Do you ever get experiences that make you sit up and listen? That make you instantly change your outlook or focus? That ultimately help you re-evaluate how you approach tasks, or even life? I think the past few days have changed me forever and I feel super pumped, so excited for the future it's amazing!
What am I smoking you might ask…well for the record I have just opened a bottle of cobra, but that's it, the rest is just good ole fashioned chance encounters, genuine human kindness, and reading a book that really resonates with you.
Lets rewind a few days…you might remember from my last blog that I was looking at fulfilling a lifelong ambition of doing an obstacle course race. Who knew these races were so huge across the world!! Well…my research on twitter led me to following the various companies that run these races and from that a guy by the name of Dan Tuffnell spotted me as a new follower of his twitter site @spartanraceuk, of which he is the Director of Spartan UK, the world's leading obstacle course racing series. Now, Dan was interested in speaking to me because of my psychology background and also my love for sport, and as he's keen to raise the profile of Spartan UK races and spread the word, he asked for me to interview him!! This was so that i could ask him questions that perhaps your generic journalist wouldn't ask, given that I am a psychologist. But that is a whole other blog, coming to you soon, with a full interview with Dan himself, a very inspiring chat and made me realise that the Spartan races are perhaps a bit different from the other obstacle course race brands out there by the philosophy that underpins them and what Dan himself believes in: empowerment and mental challenges. For now though check them out on http://uk.spartanrace.com
So, the result of this chance encounter is that I have had a free race entry to a spartan race, so i make my obstacle course race debut in Edinburgh next month! How excited am I for that?!?!?!?!?! I'm so enthused right now, more excited than i ever have been for a triathlon so perhaps OCR (obstacle course racing) is my new life calling?? it might play to my strengths…my love of running, my strength, my agile skills from my climbing days, plus my love of all things hard when it comes to fitness and challenges! What this has led me to do though is think about how i will prepare…so i bought the book "Spartan Up!" by the founder of Spartan races, Joe De Sena http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spartan-Take-No-Prisoners-Overcoming-Obstacles-Performance/dp/1471137686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408902591&sr=8-1&keywords=spartan+up
Today alone i've read 60 pages of it and i'm enthralled by it! It's given me a whole different perspective on how I will approach the race, but not only that, I also feel that it will ultimately help me in triathlon in terms of no longer being spooked by open water swimming in races or rough swimming conditions. Instead, I will just focus completely on the task and approaching it as an obstacle to be overcome and that I have the mental and physical strength to overcome whatever challenge is placed in my way! AROO!! (the spartan psyching up call ;))
Now…back to all things triathlon…well last week I had to go have my baseline fitness re-tested, given my injuries meant I hadn't been able to train properly and consistently for about 3 months. To say I was not looking forward to it was an understatement, but at the same time I was excited as it'd mean a training plan in place, one that I am determined to follow properly, unlike before, where i would move things around to suit me, rather than committing to it and doing it no matter what (unless i needed extra rest). So off i went to @bodybullet in Aberdare to his top notch home gym facilities, and on his wattbike I had to complete a 3 minute FTP test and a 20 min MAE test. Prior to that, the thing i'd been dreading the most…the weighing scales!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say they shook under my weight…having added some winter insulation ready for this unseasonable change in weather! But…other than the scales highlighting that i need to shift some serious poundage, my results were all positive considering my lack of training! I guess the training i have done: heart rate consistent turbo and road bike sessions, aqua jogging, easy running, and swimming, along with all the hours i did of manual labour on the farm, paid dividends as my power output was the same from my initial testing in November 2013 (although my heavier weights means my FTP was slightly lower), but my aerobic efficiency has actually improved - GET IN!!!!! So…i'm very confident that within a month, when my Spartan race is, i'll have shed a few pounds, hopefully half a stone, as i'll be back on regular 10 hr+ training weeks and eating healthily. I've even started making my own snack bars!
