Category: Blogs

Posted on

IN FOCUS: Riding to start a conversation

The Pukaup Grand Tour is a ride headed by former AFL star and PukaUp CEO Wayne Schwass. This years ride kicked off at Marvell Stadium and travels 10 days and nearly 2000km through some of Victoria’s most challenging terrain. The purpose of the tour is raise awareness and start conversations around mental health, aiming to stamp out suicide.

Alarmingly, 3,128 Australian’s took their life in 2017, the equal highest recorded rate in the past decade. That’s an average of eight Australians every day.

Puka Up is a social enterprise founded by one of Australia’s leading mental health advocates, Wayne Schwass. Having battled silently with his own mental health for much of his sporting career, Wayne is now a dedicated mental health advocate, committed to raising awareness about mental health, emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention. In the Hindi language, Pukka means ‘authentic and genuine’.

“Our vision is to make genuine conversations around mental health a part of everyday life, with the aim to eliminate suicide.”

CPC had athletes Stuart Grimsey and Aaron Mulkearns join the tour  this year, supporting the cause along with their family businesses Grimsey Wealth and Tobin Brothers Funerals.

In only it’s second year, this years tour threw challenges at everyone involved. Days often started before light, ended after dark and included hills, heat, wind, rain and long rough country roads. It brought up self reflection, vulnerabilities, physical and emotional pain, but with riders having the support of each other, they all helped each other complete the 10 gruelling days and over 2000kms.

The ride not only takes a huge physical toll on each of the riders, it is emotionally just as hard for everyone involved.

We sat down with rider and athlete Stuart ‘Stu’ Grimsey to learn more about this incredible experience and what it meant to him.

What drew you to the PukaUp organisation and made you want to participate and support the 2019 PukaUp grand tour ?
Our business Grimsey Wealth is a fully integrated financial services business that specialises in medical and dental professionals. We found that through our business a large number of clients were having mental health problems and after speaking with a friend realised that Puka Up would be the perfect vehicle for our business to give back to our client base for a cause that touches so many directly or indirectly.

You had a procedure on your heart only weeks before the ride began, talk us through that and the added challenge that brought for you. 
4 weeks prior to the ride starting I had a procedure called a catheter ablation for an arrhythmia or irregular heart beat. The procedure lasted no more than 2 hours to correct the arrhythmia and a further 2 weeks of rest was required before easing back in to some light training with the 10 day ride acting as a test to see if the procedure was successful. I experienced no arrhythmia throughout the 10 day Puka Up grand tour and this had a positive impact on my confidence knowing that the arrhythmia had been cured.

You have previously ridden as a professional cyclist, riding and racing in Europe, how would you compare your time over there to the physical and emotional challenge of this charity ride?
When I was competing full time in cycling events in Europe I was at a much higher level of conditioning and was able to recover a lot quicker on a day to day basis however this coupled with the emotional fatigue made the ride extremely challenging. I found it incredibly challenging mentally being on the bike anywhere from 8 to 13 hours a day, that if I compared that to a race in Europe you’re probably looking at covering some of those distances in 4 to 6 hours and focusing on the race dynamics rather than relaxed longer base kilometre type riding.

What did you find was the biggest challenge for you over the 10 days?
Apart from being away from loved ones, the biggest challenge was making sure I stayed on top of my hydration and not over using sugary drinks, gels and energy bars to help ensure I didn’t have stomach issues.

What was the most significant point for you in the journey? Did you have a ‘this is why I am here’ moment?
For me this moment came on the evening of day two of our ride into Benalla, when one of our support staff spoke of their journey and experience with mental health. A couple of days later we rode to Mount Hotham and the story from a couple of nights before stuck in my mind. After speaking to strangers at stops on our way to Mount Hotham, I soon realised that we were generating awareness and I realised how important these conversations were that Puka Up was trying to create. Not one rider had an easy day that day and it was clear how important having support around you is.

What is your biggest take away from your involvement with PukaUp that you can now take into your day to day life?
The need to continue these conversations about suicide prevention and to assist our business in creating safe environments and normalising the conversation around mental health and emotional wellbeing.

What is the main message you want to continue to share?
If someone you know is having trouble with their mental health guide them to talk to someone that they feel comfortable with whether it be a loved one, friend, colleague or your family doctor.

And the big question- would you do it again? 100% I would do it all again!

You can view some more of the incredible photos from the tour here. 

