2015...

The year is 2015, what did you do different to all the years before? Let's take a little step in time, its the 31st December 2015 you are looking back on the year that was 2015, what was it like, did you reach your goals? did anything truly amazing happen? did you do new things that made you happy? Now lets step back to today...

What does your heart truly wish for, for 2015? Write your dreams, goals and aspirations on sticky notes and put them around your house, office or where ever you are the most and use these as your reminder of what you wish 2015 to be.

Be brave and take your first step today which just might change the rest of your life.





My first step for today was going to be a 5km swim at one of my favourite pools, but due to unforeseen circumstances it was closed, so I either had the choice to go to another pool, one that I don't particularly like or head for the gym, I headed back home got my gym gear and off I went, now feeling better for doing a session.

Find your inner determination to start your journey through 2015, and no matter what road blocks come up, work your way around them and keep on going.

Happy New Year to everyone...

Hayley xx

Getting back on track....

The wake up call for not eating chocolate coated honeycomb. I should have known that the reactions I was having yesterday weren't good, that tired feeling I get when I am eating something that I shouldn't. Then 1am the stomach started and well, we don't need to explain the rest. Its time to stop the chocolate and go to things like watermelon, strawberries, and other sweet fruits when the need for chocolate arises.

So as we only have four days left of 2014, and 2015 ahead, here is my challenge for myself and anyone else whom wishes to join me. Cut out the processed foods, remove the processed sugars, and eat fresh real food.

Below is a link to a very interesting article on studies done over seas on processed foods and the link between autoimmune disease and diet. This article is more on the salt levels in processed, take-a-way foods in the US. As I live in Australia we are another country that has similar situations with the amount of salt and sugar in processed foods, and alike.

http://preventdisease.com/news/13/030713_Scientists-Officially-Link-Processed-Foods-To-Autoimmune-Disease.shtml

Yesterday I sat and read this very interesting article that I came across on Facebook, it has merits, though there are areas that I personally feel to go against what I believe. I know we all have our own beliefs and ideas when it comes to being fit and healthy. I just found this article extremely interesting and made me sit back and really think. As I go forward into my Personal Training studies its good to see and learn different things that can be put into perspective with clients and that can also be changed.

http://mic.com/articles/91407/9-facts-shatter-the-biggest-stereotypes-about-people-who-are-fat

Its interesting to read different peoples opinions on weight, loosing weight, obesity, and their idea of a healthy lifestyle.

Today is the start to re-motivating myself to living a healthy life and the best I can.

Have a great week everyone...

Hayley xx

Just Keep Swimming....

This morning (Boxing Day) I headed out for an endurance swim, with my new waterproof iPod that is got yesterday for Christmas. It was awesome to be able to swim up and down the black line and be able to focus on the music that was playing and not on anything else. It was making the laps going so much faster, which was amazing. I originally thought it might not have been a good idea to have the iPod while swimming as I have a tendency to sing, but found it actually more relaxing and able to switch off from how the body was feeling.

This week will be a week spent at the gym, as I am working more days and hours this week coming. I am planning to put more effort into my gym sessions to help build more strength for my swimming. As the new year comes and with goals in mind its time to simplify a few things.

2015 will be a year of study, growing my own vegetables. Training hard, working hard, and finding good balance with everything that I do. Still staying focused on gaining more weight and building a strong body and mind.

I am going to have a go at kayaking as well with my son this summer, which should be good fun. I just want to have 2015 full of fun, exciting experiences, and hope others do the same.

Have a great day...

Hayley xx

Merry Christmas To All...

Wishing everyone around the world an amazing and safe Christmas with you friends and families. 

New years resolutions...

I have never really been one to sit and set New Years Resolutions, mainly because I don't believe in them as a resolution, if it was renamed as New Years Challenges it might be a different matter. So what is the difference between and resolution and a challenge?

Resolution: the act of resolving or determining upon an action, course of action, method, procedure, etc.

Challenge: difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.

So why is it most people who make New Years Resolutions don't do them, or within a couple of days they are no longer a resolution? Is it that the resolutions are just too hard to bring to fruition, or are resolutions just not made into small challenges that are easier to face and do? The one I hear the most of is for people who want to loose weight. The thing I find is that there is no plan put into place before the first of January. It would be the hardest time to loose weight anyway or start a diet or start a training program, as the holidays are filled with family, friends, get togethers, food, alcohol, and hot weather (Southern Hemisphere) when you just want to lounge around doing nothing. 

