Have a great week! Make the most of all your opportunities!
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Monday Motivation ...
I know! Can you believe it! I've started back the Monday Motivation posts!
Have a great week! Make the most of all your opportunities!
Have a great week! Make the most of all your opportunities!
Monday Motivation ...
Keeping your body healthy is not the only thing you need to do to maintain your healthy, balanced lifestyle ...
Remember to keep your mind healthy too ...
Have a wonderful week!
Remember to keep your mind healthy too ...
Have a wonderful week!
Fit
Mum
Monday Motivation ... Keep being consistent!
How did you week go last week with the April challenge? How are the push ups and plank? It's not too late to start you know!
This week it's time to up it a little bit. Not a lot, just a little bit so that you are gradually building up your strength.
Here is this week's plan ...
Push ups 20
Skipping 100
Plank 45 seconds
Just so that you don't think you are going to get away with it being easy either ... If you find that doing 20 push ups on your knees is easy but just can't quite master them on your toes ... change the intensity when doing them on your knees.
Here are some options ...
* Slow them down. Count to 3 as you lower to the ground, count to 3 as you push up again. Slower uses your muscles for longer ... it burns, oh yeah!
* Go low. Provided that you are maintaining your form, go as low down to the ground as you can. OK, so if you've got big boobies then you have an advantage, but get down low!
And, those of you who are pushing out 20 on your toes with no problems, up the intensity of yours too. Same as above!
Now all of this effort we are making in April is not going to be for nothing ... we are making changes, to both our mind and body!
Get out there and make the change! And don't forget to let me know on FaceBook or instagram with an #activeapril hashtag! I want to see pics!
This week it's time to up it a little bit. Not a lot, just a little bit so that you are gradually building up your strength.
Here is this week's plan ...
Push ups 20
Skipping 100
Plank 45 seconds
Just so that you don't think you are going to get away with it being easy either ... If you find that doing 20 push ups on your knees is easy but just can't quite master them on your toes ... change the intensity when doing them on your knees.
Here are some options ...
* Slow them down. Count to 3 as you lower to the ground, count to 3 as you push up again. Slower uses your muscles for longer ... it burns, oh yeah!
* Go low. Provided that you are maintaining your form, go as low down to the ground as you can. OK, so if you've got big boobies then you have an advantage, but get down low!
And, those of you who are pushing out 20 on your toes with no problems, up the intensity of yours too. Same as above!
Now all of this effort we are making in April is not going to be for nothing ... we are making changes, to both our mind and body!
Get out there and make the change! And don't forget to let me know on FaceBook or instagram with an #activeapril hashtag! I want to see pics!
Monday Motivation ...
It's something we all struggle with at times.
And it really does sometimes feel as thought you are fighting with yourself to get out the door and start your training session or even just grab a healthy snack.
But if you keep working at it, being consistent will become easier, day by day, exercise by exercise and meal by meal until it just becomes your way of life!
Stay healthy, stay active!
And it really does sometimes feel as thought you are fighting with yourself to get out the door and start your training session or even just grab a healthy snack.
But if you keep working at it, being consistent will become easier, day by day, exercise by exercise and meal by meal until it just becomes your way of life!
Stay healthy, stay active!
Monday Motivation ...
I started, and I finished!
The International Women's Day Fun Run was on in Brisbane yesterday. This was my first 'Fun Run' in nearly 2 years! I know, it was only 5km but it gave me a bit of extra motivation to get back to more running. At the moment I run maybe once a week, so nothing serious.
There were people everywhere. It was crowded. Settling into your own rythym was pretty much a non event. There were bottlenecks and we would run into the back of the person in front if they stopped to have a walk break. And it was hot!
But in the end we finished and our time of 31 minutes was kind of respectable given our training or lack of training! I wouldn't say it was the easiest 5km that I have ever run .. or the fastest, but it's given me something to work on. I know where I am now and I know where I want to go.
More importantly, I got out there amongst.
Have a great week everyone! Get out there and get amongst it and see what you can achieve!
Stay active, stay healthy!
