1 Theme

What's Changed After The Photoshoot?

Calorie intake.

That's the only thing.

My intensity in training, daily movement, hydration and standards all stay the same.

I'm just eating more food.

That doesn't mean going mental and scranning everything sight because I can.

Going into the gym, my body has performed better and I feel more energetic throughout the day.

Recovery has also been much better this week. Quality sleep has left me feeling refreshed and raring to go.  

2 Positive Outcomes

I'm Feeling Much Better About This

Hyrox is new to me.

It's 10 weeks until Hyrox Barcelona so this was an excellent point to baseline where I'm at.  

For those unfamiliar with how Hyrox works it goes like this.

I haven't done much work with the sled or focused on wall balls previously.

This weekend, I did a full simulation of the event in the gym and completed it in a better time than expected.

I know where my weaknesses and strengths are now as I continue to prep towards the event.  

I've Been Continuing This

Last week I mentioned how I'm working on being more spontaneous rather than being super regimented.

I'm trying to do one thing every week that links to this so I decided after my Hyrox workout to go for a cold dip myself.

I went to Calder Mill waterfall down at Lochwinnoch which is a beautiful spot.

Sitting in the water gave me the chance to reflect on what I'd just done and my week as a whole.

Those 20 minutes in the coldness felt great on my muscles and mind afterwards.  

3 Learnings

You Don't Need The Answers

I used to believe when someone asked me a question I had to know the answer no matter what.

I was worried if I didn't it would make me look silly or inept.

It turns out you don't need to know the answer. Understanding the question is far more important.

This is what allows you to go and find what's being asked of you.

Having the simple first step to get closer to the solution is better than making something up or accepting defeat.

How To Know What You Want

A powerful way of deciding what you wish to gain from life starts by looking at the opposite - what you don't want.

By using this as a filter, you'll narrow down to what you actually want.

For example, I've been asked when/if I'm going to do an Ironman or triathlon. Right now, that's not what I want so it narrows down my search of what a next big challenge may be.

The reason this is important is because it you can't visualise the goal, how can you possibly get there?

This Underpins Teamwork

Imagine a team where no one spoke to one another.

There's a shared goal but the lack of interaction means each member is shooting in a different direction. There are misunderstandings in the expectations of each team member.  

This problem could be easily solved by communication.

Letting people know where you're at and the struggles you're facing is going to help the team rather than hinder it. It can often feel easier to take the stress on your shoulders and not speak up. Brute forcing it through the stress won't make it easy.

This doesn't only apply to the workplace but relationships too.

It's how you grow as people.  

As we get further into the year, I've decided to do a new challenge however the premise will stay the same.  

Stay tuned to find out what 👀

You can donate on my JustGiving here.