Weight Loss...Weight Gain...Healthy Living...

 We constantly hear about obesity, we constantly hear about ways to live a healthy life. We are bombarded by recipes for unhealthy and healthy food on Facebook, on TV, everywhere in the media. So where does one start to understand what is the best way to live a healthy lifestyle, and what is a healthy lifestyle?

I know many people whom are looked at, at being obese, when really their lifestyle might not be as healthy as it should be in the face of the media. BMI (Body Mass Index)

 What does BMI mean?
BMI stands for Body Mass index. It is used to give you an idea of whether you’re underweight, overweight or an ideal weight for your height. It’s useful to know because if your weight increases or decreases outside of the ideal range, your health risks may increase. http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/Pages/bmi-calculator.aspx

Over the years we have heard about BMI, for me personally I am not sure if I agree with the way this is used. For example my BMI is: 20 I am in the healthy weight range for my height. Now the issue for me with this is I know for a fact that I could be healthier, in the sense of eating better. I might be healthy by the numbers, but in regards to the food I put in my mouth and the exercise that I do, I am healthier than I have been previously, but I could be better. 

What people don't understand in my point of view is the real problem is not just the external fat (the weight held by a person that we can visually see) but the internal fat around our organs. This is what kills in the end. Heart Disease is a big issue in the western world. So what are we doing about it?

There are people who are changing their lifestyle to eat healthy, and exercise daily to keep their weight under control. There are also people who seek weight loss centers to help. There are people who seek information from many different places. There are people who take dieting to the extreme and end up with an eating disorder. There are others who don't care about their health and just eat what ever they want.

So what is the best way to be healthy, well that also depends on your interpretation of being healthy. For me its maintaining my weight at about 53kg seeing I have had an eating disorder, keeping my exercise to a level of not doing (junk miles) and maintaining 3 meals a day with healthy snacks (which isn't always easy). Drinking water, and yes allowing myself to have a little bit of chocolate, cider, wine and other delights. 

For others I know changing their diet in order to loose weight meant not drinking alcohol (or at least reducing), not eating junk food (take a-way meals, chocolate,etc) and doing a lot more exercise to raise their heart rate in order burn the calories.

In my opinion I believe doing the, what I call traditional style healthy lifestyle, which is to reduce alcohol, high sugary foods, high processed foods and high fatty foods, and add more salads, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and drinking lots of water. It really comes down to calories in to calories out. So let me put this into some numbers. I am on around 2500 calories per day with out exercising, and depending on my exercise for the day and how many calories I have burnt I need to add that on to my total to make sure I get enough nutrition to match my exercise to maintain my weight of 53kg.

So this is my question to you, what do you see as being a healthy lifestyle for you? 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Hayley xx

Courage to Start...Support all the way...

As we dream, we need to have the courage to start making our dreams come true, and also the help and support of others in our lives. Our support comes from our family, employers, colleagues, team members, coaches and friends and many others. With this support it helps us to find the strength to endure the road to our dreams becoming reality.

Last year I spent eight months training hard for the Busselton Half Ironman. This was a dream that I had, had for a few years. I signed on with F4L Coaching and had the support from my family, my boss at work, friends, and fellow triathletes from the same training group. Now there are days that you can spring out of bed and get into your training and then head to work. There was also many a morning where you didn't want to get up and do your training due to fatigue, but you knew you had to. There were many a weekend where I barely saw my family and their understanding was invaluable. If it wasn't for the support I had from everyone around me I wouldn't have made it to the finish line on Saturday 3rd May 2014.

Even today I have the support of my family and friends and so many more people in my dream to get to the Boston Marathon. When the day comes that I can line up at the start line in Boston I will hold in my heart my family, friends and supporters.

I had a message from a very close friend of mine recently looking for support on a goal that they have. For me there wasn't a moment of thinking do I or don't I. I answered with "I have your back, all the way" as I know I have had his support in every way as well.

Having support from people around us helps in so many ways, from being accountable, and having a shoulder to lean on when needed, or someone to talk through some problems that we are having, or just to tell them how great everything is going.

I hope that with all your dreams and goals you too have a support crew that helps you.

Have a great Friday and weekend.
Hayley xx

Dreaming the Big Dream...