Fast Track Challenge Update .. Week 3 / 4
What do you do when you have made a commitment to yourself to complete a challenge but then run a little off track?
This was me last week .. Week 3 of the 8 week Fast Track Challenge. I was tired and really had to push myself to get out the door to do my scheduled workouts.
I won't say I was hungry, but I was craving everything. I can't even tell you exactly what I was craving. I just wanted something. You know that "stand in front of the pantry door scanning" type of feeling.
Thankfully, I don't have a lot of "treats" in the house and sadly nothing that I was craving!
Did I also mention that there was no change in the scales! Hmmm, not happy. That was a bit of a wake up call!
This week, I'm back in the right head space. I won't say I'm following the exact menu plan ... well, to be honest, I've always wandered around the plan a bit, never following it exactly.
What I am doing though is focusing on eating the right foods and using the plan as a bit of a guide, especially at dinner times. If I'm hungry I'll eat something that will provide me with nourishment, not a quick fix. Again, I'll say it's great that someone has planned my menu!
I'm also feeling a lot better in my training sessions this week. I still have to ignore myself if I have to get out of bed early for a run! Do it, don't think, works every time.
A yoga class this week also helped me refocus. Oh my poor hips, they felt all stretched out for a day. All good now!!
If you are off track now, get back on!! Don't leave it any longer! You made that commitment to yourself .. stick with it to the end!
Stay healthy & active!
This was me last week .. Week 3 of the 8 week Fast Track Challenge. I was tired and really had to push myself to get out the door to do my scheduled workouts.
I won't say I was hungry, but I was craving everything. I can't even tell you exactly what I was craving. I just wanted something. You know that "stand in front of the pantry door scanning" type of feeling.
Thankfully, I don't have a lot of "treats" in the house and sadly nothing that I was craving!
Did I also mention that there was no change in the scales! Hmmm, not happy. That was a bit of a wake up call!
This week, I'm back in the right head space. I won't say I'm following the exact menu plan ... well, to be honest, I've always wandered around the plan a bit, never following it exactly.
What I am doing though is focusing on eating the right foods and using the plan as a bit of a guide, especially at dinner times. If I'm hungry I'll eat something that will provide me with nourishment, not a quick fix. Again, I'll say it's great that someone has planned my menu!
I'm also feeling a lot better in my training sessions this week. I still have to ignore myself if I have to get out of bed early for a run! Do it, don't think, works every time.
A yoga class this week also helped me refocus. Oh my poor hips, they felt all stretched out for a day. All good now!!
What do you do if you veer off track?
Are you able to get yourself back into your routine, or do you get run over by that wagon you fell off of?
If you are off track now, get back on!! Don't leave it any longer! You made that commitment to yourself .. stick with it to the end!
Stay healthy & active!
Week 2 .. 8 Week Fast Track Challenge Update
I made it through Week 2 with not too many hiccups!
I'm sticking to the menu plan with some switch arounds here and there. Lunch and dinner always to plan. Breakfasts and snacks I usually rotate 3 choices .. as I said I'm happy to eat the same thing almost every day for breakfast but I'm trying to stick with the variety. Variety is good!
Exercise last week didn't really ring any bells though! I hit the wall on Wednesday morning after an early morning workout. Not sure what came over me but I was completely exhausted and hungry!! Again, my concern surfaced that I wasn't taking in enough calories. I solved my problem by listening to my body and having a quick nap and eating a bit more .. only good choices though! Extra serve of fruit and yogurt .. no chocolate bars .. maybe that's my problem?
Each week of the challenge there is an online meeting that Shannan heads up, with the intention of answering participants questions. We ask them via the community forum and he answers "immediately". I haven't been able to participate in the live meeting as it is right in the middle of my daughter's swimming training, so I watch Shannan's video and read the questions and answers when I get a chance to sit down.
If you are looking for a "community" feel with motivation and support then this facet of the challenge is great! From what I have read on the forums everyone is supportive and encouraging ... exactly what we need sometimes when it feels like we are the only ones doing it tough!
Two weeks down and I'm happy with my progress .. I'm not perfect so I'm going to admit to having a few pieces of chocolate over the weekend and a glass of wine. I REALLY enjoyed both of them!
