Earlier this year, I entered a competition with Women's Health and Fitness magazine.  I didn't really think much about it and just thought I would give it a go.  Some time went past, and I had forgotten that I entered, and then I received an email to confirm that I was one of 25 women chosen to participate, I didnt really know that much about it, and didnt even realise its part of a challenge.

I have always been a little bit fascinated by these types of results, and wondered if my genes do affect my ability to add muscle, lose weight, gain weight etc, but would never of thought about actually having it done, so I have found myself in a really good situation in which WHF have given me the opportunity to have it done.

I received a package in the post, in which I opened up excitedly, I had to spit in a little tube and send it back to WHF, whom then sent it off to be tested.  I have been waiting patiently for the results.  Now that I have them, I am trying to decipher them.  Some things on there make a lot of sense, either that or I am trying to find ways of making it relate to me.  According to my results I have a tendency to store body fat easily (I am sure some of my family members could relate to this), I also have a gene that exhibits more loss of control when eating (may explain the binge eating and why I am always hungry).  I also have a gene for endurance exercises which is quite fascinating considering the sports I love to do.  

Below I have listed my results, mainly for me to refer back to but also for those that maybe interested in having it done.  Be warned there is a lot of info ;)

My health fitness the last few years has put on the ultimate rollercoaster ride, through injuries, depression, highs and lows, I have reached some ultimate goals and then come back to self sabotage (not really caring and eating what I want).   Early this year, I was 120% committed and then I let it go again, lost 10kg, put on 10kg, built up muscle mass, lost muscle mass, built up my endurance and then let my endurance get the the better of me?

See where I am going with this?  It really is a rollercoaster journey and one that I am continuing to learn about. I am now on another journey, and one that I hope I can stay on the right path.  I know I am not the only one that struggles with this, it really is hard work and commitment, and can fill you with so many good points as well as bad.  

However. I was lucky enough to have been selected to be part of Women's Health and Fitness, Fitness Genes group.  Where they test my DNA and identify what genes affect my overall health and fitness.

I am not going to lie, I have always been totally fascinated by this and really excited to be part of it.  

I received my pack, in which I had to spit into a tube and then I sent to WHF, whom them sent them off to be tested.  I have received my results which I can totally relate to (I seem to have a tendency to over eat, hhmmm who would've guessed).  At the moment it's all very scientific and a little confusing so still trying to get my head around it all. 

Based on my genetic makeup they will customise a nutrition and workout plan to help me reach my goals. starting on 28th August, this give me 5 weeks to get focused and Spartan ready for the Trifecta weekend in Bright.

Let us see where this rollercoaster journey will take me.

​F45 Journey 
The start of 2016 wasn’t exactly the best for me, I wasn’t working and finding trouble trying to get a job.  Mortgage payments and general life got in the way, and then to add onto my miserable life, I got injured and that really was the end for me.  I went into my own little shell and hid from the world, allowing my health and fitness to waiver and with that the kilograms just stacked on. 

I am not sure if it’s real or not, but I am sure it could be that the fact that not exercising did impact me not just physically but emotionally too.  I felt like I had some sort of fitness depression.  As I wasn’t doing my usual routine, I wasn’t getting the usual exercise endorphins that I used to get.  

I started to eat badly to compensate and generally becoming extremely sad.  I couldn’t look in the mirror without seeing fat, I wasn’t proud of the person I was becoming, but I was stuck and if I didn't get myself out of it, I could quite easily keep stacking on the kilograms.  My sadness didn’t just affect me, but literally everyone around me and everything that I did.  I was not surprised I was not getting the jobs I was applying for, I was not the usually get up and go person I once was.  I had no energy, no enthusiasm, I wasn’t really living but motoring through the motions. 

I had been a member of Fernwood, and because of moving house I changed to a more specialised gym based in Caulfield.  As I wasn’t working, I could no longer afford the membership fee that came with the gym, so I cancelled my membership.  I now had no routine or schedule to keep me going or motivated, I had every good thought about doing stuff myself but with my injury I quickly became accustomed to making some type of excuse. 
It really was a struggle, searching for a full time, permanent role.  I was doing some consultancy but nothing that guaranteed a regular income. 

F45 Highett announced its opening in June, something new that was definitely creating a lot of hype and having one just around the corner is exactly what I needed.  Unfortunately it came down to cost again, how do I justify something when I had no permanent income. 

Out of curiosity I signed up for a two week trial and found that I absolutely loved it.  It was almost like love at first class.  I loved being able to move, the routine, the schedule and variety of classes. 

At this point the cost didn’t matter, my health was more important and I needed something to keep me motivated.  I joined in July, which writing this now, is one of the best decisions I made during 2016.  I found I slowly started to regain my fitness to the level I was used to.  In the 6 months of being a member I have found my fitness is at a level I can sustain at endurance events.   

My strength improved to a level I never would have thought achievable.  I feel so much stronger that I have done for years (since before the injuries).  The trainers are pushing me to continually better myself, correct technique and make me a better athlete. 