The Boston Marathon 2017 is my big dream, and I will do everything I can to reach it. Along the way I have some smaller dreams as well. Today was my second day of training for this week. Yesterday was an awesome day of training with a triple session, easy swim in the morning, an upper body gym workout and an awesome coached swim session last night. Believe me I slept very well after it all. This morning I was supposed to do a 10 kilometer run, which by the 3rd kilometer I had decided it was going to be cut short, as the left ankle was still not quite right. Now believe me I was also in the mind set of pushing myself. I got to the 4th kilometer and decided to call it a day. Frustration kicked in and I wasn't happy, but I knew I had to turn a negative into a positive, and here is how it worked. If I had pushed the full 10km I would have a swollen foot, and have it be very sore and not be able to run on Thursday or Saturday. So this is where listening to your body works, as long as you are not just giving up.

I have less than 12 weeks till my next half marathon and am a little concerned, but have put into place a new strategy of doing my long runs on an anti-gravity treadmill. It will allow me to do the distance and set a good pace, without having 100% body weight on the foot. I have used this treadmill before and it works beautifully. So my Tuesday long runs are now set and I feel happier about this alternative option.

Busselton Jetty Swim is the same weekend as the half marathon, a 3.6km swim around this amazing jetty. I have so many people ask me if I am scared of sharks, as we have had a large number of sightings here in Australia. I always answer with a resounding "no!" The ocean is their territory and we need to respect that. If there is a sighting before the race, it won't take place, the event co-coordinators won't put peoples lives at risk. This has been a dream for a little while, as I have swum 1.9km here before doing an Ironman 70.3, so swimming around the full length of the jetty which is 1.9km long will be amazing and if the water is clear and calm the view underneath will be amazing. This swim can be done as a team of 4 or 2 and solo. I will take it on as a solo swimmer, and am super excited to do it.

As someone who is very driven, once I have my heart set on doing something I will put together a plan, and push myself to make that dream come true, I have seen that life is to short to hold back and wait. You never know what lays a head for us tomorrow.


So as I go into day 3 of this weeks training I have another swim and gym session (legs). So its time to refocus tomorrow on swimming technique and high elbows to glide effortlessly through the water. Also to start getting mentally ready for this weekends open water swim of 2.5km.

What ever your dreams, your goals and your plans for tomorrow, may you stay positive and reach for the sky and beyond.

Have a great day tomorrow and a great week. Be happy :)

Hayley xx

A Room Of Inspiration....

Last night I was fortunate to sit in a room full of athletes from many different sports whom have competed in Commonwealth Games, World Championships and more. It was inspiring to see able and unable bodied athletes all there for an awards night. Before the formal start to the evening we were able to mingle with some athletes, and were speaking with a couple of people who are kayakers, able and unable as well. I spoke with a mother, whom her son is a Kayaker (K2) at the elite level and listening to her talk about her son's training and the places he has been to compete is amazing. Also a young man whom had a hand accident and had one of his fingers amputated. So you can imagine as a kayaker you need to have your pointer finger to help hold the paddle. Listening to him speak about the way he uses his prosthetic was inspiring, to know that he is still able to compete at such a high level in a sport his loves.

During the evening, there was an amazing lady by the name of Shelley Taylor-Smith whom was a marathon swimmer and holds records to this day. She was inducted into the Hall of Champions and listening to her say her thank yous was awesome. She is a very humble person and shows such love for her sport and fellow athletes and supporters and followers. To go to an evening like this is a dream come true, even though you don't personally know the elite athletes getting the awards, you take away such an awe of determination, perseverance, drive, passion, dedication, and so much more. Its intoxicating and all day today I have this inner fire and that is burning so bright that I am pumped to get into my training tomorrow and this week, ready for my 2.5 kilometer swim on Sunday and to start pushing myself mentally and physically harder and look for the deep inner drive, passion that I have for running, swimming and my training.

 Finding that thing in your life, whether it be your career, your sport. That thing you are so passionate about and being able to pursue it to what ever your dreams and goals are is truly amazing. This week begins Take 2 of my journey to Boston with my first open water swim and time to push and get myself totally focused on everything I am so looking forward to.

May everyone have an awesome week and find that determination, passion, that burns with in and pursue it to allow your goals and dreams to be alive.

Have a great week everyone...Hayley xx

Tranquility...

 Your quiet place to think...

