Month: June 2019

A Very Cool Adventure

/ intrepidjane

You may remember a while back that I read a book called What Doesn’t Kill Us. Inspired by the stories Scott Carney shared in this book, I set about practising the Wim Hof Method, using a specific breathing technique and taking daily cold showers. (If you’re interested, I talk about how I fit this practice into my daily routine here 🙂 ).

In an ice trance!

Having mentioned the book and my new practice to fellow athletes and coaches at my CrossFit box, one of the coaches talked about the possibility of organising a local workshop run by a certified WHM instructor. Obviously, I couldn’t resist the opportunity for such an adventure!

On Sunday 23 June, Scott Riley of Causeway Living ran a ‘split venue’ workshop for a small group of local folk. We spent the morning at CrossFit Causeway learning the fundamentals of the Wim Hof Method, focusing specifically on our goals and on the breathing technique. In the afternoon we went to Coach Paul’s house in the countryside and took a wee dip in an ice bath 😉 .

Even though I had been taking daily cold showers for 6 weeks, I didn’t feel very confident about getting into a bath full of ice. I knew my body was really good at getting rid of heat (I sweat profusely when I’m training, particularly when I’m running) and I’d say that I tend to feel the cold (I’m the one who’ll be wearing a couple of fleeces and a hat inside the house, even in summer!). The showers didn’t seem to be getting any easier for me, so I thought I was heading for a major wimp moment for certain …

Scott taught us how to down-regulate the fight-or-flight response by slowing our breathing right down. As we all stood around the pool, Scott banged out a rhythm on a drum and we built up energy with our breathing. When the drum beat slowed, it was time for someone to get into the icy water.

Somehow I think the faster drumming triggered memories and well-practised useful skills for the context. I remembered breaking boards with my bare hands on countless occasions (through my NLP training work). I remembered how many times I’d walked across burning embers and done arrow-breaks at Tir na Nog . And then my body did something of its own accord: it took me into a trance – before I even got into the pool!

As soon as I felt the familiar pins-and-needles of trance starting to happen, I knew I’d be okay in the ice. When the drumming slowed for a second time, I stepped forward and lowered myself slowly into the water. I slowed my breathing right down, I let myself sink deeper into trance, and I actually enjoyed the experience 🙂 .

Here’s a wee bit of footage of me in the pool:

(You can watch more ice bath footage here.) Since doing Scott’s workshop I’ve become far more confident about exposing myself to the cold. The slow-breathing technique really works and I have no bother showering on the coldest setting: I actually enjoy it and the feeling of cold soon wears off! Afterwards I feel really relaxed and invigorated.

I also like the idea that it’s possible to generalise out this response to stress. That is, we can down-regulate our fight-or-flight response just by the simple act of breathing. And I really like how cold-showering or ice-bathing can help overcome procrastination. For me, there’s no point standing in the shower and waiting to be ready to turn the temperature right down. While it’s toasty warm, you’ll never be ‘ready’, so just turn it down and enjoy it!

You can find out more about Scott Riley and his Wim Hof Method workshops here.  He’s a super facilitator and walks his talk.

Right. I’m off for a cold shower, then I’m going outside and may be some time 🙂 . (By the way, if you’re new to my blog, you can find more out about my #OldDogNewTricks project here.)

JT 🙂

Inspiring Women 1: Kerry Sweeney

/ intrepidjane

Over the next month or so I’ll be introducing you to some inspiring women. These are women I’ve known for a while or women I’ve met through my adventures.  In all cases, they challenge what it means to be an older woman, and their achievements and life philosophies are really worth sharing. Seeing other people living their dreams can help us to generate the courage, ambition and zest to live our own 🙂 .

First up in this series is Kerry Sweeney. Kerry’s a 44-year-old mum of three, wife, paramedic team leader for the Scottish Ambulance Service, RAF reservist medic, runner, swimmer and outdoor-lover. She recently represented Great Britain at the ITU (International Triathlon Union) World Championships, finishing 7th in the aquathlon.

I’ve known Kerry since 1999. When we moved to Crieff (Scotland), Kerry was a fitness instructor at the Crieff Hydro. I went along to Kerry’s aerobics classes (right up to the day my son was born) and ran with her now and again (although it was quite hard to keep up with her most of the time 😉 ). Kerry was one of the first people to welcome me into the local community.

I managed to catch up with Kerry recently and ask her about her adventurous life. Here’s what she had to say:

1. You’ve just represented GB for the first time at the ITU championships. Can you tell us a bit about your journey to competing? I had a random chat with an existing GB age group athlete that I know through social media who suggested I should look at qualifying times. I had one opportunity left in the season in Scotland to qualify and I decided that I should go for it. I raced at the Stirling aquathlon, placing 3rd overall and 1st in my age group. After that I received an email that confirmed my place. Knowing that I would be representing GB  is a feeling that it is difficult to describe: it was the biggest sporting achievement of my life. Some of my motivators were inner motivations to prove to myself that you really can do anything you want to do if you work hard enough. From an external point of view I wanted to show my children that you should chase your dreams.

My training regime was tough due to shift work and also going through the joining process to become an RAF reservist at the same time. I had to ensure that what I was eating was fuelling my body properly and that I was getting sufficient sleep around my night-shifts. I cut down on alcohol and then gave it up completely for 6 weeks which was a challenge for me. I devised my own training plan again to work around shifts but I tried to get 6/7 sessions a week in, mixing up swimming, running and strength training. Then, towards March, I started doing back-to-back swims/runs. My biggest letdown was not being able to do much outdoor swimming as it was just too cold to justify driving to Loch Earn for a few minutes swim.