Since being there I can confidently do push ups on my toes either engaging my back or triceps (attempted and succeed at doing a push up clap, which was slightly nerving).  I have conquered both a pull up (never have been able to do before) and chin up.  My rowing I am averaging 1:50 when before I used to struggle to get it under 2:00. 

I can honestly say after all the gyms I have been a member of including the specialised gym, the events I have participated in, including representing Australia at the OCR world champs.  What F45 Highett has done for me, has been amazing.  I don’t think I would have been able to complete a 43km obstacle with 5000m elevation without the training I had done at F45.  The recovery was fast and at no point did I feel like I couldn’t complete the course. 

My fitness confidence is slowly returning, with each session trying to push myself to a new level.  
I would recommend F45 to anyone that wants to develop their overall fitness, get toned up, lose weight, be in a group environment with similar mindsets.  If you want to go and train and not think about what you need to do to get the most effective workout, or if your like me, is to have a routine that I cannot break.  Then you must give it a go, you will find yourself stronger, healthier and happier for it. 

Of course, there are still elements that I still struggle with, mainly being food.  I need to be more accountable for what I eat and when I eat I understand and know the differences between good and bad foods, but I can still eat too much and to much of the bad foods.  My biggest weakness is Nutella and ice cream (not together).  I can binge on fruit.  Any cheat meal is more like a binge day where I seem to consume everything that I can.  I have gotten myself into some really bad eating habits and tried to compensate this with exercise.  Exercise and diet really go hand in hand, and limiting your treats may make you binge (like me), as with life their needs to be balance and I am hoping the F45 challenge will help me do this.  Giving me the focus I need to eat properly, being prepared and organised, stop trying to find quick fix solutions.  Designating some time to this, the same way I designate my time to exercise, the moment I start feeling hungry is the moment I start binging, from fruit, to toast to almonds (it doesn’t always have to be chocolate). 
​
Its funny to think how insecure I really am, I hate my body, my weight, I’m too fat, too short, I see all the negatives when I look in the mirror.  I continue to try to love myself and my body, and I am slowly learning to do this, it has been a very long battle, when you continue to have your own self doubt, compare yourself to others or you never quite feel good enough.  Which is surprising when you are selected for the Australian Team in Obstacle Racing, but even then you don’t feel like you deserve it or are capable, you will let the team down.  I know I will never be an elite / elite but I know that I will give it everything I have.  My own mind is something I will continue to work on and develop, the guilt from the binge eating doesn’t help but once I know that I can do something I can set my mind to, I can achieve what I want to achieve and I know I couldn’t do anything more, is something I am really looking forward to achieving at the end of this challenge

Ok, you may have to be a little crazy for signing up to something that is called the SUCK, a 12 hour overnight event, nothing like an obstacle race, so going into the complete unknown.  Maybe I signed up because of the bloody hand on the website or the fact that it had the words extreme in the title that makes you want to sign up to these things?  Maybe as with most things, I am just damn stupid.  I like to think its about testing my own strength, abilities and endurance, to see how far I have come and of course to find out if I can actually do it.  It could be because I was brought up with my dad in the Marines.  I will probably never really know why I want to do it, except that I really do love it.

I am so incredibly honoured and lucky that I got to race as part of the official Australian team, all of my team mates are so incredibly amazing and inspirational.  I loved every moment with these fantastic people, in which I have gained so much from them, as they shared tactics, advice and best practices.  I had the most fantastic and fun trip, and loved how everyone just got together, supported each other, encouraged and cheered each other on.

I have made some amazing life long friends on this epic trip and cannot wait to hear all about everyones OCR journeys.   

Rina R Quistadio
​Founder, Team Manager

Strong, talented, hardworking and vibrant, a person who seriously just gets shit done.  She has been amazing in getting everything organised and getting us all to the OCR World Champs.  If it was not for this women, some of us would not have had the opportunity to be here, she really is full of life and laughter, and is one of the most real and genuine people you could ever have the pleasure of meeting.  I wish I knew how she does it, with little or no sleep, she is the heart and soul of OCR Australia and she puts everything she has into doing this for us, alongside having a full time job and family.  She really is just amazing.

Michael Casey
​Wildcard Elite VIC

Michael is one of the nicest people that we have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and he has so much potential to go really, really far within the OCR world.  Being from VIC we have met Michael a few times at previous events.  Michael was the other person that accompaning me around the Spartan Sprint course in September, after my mental breakdown during The Beast and refusal to go back out there.  He really did provide support and encouragement, but also reminded me why I love OCR, the fact that you don't have to know someone on a daily basis and had only met them a few time before, but they are still willing to provide you with support and encouragement when you have hit the bottom.  Michael really is a genuinely nice person, I cannot wait to see him conquer the OCR worlds next year and really dominate the competition.

Brad Cook
Top Male SA

I don't think there are any really words to describe Brad, apart from his brilliant can do attitude, fun to be around with a wicked sense of humour.  Luckily for me, he spent most of his time in Jeff's car, so I think I got off a little lightly in regards to my driving.   Brad and I had crossed paths at previous OCR events, but I only really got to know him during this trip.  Brad has that natural ability just to fly through the obstacles, and I have no doubts that he will be competing in next years OCR World Champs, however before then, I suspect we will cross paths again soon.

