Things are ramping up a little bit now. The JustGiving fundraising page is live, I’m starting to look at programming for the workouts and have made a few enquiries with local businesses to ask for support. The thing I’m struggling with the most is promoting myself. Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you how terrible I am at acknowledging my strengths and downplaying my achievements (that section of your appraisal you have to write yourself – just painful!), so trying to ‘put myself out there’ is proving very challenging in itself. I set up a public Instagram account in order to engage with people, businesses and potential supporters for the event and it feels like it’s going quite well so far. However, I’d say that about 75% of the posts I do result in me totally over-stressing about whether they’re boring, stupid or both and when it comes to posting pictures and videos of myself, the self-criticism reaches another level. Social media is by far the best way to reach a wider audience though, so I’m just going to have to get used to it and hey, maybe making an idiot of myself might get a sympathy donation?

After putting together a flyer about my event to distribute in the community, I asked my colleagues for some feedback. Self-promotion (lack of) was the response. I’m so caught up in finding ways to get support and fundraise for the charity that I’m forgetting to tell people that what I’m taking on is nothing short of crazy and that if I’m going to put myself through this challenge, I really ought to be shouting about it! Fortunately, my colleagues are not only honest but also completely fabulous and I’m lucky to be able to call on them for help and advice throughout this process. The flyer is now ready but rewriting it definitely reminded me that teamwork is going to be key to the success of this challenge, from beginning to end.

Training at the gym is going really well. I’ve learned so much from the coaches in the seven weeks since I joined and the other members have made me feel really welcome. I certainly won’t be winning any competitions in the near future but I’ve started to master a few skills and even achieved a couple of PB’s along the way. I’m trying to attend a variety of classes to practice all the different elements of Crossfit (sometimes tricky when working around my husband’s shifts, my work commitments and family life) and with a few months still to go, I’m fairly confident I’ll be ready to face the 24 workouts, despite the nerves and trepidation that will be ever-present until the those 24 hours are over!

There’s still a lot of planning and work to be done and I doubt that my anxieties or ongoing mental chatter around this challenge will be easing off any time soon. But, with the amazing support of my family, friends and colleagues, as long as I give this everything that I can to achieve my goal and fundraise for the fantastic charity I work for, then it will all be worth it. Not only that, the personal achievements I have gained in the gym, the contacts I am making for the charity and the opportunity to bring our community together for what should be a pretty awesome event makes me feel really proud of how far I’ve come already. Hang on… did I just give myself some credit there?!

If you’re enjoying my blog posts, I’d be really grateful if you could support my challenge. Find out more at www.justgiving.com/fundraise/plantgirl Thank you.

I chucked myself in at the deep end with a session that included a workout that was used in the Crossfit Open in 2019 – it was hard work but it felt awesome! The coach was amazing and as well as being really encouraging, she taught me some really useful things about technique too. I pushed myself more than I probably would have done at home and left the gym feeling great! I’ve done six classes in the last two weeks – all different types of classes to ensure I’m working on all the elements and skills in Crossfit and I’ve loved every one. With a mix of strength, lifting, gymnastics and cardio over the classes, it’s been a really good exercise in working out where my weaknesses lie so I know what I need to work on.

However, it’s not just the coaching and equipment that I’m grateful for, it’s the people too! I had no idea how much I’d missed being around people during the pandemic and to start becoming part of a community of like-minded people with a shared interest in health and fitness has really given me a boost. I’m keen to meet as many coaches and members as I can in the lead up to my challenge in the hope that lots of people will want to get involved on the day but, more than that, I really want to get to know everyone and become part of the crowd at the gym. I had a feeling they were a lovely bunch of people before I signed up and it seems I wasn’t wrong!

Being around people who have similar goals and interests, who encourage you and make you feel part of a team are wonderful people to have in your life. Connecting with others is so good for mental and physical health with research suggesting that people who are socially connected are happier, healthier and live longer and that positive relationships can improve our sense of belonging and give us a purpose. When it comes to my challenge, my sense of purpose will not just be about fundraising but also about getting through the 24 hours with an awesome team of people who I certainly don’t want to let down – it will be amazing to smash this challenge together and feel proud of everyone that gets involved!

