It has been quite a long time since I have posted anything - which should give some indication about how motivated and active I have been (or not). To be quite honest, for quite a while I was just going through the motions at the gym and eating with no conscience. I can't put my finger on why exactly - just that it was like I reached a plateau. Plateaued with my intentions and motivation as well as with my achievements at the gym. So when it came to a few family events - whatever ounce of willpower I had left went right out the window.
Having hit a very low point - instead of getting upset with myself and making excuses - I got angry. Angry and refocused. A few emails later to my trainer/friend and we agreed on the next course of action. A change in diet/intentions with it, a change in program for the gym, and a revisit on my goals. So being that all those things were being revitalized - it only seems appropriate that my blogging should be too.
As of today - I am 12 weeks and 2 days away from the Spartan race in Calgary (August 18th - check it out at www.spartanrace.com). People often ask me what I am "training" for. I always tell them Spartan. But I don't feel like I am. I feel more like I'm just working out, trying every day to be healthy, and living in a world that doesn't make it easy. Nothing special. Nothing different then most other people. I don't feel like a competitor. I don't feel like I'm in some intense training program with rigorous diet and exercise demands. But I answer them anyway - without batting a guilty eye - that I'm training for Spartan.
That all being said - it's about time I start training for Spartan. I need to focus on this event as it is in the near future and a specific thing to aim for....but what will be hardest as this event nears is what will be next after that. It's an intense feeling of unease because when someone asks me after that what I am training for - I don't know what my answer will be. So what is wrong with answering that question with "I'm training for me or for my health, or for the hell of it"? Why does a person always have to be training for something? Because. It makes all the sacrifices and scrutiny worth it and it is an easy reason to deny the pressures of life that make you want to stray away from your goals.
To be very specific - I need to redefine my goals (way easier said then done) and list the tasks I need to do to accomplish them. I am not sure I can put them on here yet - mostly because even myself do not know what they are. I know the general goals I'd like to achieve - but they are almost too grande to be a goal but more so a dream. This will take some time and attention to get started but it is on my priority list.
What I do know is this:
a) I am committed to going to the gym. My trainer has put together the next phase for my conditioning - 4 days per week at the gym - NO CARDIO. I find this the absolute easiest to commit to - I love all things about a new gym plan. And 12 weeks will fly - so I will do every week what is required of me - summer holidays and all.
b) I am changing my 'diet'. I have a lot of aspirations when it comes to my 'diet' and I am challenging even my own opinions on food. The one thing I know is that I want (not just need) to change. To go to one extreme or another is not something I am willing to do but adopting some concepts from a variety of sources is. Eating whole foods and eliminating processed foods is a start. In fact, one of the big challenges I want to try for 30 days is to eliminate sugar. More so because I want to see how doing so changes the way I feel. Researching what sugar does to your body, and with some help from my trainer, I'm finally believing that this is something I want to be more conscious about avoiding. And in making such changes, my family will benefit as well. My plan is to start this on Monday and there is a lot more to be said about it too - stay tuned.
So now what?
- I got new gym shoes! Quite excited about this.
- I revamped my ipod playlist. Always helps.
- I got a fridge full of fruits, veggies, and cooked meats.
- I got some dates set to keep me working towards something. (Starting changes with diet, family wedding, motivational photoshoot, and Spartan to name a few)
- I'm getting a new tattoo!
- I started a motivation book - full of pictures, quotes, reminders, and aspirations. Next will be to strategically place some of the more influential ones in places like cupboards and on the fridge.
- Keep up with these blogs as a way to be accountable to myself
- Set my short term and long term goals
- I need to re-measure my body composition and take mid-way pictures since the last time I did this was February.
I think that is a start. 12 weeks to go. Follow along!
R
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