Michael Gleeson & Gemma Rolfe
Top Male NSW/ACT & Wildcard Elite NSW/ACT

Unfortunately I didnt get a chance to spend much time with these two sporting pro's, so unable to say to much about them.  Maybe next time I will get the opportunity to say hi.

Amanda Lamb
Top Female NSW/ACT

Amanda and her husband Kevin are so down to earth that I wished we could have spent a little more time with them, unfortunately for us they were staying closer to the venue.  I cannot wait until we have the opportunity to meet up with them both in the near future.  I hope that I also have the opportunity to train with Amanda, I feel that I can learn so much from this strong, inspiring women, meeting her you can completely understand why she is the top elite female.  

Not only that she also managed to complete every obstacle, keeping hold of her band as well as having a similar finishing time as some of the Aussie guys, putting her right up there.  I hope that I will also have the strength and endurance, so I can at least try and keep up with her at some future OCR Events (thats a try), especially as she has a host of 1st places under her belt. Dave is also truely envious of Kevin's man-cave apparently!!!

Vanessa Letts
​Top Female WA

I had been following Vanessa on Instagram @mudrungirl for some time, so I was quick to spot her at the airport and introduce myself.  Vanessa was staying at a different location, so we didnt get a chance to spend the same amount of time together as with the rest of team.  

Vanessa I would say is probably an OCR fanatic and has pretty much travelled the globe participating in OCR events.  This girl has some serious heart, and just won't give up as she got through the OCR Worlds.  She showed heart and spirit and just sheer determination to cross that finish line and collect her medal.  Unfortunately she did lose her band at the Sternum Checker too, but she also conquered obstacles that she feared such as the Dragons Back, plus many more.  

Click here to read about her round the world OCR ventures...

Jeffrey Malone
Wildcard Elite SA

This man is truly incredible, his journey is amazing and will inspire so many others to follow his lead.  I was lucky enough to meet Jeff at True Grit in Adelaide earlier this year, as we prepared for the 24 hour endurance event, and I don't think for one moment that either of us would have thought that we would be catching up again, competing on the same team across the globe.  I am truly honoured to be part of his team, he is such a dedicated and hard working individual that inspires me every time I see him doing something equally amazing.  At no point would I have ever believed the journey he has come on nor that he was ever unfit, as you look at this man today and you can be really inspired by his growth and strength.

Every time I get the opportunity to meet him, he just gets better and better, and was so happy when he came out of the OCR Worlds with his band in tact.  If you ever get the chance to say hi to Jeff, do so and ask him about his incredible journey.

Click here to be motivated by Jeff.

Lucas McLean
​Invitational Ambassador NSW/ACT

I have been fortunate enough to meet Lucas on a few occasions, usually he is promoting the great range of obstacle racing shoes offered by Icebugs, plus the benefits of SOS rehydrate.  However I never really realised what a contender in the OCR community he is.  Never really having the opportunity to run with him at previous events, he is definitely a silent achiever, with some major skills.

I think Lucas will probably have the most rememberable experience of his life, as during the OCR WC team event, as he ruptured his achilles, whilst running up the warped wall.  As we all stood witness to this unforeseen event, we actually thought he got cramp until he slowly lowered himself to the bottom as he said that he felt a pop.  Cant believe that this happened, and felt for Lucas immensely, however I have no doubt that after some rest that he will be back up and as strong as ever in no time at all.

Matt Murphy
Invitational Ambassador NSW/ACT

This man is a true legend in the OCR World, and to be on his team is the most humbling experience.  There is just so much to learn, and when you listen to his stories, advice and experiences, you realise that you are really only training a minimal amount and there is just so much more to learn and do.  Having won numerous Obstacle Racing events as well as coming 2nd at Spartan Race World Championships in 2013.  If there was ever an opportunity to learn from the best, then this was the time.  Literally soaking up any advice that he was offering, including having more gels during the course to keep your glycogen levels high.

Having watched and followed ESPN's Search4Hurt, it was just amazing to have the opportunity to spend so much time with him.  He is such a generous man with his knowledge, willing to share best practices and answer the 1001 questions that were fired at him during the course of the week. He also had a comment or two on driving in America, particularly mine!!

A truly committed, hard working and family oriented individual and have no doubts that Matt and his team of elite OCR racers will be coming first at the Worlds Toughest Mudder event on the 14th and 15th November 2015.  The weekend before Dave and I undertake Hurt Camp, an all day event that will most definitely test our fitness abilities, and just coming back from the WTM I don't think there will be any sympathy to be had.

Laura Newton
​Top Female QLD/NT

Laura and her husband Gary were just awesome, helping build and set up the course, but also providing some great tips since they both competited at the OCR World Champs last year.  Laura just showed us why she is at the top, coming 3rd in her devision.  Spending time with these awesome women, inspired me that I can in fact do so much more than what I think I can, especially reading her write up about her race.   

We have previously crossed paths at True Grit Enduro, but I think with the overwhelming nature of the event it got hard to remember everyone you met on course.  I am however looking forward catching up with both Laura and Gary at the next event.  Laura has encouraged me to keep looking forward, and even though I failed some obstacles this year, there is always next year to improve and get better.