The thing I love about Crossfit is the community and inclusivity. It can be perceived as quite an elitist sport with images of people lifting heavy weights and doing impressive things on bars and rings but in reality, everything can be scaled back to suit your abilities and the buzz you get from working with other people and encouraging each other to get through workouts is awesome. When you feel like you can’t get that last rep or run those last few metres, having your team mates cheering you on makes all the difference.

I feel very fortunate to get to know the coaches and members of the gym I have joined – there is so much knowledge, experience, camaraderie and support and I will be soaking up every bit of advice, taking every opportunity to connect with people and working hard to make this challenge a success. Hopefully, I will even be able to call some of them my friends soon too!

In an attempt to calm my mind and switch off for a bit, I decided to take the weekend as a rest, not do any training (yes, two whole days off – it took a lot of willpower) and try to find some ‘zen’. I’m a big fan of yoga and love following Adriene Mishler’s practices on YouTube but I have a tendency to opt for cardio or strength training over yoga because I feel like I want more of a workout. However, I’m always reminded of the joy and benefits of yoga when I practise. Yoga is great for strength and flexibility and is such a good way to compliment other training and look after my body. It also allows me to take some time to focus on the present moment and while I’m on the mat, the rest of the world kind of stops for a bit… I don’t know about you but I definitely need more of that in my life! The idea of yoga is not to force your body into positions but to experience how your body feels as you move and breathe. I find yoga helps with relaxation but it also boosts my energy, leaves me feeling good and ready to face the world. I also love the fact that, like Crossfit, it’s ‘scaleable’ – you do what you can at your level and gradually work towards improving positions and flexibility – no pressure.

I’ve always struggled with meditation and mindfulness – partly because I can’t seem to find the time for it but also because I struggle to switch off. I always feel like I could be doing something more productive with my time! That said, I have got a couple of apps on my phone and occasionally use them at night to help me wind down. Listening to a voice guiding me through visualisation and focusing on my breathing is normally enough to distract me from my mental chatter and I’m often asleep before the session ends.

Spending the weekend chilling with my son, doing a bit of yoga and trying some meditation definitely left me feeling more relaxed. My resting heart rate that had crept up by 15bpm over the last few weeks, is heading back down and I feel a bit more in control of my life again. It’s so important to just stop every now and then and I’m terrible for constantly finding another job to do and feeling ‘twitchy’ or guilty if I sit down for more than five minutes. Yoga gives me the opportunity to slow down and find some peace without having to sit on my backside doing nothing. After my restful weekend, I felt energised and ready for another week of training and my mind was certainly calmer so I felt able to think more clearly. Bring it on Monday! Perhaps I should remember to find my zen more often!

The event itself is daunting – physically and mentally it will be a huge challenge so preparation, mindset and optimum health will be key to completing the challenge. But I’m also anxious about the six months leading up to the event and whether I’ll be able to achieve the goals I have in mind in order to be ready. I know that my fitness level is ok, I need to improve my strength and technique but am fairly happy in most areas of Crossfit and I have also discovered over the years that I have quite a gritty determination that has got me through difficult times in my life as well as challenging workouts. The thing I struggle with (in many areas of my life if I’m honest) is self-doubt and low self-esteem and this will probably be my biggest hurdle. There are many days when I think “who do I think I am? I can’t do this! Everyone must think I’m an idiot for thinking I can get through this challenge! There’s no way I’ll ever be good enough!” My lack of faith in myself is something my husband despairs over but he is also my absolute rock and will be a massive support. I just have to find my own strength on the days I doubt myself so I can keep pushing to achieve my goals.

There has been a lot of talk around impostor syndrome, lack of self-belief and fear of failure in the media recently and how common it is, particularly among women. I can relate to a lot of what is discussed so I’m keen to find out how others overcome these feelings and begin to have faith in themselves. Dr Tara Swart (interviewed in Women’s Health magazine) explains that confident feelings come when “the bonding hormone oxytocin, which allows you to take healthy risks that are more likely to lead to success, is activated in the brain.” She goes on to explain that you can create a habit of believing in yourself – it will take time and practice to establish the habit but by making a decision to change, focusing on achieving that change and holding yourself accountable, it can happen. she also suggests focusing on your past successes, in any part of your life, and drawing on the positive feelings from those moments. When I think about those times in my life that I’m proud of and felt confident, it’s an awesome feeling so I can see how this theory will work – I just need to recall that feeling when the self-doubt starts creeping in and get into the habit of channelling that emotion into this challenge and my training. I’m never afraid to ask for help (another piece of advice from Dr Swart) and I’m always keen to learn from others or try new ideas which will definitely help with my confidence. I’ll certainly be taking on any advice and words of wisdom from the coaches and other members on those first nerve-wracking sessions as ‘the newbie’ at the gym and throughout the months leading up to my challenge.