I might have to work a little bit harder this week though, Mr Fit Mum and I are off to dinner and the theatre tonight ... I wonder what dessert will be?
I'm sticking to the menu plan with some switch arounds here and there. Lunch and dinner always to plan. Breakfasts and snacks I usually rotate 3 choices .. as I said I'm happy to eat the same thing almost every day for breakfast but I'm trying to stick with the variety. Variety is good!
Exercise last week didn't really ring any bells though! I hit the wall on Wednesday morning after an early morning workout. Not sure what came over me but I was completely exhausted and hungry!! Again, my concern surfaced that I wasn't taking in enough calories. I solved my problem by listening to my body and having a quick nap and eating a bit more .. only good choices though! Extra serve of fruit and yogurt .. no chocolate bars .. maybe that's my problem?
Each week of the challenge there is an online meeting that Shannan heads up, with the intention of answering participants questions. We ask them via the community forum and he answers "immediately". I haven't been able to participate in the live meeting as it is right in the middle of my daughter's swimming training, so I watch Shannan's video and read the questions and answers when I get a chance to sit down.
If you are looking for a "community" feel with motivation and support then this facet of the challenge is great! From what I have read on the forums everyone is supportive and encouraging ... exactly what we need sometimes when it feels like we are the only ones doing it tough!
Two weeks down and I'm happy with my progress .. I'm not perfect so I'm going to admit to having a few pieces of chocolate over the weekend and a glass of wine. I REALLY enjoyed both of them!
I might have to work a little bit harder this week though, Mr Fit Mum and I are off to dinner and the theatre tonight ... I wonder what dessert will be?
Do you have support when you are trying to stick to a diet and exercise program?
If not, what type of support would you like?
Moving it Monday ...
As a Personal Trainer I most certainly advocate including exercise as part of your regular health and fitness routine. I'm even going to suggest that maybe you look at employing the services of a Personal Trainer! Well, duh!
So it should really come as no surprise when I tell my clients and my potential clients that I, myself have a personal trainer also. But it does. The most common response would be "Oh really? Why would YOU need a PT .. you can do it all yourself. "
Why, yes, yes I can plan my program and train myself. But there are days when I just don't feel the urge to push myself as hard as I could ... or should.
Like today's training session for example. Because of the "issue" I have with my arm at the moment I am limited in what I can do, so leg strength has been a focus in our last few sessions. Today we thought we would shake it up and did a more cardio focused session. And no, I probably would not have put myself through that session today by myself .. I was sucking in the big ones after the warm up!
Now, I'm feeling pretty happy that I got out there and worked hard! Maybe just to make up for some treats over the weekend a little bit ...
The reasons I have a PT are just the same as why anyone else would benefit from having a PT ...
Someone to push me and challenge me ...
Someone I need to be accountable to and make sure I turn up to my appointment
Someone to think for me ... I just do what they tell me to do and I don't have to think about what is next
Someone to make sure my technique is spot on!
What do I love most about having a PT ... I know that I have worked hard, put in a decent effort and have definitely had a quality session! Oh and I feel pretty darn good after a kick arse session!
So it should really come as no surprise when I tell my clients and my potential clients that I, myself have a personal trainer also. But it does. The most common response would be "Oh really? Why would YOU need a PT .. you can do it all yourself. "
Why, yes, yes I can plan my program and train myself. But there are days when I just don't feel the urge to push myself as hard as I could ... or should.
Like today's training session for example. Because of the "issue" I have with my arm at the moment I am limited in what I can do, so leg strength has been a focus in our last few sessions. Today we thought we would shake it up and did a more cardio focused session. And no, I probably would not have put myself through that session today by myself .. I was sucking in the big ones after the warm up!
Now, I'm feeling pretty happy that I got out there and worked hard! Maybe just to make up for some treats over the weekend a little bit ...
 |
| Rehydration required!! |
Someone to push me and challenge me ...
Someone I need to be accountable to and make sure I turn up to my appointment
Someone to think for me ... I just do what they tell me to do and I don't have to think about what is next
Someone to make sure my technique is spot on!