We all have places that we go to, to be alone, to think, to reminisce, to cry, to laugh, to be yourself. For me the beach is my place. I feel like the world stops for that short time when I am by the beach. I can take time to just listen to the waves hit the sand. Taking a walk and remember times growing up by the beach with my grandparents are tranquil moments for me, then we have the other end of the spectrum where running can have the same effect. The pounding of each step on the pavement, or trails. having your music playing in your ears as you take in the sun, the rain, the breeze and the scenery of the place you run. Also the sound of your breathing, the sound of your heart beating and your blood pumping through your body.

As we step into this weekend, no matter what we are doing I hope you can find tranquility. Take the moment and take it all in, breathe deep and live.

Have a great weekend

Hayley xx

Resilience...

RESILIENCE

the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

This past week I have spent a couple of days at a conference where I listened to Patrick Hollingworth, who is a mountaineer. He spoke about his ten year plan to trek to the highest peak of Everest. I sat there in awe of him and his achievements, and his determination to do such an amazing trek. Patrick spoke of resilience and the moment he almost gave up on his dream and goal to do Everest. At that time he had a medical condition on one of his treks up a smaller mountain. After taking some time out to heal, something in him pushed him on to reach his dream. His resilience to over come a time in his life, with a life threatening condition, just amazed me, and listening to Patrick talk with such passion for what he did and does made me think that we all have that passion in our own lives to bounce back from a situation to continue on, on our life's journey to reach our goals and dreams.

There are moments when for athletes that we have an injury and it seems like our dreams are doomed to go any further, but when you can dig deep within to be able to bounce back and to continue on, even if that puts your time plan back a bit, its just a bump in the path to your destination. At the moment I am feeling a little this way, with my foot still not quite right, it would be great to know it will all be ok in June when I do my first marathon.

As a child I loved Pooh Bear, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. Tiger was always my favourite, as I always thought I bounced back well. Even today when difficult situations happen, or set backs happen, I try to look at it in a positive way (usually after the temper tantrum) to see how I can resume my training, or resume the path of my journey. 

I guess we all have the power to be resilient, I guess it comes down to how much we want to reach our goals and dreams, and if we bend enough when there is a slight detour.

As this week comes to an end, I look forward to starting my new training plan to get me to first base on my journey to The Boston Marathon. 

Have a great weekend everyone and may we bounce like Tigger in situations that don't break us. 

Hayley xx

I Choose....

We all have choices in this world, and the choices we make can be frowned upon.

Obsession:

an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind.

The word obsession I believe gets tossed around these days in so many ways. I have been told I am obsessed with triathlon, running, swimming and fitness. When really these things I enjoy doing regularly. Yes people will say I am obsessed in a joking way, and others will say it seriously. Looking at the dictionary meaning of Obsession would mean yes I am obsessed with fitness, it is on my mind regularly and almost continually when I am not working or thinking of something else. 

I buy a lot of Lorna Jane sports clothing...am I obsessed?...no I just like the clothes. I run up to 3-4 times a week (when I don't have an injury)...am I obsessed?...no I love to run. I swim up to 3 times a week...am I obsessed?...no I enjoy swimming. I have a large number of fitness Facebook pages that I have liked...am I obsessed?...no I enjoy reading about fitness. 

My only ever obsession in my life was not to eat, or to eat very little and to exercise constantly to maintain a low body weight. This was the many years of having an eating disorder. I chose to leave my eating disorder and focus on a healthy lifestyle, even with learning to exercise with in a healthy perimeter to maintain a higher body weight and a healthier perspective on life. 

If you are a runner, swimmer, cyclist, or loves fitness, and someone says your obsessed, read or tell them the above quote and see what their reaction is. 

Make your choice and have the strength and courage to stick with it and if some thinks you obsess to much over it, then they need to take a look at their own life.

Have a great night/day. 

Hayley xx

Let your Light Shine...Not Your Fear!

Let your Light Shine

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were all meant to shine, as children do.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same

As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.”

We all have fears, that is natural, its how we deal with those fears that will determine which direction our life can and will take. Fear can paralyze us in many ways, from stopping us from doing something different, being ourselves, standing out in the crowd, living life. We fear what people think of us and what we do, we fear death, we fear living, we fear getting sick, some fear success.

