Looking Back at 2012

I have to say, I've had a GREAT year!

A lot of things came together for me this year, and the most rewarding thing is that it all came because of my hard work and effort. I feel like a lot of the projects that I started many years ago finally came to fruition. The best part is that I feel like I've grown and my attitude plus outlook on life has changed so I am actually able to enjoy, appreciate, and celebrate these accomplishments. The former-me would have still been sullen, moody, and unfulfilled. I still have a lot left to accomplish, but I am ready to continue working hard and enjoy the process.

My 2012 highlights:

1) I got my PhD!!! After 4 years of research, writing, (crying), and lots of travel to and from Canterbury, Kent (England) - I am finally Dr. PlumPetals :)

May 2012

2) I am ending the year at my lowest weight and smallest size out of the past 7 or 8 years (maybe longer?). I lost a total of 13 kg (27 lbs) this year and dropped 4 dress sizes - All through pure hard work and effort.

December 2012

3) I've only ever had two things on my bucket list - see Madonna in concert & visit Rome. This year I did both! [I know, it doesn't sound very ambitious, but those are the only 2 things that I really wanted.]

Madonna concert in Abu Dhabi (UAE) - June 2012

Me heading to the top of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City (Italy) - July 2012

4) I've been extremely phobic of dogs since I was 4 years old (I'm talking full blown anxiety/panic attacks - crying, racing heartbeat, etc. not to mention the screaming). Since last summer I've been working on just being calmer around dogs ... and this year, I finally pet one.

 Me and Otto in Le Marche (Italy) - August 2012

5) I got my first race bib and medal for running a 10K (though I didn't run the whole thing, but still - I did quite well, especially with no training!) I also completed my first fitness instructor training and am now qualified to teach Zumba!! :)

6) I started CrossFit and am ending the year lifting heavier weights than I ever thought I could (110 kg back squat; 120 kg deadlift were my biggest records of the year).

120 kg (264 lb) Deadlift - Sept. 2012

7) I had a fabulous year of travel - Argentina, Uruguay, England, the States (brief stop), Mexico, Italy, the UAE (twice), Bahrain, Bangladesh, Germany, India [5 new countries to add to my list]

8) My eating habits have completely changed. I am so much more conscious of what I'm eating and aware of how my body reacts to different kinds of foods. I've been experimenting with different recipes and working on making them cleaner and healthier - it's taken some time and effort, but it's been worth it!

9) I finished New Rules of Lifting for Women. This was the first time I started a program and stuck to it until the very end. If you're just getting started with weights, I highly recommend it. I was able to see my strength increase dramatically. It was a terrific program that increased my love of lifting weights and also gave me the confidence to try CrossFit.

10) My increase in confidence has to be my biggest achievement of the year.  I am not always overwhelmed with feelings of insecurity, doubt, fear, and hesitation. Those feelings still exist, but I have a much better grasp of how to handle them and how to move forward.

Seeing my progress in weight loss has definitely helped me in all other areas of my life. The confidence alone has been quite a transformation. In addition, learning how to face my fears - even if it means failing or stumbling along the way - has been an important process for me to go through.

I hope that all the things that I learned and achieved in 2012 will help me continue to move forward and do even better in 2013.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!

First Race Bib & Medal

This morning I woke up at 5 a.m., stretched a bit, had a banana with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, then left the house at 6:45 a.m. to the Marina Crescent for my first 10km race!

This is not something that I had really planned on doing, and I definitely didn't train for it. However, I had heard about this run - a half marathon & a 10km - and since it was for charity (providing insulin pumps for kids) plus since 2 of my teammates from the CrossFit team said they were going to do it ... they convinced me to go along. One of them is a runner. The other one is training to be a runner ... and then there's me, who still can't run a straight 5km yet, and whatever running I do is on a treadmill.

Still, since I did do a 10km (also with no training) in February of this year I thought I'd go for it. I'm much stronger, healthier, fitter, and thinner/lighter now -- so even though it would be tough, I still wanted to give it a go. Plus having 2 teammates to encourage me made all the difference.

Unlike the run in February, the weather today was fabulous. Nice, crisp cool air in the morning and just the right temperature during the run.

I had a great time and I definitely improved in all aspects - endurance, the amount I ran in one stretch, the number of walking breaks I took - tried to keep them really, really short, time it took to complete the run (I think it was 1 hr. 15 min).

I will definitely start training for next year. I've got to get outdoors and practice running on the pavement. I figure if I could complete this without proper practice today, with practice, it should be a lot better!

A few pix of the day:

The race bag I received yesterday

Goodies inside the race bag - A Nike dry-fit t-shirt, my wristlet, a box full of raisins, cranberries, and nuts, some sunblock (which I neglected to use!!) and most importantly, my Race Bib! 

Me and My CrossFitQ8 Gals after finishing 

All smiles and sweat at the finish line!! :) 

My first Race Bib, Finisher's Medal, and Race Wristlet :)

So happy!!

