Helping you to find inspiration
A personal note from me, and what Fit After 50 is about.. Updated Sept 2020
What an unusual year this has been.
I'm one of the lucky ones so far, in that my work has been stable and safe, I work for an online marketplace, so we are really busy and expanding.
But I've experienced the common issues of working from home, lack of a gym, lack of regular sessions and the easy ability of snacking, eating a bit too much, home comforts, and all the while with the missing motivation of events or challenges lined up.
Earlier in the year I decided to start a nutrition course with a well established company, and then once I am qualified, I will be offering nutrition and exercise coaching, both online and offline.
I'll share more on that as I get closer to finishing my course - at the moment I am exactly half way through!
The reason this all started...
After playing multiple sports through my life at a reasonable level, as I got older I also started coaching and doing some more formal learning around sports science.
In 2009 I took the qualification as a Personal Trainer (REPS level 3).and within the following months I took on a number of personal private clients and also started coaching the local rugby club.
All the while I was working full time (and commuting), but over the next year I took a Kettlebell course and qualification, an RFU Rugby coaching course (Levels 1 and 2) and continued my own training and Adventure racing and early forays into Triathlon.
I’m one of the weekend warriors - people who continue to devote hours each week to activities and challenges despite the advancing years, continually balancing family, work, friends and enjoying life. I was also part of a peer group where we had all picked a goal of some sort for each year and we kept in touch as our challenges kept us focussed and we then travelled on our own personal journey towards it.
The reasons for we do this are varied, and are different and very personal for each one of us.
- Just taking part may be enough, the journey to get there is actually the goal itself
- Fit for life - being able to walk with your grand children, pick them up and hold them
- Picking an event and finishing.. time irrelevant, but again the journey and the goal is to be able to say "I've done a 5k run, an open water swim, played 18 holes of golf"
- Competing again - the adrenaline rush, pushing yourself to the limit, battling to be as close to the front as you can be
This led me to thinking that as we age gracefully (or not) it would be great to have support from like minded people and the idea behind the web site came about. In November 2016 I was able to launch the website, with a few articles and other content I had written on the way.
Over the course of the last couple of years I have been lucky that friends have written their journeys for us, and I have also been able to get a couple of new people to write for us as well. I have found that as I talk and socialise with more people and my network has slowly expanded, I discover people and inspiration in more and more places and it takes more and more forms.
Often the greatest challenges are getting started and knowing which path to take and actions to follow. I think my experience across multiple sports and managing teams and individuals at work will help clarify that and give a clear and accountable path. I hope to be able to provide help, support and inspiration to more people through the coaching and also persuade more people to share their remarkable stories with us.
And finally, I would love it if you would like to help us, contribute and be part of this, so if you'd like to share a review, article or help in any way, please contact us: info@fitafter50.co.uk
Rat Race - Coast to Coast : 105 Miles completed in a day!
As for me.. I'll keep going..
The hours of dedication, training runs, core sessions, rides, swims, weights, continue to provide a mix of emotions, feelings, frustrations, highs and lows, aches, pains, personal bests, spectacular blow ups and failures.
But they are never boring... Always reminding me I'm alive, I CAN do this and the challenge I have set will be met head on.
I know I'm unlikely to win, but I'll be at the start, and I'll almost certainly finish and I’m sure there will be new challenges, new ways to keep fit, new races to train for, new experiences to cherish and memories to bank.
Coming up in the next month..
Challenges: What is next for 2021?
Articles/Blogs: Finding the right exercise for you...
