A few days ago I got a rude awakening. I called up a doctor, a specialist in endurance sports, who told me bluntly: "If I were you, I wouldn't train for a marathon in Cairo."

Too late, I told him. I just ran 20 miles the other day.

For the past few months I have been running around the Egyptian capital in a desperate attempt to train for this month's Rome Marathon.

With its 20 million people and developing-world infrastructure, Cairo is one of the most heavily populated -- and polluted -- cities in the world. Its streets look like a sardine can full of cars, trucks and buses, along with the occasional donkey cart and horse-drawn carriage.

Sidewalks are uncommon. Broken pavement is the norm. Stray dogs are known to chase people, and men have an unpleasant way of heckling women with this awful hissing noise.

To sum it up, running is not a spectator sport in Cairo. It's more like an extreme urban adventure.

An adventure upon which I apparently should not have embarked.

BAD IDEA SHORTS

Cairo is not the easiest city in which to stay healthy.

There are no sprawling parks filled with people walking dogs, riding bicycles and in-line skating. Nearly every restaurant delivers -- even McDonald's and KFC. And the surgeon general's warning that smoking causes cancer doesn't resonate here.

With this in mind, I knew it would take something drastic to make sure I stayed in shape. A marathon seemed the best choice at the time. Since the summers are excruciatingly hot, I knew I would need to train over the winter and picked the Rome Marathon for two reasons. One, it was in the spring. Two, I had never been to Rome. In December, I signed up.

When I told people my plan, I often would get the skeptical raised eyebrow look or a "You're crazy" response. I brushed it off. I'd done marathons before and knew what was in store. Or so I thought.

But they were right. This is an insane idea. Marathon training by itself is grueling, especially if you are like me and are a recreational runner. Throw in diesel exhaust and grown men thinking it's funny to pretend they are running with you and training reaches a new level of difficulty.

GROUP THERAPY

Many times when I finish a long run around the city, my face and arms are covered in layer of grime -- even my feet are blanketed in dirt, though I wear socks and shoes. The runs are usually more like an obstacle course: Hurdling over dead cats, dodging cars and their drivers who slam on their horns and swerve at you, leaping up and down curbs two feet high and jumping over massive potholes.

Luckily, I met a small group of fellow runners also training for the Rome Marathon. When my work schedule allows, I wake up around 5 a.m. on Fridays and we rent a small bus and drive outside of Cairo to run.

Though not ideal -- we are still running on highways plagued with semi trucks or in apartment construction zones -- the camaraderie is a life-saver.

INACTIVITY AS CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

I recently called a sports medicine doctor to get an opinion on whether this training is worth it. Unfortunately, I received the answer I dreaded.

Kenneth Rundell, a sports physiology expert at Maywood University in Pennsylvania who has studied the effects of endurance sports and pollution, gave me the bad news.

He said diesel exhaust, which is high in Cairo and has a wealth of damaging carcinogens, is the worst, and even with limited exposure can cause damage. Because I'm running, I have been breathing in more particles than if I were just walking or riding in a taxi.

He listed several potential health effects, including nasal constriction, a decrease in resting lung function and exercised-induced asthma.

"I call it occupational-hazard asthma, and it's a real concern. A healthy individual can recover from the acute effect. But if you are training in Cairo, it will have long-term effects," he said.

SADISTIC LICENSE

His warnings came a little late. The hard training is over, and I am in what is called the taper before this weekend's race. Despite the pitfalls of running here, I am determined to go ahead with the marathon. I am not aiming for a personal best and have tagged this a "just want to cross the finish line" event.

Though running here has exceeded my expectations as a challenge, right now I think it may be my last marathon while living in Egypt. Maybe I'll take up a less hazardous sport -- say, swimming indoors at a health club.

But you never know. If all goes well on race day and I cross the finish line feeling good, I may sign up for another one. That's the real crazy thing about marathoners. We'll complain about the strenuous training, but when it's over, we look to torture ourselves all over again.

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asap contributor Anna Johnson is an AP reporter based in Cairo.

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