Dare to try.

So begins a brand new month and I am in the fortunate position of spending the first week of it on annual leave. WOOOHOOOO!!!

As my personal tradition dictates, this means spending a long weekend with the family then back to the comfort of my own home. For most people a vacation means a vacation from the exercise routine. I try and be a little more adaptable than that. 

Now my parents are older they need a little help, so on this occassion a little exercise has included gardening (I defy anyone who has dug over a vegetable plot with clay soil to say that isn't exercise!!), also washing and polishing a car (took a good four hours!!), a little bit of walking the dog and because i can, a run or two. I am a firm believer than exercise can be done anywhere. And in an age where most people think of exercise as going to the gym or bootcamps, a lot of people forget that gardening and washing cars counts too. You get hot and sweaty, don't stop and also have the added benefit of fresh air and sunlight, both are great for your skin and mental health, which is JUST as, if not MORE important than physical health. 

Looking back over the last month, I find myself very relieved that i am on holiday!! I have worked so hard and am mentally tired.

But at no point did i stop going to the gym (proud of this) even if i went a little less, in fact the gym took on a different sort of meaning. It was no longer the place I had to go and slave for hours! Suddenly my focus became intense. I needed to go in, do the job and get out. All the students have returned after Easter break, this gave more incentive to get in, get done and get out.

To get out of the hustle and bustle of the gym, i started taking my cardio outside and have rediscovered a joy of running - after feeling as though my chest would burst from lack of air and pounding heart, outside is harder than a treadmill anyday, i have refound a past pleasure. Hell i have even signed up to a 10K race for early next year and am looking for reasonably prices ones nearby to do this year. Plus keeping my eyes open for a half marathon (eek!).

I have no idea if i have lost weight or shredded fat. But for once none of that matters. Why? because i have found discovered something. I have discovered I can achieve more than i ever thought possible. At the beginning of my current training programme 6 weeks ago, i could squat 65kg as a one max rep. Now, as part of my programme i regularly squat 4 reps of 60kg. I have dropped so many weights on the counter-balance for my pull-ups and tricep dips....two exercises i was adament to my trainer i couldn't do. 

Bench press with dumbells...never in my life used heavier than 8kg....until the 15kg i use now. It is amazing what this can do attitude, beast it in the gym and get done, whilst enjoying what a rest day or two can do for a girl!!! My gym trainer told me to believe in myself. So i dared to try, i dared to believe in myself and when all else failed i dared to put some cracking tunes in my ears and get on with it. 

This has really rejuventated me. I'm finding myself in the gym again. I'm finding my head space outside running again. Next goals are to re-find my judo mojo and confidence and then find my body (on this score i've spent most of today finding high protein breakfast meals and new evening/lunch meals to keep me from hitting the chocolate).

So go on! Dare to try! Dare to Believe! Dare to see what you can achieve!!!!