Cool bike installation in my latest favourite gym – Mangroves Lifestyle at the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara.
Got beasted in a Personal Training session there earlier last week as part of a tour of the whole place for a feature on gyms…and loved just the whole vibe of the place so much straight away that I am honestly considering taking up their September offer of Dh8000/year instead putting out for a car.
That hotel has one of the most divine pools in Abu Dhabi (which, when you lounge there as a member you also get lavender face spray, a classy-ass thatched fan to breeze yourself with, sunglasses cleaner, cold towel and other props by the way).
The trainers are awesome and actually try to get their clients interacting not only with the machinery and other fitness philosophies but with social fitness challenges too.
They offer Hot Yoga (which just about seems to be finally blossoming in AD, and which I have loved for years – used to volunteer at Andy Murray-famous Hot Bikram Yoga in Chelsea as a student).
What’s more, someone called a Membership Co-ordinator (basically your own PA while at the gym) comes around and serves you complimentary fruit juices and the yummiest surprise detox shots while you work out, as well as can book you spa, hotel, dinner and luxury taxi reservations, flowers, whatev…
The membership also includes a free dinner for two, superior suite stay, and spa and f&b discounts among other things of course.
But umm…I was sold on the drinks.
Anyway, my review of the whole spot came out over the weekend in print, will link you as soon as it goes live.
…
An update on my fitness diary? Well, I had this weird bloated, big-boobed phase all of the last two weeks that made me really grumpy and non-committal about like, anything. It also gave me immense cravings – Pain Perdu one very late night, buttery paratha the next? WHAT?! NEVER! – So I only managed the above mentioned PT session, a 5k treadmill jog and one yoga class last week.
After my monthly bleed a few days ago though, things, like my boobs and my attitude, are looking up so despite working until 2am last night, and not even getting to sleep until 4.45am, I managed to roll out of bed for my favourite 8.30am yoga class with Debbie at Hiltonia today.
Was worth it as usual, even if someone served carrot cake afterwards to celebrate a yogi friend’s 51st birthday…and that since it’s my day off – and it’s noon here and 5pm somewhere else – I am now sucking on a Peroni bottle. I am also soon expecting to drop a massive bomb any minute now after taking a “special” herbal tea after class, if you know what I mean…(sorry, TMI).
There’s more…I have called upon the services of Lee Ryan and paired up with adidas to train for and run my first marathon in January. Yes, this is officially happening. I get my feet fitted later this week for one of their high-tech new shoes, and a custom training programme as well as kit.
The Dubai Marathon takes place a week after my 25th birthday and I am going public with this challenge, as in, it’ll be my next fitness column for the paper I write for. It is the first challenge I will have undertaken ever since the mental scarring of dropping out of my second-ever triathlon earlier this year in March. Obviously I don’t take to failure nicely, as in it has rarely ever happened to me in my life (unless you factor in relationships?). But, you know, no pressure.
Kara (61.9kg)