Posted on

CPC continues to grow

A big season ahead for the team

The winter season is where all the plans are laid, the preparation is done and the hard work put in place for the new season ahead. The foundations for the racing season are laid to ensure a solid race season for the team and for each individual athlete.

Team CPC has set that solid foundation, we’ve spent time working on individual deficiencies and imbalances, developing a sound strength and endurance base, and putting in the hard yards on those cold wet, windy winter days. Athletes have improvised, grown, learnt and developed as athletes and as individuals. And now before we know it, the triathlon season is upon us with the Noosa Triathlon on the weekend – the largest Olympic Distance Triathlon in the world! And this weekend sees Challenge Shepparton on our doorstep and the first race of the 2XU Triathlon Series in Melbourne just around the corner.  Racing is here – and this is what all the hard work through winter is all about!

This season will be the first full season for CPC, and we’ve seen a steady growth in athletes since forming late last year, and I’m excited where things are heading this coming season. We have athletes racing over all race distances including sprint through to Ironman, we’ll see athletes race overseas including in Ireland, South Africa and the iconic Challange Roth, athletes will  compete in ultra distance trail running, criterium racing, off-road tri’s, cycling events, fun runs as well as popular races Challenge Melbourne, Geelong 70.3 Ironman Cairns and more! It’s exciting working with a diversity of athletes over a variety of races and disciplines.

As we head into the summer racing season, our tight knit team continues to grow, each new athlete with their own individualised programs, their own individual goals, and their own motivations for wanting to achieve them.

And so too for me. I’ve been asked numerous times what I’m focusing on this year, what races I’m aiming for. I tend to not share these goals often as it’s my athletes that I want to focus on. It’s their stories that I love to share, for others to immerse themselves in and take inspiration from. But at the same time, I’m aware that as a Coach, I too inspire others. Not just through my coaching, but through my own personal journey and my own racing.

When my little man turned one recently, I took time to reflect on what my last year looked like. And it was a big one – but in a different way. I raced just a handful of times, but each of those times was a big achievement and exciting for me to toe the line again – especially to have my family on the sidelines cheering.  But with a growing business and a little one in toe, it makes training and racing that much more challenging, but at the same time, even more satisfying. I get goosebumps when I think about races I have run and won, of near misses, of returning from injury and achieving all that I have. It stirs something inside me anytime I think about it. Because I miss it. I miss the thrill of racing, of pushing the body to it’s limits, of having a goal and chasing it with everything you have, of getting the most from your body, and nothing beats that feeling of crossing finishing a line with nothing left.

So what’s in store this year then? What race is going to drive me back ? What challenge am I setting myself? Despite that inner desire, I am setting aside my racing goals and plans for another season. For this season, I have another big season ahead – off the training track.

We’ll be welcoming another new addition to our little family in the new year and we’re excited about the news and the challenges a growing family brings. So racing – for now, will be on hold again for another 6 months (optimistic? maybe….. driven, always!)

Just as I say to other athletes, a race will always be there, you need to make sure it’s the right time for you to race to ensure you get out of it what you want to achieve. And for me – the next race is all about a growing family, along side a growing coaching business. Yep. The family is growing just as fast as the athletes! But that desire to return to racing will just continue to grow even stronger..

Before becoming a mother, and as a Coach and athlete, I envied parents who managed to juggle family life, with training and work and managing to fit everything into their week. And I always marvelled at how they did it. And just like each of these athletes (including many of my own!) I’m now doing the same and continually working on finding the balance between all facets and areas of life. And I love the challenge and the learning and growing that goes along with it. 🙂

As a female Coach, with a little one already in tow, I have worked through the process of coaching and managing the birth of a bubs and the time off around that before.  And although an extra addition adds an extra challenge, I’m looking forward to that challenge like never before. If the female President of New Zealand President can do it, then hey – the rest of us can too! 😉

So for now – as the business and the family grows, my urge to return to racing is put on hold. But all that does is fuels the fire even stronger. I love a challenge and I can’t wait to return to racing as a Coach, as an athlete and as a mum of two next year. It’s going to be something special!

Coach Sarah

 

 

 

 

~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~
Sarah is the Director & Head Coach at Complete Per4mance Coaching. Born out of the desire and passion to not just coach but to educate athletes, Sarah shares her 10 years of coaching and racing experience, knowledge and education with athletes of all levels to help them achieve their optimal performance while maintaining a balanced, happy and healthy life.