Richard Williams
Top Male Vic/Tas

I am proud to call Richard one of my trainers and friends, over the last few months Richard took me on as part of the Highlander project, to enable me to become a better obstacle racer, so to be on his team was a real honour.  Richard's continued patience, teaching, skill (both as an OCR racer and an stunt man) and generosity has taught me so much about racing and about myself (I am slightly inpatient, who knew!).  His knowledge, enthusiasm, strength and capabilities are paramount.  His drive and commitment to the sport enables him to be a real threat in this sport, and I can only see him getting better and better.

He takes time to show his continued support and encouragement, talking you through each element and breaking it down to a more manageable tasks.  I am sure there will be a few elements we will be working on once we get back to Australia.  

Matt Wisniewski
​Top Male WA

Since Matt is from WA, which for us, is like another country, we had never had a chance to meet with him before, so the first time was on the flight over to the USA.   I found Matt to be one of the kindest, considerate and thoughtful people that we had met, even though he did have somewhat of a crazy, adventurous, adrenalin fuelled side, that at times I thought he wanted to try and kill us whilst driving a bicycle quad bike!

Matt demonstrated why he got to the top with his speed and agility, coming first at numerous obstacle races in WA.  His beautiful nature comes across whenever he is talking about his wife and two wonderful boys.  I can't wait to catch up with him and hopefully will get the chance to meet his beautiful family.  

It was not just us representing Australia...

Of course the Australian team were not just made up with the above, there were so many other elite Aussie athletes that were also at the OCR Worlds representing their  country.  I have met and spent some time with some, as well as having heard of others.  All of which I find truly amazing people, what they do is just amazingly strong and incredible, each and everyone making me feel so incredibly lucky that I had the opportunity to be part of this amazing country.  The opportunities that we have had since coming to Australia have been so surreal, it does make me wonder what we would have been doing if we were still in the UK.  I can most definitely say that we would not have been here, representing such a welcoming and heart warming country.

It was during the OCR Worlds that I found myself surrounded by the most incredible, amazing, talented, inspirational and strong women.  I am so honoured that I had a chance to catch up with them, having met some on a few occasions prior and of course already hearing about the legends that they are. 

It is so inspiring following their OCR journeys, with both Deanna and Amanda competing in the Worlds Toughest Mudder.  Tiffany another inspirational women and place holder at True Grits enduro 24 completing 85kms, Sim is also an amazing competitor, placing at numerous OCR events.

I wish I had the chance to meet up with everyone that travelled so far from Australia, but we were all there cheering each other on in spirit.  You are probably fed up with my repeating myself with the same words, but that is the world of OCR.

What better way to recover from a day at Muddy Hell with a day at the MCG running up and down 7000 + stairs.  The atmosphere is always amazes me at the 'G' with everyone gearing up and getting ready to go.  Our wave time was nice and early at 8am, Dave was dressed as the shoe and me I went as my normal self, happily displaying the bruises achieved from yesterdays event.  I was glad when we jumped on the static bikes just to get the blood flowing and body moving before we set off.

All of sudden I was heading back down the stairs onto the green and around the MCG to the finish line in 55 minutes!! I was so happy that I finished in under an hour, I did a leap of joy, little did I know they actually captured this on video.

A collection of photos from Muddy Hell Photos Inverse Tyre Wall are available on the Enduro24 Facebook page.

It would not have helped that it was cold and wet, but the first step was signing up in the first place and then getting through the course.  Everyone has had their bad days and everyone has those demons, it how you conquer them that makes you stronger.  

Unfortunately, I do still have them too, in which cost me 120 burpees in today.  Still hitting those demons and moments of self doubt.  However, I will conquer these demons and will keep trying and one day I will do it, it may not be tomorrow but eventually I will get there.  I know this as I had these same thoughts and feelings when it came to the rope climb and walls.  I can do them now, probably not in the quickest and smoothest of movements and again this will come, but I can DO IT.  So if I can do it, so can you, all you need to do is give everything a go, it doesn't matter if it doesn't work out the first time, but keep on trying and you will be able to do it.

The Muddy Hell course is a tough course and I sort of got confused as it was a different set up from when we did it in January.  Being Winter it was a lot colder and wetter then of course the Summer, so it takes a lot more out of you when you when you are cold and wet, your energy levels do drop a little bit more than normal. 

It didnt take long for me to start to lag behind at the start but soon caught up again at the tunnels, as always it usually takes me a little while to get settled in as the nerves start to diminish and adrenaline takes over.  I was happy to get over the walls, not as smoothly as I liked but considering 6 months ago Dave was helping me up and over, I was happy to be able to do them.  There was of course the tyre squigger, when you pretty much get wedged in-between some tyres, at this point trying to get through it, I was more worried about kicking someone in the head as I squeezed, moaned and groaned my way through.  Another obstacle that I was dreading was approaching and I did fail on 6 months ago was the under and overs, an A Frame in which you have to go under and over (they had put a safety net underneath this time, to maybe self consciously I felt a little safer).

