Back in cold, wet and dark January I booked to go on a fitness retreat run by OnPoint.
At the time it seemed like a good way to stay focussed on training throughout the year, with something to work towards. Throughout the year I questioned whether I had done the right thing. Would I be able to keep up with the other team members? Would I be able to train in the heat? What if I didn’t like the food? What if I had to share a room with someone I didn’t like?
So, how did it go?

DAY 1
I arrived on the Thursday lunchtime and met up with the OnPoint team and the other trainers. We had lunch and our first training session which was fairly easy and more focussed on warm up technique using foam rollers, some basic exercises and getting to know each other and familiarising ourselves with the villa and the gym.
The roof top gym was well equipped and had incredible views looking out over the mountains and Ibiza town. The retreat was in Talamanca in Ibiza which is a lovely small beach town about 15 minutes walk from Ibiza town.
We then showered and walked down to the beach bar for a decent coffee. When we got back the rest of the team had arrived and we had a lovely meal of chicken with paprika hummous and kale. The food was AMAZING all week, and the chefs at the villa made sure that everyone ate both healthily and well.
The team were great, and I got to share a room with Amy. Although we had briefly chatted at OnPoint before, it was great to get to know her better. We got on really well and only stopped chatting to sleep! As Rachael, Amy, Philippa and I had all trained with Jay before we all felt comfortable training in the OnPoint way, confident with the exercises we were being asked to do and we all pushed ourselves to do the most to the limit.

DAY 2
We woke up at 7am for a 7.30am training session on the roof. Breakfast was available as soon as we got out and included chia porridge as well as granola with yoghurt, fresh fruit and cold meats.
We walked into Ibiza town via Passion Café for the best protein smoothie I have ever had! We then headed back to the villa for a lunchtime training session. The training sessions generally included circuits of various exercises, for example rowing, kettlebell deadlifts and swings. The format was similar to the OnPoint team training sessions but not as intense. We then got time to relax before our final session of the day – a boxing team session with Jay, learning the basic moves and drills.

DAY 3
This mornings session was on the beach and included some jogging, a basic routine of squats, mountain climbers, press ups and ab crunches in the sand with some team races thrown in for good measure. It was amazing to see the sun rise over the sea as we trained, starting in the pitch black and ending in full daylight.
After breakfast we did a trek around the coastline which meant that we got to see some incredible views, learn a bit about the history of the island and the plants and scramble up and down a gully!
We had lunch and time to chill and relax by the pool until sunset yoga on the roof. The stretching was a welcome break from all of the physical activity and gave us a chance to focus on recovery and relaxation. We left feeling very spaced out!
After dinner that evening we headed down to a local bar for a drink. At the end of the day the healthy lifestyle is your choice and needs to be sustainable. I had one glass of champagne – I figure that if you’re only going to have one drink then you should make it count and really enjoy it! And god knows I earned it that day and it tasted all the better for it!

DAY 4
Our final full day started with a circuits session on the rooftop as the sun came up, followed by a chance to top up the tan and relax around the pool until the lunchtime session. In the afternoon I did a barbell routine as most of the week was more conditioning than strength based and I had missed the warrior woman feeling that you get from lifting heavy weights! The evening session was kick boxing based and was my favourite session of the week. It was high energy, everyone worked hard and we got to learn some new skills!
That evening we went out for dinner in Ibiza town which was a great opportunity to relax and socialise after a long weekend.

DAY 5
Our last day in Ibiza! Philippa and I decided to make the most of our holiday and set our alarms for 7am to see the sun rise on the beach. While everyone else was snoozing we managed to get a brisk 5k in before breakfast and had the chance to see another incredible sun rise. Our last training session was just before lunch and was high energy as we all put 100% in before we had to start thinking about our flights home. Before heading off there was time for just one more smoothie and Amy and I ran down to Passion Café for our last protein fix!
Whilst I was sad to be leaving the amazing friends that I had made, I knew that I was heading home feeling refreshed and re-focussed on my mission to be super fit, healthy and strong!

So what did I take away from the experience?
· Above anything I feel like I have gained some great friendships from this experience. Training together does build friendship fast, and in this environment it is accelerated further.

· I learnt a lot about myself and my own resilience – it was tough but I could have done more. I really appreciated what I am capable of and it made me more focussed and determined to keep going.