Contact Sarah to discuss training options for you.

Posted on

World Championship Bound! Margaret Mielczarek

There is something about prepping for a World Championship event. The hype, the excitement, and knowing you are putting yourself up against the best in the world at the distance. Our athletes have put in the work, they’ve been dedicated, they have bee tested, but all the while, steely focused – not easy over a Melbourne winter! Follow their stories as they head into their taper before the 70.3 Half Ironman World Championships in South Africa next weekend. 

ATHETE: MARGARET MIELCZAREK

How’d you qualify for the 70.3 World Champs? 

I qualified for 70.3 Worlds at IM 70.3 WA last year – December 2017. I was training for the IM but due to some significant medical issues I had to pull out of that event and I was lucky enough to get a spot to the 70.3 instead. I wasn’t 100% sure if I’d race/participate but decided to check-in and to put my bike and gear into transition the day before – the plan was that I would make my final decision about racing the morning of the race (if I woke up feeling crap I wouldn’t do it and vice versa). Long story short – I ended up taking part and the goal was just to enjoy being out there and appreciate getting to participate while being mindful of my health sitch – I planned to pull out if again, I felt crap.

Anyways… I’m so glad I took part, got through the race and finished. It was the second long course race where I ran the entire run leg (normally I’ll run/walk) and I just felt so happy to be out there. That finish line was one of the best finish lines I’ve ever crossed. It was a massive challenge to get there but that just made it that much sweeter. I’ll never forget crossing that finish line.

After the race a few friends encouraged me to go to roll down, ‘just in case’ – nothing to lose, everything to gain. Basically, the spot rolled down to me and the rest is history! Best. Moment. Ever! I was shaking from excitement! I was that giddy that I forgot how to spell my name when I was filling out the paperwork and signing my life away. Haha.

You’ve had a big season of racing so far since qualifying, accumulating to this A race – the Half Ironman World Champs. How has your season looked up until now?

It’s been the biggest season of my tri “career” (and I’ve been in the sport for over eight years now!). I have loved every minute. My goal this year was to stay consistent, to try new things and to have fun – to enjoy the process and the training. And TICK! It’s been tough but I’ve loved it. Races I’ve done this year include:

  • A crit race (I think I was in Z grade or something haha) – I came first… first time ever on the top step of a podium !
  • Challenge Melbourne – my breakthrough race, where it all came together
  • IM 70.3 Cairns – oh man, that race! It didn’t go to plan but a lot of lessons were learnt
  • Gold Coast half marathon – achieved a massive PB here!

(Is that it? LOL … there has been a lot of racing going on)

One of your first key races was Challenge Melbourne earlier in the year where you had a break through race. How are you feeling leading into the Worlds compared to leading into Challenge?

I’m tired… haha jokes! I’m not really sure what to expect with worlds so I’m not really sure how to feel yet. Mostly I’m super excited about traveling to South Africa (how amazing is that!) and I’m excited about take part in something so big. I’m not really nervous yet because I really don’t have any expectations as it’s my first worlds. I just want to go out there and enjoy it. Oh and secretly, I’d love to nail that run. If I can do that I’ll be happy. What I learnt from Challenge though, is that I need a lot of ‘me’ time/alone time leading into a race. I’m much better when I don’t get sucked into the hype or too much of the social scene. So that’s what I’m going to try to do at worlds – just focus on me and what I have to do, especially 1-2 days leading out from the event. And then come race day it’ll be – blinkers on!

I’d have to agree with you here Margs, I remember walking past you the morning of Challenge and you literally looked straight through me and kept walking! haha. 

What has been the biggest challenge during this prep for the worlds?

As far as training goes the biggest initial challenge was working out how I was going to fit training in around a massive commute to/from work, along with work itself. But once I got into a groove that worked for me, things have been great and I’ve been more consistent then ever. Also swimming! Ah, bless! My least favourite part of triathlon. I qualified in Busso where they had cancelled the swim (as soon as it was cancelled I was all like: GAME. ON! Haha) so I knew I had a massive training curve to get my swimming up to scratch. I’ve been swimming with a squad (thanks Fluid Movements for having me), which has been so great and exactly the kick up the butt I needed. While I’ll never be an Olympic swimmer (you know, a coach once said that to me haha – oh, what! Are you for real? And here I was thinking… haha) I feel better/stronger in the water so hopefully I won’t come out last and/or get eaten by a shark (eep!).