For some reason the course came and went in a blur, there were other obstacles where doing alternative training kicked in, by doing the Heavy Haulers Good Friday appeal and learning the correct technique of pulling tyres, I found that this technique subconsciously came in.

Some parts did seem a lot harder just because it was wet, surfaces were slippy so I found that I had to slow down and concentrate rather than try and rush through it, otherwise this is were I would have made some more mistakes.  Just concentrating on the balance beams with the incline and decline, plus a few other wood obstacles found that you could quite easily slip off.  Which did happen on wall traverse costing me 30 burpees and the last wall, I did eventually whilst gritting teeth, but I did have another 30 burpee penalty, I I did fail it twice.  I still need to work on my grip strength especially with my age old nemesis the monkey bars and rings, they both cost me another 30 burpees each.  The burpees do start getting harder and harder the more you do, but that is the penalty for failing an obstacle.  With the fails of course there were some triumphs too in which my biggest achievement would have been the rope climb, I find it amazing that 6 months a go when I attempted that same obstacle I failed dramatically and after some great coaching from Clem and Allyson from The Compound, I hope that the next time I do this course, I will be able to conquer the obstacles those that cost me those dreaded burpees.

Over the next few weeks I will be updating this blog with all things True Grit Enduro from the food, accommodation, support, travel and equipment.  This will be more useful for us for next year and maybe others whom are thinking about doing it.

I will be collecting photos to hopefully compliment the entries and I hope will give you a good insight on what it would have been like to compete in a 24 hour event.  To be honest, now it is over, I am actually quite sad and if you gave me another opportunity to do it all over again next weekend, I would.  Call me crazy especially with the highs, lows, pain and endurance that you go through, but the you find that it is all over.

The next thing would be updating this website, initially I set it up so our family and friends can follow us on this journey and to give them a background into what we are doing and how we are doing it.  However during this whole process, I have found other like minded people have been reading these posts, given me feedback and providing there own inspiring stories.  So I will be converting Enduro24 to all things obstacle, our journey doesn't end here, we will still be doing our training, doing additional events and trying to get fitter, healthier and stronger than ever before regardless that each day we are getting older.  

The plan is to build on what I already have and include health and lifestyle tips, as well as exercise training plans (mainly ones that I actually participate in) and include healthy recipes that I have found on the journey.   I am looking forward to continuing to build Enduro24 as a community place that I hope people will find helpful and interesting.

I cannot believe the day is finally here I think my prescription diazepam (valium) may have helped with my overall nerves otherwise I believe a lot more time would have been spent on the toilet.  We had enough time in the morning to grab a coffee, get some cash and explore the streets of Windsor before checking out of the Windsor Terrace Motel. 

Then it was time to head off to Lower Portland, we got there in good time.  This way we weren't rushing around with the tents, getting set up after being allocated our 'camping spots'  and working out what we were actually going to do.  The 3 x 3 camp spots allocation were large enough especially as we had two of them 6 x 3 (we actually struggled to fill the second allocated section).  At this point you could tell whom did it last year, as their tent set ups were quite spectacular, tent envy was happening!  Our team of four neighbours had their own kitchen, bedrooms and changing rooms all set up.  It was quite amazing especially compared to our $49 Kmart tent, ground sheet for our little camping area with its own camping stove and of course the Mace Fitness Roller.

Quite glad we did get there earlier, as:

1. If you got there too late your allocated camping spot could have been quite messy and muddy
   
2. the valium didn't squish all the nerves and a few visits to the porta loos were required. 

At 1pm we had our group briefings, outlining the course, rules, health and safety etc.  Also we got given our timing chips.  Our numbers were allocated at the registration tent, it was only because I saw people queuing that we thought we best do the same which was lucky we did so.

Is there actually a right balance, trying to push your body to more than what is capable of, but without actually causing injury.  At the time it feels great, you can go harder and longer, but what are the long term affects on you muscles, bones and joints.

I also wonder if we had this when we were younger, what path we would have taken, could we have been fitter and stronger.  Being in your 30's is not quite the same as being in your 20's, but if I was doing the same thing then as what I am doing now, I wonder what the result would have been.  But there is no point thinking of that, there is nothing I can do to change my age, I just have to keep moving forward and to get better.  There are so many people out there that just inspire me in what they can do, all for different reasons, I am blessed to have come across these people and grateful to have everyone in my life.  At the end of the day, neither Dave nor I could have done this without the support we have received from family and old/new friends.

Yep, I had to wipe out last week - unfortunately its too late now to do anything about it, whats done is done and what I've eaten has gone straight to my hips, now I just get on a deal with it.  So today is the day I got back on track, cleaning up the diet and exercise, thinking about what I am eating and what I will be eating later and most importantly not just eating for the sake of it.  I think I have expressed enough the troubles I have with food, it is and probably always will be my biggest down fall, my diet is probably 80-85% great, the problem I have is the other 15-20%.  The good things are just too good to resist, its not even like I eat fast food or have lots of fizzy drinks, but when it comes to bread and cakes thats when it gets really hard.  It really doesn't matter if I am full or not, a nice warm slice of bread is just simply irresistible, or even a warm muffin, hot apple pie with custard (that has to be the English in me).  The pattern here is warm or hot, and yes this maybe the issue for most, those Winter days are coming and that comfort food is just so tempting.  I also believe it is in our nature to actually want to put on weight around this time of year just so you have an extra 'layer' to keep warm.  I am not sure if this is an old wives tale or not, but I am sure I am heard it on the grapevine a few times.

