Working, training and family life

2 posts and a run log does not a blogger make. I knew that I would have challenges this year and I suppose this blog is about overcoming them. Goals on the other hand are different to the challenges. Challenges have to be overcome where as goals must be achieved. The first challenge is to obviously post my thoughts and feelings, ideas and musings. But for this to be a blog I need to be posting them regularly. However there are decisions to be made every day. What am I doing, how busy am I, will I manage out for that run ? So I look to what is the goal for this month. The goal at this stage is to run every day in January so if that means that the blog does not get updated then so be it. Focus with purpose is going to be key for me this year. Don't get me wrong this blog is important to me but my first priority has to be to running and achieving my physical goals. It is interesting that I have adopted a specific mantra for this month "Keep running and things will get better" . It applies to all aspects of my life and for the past couple of weeks appears to be true. Work, while hectic and high pressure is moving forward. The success of the business is increasing and the team is growing in strength. The daily challenges are no longer insurmountable. Cycling to work and running at lunch time is giving me clarity of thought and much needed time to process plans and ideas as well as removing daily stress points. With my training I know that whatever I plan to achieve this year my base has to be built now. Granted the method in which I am choosing to build it is a bit extreme but it will deliver the desired results I am sure of it. Looking at the training log, how I feel and what I have achieved thus far I think its working. Family life always seems to be better whenever I am training regularly. The cycling home from work allows me to work through the issues from the day. This for the most part means I am more content by the time I make it home. When I don't cycle home I can still have issues to work through when I get home but having that hour cycle after work I can work through my thoughts from the day and then focus my attention on the family when I'm back in the house. Overall I think that if I keep training things will get better and for me training means running ........... try it.

Not from Nothing

This blog may well be a cathartic way of rationalizing my thoughts. It may also be a way of ensuring that I drive myself to achieve any goals that I am able to set for myself. There is, however, more of a drive for me to get back to what I would consider fit. Interestingly just like time, fitness is all relative. If you were to see me today you would consider me to be a generally fit individual. I can run a 10k on any given day I have raced triathlons and 1/2 Ironman events. I have taken part in 24hr mountain bike events in the middle of winter, been wild swimming and cycle hundreds of road and trail miles. But that was in a previous life. That was before everything changed around me. Before my focus was pulled from living to working really hard to earn a living. Before my drive was shifted from my personal goals to ensuring that I was providing for my family. I had always been active growing up. My father is a keen hill walker and from as long as I can remember he would take the whole family away at weekends. Wales, the Peak District, the Lakes and later on up into Scotland to the wilds of the Munros. I started mountain biking at school with friends, spent a little time at the swimming club but to be honest it was a real flying visit. I much preferred swimming in the early mornings with my dad. I would mountain bike as much as I could but then I got the opportunity to try rowing. I joined Nithsdale ARC which was my first step into real sport. I have to say at this stage that I was never really any good but I did love it and near the end of my time with the club I did managed to win a race or two. But never during any point did I consider myself fit or strong. It was only during my work life that I found a sport that I felt that I could be good at.

2014 its a start

Well the party is over and the head is a little fuzzy. Who framed Roger Rabbit is on the tv and Lynne is just putting on the bacon and egg rolls. It's 10:40 on New Years day and I'm still in my pyjamas . The dog is sleeping on the sofa and I have just put the work laptop down having checked my emails.

2014 is turning out to be much the same as 2013.

I'm struggling to see where I let my motivation fall so low and more worrying how I have let my job take over my life and health.

As it's new year I can now take time to reflect on different roles I have found myself in over the past few years. Hopefully through this blog I will start to work through what I have to do now to move my life and fitness forwards.

Currently I am Head of Operations for a small electronics company. But leading up to that over the past few years I have been a Gym Instructor, Lifeguard, Personal Trainer, athletics coach, events stand manager, support technician, Quality manager oh and for a brief period I was also unemployed.

It is only when I am looking back at this that I can now start to appreciate why I am struggling with the turmoil this has created in my life.

I generally find that looking back does not help the way forward but we should never forget what has come before.

Prior to 2009 my life was the definition of stability. I had held my job with the same electronics company since 1998. I had moved up through the ranks from assembler to engineer. Celebrated the birth of my children, my marriage, graduation from university and various promotions through the company. I had friends peers and mentors. I had grown as an individual and travelled the world. But all the time through a bubble of stability.

The friendships that I made took me deep into sport and defined my life in a new way. I tested myself  daily both physically and mentally. I was always looking for the next challenge. All the while being supported by my wife and kids, friends and family. Things appeared easy and I was convinced that I was living life and that things would remain this good forever.

Things did not remain that way and in 2009 I was made redundant. Hey that not all bad I thought I now have an excuse to start my own business doing something that I love. I was convinced that my love for sport could take me on to the next level of personal fulfilment and allow me to provide for my family. Ha was I wrong. Starting a luxury bespoke personal training business with no help or experience and limited funds in the middle of a recession. It was only going to end one way. However I retrained myself and embarked on my new chosen path.

As thing usually do with new endeavours things started well. I found contacts, and clients created leads and opportunities. All balanced precariously on enthusiasm  and energy. Then the realisation that I was not making quite enough regular money to support the family. I took on other jobs working for the local authority as a freelance instructor. I also worked at the local sports centre as a lifeguard and gym instructor. Each job took me further away from my goal of creation my own vision of personal fitness. I did manage to keep a few client but ultimately my growing lack of availability due to my need for regular income meant that they soon fell by the way.

With that fell my confidence, health and fitness. My friendships waned and all that had come to define me was apparently slipping from my grasp.