On a personal level, the biggest challenge was my grandma passing away. She had cancer and passed away earlier this year (before Cairns). She was my number one fan and was so excited when I told her about qualifying for worlds. Sadly, she won’t be here to hear all about my trip when I get back but I’ll be racing for her, in her memory.

Have you had any breakthrough moments in training?

I started seeing breakthrough moments in training at around March/April. All of a sudden I was running faster then I’d ever run before – I remember one run off the bike in Torquay I was running <4min/km pace and was like: “OMG! Where did that come from?” Albeit I wasn’t able to maintain that pace for very long but it was a glimmer of where things were starting to head.

You have come leaps and bounds in the past 6-12 months, and it has totally come down to your consistency, trusting the process and your mindset. So now you get the reap the rewards! 🙂 

So tell us – whats your driver? What is the fire in your belly that gets you out of bed in the morning?

I want to be the best version of myself – I want to see how far I can go and what I have in me. Also, I love training (maybe more than I love racing) so it doesn’t take me much to get out there, especially if the weather is nice.

Also, escaping traffic by getting to a training session early (e.g. Swimming) – escaping traffic is definitely a driver! Haha

Oh and sharks! I have this irrational fear about sharks… so the driver to improve my swimming has been being able to keep up with the rest of the field on race day, so that I’m not left alone out the back as shark bait!

(What ever motivates you margs! 😉 haha)

What are you most looking forward to in racing this event – the World Champs!

Probably the atmosphere – I imagine that will be pretty epic. Also, I’m looking forward to the race being split into genders – females race one day, men the next. I’m looking forward to experiencing what that’s like and then to cheering on the guys the next day 🙂 Also, aside from the race I’m super excited about going on a safari and experiencing everything South Africa has to offer. Cannot wait!

It’s going to be an amazing experience for you that’s for sure! 

And one question I always like to ask – what will be next for Margs after this big goal is ticked off?  A break? A new goal? Something different? Fill us in…

Well, there was this one night a few weeks ago when I couldn’t sleep. But instead of just shopping for clothes online or something like a normal person, I decided to sign up for the Melbourne Marathon in October (eep!). So there is that, as a start. I’m keen to focus on my running for a bit. I’d like to see where I can take it and how fast over the half and full marathon distance I can get. But let’s be honest, once the weather warms up I’ll probably be all like: “Sign me up to another tri, baby! I’m in!” Haha! Stay tuned…

Love your work and your attitude Margs! And we can’t wait to follow you on race day!

Visit here for more race details

Posted on

IRONMAN CAIRNS Nekite Krog: Unfinished business

CPC: You didn’t get the chance to finish what you started at Ironman Busselton in December 2017, what made you decide you wanted to have another crack at an Ironman? 

Nekite: It was the worse feeling ever to have worked so hard to get to the start at Busso, physically and mentally I put in the hours I did the training, I was ready to take this IM on. 3 days before race day I got bronchitis, not ideal, but I was still determined to do this. Race day came and I was nervous as hell but calmed the nerves, did my warm up then saw the 70.3 athletes get out of the water. My heart sunk. The swim was cancelled… the first swim that I actually looked forward to. Damn sharks! The disappointment was written all over my face. I was still determined to do this, even though it wasn’t going to be a true Ironman. But it was like the day was set and nothing went to plan. I got too excited and went out waaay to hard. I lost my nutrition 10min into the ride. Bronchitis combined with the 37C heat and smoke from the bush fires made it so difficult to breath which brought on anxiety and panic attacks. I then also started to get immense pain in my feet through the ride. It was the first bike that I thought there is no way I am finishing this. I finally got to bike dismount a bit delirious and stumbled to the change tent where the medic checked me and called off my run. The disappointment was indescribable. I felt like a failure, like I gave up. The feeling of defeat didn’t sit well with me. I needed to hear those words in the finishing chute!   

I had unfinished business! 

The disappointment took a while to digest, but I still knew deep down I needed to hear those words called out to me.  Eventually I decided Cairns is going to be my come back race! I struggled to get back into training. I needed help! In searching for a training group or coach a friend told me about Complete Per4mance Coaching. 10 weeks out from race day I finally made the call, fingers crossed that Sarah had space for one more challenge. 😉 I knew the lead up to race day was very tight and wasn’t quite sure how it was going to be possible to get myself ready to tackle that 3.8km swim 180km bike and holy moly then a bloody marathon. Sarah reassured me that is tight but definitely possible. So 10 weeks out and it was on…

 

CPC: Your prep was short and you had quite a few challenges thrown at you, were there times that you didn’t think you could do this? 