Ok to get over this slump, I have am going to try and run again (hopefully minus the knee and ankle injuries), and by incorporating doing my rehabilitation exercises I will hopefully be able to run injury free (that would be an awesome thought).  The reason why I am now going to try and incorporate some runs into my weekly routine, as I have found in the past that this has helped with the weight stabilisation and keeping it off, since usually I used to do this in conjunction with my other exercise, but because of my knee/ankle I sort of stopped.  Now is the time to start again, and today was that day.  YEAH!!

Starting off nice and easy with a 5km run on the treadmill, I really hate treadmill running (but at this stage its low risk and low impact), there is something about just running on the spot that is so damn boring, at least when your outside, you can take in your surrounds, enjoy the fresh air and get from a to b, but thats not the point.  The point is, at least I did something, now I just have to keep doing it at least 2-3 times a week, including my other workouts and clean up my eating - I hope I should be good to go for enduro in 6 weeks time.

This will hopefully keep me motivated and give me another reason to get out of bed in the mornings, since it has been so cosy and warm, just getting out of bed to get to the gym has seriously been hard work.  

Ever had one of those weeks where everything just seems out of alignment?  Food, exercise, work...  I not sure if just getting out of my routine because of the cramp aftermath and not being able to get focused, or the fact that everything was just hurting or that I really couldn't be bothered.  I missed a Monday session and few early morning sessions, and thats not to mention how my diet just went out of the window this week.  Over indulging on the chocolate a little too much and just not really staying focused.

I suppose we all have those days or weeks and unfortunately there isn't anything I can do about it now, whats done is done, its was yummy at the time, but I guess I have to start getting serious again.  Geez its hard work trying to be good but before we know it our 24 hour event will be here and I know I would be wishing that I done everything properly and should have eliminated all the crap from my diet.  

I think just having a week of semi rest and recovery, a few over indulgences will hopefully help to get it out of system.  After just a great week last week, I should have guessed that a crappy week wouldn't be that far behind.  I still, however managed to complete a workout tonight..

After a nice early start with the alarm going off before 5am and a 2 hour drive ahead, you do have to question your own sanity.  Why do we do this again, why do we get up at some silly time and drive to somewhere new and why do we put ourselves through it.  I am not sure if it is because we are addicted or the fact that we really truly enjoy what we are doing and the feeling of achievement at completion.  Really just having that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach at the start of ever race should be enough to out you off doing it again, the pre race nerves that the thought of being not far from a bathroom just fills you with fear, but somehow you get through it.  The adrenaline pumps and you have started the race, there is no more time to think about how you are feeling just that fact that you just need to get on with it. 

I also have to say that the people we have met along the way have been amazing, for some reason we always have the preconception that there was some sort of elitism happening, but how wrong were we.  Everyone is so great and willing to help, cheer you on and take some time time out to give you some great advice.  The comradery is unreal, you just can't explain how amazing everyone is.

The very first obstacle course we did was Tough Mudder and the only reason why we did it was because some friends said about doing it.  They didn't do it but we did, the thought of doing 21kms of obstacles as well as electricity was a scary thought but we are always up for anything new.  This would have to be the start, we did it on the Sunday which overall was a little quieter then Saturday, there were no queues and the pit area was just alive with excitement and nerves, everyone looked just as nervous but had a little excitement too.  Our wave time was called and the first thing you had to do was to climb over a wall to get into the pit area. (Seriously it hadn't even started yet and I already struggled with the first obstacle).  The MC was amazing, getting everyone pumped as they cheered on, reciting the Tough Mudder pledge and with a few more high fives and cheers the horn sounded and the smoke cannons were unleashed as we ran through and we had started.  No turning back now, we just had to get it done.  It started off with a nice job around Phillip Island race track and then the first obstacle the 'ICE bath'.  A few swear words did elapse my lips as your whole body just goes numb from the shock and the ability to control your muscles and functions were slowly depleting.  It was an effort just to climb out.   The sun was shining and instead of complaining about being cold, you needed to look at the positive, you could no longer feel your muscles so you could not really feel running (it became effortless), soon you dried off and you just carried on going.  

The other reasons is to be able to test yourself, without trying how do you really know you can do?  Can you get over that wall? Or rope traverse? Crawl under barbed wire? or just finish a race?  There is an amazing feeling of accomplishment when  you can get through these things, having a can do attitude rather than just giving up.  The ability to just keep going, give it 110%, hurt, cry but still just get on with it.

I can't remember every single obstacle that we did but the ones that most definitely stand out the most would have included the mud mile and the half pipe, as it was so wet and slippery just trying to get up and over was a hard enough task but people that you never have met before gave you a boast, pulled you up and helped you over.  Without the help of others, I am not sure we could have done it.  Dave of course cleared the half pipe effortlessly, but it took me two attempts to get up, you literally just had to run as fast as you could and hoped that the people at the top caught hold of you to give you a boost up and over.  

