Can some one please remind me why I signed up to do the 12k Total Warrior this summer? Every time it pops up on my social media I ask myself why as I can't run 1k let alone 12 with some very brutal looking obstacles thrown into the mix. The countdown is well and truly on for the event though and with under 3 months to go I am feeling the need to step up training for it as I am feeling hugely under prepared for what is due to take place.

I really need to step things up as it is a 12k course with 25 obstacles thrown into the mix with a fair few involving water, climbing and of course a lot of mud, I think the only part I am looking forward to it Plunge, the ice bath style obstacle. This event is definitely going to put pressure on my body and prove to be a big challenge which will involve a lot of upper and lower body strength which I currently don't have and seriously need to work on. I also feel like I could do with a fair bit of weight coming off in the run up to this just to help with my fitness levels and so I am not lifting as much as I weigh now over the course, a little less weight should surely be a little bit easier. As the event edges closer though there are so many areas I could do with working on to get me around the course and just help me get in better shape in general so here is the plan...

Work on my nutrition 

I have mentioned a fair few times lately that it seems like my nutrition is what is letting me down this year so a big focus is going to be on changing what I eat. I am going to start fueling my body right, eating the right sort of foods before workouts and after to make sure I am preparing myself for what is ahead alongside eating what is going to aid my recovery process. I also want to try cut back on the amount of junk food and processed foods I tend to opt for currently, there is always a healthier alternative available to create so I am going to try make sure I am doing that, the same goes for takeaways, those are going to be cut right back and we shall be opting for more fakeaways going forward. Obviously there will be times in this where I am eating out due to family trips etc so I am going to make sure I am picking better options off the menu rather than the biggest burger on the menu.

Even when it comes to snacking I want to start having better choices, I don't need to power through a share bar of chocolate or tube of Pringles there are much healthier things I could sit and snack on whilst watching TV or whilst I am out and about. Finally for this section I want to make sure I am drinking my 2.5 to 3 litres of water a day as I know that staying hydrated will be a huge benefit for me too plus I don't need all the fizzy drinks I have been having lately.

Cardio

Getting some cardio sessions in will really help me get around that overall course length so I am hoping to increase these as we head towards the event. I am doing a couch to 5k style programme with my coach Emma which should hopefully see me be able to do some solid running rather than walking the course. My step count daily is also going to be increasing so that my legs are getting used to moving more and my overall heart rate hopefully improves due to the increase in movement. Football is also going to be a good way of improving my cardio so I am aiming to attend as many training sessions as possible whilst also playing in as many friendlies as I can in the run up to the Total Warrior event. 

Weights 

At the moment I have no upper or lower body strength and I know that by hitting the weights more often this will improve, granted in the time frame I currently have I might not get as strong as I hope to however, the training will help me work towards being strong enough to do the obstacles in the event and work towards progressing as the year goes on. The plan for the weights section of the training is to make sure I am doing my two full body sessions set by Emma each week and going to as many of the weight lifting sessions as I can each week. These 3 weights sessions each week will surely help me progress and if I push my self with some progressive overload I should see some big improvements by the time June comes around.  

Recover

It is all well and good throwing myself into these sessions but I also need to make sure I am recovering properly so that I am not putting too much pressure on my body. That is why on rest days I won't be being lazy, I will be getting myself out walking to hit my step target and keep my legs moving. The foam roller and massage gun will also be becoming my best friends no doubt as I try keep the aches and pains away. I will be getting the ice bath all set up too as I know mentally some time in here will do me the world of good. Finally recovery wise I will be making sure I am getting a good 8 hours minimum sleep each night as I know this will give my body the time it needs to recover and also help me feel more refreshed the following day.

The countdown is now well and truly on for this event and I know I could really be doing with making a lot of progress before this takes place. All I do know is that I am really excited to see any differences I can make in my body in the run up to the event as if I stick to this plan I should soon start to see a big difference. 