There were definitely moments during the build to IM Cairns that I had serious doubts. I thought there is just not enough time, I kept comparing my prep against the build for IM Busselton. I had 8 weeks more to train for Busso than Cairns! And to throw another challenge into the mix, my sister’s wedding was in South Africa 3 weeks before the race, and my dear mother was diagnosed with stage 3 aggressive breast cancer just weeks before the race. I went back home for my sister’s wedding and to be with my family through this challenging time. After an extremely emotional two weeks I arrived back in Melbourne. I struggled with jet lag and missed my family. I felt guilty for not being home with my mother, I felt guilty for missing training sessions, when I trained I felt guilty for spending so much time training. My emotions were all over the place! At times it was tough to keep going, there were days that I just wanted to sleep, I was so exhausted emotionally and physically. I considered changing from IM to the 70.3, but that felt like me giving up. I thought of the battle that my mother is fighting so bravely, without complaining and with such a positive attitude. I then decided that I am finishing this for her, I am going to fight and win this battle like she is fighting and going to win her battle. I will cross that finish line for her! I knew I had to work on my mental game, work on my patience and with words of wisdom from coach Sarah, realised that I will have to realign my goals. The aim was just to move forward slow and steady and cross the finish line with a smile! And I did! Oh what a feeling!

 

CPC: Given your short prep, and the challenges, other than sheer determination, what helped you get you not only to the start line, but ultimately to the finish line? 

It is so important to trust in and have confidence in your coach and the program/process! You trust someone to guide you trough this massive journey and rollercoaster ride. It made a massive difference to have coach Sarah in my corner, constantly updating my program and adjusting my training to my schedule, travel, head space etc. Sarah provided words of encouragement and motivation, always being reassurance that I can do this that we trained enough to finish this.  She was patient and encouraging and provided a great program that was tailored to me, my situation, my abilities and the goal at hand. It was very important to trust in Sarah, to trust in the program and the approach. It was very different to the way I trained prior to joining CPC. What really helped my trust in Sarah and the program was all the information Sarah provided. Not just telling me to do something, but explaining why, providing articles to explain why. It made more sense. We had a plan and structure / framework but the weekly program changed to adapt to my schedule. Sarah understands that life happens and that training needs to fit in around life. There are times that training takes priority, but ultimately we as amateurs need to fit training in around work and life in general. Sarah was there every step of the way and ultimately guided me across the finish-line.  

 

CPC: So tell us how did your day to ‘finish business’ pan out? 

The 3.8km swim – oh how we love to hate that swim! It was a tough swim, very choppy and I think I swallowed my body weight in very dirty water. I was so relieved to get it out of the way and hop on my bike!

The 180km bike – bloody LOVED it!! Few climbs and the last 30km was brutal, but I was in my element! It was such a fun and beautiful bike coarse all along the coast and through the tropical rainforest. How lucky am I! The plan was to keep it breezy on the bike, keep the pressure, but not over work the legs and spare them for that marathon. I enjoyed every moment of the ride!

The 42.2km run – OMG I knew it was going to be a veery long slow run and the aim was just to move forward, slowly making my way to that Finish line, but there where times where the finish line seemed soooooo far away! It was brutal, with gut a bit upset, my back in a spasm and muscles aching, I tried to keep smiling and use the amazing energy of the crowd and support to just move forward. 1km out, the end was in sight! Running down that finish shoot supporters cheering, music pumping the energy was amazing! Then that Finish line and those 5 words I have been waiting for fighting for … Nekite YOU ARE AN IRONMAN! I did it! I bloody did it! What a feeling!

What a journey it has been, but I finally crossed that Finish line…I AM AN IRONMAN!💪🏻

That moment would not have been possible without the love and support along the way and on race day!

Big thanks to my training buddy Megan, I am so lucky to have shared this experience with you! You have made the journey so much more enjoyable and have kept me going when I really questioned WTF we are doing! Congratulations with your smashing time!!! 11:49:35!! You ran your heart out! WOW what an accomplishment!

My coach through this journey, Coach Sarah thank you for your patience, motivation, words of wisdom and for guiding me to the Finish line! Loved training with you!

