My Thoughts on...

Motivational Mottos to Spur You into Action

Some of them are my own creation, some I’ve just heard and have stuck in my mind, and others come from books and the internet. All of them make me smile and give me inspiration in different ways.

1)    The smug feeling you get after a workout is far better than the guilty feeling you get if you've given exercise the cold-shoulder. 

2)    “Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today'. ” Peter Maher, Canadian elite marathon runner

3)    Exercise is like mouthwash. If you can feel the burn, it's working!

4)    “Apart from the survival advantage when escaping a sinking ship in a cold ocean, being too fat has nothing but downsides.” Mike Stroud, Survival of the Fittest

5)    “Think of it like sex or a tax rebate. A little is always better than nothing. If all you have is 17 minutes to fit in a run, then run for 17 minutes.”  Runner’s World.

6)    Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows that it must out run the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up you had better be running!

7)    Conditions are never just right. People who put off doing things until all factors are favourable, achieve nothing.

8)    Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from places a shower will never reach!

9)    Force yourself outside the door, once your out, that’s the hardest bit of the workout over and done with.

10)    The more “buts”, the bigger the BUTT!

So that's the motivational bit, now get out there and train!

Posted by Heather Waghorn.

Inspirational Reads

Following a hockey injury to my knee, my running has unfortunately had to take a back seat recently. For inspiration, motivation and distraction, I’ve since turned to perusing other people’s physical triumphs and tribulations.

So for the next time your training takes a nosedive, these are a couple of my favourite inspirational reads to spur you on.

One of my most thumbed books is Survival of the Fittest by Mike Stroud. Interlinking stories of his adrenaline-charged adventures, with informative sections on human physiology, Dr Stroud convinces you that we are all capable of great physical achievements.

He takes you adventure racing across 300 miles of American back-country with a 72 year old great-grandmother, hauling sledges across Antarctica with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, and battling sand, wind and blisters on the Marathon des Sables.  Along the way you learn a great deal about what the body can do in extreme conditions, and why we are all evolutionary designed to be physically pushed a lot further than you'd expect. 

Another well-read non-fictional book on my shelf is Life and Limb by Jamie Andrew.  After a gripping account of an Alpine climbing accident that turns him into a quadruple amputee, you’re then taken on a hugely emotional journey where he struggles to overcome his disabilities, returns to climbing and runs a marathon.  It puts the rest of us to shame!


Posted by Heather Waghorn.

How I kicked started my new year

Getting back into healthy living after a week of Christmas indulgences can be quite a challenge, even for me.

By the 5th January, few things had been crossed off my New Year's resolution list, and my running was going nowhere fast. Feeling a bit deflated, I entered a 10 mile race, totally on a whim, for the following day in Tadworth.

I hadn't exactly trained for it, so decided to run for "fun" rather than a particular time. I just took in the scenery and enjoyed the race (although a couple of sadistic hills were a bit more than I'd bargained for!).

It's got me back into enjoying running again, consequentially kick starting my healthy eating habits and a few of my other resolutions are now falling into place too.

I've learnt two things from this. Firstly, races are a good way to get some millage done, and you don't have to always run them hard.

Secondly, putting yourself under too much pressure to achieve something can actually have the opposite effect, and dull your enthusiasm rather than inspiring and driving you. Schedules and targets are great for keeping you on the right track, but sometimes it's good to just screw them up and do something different. By taking the pressure off, you can take more pleasure in what you are doing, and are therefore more likely to go out and do it again.

Finally, exercise doesn't always have to be in a structured, pre-planned format. Try thinking of something different to do like ice skating, kite flying, horse riding, indoor climbing, cycling, or just offer to take the neighbour's dog for a walk.

Here's a few ideas to get you started:

Kite (plus lots of other fun stuff!) shop: www.londonbeachstore.co.uk
Somerset House Ice ring: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/
Rollerblading lessons: http://www.citiskate.co.uk/Group_skating_lessons_in_london.htm
Horse riding lessons: http://www.kingstonridingcentre.com/riding.html
Indoor climbing: http://www.castle-climbing.co.uk/
Runners World event listings:  http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/defaultevents.asp?sp=&v=2

http://www.hafitness.com

Posted by Heather Waghorn.