Me, Myself, and I

Me: 4:30 a.m. - I can't believe I'm up this early. It's Saturday. I'm tired.
Myself: Get up. Start your day. You have tons to do. 
I: Ugh. Fine. Ouch. My thighs are sore. OMG my shoulders! I can barely move my arms.
Myself: Suck it up! Just move, you'll loosen up. 

Me: I have 1 hour left to do to meet my cardio target of the week; I've also got 10 km to complete. Shit.

Myself: Go now. Get it done. 
I: But I'm tired. I can go later in the day. My body is sore. Shouldn't I listen to my body and rest? Rest isn't bad, is it?
Myself: *Eye roll* 

Me: Hurry up and make a decision about what you want to do. You've got breakfast with the in-laws and parents at 9:00 a.m. Are you going to work out or not?

Myself: Go now. You know you'll be tired later. Get it over and done with. 
I: {As I grumpily put on my gym clothes} I don't know if I can do 10 km today. I can barely walk. Besides. Saturdays are usually my day off.
Myself: You already took Wednesday off! Just go and do what you can. Aim for an hour, and then if you're really sore/hurting, you can stop. You have to complete the first hour. 
I: You're a militant bitch.
Myself: *Smug smile* 

Me: 6:15 a.m. - Lovely having the gym to myself early in the morning.

Myself: Get started. Stop wasting time. 
I: Maybe I should use this time to organize my gym locker.
Myself: Stop procrastinating and get started!
I: OKAY! Stop being such a bully. 

I get on the cross-trainer and start. My legs feel like they're made of cement. It is SO hard to move them. I just want to cry.

Myself: Are you serious? You've just started and you want to cry? Keep moving!
I: I can't. I'm tired. This hurts. It's impossible. 
Myself: Of course you can. Your legs will loosen up as you warm-up. You'll feel so much better soon.
I: I don't think I can manage an hour let alone 10 km. It's just too difficult. 
Myself: Seriously? And you think you're going to be able to do CrossFit? You can't move for a measly hour? Suck.It.Up!
I: *grumble*

I hit 2.5 km and I'm starting to feel a bit better though I was struggling. My heart rate was higher than it usually was at this intensity. Still, I pushed through.

5 km rolls around and I'm feeling much better. My legs still hurt like hell, but it's getting easier.

8 km and I'm excited. The 'finish line' is just around the corner.

1 hr & 15 minutes; 10 km -- done. I finished both my cardio and distance target for the week.

Myself: See, aren't you proud of yourself?
I: {Reluctantly} Yes.
Me: Can't help but smile.


I'm glad that I pushed through and did the 10 km. At the very least it just proved to me that I can do it. I am all for listening to your body; at times rest is definitely important. I do think, however, that sometimes you can push through and achieve something you didn't think was possible.

Despite the headache that my inner dialogue gave me, I have to thank "Myself" for sticking to the plan and pushing 'Me' to get the task done.

The only question I'm left with now is -- Will this soreness ever go away?

Busy Day!

I've been really good at getting my workouts in over the past few weeks. I am so desperate and ready to see a change in my weight that it is my absolute priority. I'm not one of those people that can just cut down on calories and drop some weight. I have to do both - cut calories (eat healthily) and exercise.

However, the downside of making sure I'm at the gym for each workout is that a lot of other tasks get left undone. I've been postponing several errands/tasks for ages -- I can't do it anymore. I've got to get a move on and get things sorted.

So, this morning, instead of rushing out the door at 6:30 this morning, I stayed home. I had already woken up at 4:40 a.m. (yes, I'm an early riser; blame the insomnia) and I didn't need to leave for work until 9:20, so I had a good chunk of time to get stuff done. I tell you, it felt great emptying boxes, throwing stuff out, putting things away etc. My dining room (which hasn't been used in forever) is no longer the storage space it had become (it has been neglected since just after Christmas!). It now looks clean and fresh! I'm so pleased!

Of course in between sorting out the dining room I was doing the dishes, figuring out what to cook for dinner, and putting the things that were in the dining room into the storage room -- in other words, I may have had 4 1/2 hours this morning at home, but I did not get a chance to just sit and put my feet up (will try that the next time around!)

Work was terrific today. Dealing with 43 students in one class can be daunting, so I decided to do debates in class. The focus -- health and fitness! All the students I work with are 1st or 2nd year medical students, so health and fitness is right up their alley. Most of the class was spent with them preparing their arguments - we only had time for one proper debate. The question was: For most illnesses, if a patient smokes or is overweight, more often than not, one part of their prescribed treatment will be that they should quit smoking and lose weight. What if the doctor prescribing the treatment was overweight and/or a smoker. Does the doctor have the right to give this advice? Should doctors be required to be non-smokers and of healthy weight?