To my amazing support crew Marinda Meyer and Andries Meyer I have no words! Thank you so much for all your support! Thank you for sharing this moment with me! You calmed my nerves, lifted my spirits and carried me through to the finish line! I love you so much! I am the luckiest to have you as my friends!

Family and friends thank you so much for all your love and support through this! 💗😘💗

Thank you for all the support and good luck and congratulations messages and calls, I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Now for some much needed R&R! Bring it on! ☀🏝🥂

Posted on

Coach Sarah: On the challenges of being an athlete mum

 “How do you find the time to train?”

“How do you fit everything in?” 

“Why do you want to train so much?”

“Don’t you just want to spend that time with your little one?”

I actually wondered this myself before becoming a mum.  I wondered whether I’d be able to ‘do it all’. To be able to find time to look after a little one, to work, to take care of myself, our household and on top of that, to train. I questioned whether I actually should, when the ‘right’ time to come back to training was and how much training was going to be enough. 

It can be tough. At times I can be torn between my choices.

To head out on the bike, or spend that extra time with my family.

To get the sleep while I can, or squeeze a training session in.

To relax and enjoy, or to get out and work out. 

There’s been times that I’ve let my little one cry longer than I’d like because I wanted to finish an interval on the trainer.  

I’ve woken him up in the early hours of the morning to feed him, hoping (praying) he’d then go back to sleep so I could sneak out quietly and get a session in before he wakes for the day. 

I’ve gently lifted his sleeping body out of his warm cosy bed and dragged him down to races so I could watch and support athletes. 

I’ve left him with family, not because I wanted a break, but because I wanted to train. 

I’ve kept him up past his bed time so I can finish a session, despite knowing he’ll be over tired and grumpy because of it.

I’ve allowed him to nap later than I ‘should’ simply so I could get some extra work done.

Does any of this mean I am doing less, or more, than what I ‘should’ be? Am I doing enough? Being enough? Giving enough?

Everyone’s journey in life is different, especially as mothers. We are all trying to find our own way, in our own way. Learning as we go, discovering, understanding. Trying to figure out what works for our own families and ourselves. What we can fit into our days and our weeks. Spreading our time and our love between those around us – but not forgetting about ourselves. 

As mums, all we want is to do what’s ‘right’ for our children. But honestly, there is no right way. We’re all just doing the best that we can, with the time and the support that we have. What works for one person, or one family, doesn’t mean it’s right for the next. Just like training itself. What works for one, doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. Sometimes it’s trial and error. Sometimes it’s strict routine, other times its go with the flow. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less. It doesn’t make one right or wrong. They are just different. 

But what I do know is our little man is growing up in a happy, healthy family. We are 100% there for him and would do anything for him, yet at the same time, our health and our happiness and our goals are also a priority to US. As he grows older he will become to understand what exercise and training is, that it makes us happy and keeps us healthy. He’ll be curious, and I have no doubt he will want to join in. So we’ll find a way to include him and encourage him. Looking after ourselves, training, exercising, eating healthy is what he’ll come to know. And that brings me both joy and excitement. For as much as I might ‘leave’ him to go out and train, I believe he will learn so much more because of it. 

As mothers, we are hard enough on ourselves. So before you question whether we should be doing as much as we are, think about the long term benefits for not only us as mothers, but also our little ones in tow.

So don’t judge us for the choices we make, as you may not understand our family.

Don’t question if we should be training less, or training more, or not at all. For you may not understand our reasons.

Don’t doubt us for doing things different to you, or to others, as we are not you and we are not them.

Don’t criticise us for our decisions, as you may not understand the struggles,  the challenges or the triumphs it takes for us to get to them.

Instead, celebrate us. Encourage us. Support us. Share the journey with us. Because you may just well be inspired by us.

We give so much of ourselves in all aspects of our lives. For 9 months we selflessly share our bodies with another tiny human being.

We go through body changes (and continue to do so), that only a mother can understand.

We nourish, nurture and soothe when no one else can. We get up early and wake in the middle of the night when all we want is sleep. We teach, we educate, we laugh, we cry. We scream in frustration, we lie down with exhaustion. We’re on call 24/7 yet don’t ask for anything in return.

So with everything that we give, everything that we do, to take an hour or two out of the day to ourselves – to train, to rest, to do whatever we choose, is not something that should be questioned. Because if we are our healthiest and happiest, our little families will be too. And if that means training, then training it is. 🙂 

Being a mum, while having the ability to work, train and remain healthy is a choice. And I love that so many mums are making that choice too. For their own health, their own happiness, their own reasons. So I celebrate each and every mum out there making time for themselves. 