What do I love most about having a PT ... I know that I have worked hard, put in a decent effort and have definitely had a quality session! Oh and I feel pretty darn good after a kick arse session!
Do you have a PT?
What do you expect from your PT?
What do you love the most about training with a PT?
Get yourself out the door .. 20 ideas to motivate yourself to move!
How are you motivation levels this week? Are you totally pumped or are you feeling a little "meh" about getting moving?
I shared with you what keeps me motivated to eat well and keep up my training routine. Now I know that everybody is different and as such what works for one may not necessarily work for another, so here's some super fabulous ideas that will help when you are stuck for a bit of motivation! I know you've probably heard some before but it's a good reminder and maybe it's time to put some into practice!
Don't think about it .. just get out and do it. I have to do this sometimes when I'm really not in the mood!
Set your clothes out the night before. If you need to get up in the morning do everything you can to get out the door as fast as you can so you don't know what you're doing!
Find yourself a training partner. This one is great for that "guilty feeling" of letting someone else down.
Remind yourself how good it feels. You know you feel great afterwards. It might be hard to start and hurt during .. but that feeling of satisfaction can't be beaten!
Make a commitment to yourself. Do you really want to let yourself down?
Miss a workout risk the guilty feeling. When you blow off a workout just because you can't be bothered think about how guilty you will feel for letting yourself down!
Stick post it notes around to remind you. A constant reminder of why you are eating well and exercising. You know you want this!
Laminate a business card reminder. Some of my clients love the idea of a laminated "business card" in their handbag, purse, bathroom mirror as a reminder of what their goal is and why they started out.
Quotes. There are thousands of quotes out there .. find one that resonates with you and stick with this. I have heaps on here on my Motivation Mondays!
Pictures / visuals. A picture of yourself on the fridge! Or a picture of your "goal" body or "goal" dress.
Blogs. Find yourself some blogs to follow ( obviously this one too! ). I love reading about what other people are doing to motivate themselves and their workouts. This helps me get a move on sometimes too!
Find yourself a PT / gym membership. If you are going to do this you MUST use it .. I will not advocate paying for a gym membership or paying for a trainer if you are not going to use it. You will find that they are worth the money if you take advantage of the knowledge that you get there!
Goal. Find one. Long term / short term just find something to work towards. Mini goals can work a treat eg .. exercise for 30 minutes every second day or 15 minutes everyday.
New clothes A goal after my own heart! Work towards that new set of gym clothes but you actually have to WORK towards them first. Lose 5 kg and get a new set of workout gear .. or commit to training 4 days per week for a whole month .. you get the idea.
New playlist on your iPod. I love getting out and listening to some new music especially if it is going to get me moving and take my mind off what I'm doing.
Alone time. OK, so you're a mum ( even if you're not ) and you need some serious alone time. You know, where there is no one yelling at you that they want / need something. I'm afraid sometimes the locking the toilet door just does not cut it .. get out of the house!
Burn some calories. OK so who doesn't want to do this?
What you look like. I'm getting really obvious here ...
Set an example. For your kids, your family etc .. walk the walk people!
Health. This really should be the number one shouldn't it ...
So there you have it ... 20 reasons to get you moving. Go on, you have no excuses now!
I know that there are dozens more ways that we all get ourselves motivated. I would love to hear them ( as I may use them myself! ) so please share either comment here or on my facebook page .. you know the one ...
Please also, don't forget to sign up to have FitMum delivered to your inbox whenever I post here .. Just pop your email in the box up the top!
I shared with you what keeps me motivated to eat well and keep up my training routine. Now I know that everybody is different and as such what works for one may not necessarily work for another, so here's some super fabulous ideas that will help when you are stuck for a bit of motivation! I know you've probably heard some before but it's a good reminder and maybe it's time to put some into practice!
Don't think about it .. just get out and do it. I have to do this sometimes when I'm really not in the mood!
Set your clothes out the night before. If you need to get up in the morning do everything you can to get out the door as fast as you can so you don't know what you're doing!Find yourself a training partner. This one is great for that "guilty feeling" of letting someone else down.