As I say this is going to be a huge challenge and a big step out of my comfort zone but I am looking forward to seeing how I get on.

 

Well that is week 2 done on my journey to get fit for football and I have to admit I am frustrated with myself. I threw myself into working out and getting my body moving however, my nutrition really derailed things and as you will see the week has been a mixture of things and the scales have gone up rather than down.

So here are the stats for the week...

Previous weeks weight 101.8 kg

Week 2 weight 102.4 kg

Difference     + 0.6 kg

A 0.6 kg isn't too bad but it is certainly frustrating as I thought my movement increase would have gone in my favour but I guess it goes to show you can't out train a bad diet and this is something I need to remember. I am also thinking the bit of a gain could be due to having played football yesterday and me weighing in with heavy legs but I guess we will see if that is the case as I weigh in over the course of the week. 

As I said at the start of the post I have well and truly thrown myself into my workouts and although I didn't do as many as I would have liked I still got plenty done and pushed myself in what I did. I started the week off on Monday with an at home full body workout, this certainly got the week off to a good start and I could feel myself working harder than before. Then the week got busy so a few days rest took place before taking the dog on a nice long walk, 1 hour 20 minutes and I racked up plenty of steps whilst tiring myself out more than dog. I followed the long walk with a trip to the gym to complete another full body session where I hit some new maximum weights and finished with a little bit of cardio, I certainly pushed myself to my limit in the session and felt great afterwards. I was due to go for a run on Saturday morning however, my legs were super heavy and took the day to rest up as I was playing a football match on Sunday. The game on Sunday was frustrating for me as I felt like it just highlighted how unfit I am and I am not happy with my performance lately so it is time to step all this up a gear so I feel way better than I did at full time on Sunday. 

I certainly burnt plenty of calories throughout the week however, what surprised me the most was the fact I ticked off 64,572 steps over the course of the week when previously I would have struggled at 40,000. I even managed to stick to my allocated calories every day however, they were nutritious choices and were more for convenience which is something I really need to stop doing and start fueling myself correctly.

There were a few things I was happy with other the course of the week though which is always good to look back at. One of the big things is getting that long dog walk in, normally I would leave these to Liam out of pure laziness however, I really enjoyed doing this even if I was ready for a nap after. 

I am also happy that I managed to get back into the gym as this is something I had been putting off due to laziness and confidence. Once I got in there I actually really enjoyed myself and found myself powering through my programme without worrying what others could possibly be thinking, I really need to start using my membership more as it isn't that bad.  I am also really happy with how I managed to up my water intake and reduce the amount of fizzy drinks I was having. The Pepsi Max Cherry became a bit too much of a habit so I reduced it to a can a day and focused on drinking more water throughout the day and it worked a treat.

As always there were also some things that I weren't so happy with and one of those things is the fact I didn't get as many football sessions done as I would have liked to due to other commitments, granted I still got moving but there is no better workout for me than football. The final thing I wasn't too happy with my food choices, I might have been sticking to my calories daily however, the choices I was making didn't benefit my body as I would have hoped. I really need to start opting for more fruit and vegetables in my daily routine and I know these will work wonders for me and get the scales heading in the right direction.

Overall size wise I haven't noticed much difference within my weekly measurements or progress pictures but I guess that will come over time and as we push towards that new season I am hopeful the pictures will have some noticeable changes in them. I did feel a bit deflated at the end of the week though with the gain which is obviously going to happen from time to time however, I thought the result was going to be a bit better.

We pick ourselves back up though and look ahead to a new week which is going to be absolutely chaos with so much taking place. I am determined though to keep going with the movement from last week whilst also working on what I am eating instead of just opting for the quick and easy option, I want some nice balanced options for a change. So here is the workout plan for the new week...

