2 1/2 years ago because of my own inability to act, I lost something very very dear to me.

I believed I had time.

I was so so wrong.

I was living in Ibiza on the 4th story of an apartment.
I was wearing my deceased Dad’s Wedding ring (I wore it everywhere.)
When doing my washing on the balcony the ring came off and landed on the roof below. I could see the ring. I only had to go and get a ladder and I could have it on my finger again.

I felt like I needed to get permission from the Manager to get on the roof.
That was just an excuse.

I felt like it was ok as I could see it every morning and it was only a matter of time that I would go and get it… when I had time.
That was just an excuse.

5 days days later I woke up and looked out on the Balcony to see the roof had been completely cleaned.

I.lost.my.shit.

I was completely hysterical.

I sprinted down to the Manager who confirmed the Owner had cleaned the roof last night and the rubbish had been put in the huge bins outside.

I found the Owner and in my limited Spanish tried to ask him if he’d seen a gold ring and communicate just how important it was to me.

He shook his head.

I was a complete utter mess.

I was so so so angry at myself for not taking action.
So unbelievably angry at myself.

I spent hours going through the big commercial rubbish bin on the corner of the busy street through the disgusting rubbish.
Ibiza is one of the biggest party Islands in the World and here I was a blubbering, angry mess bent over a huge rubbish bin pulling out dirty, smelling rubbish.
Not one person asked me what I was doing.

I bet they were too terrified.

I didn’t find it.

I tried so hard to rub it off saying it was just a ring.
That it really didn’t matter.

But I kept coming back to it being my dead Father’s Wedding ring.
It was irreplaceable.

So I made myself a promise.

I told myself that I would never ever put anything off again.

That if I had a chance to do something that I would do it now and then.
I wouldn’t wait ‘until the time is right’
I wouldn’t wait ‘until I felt like it’ or ‘until it suited’
I wouldn’t put other people ahead of my own needs and I would ask for help when I needed it.

I would be a woman of action.

Because you just never ever know what will happen.
You can never guarantee you will get another chance.

So last night i put off something off and this morning I really regretted my decision.
(It wasn’t big or life changing but it did make me remember my promise to myself.)

I really believe that everything that happens is the best possible thing that can happen.

Sometimes the learnings can be challenging to find.

But they will ALWAYS be there.

So what have you put off today to do tomorrow?

What have you always wanted to do but just haven’t got around to it?

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.
Learn from the past.
Plan for the future.
Live in today.
Now is the only time you have.
Make it count.
🙂

http://www.3news.co.nz/sport/facebook-plea-leads-to-adventure-race-2014030619
Watch the News article on Andrea after she answers an SOS from a team for GODZone 6 day Adventure Race in New Zealand

9am Christmas morning – heading out in the sunshine for a 66km along Brisbane’s River.
Trev’s got the beats going on!! 🙂

Halfway into the ride 🙂

After a few bubbles, I head out for a Mountain Bike ride!

So it’s here.

The day has arrived!!!

I’m currently writing this whilst flying above Brisbane heading to Newcastle. I’m feeling so alive, so centred but incredibly passionate and positive.

I woke at 3am to get to the airport and have only had 3hours sleep.
I’ve left my drink bottle in the terminal, and my coat hangers of clothes (on separate occasions) in the terminal and have had to go on a hunt to find them.
I also was called on the PA and was the last passenger to board.
But these are very minor happenings to anyone that may know me ( and especially my record with flying mishaps and dramas.
I’m obviously giving out a good buzz to the universe and it’s coming back at me! 😉 – I do have my clothes, drink bottle and my sanity in tact! 😉

Although I just went to the bathroom on board (yes I know you don’t need or want to hear this, but since you know everything else…) and I very much look like someone that hasn’t had much sleep – where on earth did these eye bags come from?!
Hey who need to look their best when on tv pushing through their pain anyway aye?! 😉
So my monthly ‘friend’ decided they wanted to be part of the action too.
So it’s certainly all go here. Or should I say all go down there. Ewwwww.
Haha sorry guys!!!!! 😉

So I’m feeling really good.
In my mind that is – the most important place!