Remind yourself how good it feels. You know you feel great afterwards. It might be hard to start and hurt during .. but that feeling of satisfaction can't be beaten!
Make a commitment to yourself. Do you really want to let yourself down?
Miss a workout risk the guilty feeling. When you blow off a workout just because you can't be bothered think about how guilty you will feel for letting yourself down!
Laminate a business card reminder. Some of my clients love the idea of a laminated "business card" in their handbag, purse, bathroom mirror as a reminder of what their goal is and why they started out.
Quotes. There are thousands of quotes out there .. find one that resonates with you and stick with this. I have heaps on here on my Motivation Mondays!
Pictures / visuals. A picture of yourself on the fridge! Or a picture of your "goal" body or "goal" dress.
Blogs. Find yourself some blogs to follow ( obviously this one too! ). I love reading about what other people are doing to motivate themselves and their workouts. This helps me get a move on sometimes too!
Find yourself a PT / gym membership. If you are going to do this you MUST use it .. I will not advocate paying for a gym membership or paying for a trainer if you are not going to use it. You will find that they are worth the money if you take advantage of the knowledge that you get there!
Goal. Find one. Long term / short term just find something to work towards. Mini goals can work a treat eg .. exercise for 30 minutes every second day or 15 minutes everyday.
New clothes A goal after my own heart! Work towards that new set of gym clothes but you actually have to WORK towards them first. Lose 5 kg and get a new set of workout gear .. or commit to training 4 days per week for a whole month .. you get the idea.
New playlist on your iPod. I love getting out and listening to some new music especially if it is going to get me moving and take my mind off what I'm doing.
Alone time. OK, so you're a mum ( even if you're not ) and you need some serious alone time. You know, where there is no one yelling at you that they want / need something. I'm afraid sometimes the locking the toilet door just does not cut it .. get out of the house!
Burn some calories. OK so who doesn't want to do this?
What you look like. I'm getting really obvious here ...
Set an example. For your kids, your family etc .. walk the walk people!
Health. This really should be the number one shouldn't it ...
So there you have it ... 20 reasons to get you moving. Go on, you have no excuses now!
I know that there are dozens more ways that we all get ourselves motivated. I would love to hear them ( as I may use them myself! ) so please share either comment here or on my facebook page .. you know the one ...
Please also, don't forget to sign up to have FitMum delivered to your inbox whenever I post here .. Just pop your email in the box up the top!
Vicki
x
Training Tuesday .. What motivates me?
Let's talk motivation ...
What gets you out the door to the gym, for a run or to get your chosen training session done? Or consistently eat a healthy, balanced diet?
Motivation is different to commitment .. commitment is what gets you to stick to your chosen training session until you reach your goal.
Everyone is motivated by different things and a lot of people are motivated by the same things. Today I am sharing with you some of the things that motivate me ..
The number on the scales .. OK I'm human! I like to make sure that number doesn't get too high, but it's probably not my number one motivation.
Setting goals .. this is probably closest to the top. I like to have something to work toward. When I don't I tend to get a little off track and fiddle and fluff around with training. Don't get me wrong, this can be a good thing too, just to take a break and live life!
My health .. This is my number one motivation at the moment. Maybe I've had the "OMG I'm 40 now!" moment but looking after myself ( and of course the family! ) is priority at the moment. Yep, it's all about me! I would like to do everything I can to make certain that I'm healthy and able to move as I get older.
What I look like .. I told you I was human! I want to look the best that I can and I know that I look that way when I follow a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly. And here I will admit to being strict with both training and eating if I'm planning to eat ( or drink ) a few extras! I don't punish myself but I'm just a bit more careful!
How I feel .. this one follows closely on from what I look like. I feel fitter, stronger and less jiggly and blah when I eat well and exercise.
As a role model .. I strongly believe that I should practice what I preach! Not only for my family but as a Personal Trainer I want to be a role model for my clients. My motto is that I won't get my clients to do anything in training that I haven't done myself .. let me just add that it gives me a HUGE amount of scope here!