On Monday I am planning on starting the week off in the right way just like I did last time around, an at home full body session is on the cards and I will be pushing myself once more in this one. On Tuesday Bradford City finally don't have a home game so I am back to football training and again I am going to be throwing myself into this session and giving it my all. Wednesday is a bit up in the air at the moment, I could possibly be at football again or it could be another type of workout, I just need to see how things go on this one but either way I will be getting moving. Thursday is a rest day as I have an appointment to attend and I would much rather relax after it. If I can workout Friday I will be making sure that after a nice long dog walk I am getting my final full body session in for the week, if I can't workout though it will be another rest day. Saturday and Sunday will also be decided after Thursday's appointment however, I am also away on those days so whilst I am hoping I can run on those days we will have to wait and see.  

As always with a new week comes new goals and here are my goals for the week...

- Don't waste days off & still hit my steps target daily

- Pack my workout clothing for holiday just in case

- 1 Run on holiday if possible

- Complete both full body sessions

- Focus on the food I am eating

- 8,000 steps a day, minimum of 56,000 in the week

If I manage to hit all these goals I am hopeful that by the time I am writing this post next week I will be writing about a loss but I guess only time will tell with that one and with me being away until Tuesday we will have to see what the week 3 post next Wednesday has in store but fingers crossed it is much more positive.

As for week 2 I am so glad I got back into the gym and completed both full body sessions as it has been a long time since I last did that. We also saw a bit of nicer weather which has made me excited for the Spring weather to fully arrive as it should be easier to get those steps in. Week 2 has also shown me how much I need to push on now as the 15 kg to lose has turned into 16.6 kg which is a bigger task at hand but if we sort that nutrition out we could soon see a change in the direction of the scales. We know what we need to work on now so bring on week 3...

Start weight 100.8 kg

Weight now 102.4 kg 

Lost so far  + 1.6 kg

Still to go for goal of 15 kg : 16.6 kg

Check back next week to see how week 3 went let's hope for a good week...

At the end of last year I left a football team and had a bit of a break from the game but now I am back with a new team and although we are not in a league yet we are currently playing friendlies which have helped me come up with today's post which are all the goals I am setting myself in anticipation for the new season. 

I want my first competitive season with my new team to be my best in a long time, I want to go into it confident in my body by being in much better shape than I am currently in. I also want to see a huge improvement within myself fitness wise as currently that is really slowing me down at the moment and I struggle quite early on in the game. I also want to be better within the technical aspect so my on the ball skill is better, I have more chance of scoring and more chance of assisting whilst overall being able to play for longer which is the big aim.   

At the moment we are currently playing friendlies when we can and I am using these games and the training sessions to set myself some benchmarks for where I am currently at fitness wise and where I would like to get to by the time the real competitive season rolls around. I am really hoping that I am going to start seeing progress towards these goals as we head into the real preseason & the start of the league later in the year. 

So here are some of the goals I have set myself...

Lose 15 kg

Improve my fitness

Improve my strength

Improve my touch on the ball and accuracy

As you can see there is going to be a lot of hard work involved in achieving these goals but here is the plan to help me work towards each goal and really see the benefits... 

Sort my nutrition out

It is about time I started eating properly and that starts now. Gone are the days of eating out as often as possible and those takeaways for convenience that soon start to add up and aren't filling or giving me the nutrition I require. I will be meal planning weekly and meal prepping at every given chance to make sure I am eating the food that fuels my body. I will also be sticking to a high water intake daily and starting the day with some vitamins (more on those in a post another day). 

2 Full body sessions a week

If I manage to stick to 2 of these sessions a week then I should not only see the weight drop off me but also see my strength on the rise. The full body sessions are a nice mix of workouts that will help me work on plenty of areas of my body, it will be interesting to see how the weights in these exercises change over time if I stick to all these scheduled sessions.

Complete the couch to 5K 

Now this one I am looking forward to as it is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I am determined that by the time the season starts I can run a solid 5k and to do this I need to complete the couch to 5K. The running side of things will definitely help me in terms of fitness levels improving so I am looking forward to seeing how I get on with this one.

