This week's addition...

Ok, so last week's goal was to remember to take my salmon oil tablets each day. So far, so good.

These little capsules are much needed - the desalinated water here in the big D is playing havoc with my hair! Disaster, I tell ya!

Add that to the fact that I had an "Am I in Korea moment" the other day when my hairdresser exclaimed that she could not possibly cut my hair! She literally cried out in the salon, as though in agony, that she would not cut more than half a millimetre off the length as it is already too short and I look like a boy!!!

Thanks for the compliment, lady. Thanks also for still charging me the full price. Geez!

Anywho, this week's goal is to do my Brain Training each day.
OMG! Try this site! www.lumosity.com
You can set up a free account!
I am addicted!

Day 50!

Woohoo! Worked off yesterday's mid point blow out by hitting the gym at 7:08am - pretty impressive for a weekend I thought!! My workout consisted of 30 mins of hard intervals (2 mins fast run/ 1 min walk - repeat for thirty mins). Total distance 4.5 kms. This was interspersed with 5 1/2 strength exercises (I conked out on the sit ups after doing 30 - hence the half!).

Needless to say, when I emerged from the gym an hour and ten minutes later I was: -Colour: Florescent beetroot - if you have ever seen me after a workout, you would agree that this colour was invented just to describe my facial colour!
-Body temperature: Hotter than the 38 degrees that it was outside - Dubai's summer is just around the corner and oh baby, don't I know it!
- Sweat factor - like I had just taken a shower.
- Water consumption - almost 3 litres!
Satisfaction factor - pretty darn pleased with myself!

So, now to think about the first 50 days of this challenge and reflect on my original goals and purpose.

Body: Definitely pleased with the amount of exercise I've been doin! Switched back to 5am workouts - a killer getting out of bed, but all worth it; particularly at the end of the work day when I am beyond pooped and couldn't fathom hitting the gym. Have loved the hard swims I am doing. Not loving the running so much, but I will persist. (How did I ever do that 10ks back in January?!) I have also been mixing up the weights etc and this has been fun! Been managing 6 days of exercise per week - (except last week when I did just 4 days so we'll just pretend that didn't happen!)

Food: Oh how I love my food! And oh how I am loving fresh, healthy food. I am convinced the healthier you eat, the more you crave that sort of food. (At least this is what I try and tell myself!). Having said that, there may have been 1 or 2 indiscretions of the pizza variety. But really, only once or twice - promise! I think that is pretty darn good. I have managed to survive on one square of dark chocolate a day and other than that, it's been all fruit/veg/fruit/veg/fruit/veg - plus wholegrains and dairy. Happy with that! Will now keep doing what I am doing for the next 50. (Oh, and that no wine thing lasted 7 days! I now just indulge in a couple of glasses on the weekend and I'm happy with that!)

Mind: Newspaper reading - kinda; Books - kinda; Brain training - lasted 3 days; travel / getting out and about - mega check; laptop - mega check. So all in all, clearly some room for improvement here. Spend too many mindless hours surfing the Internet. Gotta make the conscious effort to do all those things I love so much, but somehow don't get to.

Spirit: This is the one area that I am constantly mindful of. I continually remind myself that every thought, word and action has my signature on it - it is me and I need to consider my best self and how I portray that. This said, we've had our moments. A particularly hairy interaction with the boss springs to mind as being a time when I could have done a much better job. Other than that, I feel that I have tried hard to be patient, kind, caring and calm. But again, still room for improvement here.

So yup - Day 50-100 here we come! (That makes it 52 days till we leave to go back to Aust!)

Words to live by...

Happy birthday to the Bard! "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." All's Well That Ends Well, I:2
Thanks to my old teacher from 7th grade for sharing these words of wisdom. Love it :)

What a great idea!