There you have it .. what gets me through my training when motivation is lacking!
Please share with me either in the comments here or on Facebook what gets you moving .. later on in the week I'm going to do up a post and share some ways to help get you motivated, so if you have something that works a treat for you let me know!
Vicki
x
Monday Motivation .. What motivates you to move?
Now this is clearly not a picture of me when I get out of bed in the morning because I can assure you that I do not bounce out like this unless of course I'm going for a run .. well no, even that doesn't happen! Apparently some people do ... clearly they are on drugs ... or not getting up early enough to feel the horror of waking up so early.
OK, so now I'm waffling on ...
This week I thought I would talk about exercise, diet and motivation and the rocky relationship that these have.
What motivates you to stick to your training program?
What keeps you going every day eating healthy, balanced foods?
I will talk about what motivates me ... I will give some tips on how to motivate yourself.
And I would love it if you could let me know what motivates you and I can share it here. That is of course, if you want to share!
Now, off you go, put your thinking caps on and let me know what gets you bouncing out of bed in the morning!
Vicki
x
Monday Motivation ...
I hear a lot of excuses as to why one cannot exercise ... I've used quite a few of them myself!
Sometimes life really does get in the way but in general here's a rule that should be practiced just a little more often ...
Sometimes life really does get in the way but in general here's a rule that should be practiced just a little more often ...
Vicki
x
Monday Motivation ...
Making sure that you stay headed in the direction of your goals does not only depend on how much exercise you do or how much food you do ( or don't ) eat ...
Saying the right thing by you is just as important as doing the right thing by you!
Are you talking to yourself right?
PS .. Did you like my Fit Mum facebook page yet? Come over and say hi!
Vicki x
Women in Sport .. Rochelle Gilmore
I have had this idea on the boil for a little while now. So when I was given this opportunity I felt that it was something that I would really like to take up on.
Without further ado ... I introduce the first post in my new "Women in Sport" series!
What I am aiming to do with the "Women in Sport" series is introduce you each month to some Australian women who are successful in their own right. These women have set goals, and with motivation, hard work and commitment have achieved them!
I am hoping to motivate and inspire you into making health and fitness a part of your life and in turn that will help to give you more energy and strength to face the daily demands placed on you by friends, family and work. You may even learn to love it like I do!
This month I would like to introduce you to Rochelle Gilmore. Rochelle is an Australian cyclist and she is most definitely an inspiring woman. Rochelle won gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and in 2011 whilst competing suffered a massive fall which left her serious injuries.
Read my interview with Rochelle below ...
I honestly feel like I’ve really fallen in love with the sport in the past couple of years. Until now, I’ve been living in my own little world with tunnel vision - all I could see was the finish line and the podium! Now, I enjoy all aspects of the sport.
There was a time when I would have said that I’m a cyclist because I’m good at it. Now, I cycle because I love it! I’ve participated in many different sports from a young age so I feel blessed that this is the road I took when it came to decision time at the age of sixteen. I certainly haven’t looked back.
The only times that I struggle to get out the door are the days where I can’t get out of bed due to pushing myself to the limits the previous days. These are the days where I need to listen to my body and take a rest.
In saying this, yes there are days when I don’t feel like doing my specific efforts out on the bike (just like anyone else). In order to get into it, I visualise how much the efforts in a race will hurt. This encourages me to dig deep and familiarise myself with pain. Visualising works well for me - sometimes I can actually feel my legs burn when I visualise working hard on a climb or in the final kilometres. Scientists have proven this is actually physically possible, to replicate the sensations by visualising!
Being
a professional your life is all about cycling.
How do you find a balance between training, competing and other parts of
your life i.e. family, friends etc. What
is your favourite way to spend your time when you get the chance to relax?
I try to attend family functions, BBQ’s etc during the summer in Australia; otherwise my social life consists of catching up with friends and team mates on tour, and the occasional function with sponsors. I enjoy going to the movies or relaxing at home watching a DVD but I also try to do some kind of extreme activity after a substantial training block of two-three weeks, just to break things up and get the adrenalin pumping. This could be track driving, surfing, go-karting, sky-diving, water-skiing, snow-skiing jet-skiing or motoX riding. These are all sports that I’ve grown up doing so I consider them no more dangerous than my profession.
