I’ve always been healthy, strong and have worked out all my life. I could never have imagined to be overtaken by a running pregnant lady.
A couple of years ago my body had enough. I had ignored all the signals. I worked too much. So I got a message I could not ignore. My doctor told me I was not allowed to work out, not even a small jog. It was hard to take inn. I was thinking of course I could take a short jog, but it was not ok. No jogging – only walking.
So I went for walks, short and long walks – more or less every day. I have always considered any training not making you sweaty = not training. This was a trial for me.
After a while I tried out Bikram yoga. OK, you get sweaty at Bikram, no problem with that (it’s in a 40 degrees hot room). For an old soccer player there was many poses I could not do – inflexible body. So I did my best, copying the trainer and I got more and more flexible, learning to control small muscles. Fantastic training I must admit – also mentally.
During this period, I decided: “I’ll climb Mt. Everest in 2015”.
It has been fantastic to have this goal to work towards – helping me to look at things in a long perspective. My goal is far away, not here and now.
After Easter last year I started BootCamp – a tough outdoor training I used to do 3 times a week. I started with once a week. Far from good shape. Told myself I was not aiming for bikini-shape that summer. My goal was to be in great, strong shape by Easter 2015. Not very easy when there is a group and I want to be among the best, not the slowest persons… not to mention when a very fit pregnant lady ran faster than me. I really had to think hard on my long term goal when that happened…
After the BootCamps I had to take a rest. I have never in my life taken rests. If I did not do it, I felt very tired in the afternoon and like a bad hangover the day after. So I just had to learn to rest. I stuck to the plan: Train at 80-90% and rest afterwards.
In June I stepped up to 2 times a week. Mentally I was ready for 3 times a week in July. Thanks to my great advisors at Aktiv Bootcamp I stuck to 2 times a week until October.
To make sure I did not push it too far and lost my Easter 2015 target. It was training in patience.
In October I stepped up to 3 times a week and had strong beliefs I could do it.
First week of January I started to worry. Only 3 months left – I was far from the shape I know I have to be in. Can I make it?? This is too short time.
My great training coach told me 3 months is enough, we could do a lot in that time. No problem. I told myself to trust him and do my training. Even though 2 weeks of flue I stuck to my plan and believed I could make it.
Now there is only 1 month left.