The adrenaline boost and almost shocked feeling when you complete it, you can't really explain.  You walk around in a daze and shock, feeling that what you just did wasn't even real and that the whole thing happened to someone else.  You don't even feel the bruises that come along later, the mud has dried on your skin, you have to seriously scrub in the shower as the mud gets into places that you didn't think was possible, there were times during TM that you actually feel like you added a few extra kilos as the mud accumulated in your underwear.

This I doubt would be selling it to anyone, but when we finished having a shower, we headed to the hotel spa where the bruises were proudly on display, more people with similar bruises would join us and there was an understanding on what you all went through, you have something in common as you reminisce about the days events, and you realise how strong and determined some people really are.  One of the girls we were talking to tried the hall pipe 8 times before she got, at one point she said that she just stood their and cried, but she did it eventually.  The sheer will power and determination not to give up is just unreal and inspirational.  Your body and mind is already fatigued but you just keep going.  I just have remember this when doing True Grit, that we are all capable of achieving the impossible.

The stories that we have heard along this journey have been emotional and inspiring from weight loss, to broken backs, from young to old, it is amazing what people can achieve.

This of course was the start of our obstacle races in January 2013  and we have never looked back, we have come so far since that TM day, I have overcome fears and obstacles that I thought I could never do, we are fitter and stronger then ever before.  My skin is not at its best and seem to be continually covered in bruises and scars, my hair has turned into rats tails with the amount of muddy tangles that it has had to endure, my hands are turning into man hands, filled with calluses, but I would not change it for the world, even the unflattering obstacle racer shots, when all ideas of looking like a health nut go out the window, as you look warn and battered, but the moment either catches that smile or that moment of sheer concentration and grit.  The pain that you are experiencing but you are just determined to get through it without giving up, or that moment of exhaustion and excitement when you reach the finish line.

You become part of community, where you can share your highs and lows, there is a connection between people that can never be taken away, you share experiences and give each encouragement.  Every obstacle race is a new milestone, where everyone celebrates your achievements.

Since starting this journey, I never would have predicated how far that I have come.  Having a goal has helped keep me focused on my training (the diet is still a hard part), but baby steps.  The diet has improved and I have cut a lot of the crap that I used to eat especially the muffins and cookies, although a treat once in a while doesn't hurt.  Anyway, since starting I have achieved so much including doing things that I never thought I was capable of and getting my own PBs.  This also helps when your doing a class with some great people.

The Thursday night Met Con class is always hard, especially when you get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when it comes to the sprint runs.  No matter what I do, I still get nervous and feel sick, as soon as Jake mentions that its time trials its just such a horrible feeling.  I should really be getting used to it, as its the same feeling I get every time I do an obstacle run.

The class started off with some sprint drills, side shuttles and bursts and then we went into the time trails.  We must have all pushed each other as we all achieved our own PB's, of course we weren't going to stop at one and did another 2 rounds (untamed)

By the end of 3 rounds my legs and arms were like jelly, I don't actually think I could feel anything anymore but the scary thing is, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love pushing myself and being pushed, at the time I am thinking of so many things, including trying to correct posture, breathing, time, grip and anything else that went through my head.  At the end of the day I know that it will be finished soon and that moment of sickness will soon pass, the part when I can breath again will soon be here and then give it another half an hour and I want to do it all again... Its a good job that its not quite half an hour but 12 hours later I will be doing it all again.

Its such a great feeling when you achieve something that you never thought you could achieve.  You see other people doing it and you wish you could do it to, but the feeling of elation when you actually do it, there are no words to describe.  Although as I am writing this, it feels like a dream and if it wasn't for other people in the gym I probably wouldn't actually think I did do it. 

Apparently it is a lot harder for women to do pull ups then men, but is this just because of lack of training.  It goes back to my monkey bar theory and kids, women develop a can't do attitude or that its a man thing, but in truth - how often do we try? Most women probably avoid it all costs, but now having achieved it, I know I can do it.  Yes it was only one, but one is better then none.  Now my next goal is to continue to be able to do them and of course increase the amount of reps.

Don't get me wrong I just didn't go up to the bar and do a pull up, I have been practising these for a very long time and building my strength.  I started on a weighted pull up machine and then developed onto assisted band pull ups, first I was only doing it once a week, then I progressed to twice, now I try and do it every other day, even if I can only do a few or if I am feeling fatigued, I am still giving it a go and thats the main thing.

Doing this journey to the 24 hour endurance has really shown me that I can do things that I never thought I could do, I just need to try harder.

We all know the importance of good posture and keeping your back straight, and probably 9 times out 10 you think you at actually doing it correctly.  Well I found that I don't always practice good posture, even when I think I am doing it correctly.  Practicing good technique is vital especially in the gym, the mirrors are there for a reason and not just to look at yourself in the mirror.  They are there for you to ensure that you are doing the exercises correctly, that your back is aligned and not curved.