Weight lifting once a week where possible

I am really enjoying my lifting sessions even if my body aches for days after. I know they are benefiting my journey really well too and are aiding my weight loss and fitness journey as I am certainly getting stronger. I want to be hitting every session possible in the run up to the new season, the only way I will be missing them is if I am ill or the session is not on. No more picking trips out over the sessions it is full steam ahead.

Football training

The plan is to hit every training session possible in the run up to the season starting too however, I know there are a few sessions that I will be unable to attend due to family members birthdays or Bradford City games but in the grand scheme of things there are a lot of sessions I can 100% make it to and with the opportunity for 2 sessions a week I am sure most weeks I will be at the minimum of 1 session.

Play in friendlies

Up until the start of the new season we are going to be playing friendlies to make sure we are getting game time, previously I played in as little friendlies as possible however, this time around is going to be different as I am planning on hopefully playing in as many as I can. I am hoping that there aren't many that clash with any time away and let's hope those silly little injuries stay away too.

Train alone in the garden

The plan is to get the side garden all cut and ready for the lighter nights as this space is going to be my very own football training area. I have an agility ladder, cones, re-bounder and some goals for this area and it is somewhere I can take myself out to for 30 mins or even an hour and just work on some basics alone which I am actually quite looking forward to. 

Recover right

To make sure I am hitting the goals and being able to carry out all the bits above I need to make sure I am recovering properly to keep those little niggles away. The plan is to make sure I am stretching properly before every exercise I do plus stretching after to reduce the injury risk. I am sure the massage gun is also going to be my best friend, especially after the weight lifting sessions. The plan is also to get the ice bath set up ready to aid the recovery and also help with the mental side of things.

I am really looking forward to seeing just what difference there is in myself by the time the new season comes around, if I really stick to all the above there should be a big difference however, I guess only time will tell. I will be doing weekly updates on here every Monday with the sort of workouts I have done in that previous week and how the weight is looking, I am really looking forward to doing these updates too as it will show me the progress and what does or doesn't work for me.

The start weight today is 100.9 kg and the goal is to reach 85 kg by the time the new season begins in September / October (we will aim for September though as this is when we should be kicking off) so let's push on and see how much of a difference we can make...

How are we already in March? Every year seems to fly by quicker and quicker, I guess that is just a part of getting older though. February was a pretty good month however, I am determined to make March even better. I am determined that March is going to be the month where at least 90% of these goals are ticked off and things are finally sorted around the house rather than putting things off like I have been doing. So here are those goals I am setting myself for the month ahead...

Fashion

Empty the wash baskets at long last

Once these wash baskets are empty the last of the clothing will have been decluttered and I will know all of the items I have and what needs replacing. I also think it will give me a sense of accomplishment as it is a task that has been needed for a long time but has just been put off. I am so ready for a fresh start when it comes to clothing and this is a good place to start.

Accessorize outfits a lot better

Now the wardrobe are redone I have a lot of my accessories out and easily accessible so there really is no need for me not to be adding these to my outfits. I want to put some time to one side each morning to piece the right jewellery with the outfits I am wearing and the right fragrance rather than just rushing around like I currently do. This is such an easy way to level up an outfit so I need to start putting it to the test.

Sort out my Spring footwear rotation

Spring is right around the corner even if the weather isn't starting to reflect that just yet. This means I need to sit and go through my footwear to pick out those perfect pieces for the Spring season. I am determined that I will be mixing up what I wear so by selecting a clear rotation should really help me get wear out of different styles of footwear that work well with the different outfits I am piecing together for the season.

Go on a shopping trip to pick up the basics

As I mentioned earlier I am looking for those gaps in my wardrobe now that it has been decluttered and I am determined that in March I will be going on a shopping trip to fill in those gaps with some nice basics and Spring pieces. I am going away at the end of March too so I need to get a few of these bits for my holiday and maybe a few accessories for me to take too but we shall see on that last part. 