Yes, I had a heavy crash at the 2011 Giro d’Italia on stage five, in the final 200m. I fell on large cobble stones sprinting into the centre of Verona with 50-100 women at 60km/hr. The fall resulted in a severe concussion, a fractured pelvis (two places) fractured vertebra and three broken ribs. I was completely immobilised for 40 days, and had to learn to walk again, in a pool first and then on dry land. Less than one year later, I am competing competitively again at world level.
Winning and competing was my motivation. It never crossed my mind that I might not compete again.
The amount of training that you do would mean that you have a pretty serious appetite. How do you make sure that you stay on track with your nutrition to ensure that you are performing at your optimum day in day out?
Some people count calories, I just eat what I feel like when I feel like it. If I feel heavy I might cut down on carbs in the evening. If I feel light, I might add in an extra meal.
As athletes we become very familiar with our weight, so it’s quite easy to control. It’s not ideal for me to ever go hungry but at the same time, I need to eat healthy, low fat foods. Diet has a HUGE impact on performance and I’m motivated by winning, so I eat for performance. If I get carried away with indulgences I will, without doubt, struggle in races.
So, even though I need to eat a lot, I need to get into the habit of eating healthy foods for performance.
Without further ado ... I introduce the first post in my new "Women in Sport" series!
What I am aiming to do with the "Women in Sport" series is introduce you each month to some Australian women who are successful in their own right. These women have set goals, and with motivation, hard work and commitment have achieved them!
I am hoping to motivate and inspire you into making health and fitness a part of your life and in turn that will help to give you more energy and strength to face the daily demands placed on you by friends, family and work. You may even learn to love it like I do!
This month I would like to introduce you to Rochelle Gilmore. Rochelle is an Australian cyclist and she is most definitely an inspiring woman. Rochelle won gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and in 2011 whilst competing suffered a massive fall which left her serious injuries.
Read my interview with Rochelle below ...
Along
with many other elite athletes, you started sport and training at a young
age. You have been cycling for quite
some time now. How do you keep the love
of your sport alive?
I honestly feel like I’ve really fallen in love with the sport in the past couple of years. Until now, I’ve been living in my own little world with tunnel vision - all I could see was the finish line and the podium! Now, I enjoy all aspects of the sport.
There was a time when I would have said that I’m a cyclist because I’m good at it. Now, I cycle because I love it! I’ve participated in many different sports from a young age so I feel blessed that this is the road I took when it came to decision time at the age of sixteen. I certainly haven’t looked back.
Are
there times when you just don't feel like training? How do you overcome these feelings? Do you have a particular "mantra"
that gets you out of the house?
The only times that I struggle to get out the door are the days where I can’t get out of bed due to pushing myself to the limits the previous days. These are the days where I need to listen to my body and take a rest.
In saying this, yes there are days when I don’t feel like doing my specific efforts out on the bike (just like anyone else). In order to get into it, I visualise how much the efforts in a race will hurt. This encourages me to dig deep and familiarise myself with pain. Visualising works well for me - sometimes I can actually feel my legs burn when I visualise working hard on a climb or in the final kilometres. Scientists have proven this is actually physically possible, to replicate the sensations by visualising!
Being
a professional your life is all about cycling.
How do you find a balance between training, competing and other parts of
your life i.e. family, friends etc. What
is your favourite way to spend your time when you get the chance to relax?I try to attend family functions, BBQ’s etc during the summer in Australia; otherwise my social life consists of catching up with friends and team mates on tour, and the occasional function with sponsors. I enjoy going to the movies or relaxing at home watching a DVD but I also try to do some kind of extreme activity after a substantial training block of two-three weeks, just to break things up and get the adrenalin pumping. This could be track driving, surfing, go-karting, sky-diving, water-skiing, snow-skiing jet-skiing or motoX riding. These are all sports that I’ve grown up doing so I consider them no more dangerous than my profession.
You
had quite a serious accident in 2011.