It’s frustrating that my mind can have such a negative effect on my actions and emotions. However, I also appreciate how powerful that mind is and have every intention of doing what I can to focus on the positive things that it can do – mental strength is going to be just as important and physical strength for this challenge, if not, more so.

On one particular day recently, when I felt sluggish and low on energy but had planned to do a workout, I put myself to the test. Despite my head trying to coerce my body into a mid-morning doze on the sofa, I decided to ignore the messages and crack on with some training anyway. Opting for a pretty challenging bodyweight workout, it wasn’t going to be an easy test but 45 push ups, 90 lunges, 90 burpees and 180 squat jumps later, I felt so much more energised and the feeling lasted for the rest of the day! I proved to myself that I can push through those weary moods and actually turn it around by doing the last thing my body thinks it wants.

It got me thinking about my 24hr Challenge: how would I feel if the pre-event nerves sabotaged my sleep the night before? What if the event landed on a less than ideal day of my menstrual cycle? How do I make sure I don’t have one of those days where I’m on the verge of passing out with the simple act of standing up (a fairly regular issue for me)? Of course, I’ll be spending the next six months getting as much expert advice as possible around rest and nutrition in order to feel my best on the day, but on doing a bit of reading, I found a great article by Olympic Medalist, Courtney Thompson. It was entitled “8 Reasons No-one Cares You’re Tired” and as a volleyball player, Courtney explained that playing in a team means it’s not just about you so you have to get over how you feel, go out there and give it your all regardless of how much “all” you have at the time.

Reading Courtney’s article explaining that getting through a training session or game required selflessness, a commitment to show up and the ability to embrace the fatigue of pushing to your limits was inspiring. I may not be doing this challenge as part of a team but I am doing it to raise money and awareness for a charity and committing to support the gym and community who are facilitating the event. That makes me accountable – to all those people and myself – so I need to show up and push through for that team of people!

Courtney’s article goes on to highlight the power of the mind and how we can train our brains to overcome our physical feelings. It also reminds us to be realistic and understand that we won’t be able to perform at 100% every day but not to let that worry us and instead, focus on maximising what we are able to give. There are so many factors that can impact our energy and motivation but I am determined to give this challenge my 100% wherever possible – that includes the fundraising, training, promotion of the gym, event and supporters and, of course, the challenge itself.

The eighth and final point in the article was “Remember: the pain of not going all out is much bigger than the pain of holding back.” It was a great reminder that regardless of winning or losing, the real satisfaction comes with knowing that you gave it everything you had to support your teammates in reaching your shared goal. I will be keeping that thought at the forefront of my mind throughout my training and the event day – however I feel, I have made a commitment to achieve something and I’m damn well going to do it… for everyone!

I haven’t been a member of a Crossfit gym for a couple of years now and although I’ve continued to base my training around functional fitness, the access to Crossfit ‘virtually’ has really made me realise how much I miss the ‘physical’ community that comes with being part of an affiliate. Plus, you know, with a 24hr Crossfit Challenge on the horizon, joining a gym and getting some proper training in is probably a good idea, I guess!

The Open workouts were tough (as expected) but despite the seriously unhappy tummy I suffered with as I began to pile the pressure on myself before each workout, I really enjoyed the challenge. It was also good to put myself through the pre-workout nerves, my insecurities around having to video myself and pushing myself a bit harder than usual… partly because I think it’s important to get out of your comfort zone but also because I proved to myself that I could do it – two very important factors for the success of my 24hr challenge.