How do we over come these fears? Stand up to your fears. Find the courage within your heart, mind and spirit to over come your fears. We can't live our lives with constant fear of what might happen. Lets take the bull by the horns and run, we can't live fearing, we need to live with courage, determination, joy and happiness.

We are alive to live, to live our lives to the fullest, we have bumps of fear on our life paths, these bumps are to help us to learn what is truly important to us.

Have a great week everyone...Hayley xx

One word...Determination!!!

DETERMINATION

the quality of being resolute; firmness of purpose.

 

Boldness, Grit, Bravery, Courage, Drive, Backbone, Tenacity:

These words are Synonyms of Determination...

What provokes your sense of Determination? Is it a song, a positive affirmation, a positive comment from a friend, loved one? Is it a negative comment from someone? Is it a race? Is it an "Aha" moment? Is it from watching someone famous? Is it from something you watched on tonight's news?

We all find our determination for things in our lives in so many different ways. I find mine in all of the above. I have been determined to recover from an eating disorder by wanting to do certain athletic races; triathlon, running, swimming, being healthy for my family. I have been determined to finish races due to bad news. I have been determined to get through uncomfortable situations in my life.

With determination you can reach your goals in life, get through dark moments, inspire someone else to find their own determination. 

Skyscraper

(Original by Demi Lovato)

(Chorus)

You can take everything I have

You can break everything I am

Like I'm made of glass

Like I'm made of paper

Go on and try to tear me down

I will be rising from the ground

Like a skyscraper

Like a skyscraper

This is the chorus of a song called Skyscraper which was originally sung by Demi Lavato, I first heard it by Sam Bailey. This song touched me at point in my life where I wasn't sure if I was ready to take the road to recovery from the eating disorder, but after days of playing it over and over again, crying each time I heard it, it was time to hit the road to recovery. I also listen to this song up loud when I am running, it gives me the push I need when I am wanting to stop.

I hope you can find something that pushes your determination button and help you reach your goals and dreams. Enjoy your weekend. Be a skyscraper and reach for the stars and beyond...

Hayley xx

I Will Run, I Will Train, I Will Eat Clean!!!

These past couple of weeks I would say have been the hardest for me, trying to stay focused, trying to stay positive, while dealing with sore shins and a swollen ankle and not being able to run. I have be bad/naughty with my diet, and eating a little more rubbish than I would like, even though its only a little each day, but a little too much. So its time to get back on track and be accountable for what I am putting into my body.

Over the past couple of weeks I have added to my strength training equipment, I now have my 4 kg kettlebell, 4 kg dumbbell set and a step (step aerobics), which is the goal for tomorrow to use after going for a short 4.4km run.

I have 18 weeks until I run my next Half Marathon and do my longest open water swim (3.6km). I need to get my body and mind into the right place for this to happen and do keep my body from getting injured. I made the move this week to set my road bike and trainer (wind trainer) in at my Physio's rooms so I now have to make an appointment to go and use it, where if I left it at home, I wouldn't get on it and make every excuse not to. So yesterday I managed 20 minutes on the bike and yes there was definitely some sweat. Its felt good again to be on the bike and this time, now that I have the extra weight in my legs and body, it was great to be able to push hard even in that short amount of time. So the plan is to do a couple of sessions per week, to maintain some cycling as cross training and some extra cardio, plus the building to muscle in my legs which does help running.

 BOSTON STRONG!

Running the Boston Marathon is a long way from being a reality, but I need to refocus on the short term goals I have set, healing from my current injury, and still remember the long term goal, Boston! Its easy to loose sight on your long term goals if there are distractions in your life, we all have them, and some are good, others aren't as good as we would like. Its also a matter to making sure there are the moments of finding that quiet place where you can refocus and put into perspective things that are happening in your life and get back on track to your goals.

I like to call this the rebuild, where you have your foundation in place, you get slightly off track and you need to re lay the bricks of your goals so they lie a bit straighter on the pathway to your goal(s). Even if we have to lift a few bricks on the path to straighten it, that is fine and these will be needed, as no path is ever perfectly straight.

We need to find what truly matters and live life to the fullest. We don't know how long we have to lay our pathway to our goals, so one brick at a time...

Have a great weekend...Hayley xx

Finding your inner strength...

