Paul Dawson’s Blog

It seems only fitting that I pay tribute to Michael Jackson and how apt his song is for this challenge, for the blokes anyway.  He obviously struggled with getting on top of his battles with himself but what a creative genius he was.

Anyway back to my challenge.  I have still struggled to get into a good routine again the last week and hence haven’t achieved a good result.  I did manage to get back to the gym and even did my first continuous run for 30 minutes, which is probably the first time I have done that since I left school.  So some new running shoes were purchased today in preparation for the retreat.

Results from the polar watch are 4 sessions for a total of 3:11 and 2635 kcals.

Failed miserabaly at my attempt to go for a week without coffee, it is still my vice but I will get there some day.

Very much looking forward to the retreat and just hoping the body will hold together for it.

Just 8 days left of the challenge.  What will I do when it is finished … keep going on the challenge to be the best me that I can be.

Well the last week has been really tough for me.  Our son Ollie has been unwell and waking up several times in the night and this has meant that I have been weary, haven’t made it to the gym since last wednesday, have been eating the wrong foods and generally spiralling downwards.  It is interesting to see how this has played out and how much I recognise it as a pattern.

Anyway getting back on track today and getting back to the gym tomorrow.

Weekly results from polar watch – 2 workouts, 1:27, 1107 kcals

Haven’t weighed myself this week so don’t know progress but worse than that and more importantly my energy levels are not good at all.  Will be interesting to see how quickly I can rebound back.

Well I am back into the exercise routine now and enjoying it although the body has been feeling it quite a lot.  Been walking around like a cowboy with very sore hamstrings and groin muscles!!!  Part of this is because we have been playing basketball as part of the warm up in our sports circuit at the gym and I remember how much I love sport and I have really got into it.  Think that will have to be part of my new lifestyle, getting back into a team sport.

Had a great surprise when I hit the scales this week as I have had a less than ideal couple of weeks and had not weighed myself for a while.  I was expecting to have put weight back on and was very nicley suprised when the scales read 2kgs off. Woo hoo.  I should be slack more often!!!!

Having some real successes at the moment with some work coming my way and my business developing nicely.

Also having some real success in dealing with my self sabateour and learning to accept that part of me rather than fight it.

Need to be better organised with food shopping for next week so I can stick to the plan more and also still need to drink more water.  I really should challenge myself to drink no coffee for a week.  Not sure if I could do that, but it would be a great challenge for me.

Weekly summary for last week from my polar watch is 4 sessions, 3hrs 7 mins, 2457 kcal.

At 86kgs, 4kgs to go to reach target for this challenge.

Well after a couple of encouraging reminders (thank you) I am back here for a blog.  It has been a very busy couple of weeks for me and it is getting to the critical stage for me to earn some more money (past that really) so feeling the pressure and while I am confident about the prospects for my business it is tough going at the moment.

I am getting some great help from Richard Whelan at the moment and we are working on the very stubborn self sabateour in me.  And that mainly comes in the form of having high expectations of myself, which I think make sure I don’t achieve to just prove to myself that I can’t be controlled.  I feel like I have a Gollum and Smeagol as my inner voices who constantly battle with one another.

Have been sufferring with a head cold for the best part of 10 days and that ha effected my exercise.  Feeling very tired and don’t have a lot of energy for exercise but also know that is due to not drinking enough water.  That seems to be a big thing for me.

I am trying not to beat myself for failing at my orignal goal and I won’t make it now, but I realise the real goal of this challenge was about educating myself about what is a healthy lifestyle for me and it kicked me into exercise which I will not give up now.

I have so much on my plate at the moment and my weight is just one of my major goals but still an important one.  I still want to have a really good run up until the retreat and use that as another springboard and confirmation about the healthy lifestyle that is right from me.

So I am going to reset my target for the end of the challenge to 82kgs but more importantly to have my energy levels where I want them and have a sense of balance.

I am always so keen to give myself very big challenges (and usually multiple ones) because I am ambitous but I am realising now that is also because I am impatient and wnat to gte places really fast but usua;;y end up dissapiointing myself.  So being realistic and realising that life is a journey not just the destination is what I am focusing on for the moment.

Keys for me for the next few weeks are exercise and water, water, water.