The body feels a wee bit achy but the body will go where the mind wants it to.

I know this for a fact.

This mind will go wherever hurt camps challenges take me, which means the body will follow!
And I will enjoy every second.

The main thing for me today (and tonight, and tomorrow!) is to have fun.
To feel fit, strong, sassy, sexy, smart, and be successful with everything I do- to feel proud Of myself and my actions by giving it my absolute best.
I cannot ask for more than my best.
And I will not be satisfied unless I give it my all.

To shine through and be the best possible version of myself that I can be is my mission.
But above all else, to act in a way that I inspire others to go after and achieve their dreams (just like I’m achieving mine!)

That really is my goal of hurt camp, of appearing on tv.

Is to be a positive role model of determination and passion, and to motivate and inspire others to go after what most excites them in life (no matter how scary) as that’s exactly why I’m doing 🙂

So before I go, I want to Thank you soooo much for your support and amazing kind words of encouragement and motivation.

I will make you guys proud.

I will make myself proud.

I cannot wait for fun camp (what they like to call hurt camp) to start!!!!!

Xx

So I’ve found out I have this…. errrrr….. challenge with myself……

I’m never really happy with myself, my progress, my results, ok everything I do really.
I don’t think I’ve ever looked back on something and thought ‘Jez that was good!’ unless I push my need to be better out of my head (which rarely happens.)
There’s always something i can improve on and do differently.
Which is great as I’m always striving to be better in my life, but which severely limits me, and stops me appreciating what I have, what I can do, and my enjoyment of it all.
– It’s like I’m living up to what was written on my old school report cards
“Andrea could do better”

But which translates in my head as ‘what you do is never good enough.’

Wow! A freaky insight to have about yourself.

I don’t think I’ve ever handed in an assignment, or to be honest written anything without then going over and over in my head about what could’ve been better. I mean even writing this, by the time I’ve pressed send I’ve gone over it again and again, and then when I re-read it a few days later, I think ‘What did you write that for Andrea!’ ‘Oh man! You should’ve….could’ve…..etc etc’
Holy sh*t balls! I’m so mean on myself!

When I’m training, I put myself down and always focus on what I struggled with, what I couldn’t do super well.
When I’m training with Sharon Anyos (5x World Champion Boxer) and we’re boxing, when she reminds me to ‘sit down’ ‘breathe’ ‘punch through the pads not to them’ etc I feel like ‘Jez Andrea! Get it right!’ ‘Sort it out girl!’ but in reality she should be reminding me! Everyone can ALWAYS improve, and always get better, and they should always try to, but it’s like in my brain it computes to ‘I’m not good enough.’
Sharon does well to remind me of this but it’s inside my head where I really need to work on. When I finish a set and say ‘I only got 5’ I really should be saying ‘I got 5!!!’

I know this.

I know that when you focus on what you can’t do, how weak, fat, lazy etc you think you are, then you ail get more of that in your life.

I know this.

Yet I do find this a challenge.

Over the past week I’ve been checking out my body (in particular my mid section) and trying to find out why I’m not more ripped than I should be.
Yes I’ve got abs, but they’re not like abs I’ve had in the past, and I’ve been training hard and eating well, so am trying to figure out what’s been going on.
So I thought about the times that I’ve had a body I’ve felt proud of and I really pulled apart both my nutrition, training and what was going on in my life.

So I feel like I’m really on track with my eating.
I’m choosing real food, as close to nature intended as possible (In fact I pretty much just shop at the local fruit and veggie store (which i can also get my bread from) and occasionally at the Butcher. Or if I do go to the Supermarket, I pretty much walk around the outside, and nothing comes prepackaged in a box (unless I’ve bought legumes, pasta, rice and tuna – but which I rarely touch anyway!)
My training has been going well.
I always train hard.
I always have.
I know people poo poo the notion of training hard, as everyone says they do this. But when i look back on the times when I’ve been quite serious about my training and competing, I’ve noticed that every single time, I’ve only been training with guys.
Guys stronger, faster and fitter than me.