This also meant that i sacrificed a night out tonight with mates on bank holiday sunday as my training hat is well and truly switched on, and yes, i may have a beer in front of me, but today i've done some yoga (another new passion) as well as cleaned thoroughly, so I'm carb loading before a triple sess tomoz with some OCR type training thrown in for good measure!
The other exciting news is that I've been offered free advertising for my sole trader #youcanyouwill performance psychology "business" on the tri kit of a new tri club that's being created by a twitter friend #TeamBear_Tri. He's also focused on overcoming challenges and obstacles and never giving in so i'd be proud to put my name to his concept and help his athletes with discounted psychology sessions! Mutually beneficial deal in my book ;)
So, the result of this chance encounter is that I have had a free race entry to a spartan race, so i make my obstacle course race debut in Edinburgh next month! How excited am I for that?!?!?!?!?! I'm so enthused right now, more excited than i ever have been for a triathlon so perhaps OCR (obstacle course racing) is my new life calling?? it might play to my strengths…my love of running, my strength, my agile skills from my climbing days, plus my love of all things hard when it comes to fitness and challenges! What this has led me to do though is think about how i will prepare…so i bought the book "Spartan Up!" by the founder of Spartan races, Joe De Sena http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spartan-Take-No-Prisoners-Overcoming-Obstacles-Performance/dp/1471137686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408902591&sr=8-1&keywords=spartan+up
Today alone i've read 60 pages of it and i'm enthralled by it! It's given me a whole different perspective on how I will approach the race, but not only that, I also feel that it will ultimately help me in triathlon in terms of no longer being spooked by open water swimming in races or rough swimming conditions. Instead, I will just focus completely on the task and approaching it as an obstacle to be overcome and that I have the mental and physical strength to overcome whatever challenge is placed in my way! AROO!! (the spartan psyching up call ;))
Now…back to all things triathlon…well last week I had to go have my baseline fitness re-tested, given my injuries meant I hadn't been able to train properly and consistently for about 3 months. To say I was not looking forward to it was an understatement, but at the same time I was excited as it'd mean a training plan in place, one that I am determined to follow properly, unlike before, where i would move things around to suit me, rather than committing to it and doing it no matter what (unless i needed extra rest). So off i went to @bodybullet in Aberdare to his top notch home gym facilities, and on his wattbike I had to complete a 3 minute FTP test and a 20 min MAE test. Prior to that, the thing i'd been dreading the most…the weighing scales!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say they shook under my weight…having added some winter insulation ready for this unseasonable change in weather! But…other than the scales highlighting that i need to shift some serious poundage, my results were all positive considering my lack of training! I guess the training i have done: heart rate consistent turbo and road bike sessions, aqua jogging, easy running, and swimming, along with all the hours i did of manual labour on the farm, paid dividends as my power output was the same from my initial testing in November 2013 (although my heavier weights means my FTP was slightly lower), but my aerobic efficiency has actually improved - GET IN!!!!! So…i'm very confident that within a month, when my Spartan race is, i'll have shed a few pounds, hopefully half a stone, as i'll be back on regular 10 hr+ training weeks and eating healthily. I've even started making my own snack bars!
This also meant that i sacrificed a night out tonight with mates on bank holiday sunday as my training hat is well and truly switched on, and yes, i may have a beer in front of me, but today i've done some yoga (another new passion) as well as cleaned thoroughly, so I'm carb loading before a triple sess tomoz with some OCR type training thrown in for good measure!
The other exciting news is that I've been offered free advertising for my sole trader #youcanyouwill performance psychology "business" on the tri kit of a new tri club that's being created by a twitter friend #TeamBear_Tri. He's also focused on overcoming challenges and obstacles and never giving in so i'd be proud to put my name to his concept and help his athletes with discounted psychology sessions! Mutually beneficial deal in my book ;)
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| @TeamBear_Tri - Suffer but NEVER surrender!! |
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