You have since recovered and are now back on top of your training and
stronger than ever. How did you find the
courage and motivation to get back on the bike and rise again to your current
elite level?
Yes, I had a heavy crash at the 2011 Giro d’Italia on stage five, in the final 200m. I fell on large cobble stones sprinting into the centre of Verona with 50-100 women at 60km/hr. The fall resulted in a severe concussion, a fractured pelvis (two places) fractured vertebra and three broken ribs. I was completely immobilised for 40 days, and had to learn to walk again, in a pool first and then on dry land. Less than one year later, I am competing competitively again at world level.
Winning and competing was my motivation. It never crossed my mind that I might not compete again.
The amount of training that you do would mean that you have a pretty serious appetite. How do you make sure that you stay on track with your nutrition to ensure that you are performing at your optimum day in day out?
Some people count calories, I just eat what I feel like when I feel like it. If I feel heavy I might cut down on carbs in the evening. If I feel light, I might add in an extra meal.
As athletes we become very familiar with our weight, so it’s quite easy to control. It’s not ideal for me to ever go hungry but at the same time, I need to eat healthy, low fat foods. Diet has a HUGE impact on performance and I’m motivated by winning, so I eat for performance. If I get carried away with indulgences I will, without doubt, struggle in races.
So, even though I need to eat a lot, I need to get into the habit of eating healthy foods for performance.
Do
you have any weaknesses when it comes to a particular food and do you allow
yourself "treat/cheat" days?
Yes, and yes! My weaknesses are floury products
like breads and cakes. So, I do eat
bread (dipped in oil and balsamic vinegar) during tours or the night before a
race. I also enjoy a chocolate in the evening so if I’ve eaten well for a few
days and my weight is where it should be, I’ll enjoy a few Lindt Balls in the
evening. Bad but so good at the same time!
What does your current training / racing schedule look like?
What does your current training / racing schedule look like?
A typical training week involves 20 hours of cycling, six hours of stretching and two-four hours of core stability exercises. The cycling hours are a mix of endurance, tempo riding, repeat power or strength efforts ranging from three seconds to six minutes, sprint training and speed training; motor-paced riding at 50km/hr or high cadence roller sessions. Then we add in a one hour massage!
Do
you have any words of wisdom, particularly for women, who find they are
battling with motivation and commitment in their training routines?
Do what YOU want to do and you’ll always be happy! It’s
the only way to live.
I think Rochelle's last words are the ones that we all really need to live! Remind yourself daily!
Thanks so much to Rochelle for taking some time from her busy schedule to answer some questions and reminding us that we are all individuals and if we love what we are doing it really does make it that much more enjoyable!Monday Motivation ...
I know I tend to go on about this regularly .. but it is just so important in being successful in achieving your goal.
A daily reminder ...
Go forth and conquer the week! Become who you want to be!
A daily reminder ...
Go forth and conquer the week! Become who you want to be!
Monday Motivation ...
It really is all in your head ...
Let's make it a week of positive thoughts, positive actions and see what difference it makes in your world!
What changes in thinking are you going to make this week?
Monday Motivation ....
If you're not happy, do something about it .. don't blame anything else .. take some responsibility and work hard to make a change happen.
 |
| This is not my belly ... |
What are you going to do this week to take responsibilty and make some changes?
Monday Motivation ....
It's still Monday so I made it in time!
It's the winter school holidays here at the moment .. today was the first day.
I have had quite a busy start to these holidays and I know for certain that there are quite a few mums out there feeling a little bit like me at the moment ... So, here's this week's motivation to keep you going ...
Enjoy the first week of the holidays!!
It's the winter school holidays here at the moment .. today was the first day.
I have had quite a busy start to these holidays and I know for certain that there are quite a few mums out there feeling a little bit like me at the moment ... So, here's this week's motivation to keep you going ...
Vicki x
Monday Motivation ...
Do you make too many excuses?
We all have rough weeks. Sometimes things don't exactly go to plan.
Your goal for this week is to try what it is like NOT to make excuses. Just get on with it.
Let me know how you go ... I'd love to hear how you get on with it!
Vicki x
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