When i was 17 I became a Les Mills Aerobics Instructor.
I was aerobics training with Duane but also I would run to the gym with Chris Pollock. (Chris is currently an elite World Class Rugby Union Referee.) Although it was only a 4km run, which was fine going to the gym, after strength training and doing a class, some 2 hours later, running back uphill (and at the super fast speed Chris only ran at) it was most definitely challenging! (in fact some times I felt like I needed a medal afterwards!) Chris absolutely drove me to push through my pain and get there (and he may not even be aware of this until now – so thank you Chris you super star! 🙂

At that time I was also training hard for the NZ Surf Life Saving Championships. My event was the Surf Ski (which only a handful of women entered in) and required strong upper body strength, balance, co-ordination, but also brutal strength just to carry the ski to and from the waters edge (especially if it was windy, and especially after a hard session, there was just no other way, it had to be done.) And like my hard and wise Coach Trevor Corkin (amazing man) said ‘If you want to ride it you have to carry it!”
*Many times it took me almost the same time of the training session to carry and put away my ski afterwards, my forearms so pumped and weak, and the bruises from resting the Ski on my hips aching, not to mention the strong and relentless wind which carried my cursing far into the distance.
So my training partners were guys.
I trained in the gym with them, ran with them and paddled with them.
I never saw myself as different from them, and never pulled out the “I’m a woman card’ as that thought never entered my mind.
I ran the same, paddled the same, tried to lift the same, and was constantly in an environment where I was pushed to my limits.
(In fact years later 2 of my running buddies Hayden and Sam told me they used to always push the runs so hard as to try and shut me up!!)

During lunchtimes at work I used to get out and run with the guys.
Again, I never used to think much of this, training with people that were faster and stronger than me was just what I was used to.

The other times I trained seriously for events, I did so by myself.
But because I always was never quite satisfied with my efforts, I always trained hard and pushed myself (but then under played my what I did.)
This happened when I competed in the NZ Coast to Coast.
My plan was to just finish the 280km course however when I was out there racing I (naturally) gave it my all. This meant that to start my support team was often not ready for me (they didn’t expect to see me doing so well – and this was because I gave them no indication that I would be – as I had no idea I’d actually done pretty well with my training.)
I remember getting off my bike after the cycle leg and standing there trying to find my support team, as all the other competitors got rushed off. I then spotted my father and the look on his face was utterly priceless “We didn’t expect to see you so soon! What on earth were you doing out there? He cried.
I shrugged and answered ‘I just rode my bike’ quite perplexed .
I also wondered why the other competitors weren’t as willing as I was to chat away when on the course, as I was actually up there and competing with some serious athletes! In my mind was just going along and enjoying the ride. I had no idea that I was actually quite good!

So trying to understand what was different in my life when I was looking my best….

So I’ve always felt like I could and should do more, but I’ve constantly felt like this almost my whole life, so nothing really has changed (I’m not saying it’s a good thing here, in fact it has both positive and negative attributes; but it’s purely just an observation.)

But what I found is when I was looking really good, it really came easily.

I wasn’t trying (although of course I was eating well and training hard) but it wasn’t the focus of my life.
I was simply happy with who I was and what I was doing, and it was like the body the had permission to be comfortable with itself, and it looked awesome!

I remember waking up and thinking “wow I have an awesome life!’ Feeling super confident, and  sexy in my own skin, and not caring about what other people thought of me because I was super happy with me. What an awesome place to be right!

However if I want to feel like this (and who doesn’t want to?!) then I need to take the focus onto what I can do, how well I am doing, how great I look, how awesome I feel etc.

And even if I’m not where I want to be right now, then to know that I’ll get there, but the way to get there (and enjoy the ride) is to be happy right now.

To appreciate your fabulous body, and be grateful for what you have in your life (as being grateful for it, will bring in more opportunities that you can feel grateful – it’s that weird and oh so wonderful cycle!)