I sit here tonight at 9:19pm eating my dinner (home made hamburger) thinking. I picked this particular poster above as I have many a time had to search deep within myself for my strength. Now that can be physical strength or emotional strength, or a combination of both at the same time.

There are days when I feel strong from the moment I wake up till the time I fall asleep, then there are days like today where I don't. I feel physically strong, but emotionally not as strong as I would like to be. There is no real thing in my life that I can honestly put my finger on to say, "hey that is the problem." I just feel that so many small issues going on around me just build up and I feel like I am crumbling inside.

I have a tendency to show on the outside to be a strong and confident person, but on the inside I wish I could feel the same, strong and confident. As those days of less strength are now less, I still have them. These are days when I second guess my self, my dreams, my goals in life, and so many other things. I guess we all have days like this and I am sure when I wake tomorrow morning to a new day, I will see things in a more positive perspective.

There is and was a very special lady in my life, who recently I lost. My grandmother was someone who recently taught me the meaning of Don't Quit. Over the last 13 months of her life I watched her go from someone who I could sit with, talk to, laugh with and reconnect with memories of my childhood. Someone who opened my eyes to more things in the world, and not to take everything I had for granted, but also that I was my own person and had the inner strength of a Lioness. I rode my bike down a couple of times in the Summer to see her, which always surprised her when I would wheel my bike into her room, (this ride was 3 hours long and about 80 kilometers). Over the months I watched her deteriorate in health. Her eye-sight was going, her dexterity was going, her memory was going. I remember days I would visit and just sit there, no words just holding her hand, helping her with her meals, as she got to a point of not being able to feed herself. There were days I would leave to head home and be in tears as I thought it wouldn't be long until her passing. Well the other lesson she taught me was Tenacity. She was one very tenacious lady. The days when you though her time was near, you would go and see her a couple of days later and she would be right as rain, doing really well.

My biggest lesson was the first weekend in May this year. I was to do the Busselton Half Ironman (70.3). I had trained hard, put the time and effort in. I got down the Busselton on the Thursday afternoon, and when I woke on Friday morning to a message from my Aunt. My nana (grandmother) was in hospital and it didn't look good. I said I would be up there on Monday afternoon to visit her, if anything changed to let me know. Friday I went for my planned swim and took my bike out for a short ride, which allowed me to process everything through my mind ready for the next day's event. I made it through with my Nana in my mind and heart the whole time. I got through my event. I was extremely happy, yet there was that bitter sweet moment that I knew in the back of my mind that my nana wasn't right.

We got to see my nana on the Monday afternoon, she wasn't good, very distraught. I didn't want to leave her that afternoon but knew I had to. I came back the next day to see her, not much changed. My nana spent the next nine weeks in hospital, which was the best place for her, with the best possible care, By this time her quality of life was little, small amounts of food, and fluid. I remember to reaction when I would visit and feed her, usually breakfast or lunch. Her favorite thing to eat was ice-cream, if there wasn't any around we would go and find some, and the look in her eyes was priceless to say the least, that we could make her happy with something so simple.

The day before her passing was one I will never forget. She was surrounded by her family. I believe she could hear what was going on around her and believe that she loved us all. I felt this overwhelming sense of being so protective of her. I wouldn't let the nurses bathe her as I didn't want her disrupted as it caused to much pain. I got the phone call at 1;20 am the next morning to say my nana had past, I got in my car and drove that cold morning to say my final goodbyes, and be with my Aunt and Uncle, before making the drive back home at 3:20 am.

For me remembering the time I had with my nana in that last 13 months, when I have days like to day I sit quietly and remember her and what she has taught me, then I feel this inner sense of strength start to rise through me, and I know I will be ok and stronger for the next day.

My Grandparents are my angels and I love them and miss them dearly.

Hayley xx

Another week finished...next please...

No matter what you do in your life, find something that will challenge you, and I hope you will see positive changes.

Well today I signed up for the half marathon in Busselton, and the Jetty Swim. Now super excited that I have a short term goal to reach.

This week will be focused more on swimming as I need to rest my shins as they are really sore, and if I don't they won't heal, means no running, which means really cranky me. As I have been trying to re-adjust my running form, I have now got shin sores (splints). I have been given many different ways to treat them, from standing for long periods on my toes with my heal on a centimeter or two from the ground, Radox/Epsom Salt bath, then rub them out, to resting. I will probably try all of these, and see which one works best, as I don't really want my physio pushing his thumbs of steel into my shins and getting rid of them that way, or I will be in tears.