I wasn’t especially pleased with my performance, it was a bit sloppy in places and I could definitely have done with a scaled version of the equipment free workouts so I felt a bit of a fraud submitting my scores, even though I wasn’t going to be anywhere high enough in the rankings for anyone to look at my entries. But, it did help me to learn a lot about where I need to make improvements with my technique and work on my strength in certain movements. I also learned to focus on each section of a workout at a time rather than thinking about completing the whole thing so that it didn’t seem so overwhelming, and to tell my self that it is just 15 or 20 minutes of my life, it won’t last forever so why not give it everything and see what I can achieve.

The Open reminded me of the importance of recovery too. With a busy life as a working Mum, I am sometimes guilty of finishing a training session without worrying about refuelling or doing a decent amount of stretching, only to leave me feeling faint a few hours later and aching the next day. However, finishing each of the workouts for the Open, lying flat on the floor, heart pounding and hands shaking was an excellent prompt to get some good energy back in my system and take some time to stretch my muscles out. That said, the fully body DOMS I experienced after the final workout lasted three days!

I feel a bit lost without Dave Castro’s workout email this week but I have spent some time thinking about how I will plan my training in future to ensure I work on my weaknesses and technique. My main takeaways from the Crossfit Open that I will remember as I prepare for my 24hr challenge are to pace myself so I don’t fatigue too quickly, try to relax and enjoy workouts with less of the nerve enducing pressure I put on myself, remember I am capable of more than I think and to recover well.

Here’s to the gyms reopening soon, getting stuck into some hard work and making sure I’m more than ready when the date of my challenge rolls around!

However, I do believe that balance is important too. You’ve got to live, enjoy yourself, indulge a little and have some fun, right? So yes, that sometimes involves having some chocolate, I’ll have a couple of drinks most weekends (I can’t handle more than a couple these days) and I’ll have a little treat if we go for a coffee sometimes too. I also refuse to be the person that says no to the birthday cake (despite cake not really agreeing with me) because, well, it’s someones celebration… eat the cake!

Last week though, I decided to try a more consistently ‘clean’ way of eating. After buying The Happy Health Plan by the Flynn brothers, mainly to broaden my plant-based recipe options, I thought I’d actually give their plan a go to see how it made me feel. The idea is to stick to plant-based wholefood and avoid animal products (no problem), stay away from processed or refined food and any oils… and no calorie counting or portion control! I was definitely up for the last one – as I mentioned in a previous post, using calorie counting apps have definitely proved useful and interesting for me but my goodness, it’s laborious and time consuming!! So, the theory is that if you stick to the rules, you can eat as much as you like. Hmm, is this really such a good idea??

I started on a Monday (because, obviously – that’s when all ‘diets’ start) and quite honestly, by Tuesday I felt amazing!! I think this was partly due to feeling rather smug about only putting healthy, super nourishing stuff in my body but I genuinely felt more energised and ‘well’ straight away. As the days ticked by, the feeling good continued but I also realised that I wasn’t eating loads despite being allowed to and I was only craving healthy food. I wasn’t actually interested in refined foods, I didn’t even crave my evening chocolate treat – just a banana and some moon milk for me thank you very much! Not only that, last week was the week before my period was due, a week when normally chocolate is a staple and sugary treat foods are just part of getting me through the week. To top it off, I had virtually no PMT symptoms or cramps and hardly felt any of the wiped out sluggishness I usually have this time of the month. It also turns out that it’s really easy to cook without oil and, in turn, the lack of oil in my food definitely left me feeling much better and not at all bloated after meals. Bonus – I actually lost a few pounds in weight too.

So, to summarise, my ‘clean eating’ experiment was a resounding success! Feeling this energised, healthy and generally well gave me such a buzz that although I will still have days when treats are included, I fully intend to stick to this way of eating. Surely anything that makes you feel this good is going to be pretty easy to stick to. Thanks Happy Pear – you are legends!

I tend to plan my training sessions for the upcoming week on a Sunday. The planning is partly because I don’t have time to dawdle about trying to decide what to do on the day but it also ensures I schedule a variety of workout types to avoid the same focus every day. The debate over cardio v. strength for optimum fitness have been a constant in magazines, podcasts and social media but I’m definitely in agreement with those who advocate a balance of both. Certainly, Crossfit encompasses both so I’ll need to make sure I’ve covered all the bases for my 24hr Challenge!