I always thought serious athletes seemed quite errr, over confident, even arrogant. But nooooo! They’re on the money! And that is why they are a successful athlete!
You NEED to have belief in yourself. You need to focus on how strong, fit, capable and motivated you are.
You need to wake up in the morning and look at yourself and think ‘Jez I’m a sexy/strong/sucessful/smart/ unit!
Because if you don’t, then how on earth can you expect yourself to succeed??!
You could say it’s about loving yourself and being kind to yourself. And when you do, then things will start to fall into place for you in your life.

The battle is not only won when you believe in yourself, but when you also value and cherish yourself too!

So 2 1/2 more days to go until I rock up (and I certainly will be rocking up!) to my Search4Hurt Audition!

The focus on the next few days is about working on my mind.
Appreciating and being grateful for my amazing body (who has never ever give me an injury or ever let me down) and focusing on what I can do and how awesome I am.
Yes of course still being humble, but just taking the focus off what i am not, and looking at what I am (being what I positively am, and can do.)

Maybe you can try this too?

When you feel yourself thinking about what you can’t do, what you (negatively) are, then stop and focus on something you love about yourself.
Focusing more on this will bring you more of that into your life.
Fact.

So let’s bring more opportunities into our lives that confirm what gorgeous, strong, capable, independent, motivated and powerful beings we truly are!!!!!

Be before you are and you will become! 🙂
xx

So whilst watching2 episodes of Search4Hurt on 7mate, I was feeling so awesome, inspired, calm and really happy.

Then my brain took over and I found myself thinking
‘OMG Andrea, you can’t do these things!
You haven’t trained hard enough. You’re not strong enough!
These are world class athletes you’ll be training with. Who are you to think you can do this?!’

I contacted Sharon Anyos in my flutter. Sharon is the 5x World Champion Boxer (incredible woman) and we have been training together.
I told her how my training has been all wrong, and how I should’ve done this and that.
Sharon simply told me how spectacular I am, especially under pressure, and reminded me of a few things.

Then I woke up to what my brain was doing to me!

I have been training with and by Sharon and her amazing father (who was her trainer when she won the World Championships.)
And here I was worried that I would look stupid among world class athletes – but have been sooooo fortunate to actually be hanging out with one now!!

Yes maybe some of the guys at Hurt Camp may be much stronger and faster than me, but I will definitely be a strong force, BECAUSE I WANT TO BE (and because I know how strong the mind is over the body.) And because I’m seeking to be a better and stronger version of myself (in all aspects of my life) daily. And if I’m not there yet, then I will get there. It’s only a matter of when not if!

Our thoughts are such strong influencers over our bodies it both scares and excites me.

It also makes me realise how important it is to have a strong network of people around you to lift you up.
Or if not, then separate yourself from people that bring you down (or don’t actively inspire and support you to reach your goals) and read books, watch YouTube videos – you can get whatever you want or need from the internet! Educate and nourish your body with inspiring goodness from the inside!) and surround yourself with the positive influence you need to help you to succeed.

Don’t let your mind negatively take over and stop you reaching your goals.

You can reprogram it to be a powerful force to hep you to achieve whatever it is you want in life.

The body will go where the mind wants it to.

Let’s make sure our mind is strong, positive, powerful and wise, and you will achieve your dreams.

xx

Friday
Session with Sharon Anyos
Warm up:15lunges, 20 jumping jacks, 20 Climbers x3
Circuit (repeated twice):
{2x DB row with 2x step lunges}x 15 reps (@16kg &@12.5kg)
2mins hard running on treadmill (not turned on, manually using it)
Walking press ups x20
2mins hard run pushing treadmill
20 Burpees/20 squat wall throws
2mins hard run pushing treadmill
{2x press ups on Barbell with 2x Barbell row (@32kg)
2mins hard run, pushing treadmill

90min MOuntain Bike ride

Thursday:
Strength session
– Squats 90kg
– Deadlift 80kg
– Cable row 50kg
– Chin ups
-Chest press 55kg
-Press ups

Road ride
70km

Wednesday
Hard run
14km
Kangaroo Point Stairs x 10 hard

Intensity Training
30 Jumping Jacks, 5 Burpees, 20 Climbers – on the minute, every minute x 15mins