Swimming focus will be to do two sessions of interval work, which reads something like this:

Freestyle/frontcrawl x 400m

Breast stroke x 300m

Kicking with board x 300m

and repeat as many times as I can in 1 hour

I will also do an endurance swim which will be for about 1 hour 30 mins to see what sort of distance I can get done in that time. I enjoy both sessions, though the endurance swim is never easy as you need to keep you mind from so called running away from you, and you don't want to over analyse what you are doing either. Its a challenge.

I will also be in the gym working on different areas of my body, mainly upper body to build more strength for the swim. Abs for the running and swimming, and to look good to. Then Saturday I will try the run again and see how I pull up, I am also going to try out some of my other runners (shoes) to see if that helps, I originally used to wear Newton Running shoes which were great to get me from being a heal striker to a forefoot runner, now as I need to adjust a little it will be worth trying some other runners. 

Whether your dreams are big or small, challenge yourself to make your dreams a reality!

Have an awesome week everyone!

Hayley xx

Journey to Boston...Excited for a new event!

Almost another week done, with just one more run/walk of 5 kilometers to get my 25 kilometers to make my goal distance for the week done. After today's run with shin splints (sore shins) it wasn't my most awesome moment, but did enjoy being out in the sunshine and with another 200 people running parkrun.

I got home with my well needed coffee, and downloaded my data onto Strava, to analyse and take a little bit of time on Facebook before going to work. I came across a post from a friend about an awesome weekend in Busselton (South of Perth), one of my favorite places ever, it is a half marathon on the Saturday and then the Busselton Jetty Swim (3.6km solo) on Sunday. Totally Excited!!!

Busselton Jetty 1.9km out to the end!

So now I am super excited to be doing these events, and being in such an awesome town. So now I sit back and workout my training schedule for the coming summer, with a balance of swimming, the gym and running. I am very lucky to have family and friends that are great support when I do these kind of events, to which I am very grateful. These are the people who put up with my good moods, and bad moods. My frustrations and my moments of awesomeness. 

I feel now that I have events in the middle of my time before my first marathon, will be a great way to stay focused on my training and my nutrition, because if that goes pear shape I won't reach my goals. 

Have a great weekend everyone... I leave you tonight with...

Hayley xx

Journey to Boston...Believing in yourself...

What does your mind believe??

"You can do anything if you put your mind to it!"

The mind is very persuasive when it chooses to be. How many times have you thought the night before you will get your butt out of bed and go exercise in the morning, or you will do something that you are excited about, then you try to wake up in the morning and you lay in bed, you know you should be getting up and going, but you mind says, "Nah stay here in your warm bed and just chill for the morning." So in the end you listen to your mind, not your body and stay in bed. The body says, "no lets just chill." I believe its your mind saying it all and the body just follows. The mind is the organ that tells the body what to do.

My mind has put me through an eating disorder for the last 30 odd years, and the constant need to be on the go. Most of the time I was exercising even as a youngster, any time I wasn't happy I would either go for a walk, or ride my bike or take my dog for a walk. I would go walking anything up to 3 times a day.  If my parents argued during the day I would be out walking, if they argued at night I would be in my room wishing I was out walking. As I grew up I needed the feeling of the endorphin's that made me happy, well I thought I did. I thought I needed to be skinny to be liked by people. I thought so many things and many of them were very unhealthy.

I spent most of the end of last year and the beginning of this year thinking I was doing well and dealing with my eating disorder, but I wasn't, again I thought I was, but I wasn't listening to my body telling me otherwise. So what you think isn't always best for your body.

You see the mind can have a negative and a positive impact on your body. I believed I could do all my Ironman 70.3 training on eating just enough, I believed I was well on the road to recovery from my eating disorder last year when I wasn't, I believe I can achieve running my first marathon next June, but this time the difference is I understand that I need to do it in a healthy way. There are days when I believe some of the negatives, but then I know part of my mind can turn the negatives into positives and make sure I eat right for the training I do. 

Find the positives and set your mind to them and your body and life will follow.

Believe in yourself, the positives in your life and let your mind take you to places you hope to reach.

Have a great Friday and weekend :)

Hayley xx