I read on Oprah some advice by a lady called Michelle Burford about implementing one new thing each week that will improve the quality of your life. Here is some feedback that one follower left on the site:

From Oprah: Michelle Burford you changed my life. I took your advice and started just changing one tiny thing in my life each Monday since the New Year. Flax seed, green tea, write in my diary, up and down 15 flights of stairs, read a chapter in a book, 10 pushups, take my blood pressure, weigh myself, walk my dog, work on a project, 6 salutations to the sun, keep a food journal. It's now March 24 and although I am not sure if this is sustainable for a year I am having the time of my life. I feel great and Oh the books I have read. Thank you. Mary

I love, love, love this idea!

So mine for this week is to make sure I take my Salmon Oil tablets each morning! Glowing hair and skin, here we come!!

Easter Musings

Easter musings in a Muslim country...

1. Managed to source 8 fluffy and perfectly made hot cross buns ... straight from the oven! I ate these in my bathers, just before heading poolside. I think I must be the only person in the world wearing bathers and eating hot cross buns on Easter Sunday! Seriously!

2. Received a lovely card from one of the most thoughtful parents in my class...a chocolate cross with the note "May His light shine on you".

3. Visited the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on Easter Saturday ... as you do! Such an interesting insight into another religion. Still trying to get my head around the security guard telling me to let go of my abaya as 'no skin is allowed'. (I had it hitched up as it was too long..really, is it better to trip over than show a centimetre of skin?!). Muslim people have a proud and strong faith and are keen to share this with non-Muslims. The very fact that we are allowed into all areas of the Mosque is testament to this. Therefore, I naturally respected the 'no skin allowed' rule!

4. Heading downstairs shortly to enjoy an Easter pot luck dinner with new friends and fellow residents!

5. A lovely gesture from a Muslim colleague who wished me "Happy Easter ... is that how you say it? 'Easter'?" Highlighted how various and diverse religious traditions are!

And that, is that! It ain't much but even in a Muslim country it CAN still feel like Easter!

All teary...

I love my friend Rach's blog - I find it insightful, witty and uplifting! I was therefore curious to see which blogs she follows... the first one I clicked on hit me for 6.

From the first second, I was engrossed, saddened, uplifted and in awe. It is written by a mother who lost her teeny-tiny-not-even-3-month-old baby. http://www.natalienortonphoto.com/

Oh my.

It reminds me:
To live in the moment and cherish every second
To love, love, love.
To celebrate the beauty of life
To learn from each experience so that we grow stronger
We might need this strength one day...

Day 28

All going ok still! You may have gathered that a 100 days without wine lasted about 7 days! In the interests of my sanity (and Matt's), I have been indulging in a little wine from time to time! My allocation is 2 glasses on the weekend! It's working out ok so far!

Been feeling good but struggled this week a bit. We've had a mega stretch at school and this of course leads to fatigue and stress. Also been having a few tummy issues! Still, managed to squeeze in 2 mega swims and then hit the gym today, so not too bad.

Having said this, last night I was very grumpy and very tired - I am sure it was because this week I haven't had my allocation of 'highs' that come from lots of excercise. I kind of fell in a heap until Matt came to the rescue with a lovely bubble bath! All ok again now and ready for a fun week's holiday.

Still enjoying the challenge!

'The Challenge' continues...

Day 15

A hard 4km run – in 27.30 mins. Aiming to improve time and distance in the course of my 100 day challenge. Been going great guns with the challenge and feel fab – my white pants even fit again! A little bit of over-indulgence last night at Chili’s lots of chips!!! Breakfast out this morning – felt overly salted and a bit yuk! Spent the day sunning and swimming – bliss. Pineapple and grapes for lunch. Excellent run – glad to be back on track. I was going to reward myself with a massage at each 25 day interval but I think I might change tact a little – every 25 days I can buy some lovely clothing! I am addicted to Monsoon and as we are on a tight budget, I resist buying anything. Surely one purchase every 25 days is reasonable?!??!? I love their clothes and figure that is a good way to reward myself. Might need to push it back to 27 days – due to the over-indulgence this weekend! But I am now back on track and ready to keep forging ahead 