I am slowly learning that getting the correct technique takes time and practice, also its a lot harder than you anticipate. I noticed that I start adopting bad posture and technique when I get fatigued, that unconsciously I start to curve my back and shrug my shoulders.  Of course I am trying to break these bad habits, so today in the gym I worked on areas that I know I have a habit of adopting bad habits. 

The problem occurs when in my head I actual think I am doing it correctly when in fact I am not, as video evidence proved.  I actually recorded my exercises and then played them back after each set, so I can analyse and correct, what I saw both surprised and shocked me.  As I said earlier in my head I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing correctly, my posture was good and my shoulders were back and down.  What i found was that the first set was good and then of course I started to fatigue and as I got tired the more the arch came into play, as well as higher I got. The more I saw this, the more I am aware of it and now I take my time to correct it.  The same principles also applied to the ski erg, skipping and sled runs.

Thinking about your posture needs to be part of your continuous thought process, as well as embracing the core.  It really is going to take a lot of time and training to get this right, but by actually paying attention to how you are doing things including checking the mirrors or if possible record on your phone, its easier to identify and correct technique.

With Jake being away we had Roxy aka 'mini Jake', the sweat came quick and fast especially on a 31 degree day.  After the warm ups, including some sprints, we did a circuit as follows:

1 minute on x 3 rounds

• Side shuffles
  
• x 30 rope slams / x 50 rope slams / x 60 rope slams
  
• Sled runs
  
• 45 sec treadmill 11km 8% incline
  
• Hammer slams on tyre
  

On the bright side of things, at least I did my ankle now rather just before the event.  I could stand and walk without too much pain, so I knew it wasn't anything too serious.  The hardest part would have been to cancel all my classes this week, to ensure that I will be fit enough to participate in Hellfit this Friday (a four hour endurance event in the dark), I just have to make sure I am on the mend, and everything is working as it should be.

Of course a visit to Ben at Mosiac Health helped, especially to have some reassurance that its not as bad as I thought, and with rest and some more exercises I should be ok to go on Friday.  I know its not that far away, and I am sure I can cope with not going to the gym for a few days.  Somehow I have to keep on track with my diet since I am not heading to the gym, at the end of the day its only a few days and its better a few days than a few months.  Slowly learning not to be so stubborn to help get fitter quicker.

Why is it when you feel like you are actually achieving something, you end up doing something that ends up setting you a couple of step backwards.  After feeling a little lost this morning without my usual PT session with Megan, it took me a little while to work out what to do in the morning.  Not really sure what to do when you don't automatically get up and put on some gym clothes, and run out the door. Made up for it after work, creating my own kettle bell workout, that was after a 30 minute stretch and warm up session.

4 sets:

• x12 8kg Single Arm Swing
  
• x12 8kg Renegade Row
  
• x12 12kg Squats
  
• x12 12kg Figure 8
  
• x12 8kg Russian Twist

After an hour in the gym, topped it off with a 5km run, yep this is where I rolled the ankle.  Taking an over excited dog with you on a run is probably not the best idea in the world, and when he starts getting under foot stride, there is no real surprise that the ankle ended up going.   I hadn't gone too far, but it would have probably taken me the same amount of time to walk back as it would to continue running, so I continued running.  Annoying it was a really good run, apart from the dog, and felt confident I could have gone on longer (if not for the ankle). 

Yes, it is a crazy thought to actually get up at some extremely stupid time and do a workout, whether you are heading to the gym or just going for a run, but I will tell you the reason why I do.. Because, you roll out of bed get your gym clothes on, brush your teeth, brush your hair and your out the door within 15 minutes.  Well not all of you are as lucky as us, and have a gym literally in our back garden, so it takes probably less than a minute to get to the gym, however the other gym does take 15 minutes, and if you go for a run its even closer.  Not to mention you can workout at home (so its even closer than close).

Anyway back to the point of getting  up at some stupid time to go to the gym, it basically there are a couple of reasons:

1. Its done - your whole workout is done for the day (you don't get a chance to feel like you can't be bothered, you haven't got an excuse that work has kept you from going, its done and dusted and you don't have to worry about it until the next morning).
   
2. The feeling of achievement first thing in the morning is unreal, the release of endorphins also helps.
   
3. There are a bunch of other reasons including increased metabolism, better diet and productivity, but for me its convenience (its done and I have no excuse for the rest of the day), plus by the time you get to work it feels like a lifetime ago that you had that workout.

So based on this, yes I do have the alarm set at 5.15am every morning, but by 7am its all done, and that also includes this morning, which for me, I had to push through some serious barriers.  Doing 3 1km rows with only a minutes break was both mentally and physically challenging, there were times that I was seriously considering giving up and walking away, and there were times were I actually wanted to break down and cry, which to think that wasn't that long and somehow we have to pull through mentally for 24 hours!  That will truly be a test.

The great news is I got through it, and surprising managed to carry on with the next part:
3 sets

• 90 secs on ski erg
  
• sled push
  
• rope slams x 50
  

Now at 9pm, I am feeling a little tight but it does seem like a lifetime ago, and seriously it really does set you up for the rest of the day.