We had some great discussion over this question. Most students immediately said YES - Doctors have a responsibility to be a picture of good health and be a role model for their patients. The group that was arguing NO (they didn't have a choice, I assigned each team which side they would be arguing) had a bit of a tougher task to convince the audience of their point, but they did a really good job. They focused on the fact the primary task of a doctor was to help the patient, so even if his personal habits are bad, as long as he is not compromising the care/treatment of the patient, it shouldn't matter.

I could write about this for ages, but this was the gist of the debate. It was great to see the whole class engaged in the discussion. Both sides argued their points well -- and what was interesting was that when I asked the same question at the end of our discussion, instead of the majority saying Yes, the reaction was about half/half.

Stay tuned for more debate topics :)

After class I rushed to the gym - got in my 10 km on the cross-trainer. I'm not officially starting to train for the 10 km until mid-May, but I am going to try and see what I can do to somewhat prepare. It wasn't difficult, though about two hours later my legs felt quite sore! I did 15 minutes of abs and that was it for the day.

I'm really struggling with what to have for lunch these days. After finishing at the gym I only had 40 minutes before I had to head out to get my mom from work ... I had a cup of rice with some veggies in the freezer, so I just defrosted that and inhaled it before rushing out the door. I try to be prepared, but sometimes it just doesn't work ... to rectify that, however, I have a big pot of lentils cooking right now. I'm going to throw in some veggies later. I know that the recipe is low calorie and can be measured up and frozen for future rushed afternoons!

Back home to prep for dinner, grade papers, and catch up on a few emails.

Dinner tonight is tofu with bell peppers -- I'm cooking this up for the first time. I'll post the recipe etc. if it turns out good.

Just do it or don't?

I got an email today saying that pre-registration was open for a running event that will be held in November. This is being organized by the same group that did the 240 km run across Kuwait (it took them around 50 hours!). At that time they had organized a 10 km support run to go along with them for a short distance. As someone who hasn't trained for any sort of run at all, I faced a dilemma - do I go for it or do I train and wait for the next opportunity? In the end, I went for it and completed the 10 km; half walking, half jogging.

This running event consists of an ultra-marathon (100 km); full marathon (42 km); half marathon (21 km) --- ya, not doing any of those -- plus a 10 km run and a 3 km fun run. This event is different as you actually have to register and pay to join ... not like the one I did just for the heck of it ... so the question is, should I register and go for it?

I wrote recently about my desire to run. I would really, really love to run -- I just don't know if I have it in me. It's been taking me forever just to run 1 km! I knew for the last event that I could walk (and I did), but this one seems like a proper run.

The good thing is, I have time to prepare. I have 7 months to train for the 10 km. I have no problem trying to train for it ... but the thought of committing and not being able to deliver in the end makes me really anxious.

In looking for inspiration, I came across this Nike quote:

I wholeheartedly believe that quote -- that doesn't take away the nervousness though!

So, just do it ... or don't?

From 0 to 10K

I did it!

Remember that run I wrote about a few days ago? Well, after exchanging a few emails with one of the runners who is doing the 240 km (I still can't believe it), he finally convinced me to just give it a go.

So I thought to myself - ok, let's do this. Ever since deciding, I tell you, I have been a nervous wreck! I was just filled with so much fear about not being able to do it even though I wanted to try so bad.

I set 3 goals for myself:

1. Finish. Even if you have to crawl. Just finish.

2. Try to finish within 1 hour 40 minutes.

3. Try not to come last!

I guess my main goal was #1 - just finish no matter what. The other two would have been bonuses for me.

Before I tell you how it went, let me just show you what kind of day it was weather-wise. (I hope the sound is ok in the video.)

It rarely rains in Kuwait -- but of course, today, it was pouring down! I mean, non-stop stormy rain ... for a while it looked like the run wasn't going to happen ... but it did ... and ...

I finished!

I completed the 10 km (6.2 miles) in 1 hr. 27 minutes (so within my goal time).

I didn't come last! (mega grin from ear to ear!)

The whole task was a challenge for me. It's easy to do 10 km on a treadmill in the gym when you're there on your own time ... but this involved putting myself out there - running (walking/jogging) in public, with a group, on Gulf Road - OMG - talk about anxiety!

Plus there was also the mental battle with myself - trying to jog a little further than the last time, maybe a little faster too. Telling myself that I could do it and that there was no reason to give up ...

When I think about where I was early-December - the first time I was able to go back to the gym post-surgery - it was good to feel like I've come far, especially because I've been so down lately. Anyway.

I did it! Now to keep on moving forward and striving for more!

A few pix:

The six amazing runners approaching our starting point -- at this point they have just finished 120 km out of their 240.

The group of us before starting the run. (I'm in the front with the pink NY Yankees cap on.) [Organized by Aymstrong.]

Me in the RunKuwait t-shirt (I'm so glad I had 4 layers on under there - it was freezing!):