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.