Although I schedule all my workouts for the week, I do stay flexible. We all have days when our energy is low, things don’t go to plan or, particularly as a woman, hormones can totally throw our day off. I think it’s really important to listen to our bodies (even though I can sometimes be guilty of pushing through regardless) so if I’ve planned a strength session and wake up feeling low, I might swap that workout for a feel-good Body Combat blast instead. Other days, I might have zero energy and can only face a yoga session. By doing what I fancy on the days where I have less drive, I’m more likely to give the workout my best and, therefore, get more out of it.

That said, keeping my workouts varied not only means I work different muscles and include a mix of fitness elements each day but it also stops me getting mentally bored with my training and stops my body getting complacent too. I’m always up for trying new workouts because it keeps things interesting and it feels good to challenge myself to see what I can achieve.

Yoga is another regular in my schedule – mainly for active rest days but also for a post-workout stretch or an evening chill. My morning sun salutation is a non-negotiable. Yoga leaves me feeling mentally and physically strong, flexible and calm and is really good for muscle recovery. What’s not to love!

The Crossfit Open launched this week so today’s challenge is Workout 21.1 – lots of jumping and wall walks. Wish me luck… I think my shoulders may be complaining tomorrow! I haven’t scheduled my Saturday and Sunday training this week – I’ll get through the Open workout first and figure it out from there, based on my ability to move in the morning. I’m looking forward to the challenge though and it’s giving me a real buzz of excitement to get planning and preparing for my own Crossfit challenge later this year!!!

“Where do you get your protein” is the age-old question asked of many people on a plant-based diet and I’ll admit to worrying about getting enough sometimes too. However, making sure that I include plant-based protein in all my meals seems to be sufficient and I can always fall back on a protein shake if I feel the need. I also need to focus on having a better relationship with carbs, not seeing them as the enemy when it comes to my weight and concentrate on getting enough energy to train…. or even just to get through a busy day of working and parenting! I’ve had far too many days when I feel wiped out and dizzy and realised it’s due to restricting my carbs too much. And of course, when I’m low on energy, those pesky sugary snacks call even louder!

On the whole, not being an expert, I think I eat a healthy diet. I stick to natural, whole foods as much as possible, try to get a good balance of macros, eat lots of veggies and drink plenty of water. My typical go-to foods include nuts, seeds, oats, sweet potato, grains, tofu, beans, pulses, milk and yoghurt alternatives, lots of veggies and fruit. I love a bit of good quality peanut butter and generally stick to 70-90% dark chocolate. That said, “Friday Night Pizza Night” is non-negotiable for our family. We make the bases at home and include veggies in the toppings but having a bit of a blowout night once (maybe twice) a week is so important for relaxing, enjoying food with my family and also maintaining balance – something I want my son to learn as he grows up. And yes, I have a Friday night beer with my husband most weeks too.

This week, I’ve been experimenting by having slightly smaller meals with a couple of healthy snacks in between and also trying to mix up my recipes a bit so food isn’t just a calorie focused, monotonous necessity. It’s been a success so far and the berries and yoghurt or apple and PB snack have definitely kept the afternoon sugar craving at bay. Spreading out my nutrition and calories throughout the day instead of just having three main meals seems to help me feel more energised and more likely to make healthy choices. I think I’ll need to look at speaking to a qualified nutritionist closer to my challenge to make sure I fuel myself well for the event but it’s fun playing around with different foods and ideas myself for now.

I’ve used My Fitness Pal a lot in the past and it’s been really interesting to learn more about the food I eat, understand portion sizes and judge my calorie intake against what my Fitbit tells me I’m burning. However, I’m aware the information isn’t always accurate and that we are all different in the way we metabolise foods so although it was initially useful, I’ve moved away from logging food – the knowledge does NOT make up for the hassle of weighing every flipping carrot and lentil I eat each day! One thing is certain, I won’t be trying any of the fad diets. I truly believe that understanding what ‘healthy’ means and eating a sensible diet that works for you as an individual, so that it can be maintained as a long-term ‘normal’ is the way forward. Denying myself certain foods and even knowing I’m ‘on a diet’ just makes me focus on food more and crave what I can’t have – a recipe for disaster if I’m honest!