· I realised the value of rest, relaxation and switching off from the world. I tried to ignore my phone as much as possible and I read books – which I haven’t been able to do for ages.

· I tried food that I hadn’t tried before – and liked it, which reminded me that dieting doesn’t have to be boring!

· I appreciated how lucky I am to have OnPoint and such good quality training, with a supportive community on my doorstep. Its so hard to find the motivation to exercise and something that works for you – around both your lifestyle and your capability.

SO… bring on Ibiza 2018!!!!

Yesterday I took part in a 10k Obstacle Course Race in Hertford. I have to admit that I had always looked at Tough Mudder kind of events before and thought “those people are just crazy”. In the past I never would have considered it. The only event I have ever taken part in before was a 10k women’s race in 2013, so other than that my training has been limited to the gym and occasional 3-4km road runs in the summer.

I was nervous about it because I doubted whether I would be able to run 10k, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do any obstacles that involved using my arms to pull myself up, and I was worried that I would look be rubbish against all of the potentially superfit people!

So why did I sign up in the first place? A few reasons but mainly I wanted to give myself a goal to work towards. 

• Training which is only based on losing weight can be frustrating when the scales don’t move quickly and to be honest being solely focussed on your weight is pretty unhealthy and unfulfilling even when you do lose weight. I have been smashing team training each week with a new focus and determination – focused on surviving this event!
• I was doing it as part of a team and I thought that it would be fun to work together.
• I wanted to find out what I was capable of!

So I signed up!

We decided to set up a team Just Giving page and raise money for Mind Mid Herts who work with local people with mental illness. I was so surprised and grateful by the amount of sponsorship I received and it spurred me on – I knew that there was no getting out of it now! 

The big day arrived and after a decent breakfast we headed over to the event.

We started at 10.15 and the way that the race was set out, you could opt for 5k, 10k or 20k, so most of the obstacles were crammed into the first five kilometres. That meant that it was full on from the start. After a couple of easier obstacles- climbing over hay bales and wooden structures, the first shock was crawling through a river on your hands and knees – with chest under water. From there on in it was mud slides, wading through rivers, using a rope to pull ourselves up a steep muddy bank, and more mud mud mud! Everyone pulled together to support, push and pull the team through obstacles. 

The toughest part for me was all the running in the second half. It was made harder by not knowing how long you had left to go and wondering when it would all be over.

The sense of achievement at the end was amazing- I survived, and I raised £1250 for charity. My legs ache like never before today but I won’t forget the amazing experience. It just goes to show what you can do when you just get on with it! Now….. what’s next?

At the end of December 2016 I decided to overhaul my diet and fitness. Although I trained on and off last year I wasn’t really focussed and when you’re not on it, you don’t get anywhere.

From 1st January this year I committed to train a minimum of twice a week at OnPoint in Hertford (HITT and strength training at 6.30am!) and once a week with my friend for an hour focussing on my areas of weakness, e.g. Squat depth! 

I also decided to cut the rubbish food out of my diet, with an alcohol free January.

Achieving the exercise goals has been easier than the food. I have to stay 100% prepared and focussed, because as soon as I’m away from home (usually a couple of nights a week) and healthy options are limited, I give in and end up eating unhealthily and throwing in a glass of wine too. It’s so easy to tell yourself that it’s justifiable because you’re tired, haven’t eaten all day, deserve a treat- and while that all might be true, and life might be too short, giving into those excuses is not going to help me achieve my goals!

Some weeks I manage to get in 5 sessions including women’s kick boxing which has been completely new, and really challenging but every session is different, tough, and fun, and that’s what makes me actually look forward to getting up at 5.30am to drive to the gym when it’s pitch black and minus four degrees.

In six weeks I’ve lost a stone, which sounds impressive but there’s still so far to go- but this time the number on the scales isn’t the only end goal.

My goal is to be a healthy weight for my height, but it’s also to be able to squat deeper, deadlift heavier, plank longer, run further, sprint faster, do pull ups… the list goes on. It’s also about loving the body I have, and having the best body I can, and appreciating what it can do!

This year I have signed up to two things I wouldn’t have even considered before… a fitness retreat in Ibiza in September and a 10k obstacle race in April. Eek 😬

The point of this blog is to track my progress and share positive experiences as well as frustrations and setbacks. It won’t be easy, but it will be an adventure!

Progress so far…