January Progress
January - the month of person plans, annual target setting and ultimate reflection. So with that in mind, what have I been doing with my January so far?
Back to Strength Training
I’ve really found my love with the gym again. Strange you would think for an active young man who competes internationally but I may surprise you to hear that I had really been struggling with gym motivation towards the latter part of 2018. Despite having access to excellent facilities, I would find myself going to the gym but then struggling to find the drive to perform the required exercises. I’d go a bit mind-blank when entering the gym and suddenly forget my programme, my intentions to end up going home to eat pies (i’m kinda joking).
With the addition of a new gym buddy and more organisation to fit sessions in, I’ve found my passion again.
A More Organised Diet
My diet has always been my Achilles heel. After a lot of difficulties growing up, I found a friend in food. For the past 4/5 years, I have struggled with a mild energy drink addiction. Convenience, quick-energy and tasty - energy drinks were my to-go drink but in 2019, I am determined to quick the habit.
With a quiet start to January, I have had the time and space to organise my diet in line with my hectic schedule. Once I get in the swing of things with my diet, it flows nicely but my diet is always heavily influenced by my schedule. The more organisation and routine I have, the better I eat - simple, right?
Here are some of the simple steps that I’m taking, that you could also follow to aid in improving your diet this year:
More preparation - at the beginning of the week, I sit down and have a look at mine and my partner’s schedule. I plan exactly what I am going to eat during the week and try to stick to it as much as possible.
More ‘real meals.’ - we’ve all had that feeling when we simply cannot be bothered to prepare a meal. Multiple times this year, I have simply opted for a dinner consisting of a protein shake, some steamed veg and some toast. Preparing real meals makes me feel so much better, fuller for longer and keeps me motivated for the rest of the week.
Thinking more about food - armed with hummus, carrots, celery, apples, peanut butter bananas, there’s no reason that I shouldn’t be snacking. With a busy schedule, food is often put to the side-line but I need to actively think more about it. If i’m thinking more about food, i’ll be less prone to eating bad snacks or shopping when hungry - always a bad move.
More Running
As soon as the running/OCR season starts, it’s very easy to cut back on running and training. Last season, as I was competing almost every week, I didn’t have the energy/make time for other training. I’ve really been enjoying my runs recently, especially within group runs so a big goal this year, is to continue running during the week despite competing at the weekends.
As soon as my blade socket has been fixed, I’ll be clocking more weekly miles than ever before.
Back to Judo
I didn’t realise how much I missed Judo but it’s always so difficult to fit everything in. With evenings and weekends devoted to my partner, it’s a fine balance. On Monday, I went back for my first Judo session since the British Champs and it’s apparent that I need to be training my technique on a more regular basis. Although my fitness has increased since my last session, I would really like to work more on my technique to be able to achieve my black belt in 2019.