Get the wardrobe Spring ready

This is almost done and I guess if all the goals above go to plan it will be successfully completed. I want to make sure everything is good to go ready for the change of the season as I am sick of buying items out of season then not being able to wear them for a long time. I want to get everything and be able to wear it all straight away.

Life

Get out on the nightly dog walks

I usually just leave all these to Liam especially when I have had the dog all day. I really want to start going out on these walks with Liam and the dog though as I think it will do me the world of good and it will be nice to spend that little more time together as that time has dramatically reduced lately.

Finish the bedroom

There was a lot of progress on the bedroom in February so in March we only actually have a few finishing touches to do. There is the new skirting that needs to go on, decor to be added and a few touch ups needed on the paint along with a few bits of furniture needing to be built but all in all these jobs shouldn't take too long and the room will finally be done.

Start on the next job

Now this is where things get tricky as after seeing the progress in the bedroom and finally getting those long over due renovations done I want to keep the momentum going and make a start on another job in March. There is talks of the gym work finally starting and this is going to be a big job in the grand scheme of things however, we are relying on other people for that so there is a chance it may not get done in March. I would also love to make a start on the spare room/office as there isn't actually that much cost involved in the room and we can do it without relying on others really so we need to sit and work out which is the next project and then hit the ground running with it.

Sort the bathroom shelves

The bathroom shelves are absolutely over run at the moment and it is about time they were sorted once and for all. There are empty products, out of date products and items we are just never going to use so the plan is to remove everything and sort through it only putting back what we are going to use. This should make finding this so much easier especially if we go ahead and organise the shelves properly.

Learn to balance my time better

This is actually a big downfall for me and I know I could achieve so much more if I just balanced my time better. I need to learn to say no to going out all the team and actually spend time at home, I also need to learn to switch off and spend more time with Liam and the dog as I feel like I have been neglecting them. The goal for March is to spend more time with them and less time on my phone but also make sure the time is balanced so I can be productive on the websites and get things done around the house but we shall see how that goes.

Content

Post daily on the Edge of the Area Tik Tok 

I am determined to see this account grow and I know that with a bit of consistency this should take place. I have plenty of ideas for the content I want to create on here so it is just a case of actually filming the pieces, editing them and posting them. I posted quite a bit in February so lets hope more can be done in March. 

Post twice a week on the TNG Tik Tok 

Again I really want to try grow this Tik Tok account so to make sure I am not overdoing it for myself I am planning to start off in March with a few posts each week just to see what content works and doesn't work. We will see how this one goes especially with me doing so much for Edge of the Area however, I am quite hopeful I can get it done.

Start filming reels for TNG Fitness account

Now this is something I have wanted to do for a while however, my confidence just hasn't been there for it. Throughout March though I want to push myself and post 1 reel a week on the account, it could be a mixture of topics and I haven't settled on a set group of ideas yet but we will see how this one plays out as I am hopeful this is something I can complete.

Start looking for a new tripod & camera bag

If I am starting to film more content I want to make sure the gear I am using is suitable for what I require. My current tripod and bag are very cheap and if they are heading outdoors for periods of time I don't think they will be able to withstand the elements. There is also the fact I have a trip coming up this month where I want to take my camera so I need a better way of transporting it to keep it safe.

Start saving for a new camera

The final goal of the month is something I have wanted to do for ages now but have kept putting off for various reasons aka I have been wasting my money instead. I am determined though that in March I will finally put some money to one side to start saving up for a camera that is much better suited to my needs. I want something that is better quality for video so whilst I am shopping around for the perfect camera I may as well start saving for it. 

So there you have it those are my goals for March, I am really hoping it is going to be a super productive month where the majority of these goals will be ticked off however, I guess only time will tell for that so make sure to check back at the start of April to see just how I did get on. 

What are some of your goals for March?