So if you are a mum, a soon to be mum, hoping to be a mum, or a mum who has lost their sweet angel – always remember that you are enough. Your time away from your partner, husband, loved one, and little one/s isn’t lost time. It’s your time. For your own growth. For your own health, your own happiness and for your own reasons. There isn’t a right amount of time, the right time, or wrong time. It’s your time and you can use it how you choose. For you. And for your family.

Happy, Healthy Mothers Day to every special mum out there doing their thing. Xox

 

Posted on

Challenge what you already know

Who said things always had to be completed the same way?

Why is it that Saturday is always long ride day and Sunday long run day?

And who do athletes always tend to follow what others are doing without asking questions?

How do you know which way is the ‘right’ way?

Maybe it doesn’t have to be the way that it currently is. Maybe that’s just what you have always been told or shown? Maybe you don’t know any different?

Do you ask questions? Are you inquisitive? Intuitive? Have you done some of your own research? If not, maybe it’s time to challenge what you already know…. Because there is more than one way….

This is what I realised quite a few years ago now and proof was in my results, and in my health and happiness. AND this is even more important now that I have a little one in tow (now nearly 9months old!). 

“Finding a balance in training, work and life in general was at the top of the list for me. I knew if I was able to get this right, my training would be on track, I’ll be at my happiest and then the results would follow. Yes I still have big goals, and yes I’ll work my butt off to achieve them, but I will ensure that balance, as my health and happiness is not something I am prepared to ‘give up’ in pursuit of my goals. And nor should you have to either.

So when planning out my training, I sat down and looked at what time I had to train, what time I had to work and what time I wanted to spend with family, friends, my other half (and now my little one!). Time simply for myself, away from triathlon and training. And I looked at how I could maximise that time in each area of my life. So I decided that Sunday was no longer my ‘long run day’. Sunday for me was now going to be a day of choice. A day to wake up whenever I choose to, and do what ever I felt like. That could involve getting on a bike, or going for a run, and if I do it’s for fun. But it could also involve staying in bed and watching movies, catching up with friends, going away for the weekend, stepping away from the training ‘norm’. And it is the most refreshing thing ever.

I sought advice, asked questions and trialled. I tweaked my program to where I felt I had the right balance of training, working and ‘life’. But I didn’t just get rid of my long run, as a Coach I whole heartedly believe the long run is a key session for the week. What I did is, I shuffled my program around my life. Not the other way around. I programmed my long run for a Wednesday, and I work my other sessions around that. And it worked. For ME. And that was the key.

Just because everyone else swims Monday, Wednesday, Friday, it doesn’t mean you do if it doesn’t suit YOU. Sit down with a coach who is prepared to ask questions, get to know you personally and understand your motivations. The coach should then help you formulate a plan for YOU and YOUR needs. Not for the needs of a group, or because it is easier for them. But because they put your personal, training and racing interests first and foremost – and they get YOU.

I plan to stay in this sport for a long time. I plan to enjoy it, I am passionate about it and I love what I do. But that couldn’t happen if I’m always following what others are doing even if it didn’t suit me and my lifestyle. If I don’t have that balance, if I don’t maximise my time, if I’m not happy, then I will become another one of those athletes who falls out of the sport because they haven’t built it to be sustainable, as PART of their lifestyle, not running their life. They skew too much of what they do in one direction for too long, and it is only a matter of time until that falls around them.”

So be prepared to challenge the norm, ask questions, and push the boundaries. And never settle until you have found that perfect balance for YOU.

And always remember, Triathlon is what you DO, it’s not who you ARE. It shouldn’t define you, it shouldn’t compromise your happiness and nor should it stop you from doing what you want in the rest of your life.

If you are unsure of where to start, I wrote an article on finding the right coach for you – use these tips and questions to help you find the answers and define your own triathlon journey. 🙂

Happy training & racing

Coach Sarah

~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~
Sarah is the Director & Head Coach at Complete Per4mance Coaching. Born out of the desire and passion to not just coach but to educate athletes, Sarah shares her 10 years of coaching and racing experience, knowledge and education with athletes of all levels to help them achieve their optimal performance while maintaining a balanced, happy and healthy life.

Contact Sarah to discuss training options for you.

 

Proudly powered by WordPress