So then there are distractions in the way of starting the resolutions.
So going forward into 2015 with a clear diary what would you like to do? Will it be a change in your career? Add to your family? Take on a new sporting challenge? Studying something completely new? No matter what it is may it be filled with many challenges, fun, and so much more.

I look forward to 2015 and what ever it brings to me, with new studies, challenges with my job, new friends, old friends, sporting challenges, and everything else that the universe has planned for me.

I also say good-bye to 2014 a year that has been filled to the brim with so much, good and bad. I reached my dream of doing a half Ironman race and the training involved to get there. Daily challenges in my job, challenges with my family, learning it is perfectly ok to gain weight and still look great. Learning to let go of my dream of running a marathon. Saying good-bye to my dear grandmother, whom I miss daily. Surprising myself with my writing. This one isn't a good-bye but more of a, I will see you next year...taking my swimming to the next level, and getting back on my bike, and building my body to meet my sporting goals, and not neglecting it.

If you make resolutions, please change them to challenges, and write your plan so you can meet your challenges and be proud of yourself to reaching them.

Hayley xx

Having Faith...

This for me is a difficult lesson to learn. I get so stuck into what I am doing especially sports wise, and when I have an injury that has put me out of running, it was initially difficult to understand why I couldn't go back to running at some point. Over the past couple of weeks I have come to realize that my obsession with running wasn't a healthy one. So in having this foot injury and not running has shown me that I need to look at the healthy benefits of swimming and not the obsessive thoughts. I have been told that I could possibly go back to running at a later time, but I have decided to not even look at that possibility.

Learning to dream new dreams is a little exciting, and knowing that it is ok to have new goals and dreams, well even though this is a childhood dream, just not in a pool and instead in the ocean. Learning the joy of solitude in the water, and being with your inner thoughts, as crazy as they can be at times. For me as a recovering anorexic is a little weird, as I usually don't like being on my own in a position to be able to think. Though for some reason I allow myself this time of distant thinking while in the water.

I mentioned to someone the other day about taking on marathon swimming as I am not running any more. They asked if I was going to do the English Channel Swim which is approximately 20 miles (32.2km). I said to him, it could always be a possibility, but the main thing at the moment in concentrating on building distance and holding a good pace as my distances get longer. So in late January I will take on a 5km open water swim at one of our local beaches in Perth. Then in February do the Busselton Jetty Swim of 3.6km. After February its going to be a matter of building distance and pace and lots of training swims and gym workouts as I hope to do a 10km open water swim in the 2015/16 open water swim season.

Having this foot injury has helped me to see things that I do in a new positive light, even though being in this moon-boot can make me a little grumpy.

Enjoy the rest of your week...

Hayley xx

Letting Go of Running...Marathon Swimming!

Today I swam 4 kilometers in a 50 meter pool. This is the the longest distance I have ever swum. As per usual the mind has a tendency to run into all different things. Today was one that allowed me to visualise the possible feeling of doing a marathon swim (20 kilometers) and the feeling of being able to stay strong in my stroke and technique when I was feeling tired. During this time I realised that swimming is what I am supposed to be doing. As a child I loved the open water of the beach and felt confident in my ability to swim. I also enjoyed swimming in the pool, and wish to this day that I was guided into swimming more as a child and

teenager.

I now have the feeling of its my time to put a childhood want, into fruition and spend my time in the water as much as possible. Yes I will miss running, but I have to admit I am not getting any younger and the body will not be able to run for ever, but I can swim into my older age, and as swimming is low impact on the body it has benefits that at this time I can't ignore.

Marathon swimming are distances 10 kilometers and over. In Perth we have an Open Water Swim Series that has distances of 2.5 kilometers, 5 kilometers and 10 kilometers, then we also have the Perth to Rottnest Island swim which is 20 kilometers. So the new plan is to swim a 5 kilometer swim later this summer and gradually build my distance in the pool and also do interval swims to keep building on swimming pace. Going to the gym to maintain good strength is going to be important as well. I will also get back into walking more once the foot is sorted out, as we have some good hills near our house it will help with leg and butt strength which in turn are great builders for kicking while swimming. This new challenge is going to be awesome to try and reach.

The other important issue for me it making sure I keep gaining weight. Currently I weigh approximately 52.5kg and need to be up around 60kg to make sure I have good insulation for long swims and with a little body fat and good muscle tone and build its going to a great challenge to meet head on.

Hope everyone finds a challenge and takes it on...
Hayley xx