?
My future plan after 10 to 15 years is to do an Ultra marathon which are above 50km, and also being more into endurance then speed because I know I have a good mentality when it comes to long term.
What are some of your other hobbies?
I love creating styles and coordinate outfits. So, I would say fashion.
Your favorite quote?
Just do it.
How do you relax?
Sleep, sleep and sleep. It’s my number one for recovery. Secondly, I would say sport massage and thirdly an ice bath.
Name 3 things you cannot leave home without?
My AirPods, my Garmin watch and my bottle of water
Your message for us at CP magazine.
Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure to be introduced by CP magazine. I’m really excited to work with CP family again.