Representing my country was the highest honour and pulling on the tri suit made every single session worthwhile. The support my family and friends gave me really inspired me to push to be the best I could be. As I walked into the holding pen with another 180 female athletes from all over the world I felt nervous but super excited and really privileged to have this opportunity.

2. You had a phenomenal championship! What was the race like and what impact has this achievement had on you? Throughout the race, due to how the set up was, I never knew what place I was in! The first I knew was when friends from home were messaging me. I knew I had run a 5K PB and that felt like confirmation that I had given it my all. My swim was quite difficult and I had to dig deep into mental reserves to keep pushing and this consolidated the whole feeling of being strong both mentally and physically. I sat on the roadside by myself immediately after the race with medal in my hand and I felt so overwhelmed with happiness that I had just lived my dream. All those tired, cold, hard runs were worth it. The sacrifices of going home early and monitoring weight, food, alcohol and training they were forgotten. I also realised that it’s okay not to win as long as you give it your best shot.

3. What do you have lined up next? I hope to move into representing the RAF sports teams and aim to qualify for Almere in 2020 for the world champs at aquathlon.

4. What advice would you give to women in their 40s, 50s and beyond who might really want to do something but are afraid it’s too late / they may make a fool of themselves / they’re really not cut out for whatever it is they want to do? My advice would always be give it a go. I personally don’t care if I make a fool of myself as it’s better than suffocating your dreams and I believe we are all capable of so much more than we think we are. If you don’t try, you will never know. I met some amazing American aquathletes who were in their 60s. With the uptake in women in sport I believe there is a place for everyone whether it be recreational, national or international.

5. Do you have any swimming advice for me and my upcoming butterfly adventure? Break it down and drill, drill, drill, then put it back together. For butterfly, relax and keep it smooth.

6. As you approach the menopause, how is your relationship with your body changing (if at all)? I haven’t experienced menopause symptoms, but as I get older I am growing to respect my amazing body that has not only birthed 3 wonderful babies but has carried me thousands of miles exploring hills, trails, roads and tracks. It has allowed me to lift weights, to cut through pools and lochs, and to let me live my life to the full.

7. And finally, why do you think you push yourself to achieve things in the way you do? I often ask myself why I push myself so much and quite simply it’s because I can.

If you want to keep up with Kerry’s adventures, you can follow her on Twitter @strathkerry.

Right. That’s me inspired! I’m just going outside and may be some time 🙂 . (By the way, if you’re new to my blog, you can find more out about my #OldDogNewTricks project here.)

JT 🙂

Book Review: Relentless

/ intrepidjane

I read this book during the run-up to the Midland Masters Track & Field Championships as part of my last-minute fine-tuning strategy. (Okay. Hands up. I didn’t actually have one of those strategies, but this book did help with getting my mind into the right space – even though I balked at some of the author’s attitudes.)

Grover works with elite US basketball players and this book draws lessons from his coaching experience over the years. There are upsides and downsides to this book, and while I don’t think I’d like to spend time with the author socially (or have him coach me), I think there are some solid pieces of advice (hidden amongst the swathes of sociopathic must-dos) that have genuine value for all of us, no matter how good we are at the thing we’re trying to get better at.

I won’t sully the reading experience for you by including spoilers in this review. If you’re a win-at-all-cost, use-every-means-including-those-you-love kind of person, you might enjoy everything this guy has to say. If you’re not, you’ll still find something in it of worth – even if that’s a better sense of who you are as a person and what’s important to you in life.

What I Didn’t Like
1. The assumption that I knew everything about basketball and I knew who the author was referring to even when he only used their first name. (Just so you know, I did a great deal of googling while reading the book and now know everything there is to know about basketball 🤣)
2. The unadulterated machismo.
3. The lack of inclusion of female athletes  (who may succeed in spite of not having the opportunity or the desire to be as single-minded because of parenting responsibilities, for example).
4. The underlying premise that leading a ‘good life’ is not as important as winning.
5. The lack of the bigger picture: what are the consequences of following this formula for success when an athletic career comes to an end? (I’d like to know the full price that’s been paid and whether the athletes, in the longer term, were glad they’d decided to take this particular route to ‘success’).

What I Did Like
1.The author is direct, blunt and brutally honest. I don’t agree or like everything he says, but I’m all ears when he’s saying it.
2. I genuinely believe that Grover is very good at what he does. I like the lack of sugar-coating. It’s ‘This is what I do. It works. Take it or leave it.’ It’s authentic. He’s not trying to be anything other than himself. And that authenticity makes for compelling reading.
3. Some of the take-aways were of practical value to me: keeping a cool head under pressure; getting and staying in ‘the zone’ (flow state); ‘contracting’ or signing up to ‘do the work’ (being prepared to ‘boldly go’ where you may not have been before).

Some things happened at last week’s championships that could have thrown me ‘off track’ (quite literally 🤣). Some of Grover’s advice actually helped me to remain cool-headed and get the job done. For that alone, the book was worth every penny – and I read it at exactly the right time for me! I’ll give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I think that’s fair. And I also think I’ll give that whole ‘relentless’ thing a little more focus over the coming weeks and I’ll see what happens. I’m curious to discover how ‘relentless’ I can actually be whilst respecting who I really am.

I’m just going outside and may be some time.  (By the way, if you’re new to my blog, you can find more out about my #OldDogNewTricks project here.)

JT 🙂

Midland Masters Track & Field Championships

/ intrepidjane

Well, that’s me back safe and sound from my first sortie into the world of track and field! I talk in today’s video-blog (scroll right down) about how I got on at the 400m and 800m races at the Midland Masters Track & Field Championships, which took place in Nuneaton, Warwickshire on 9 June.

For those who prefer to cut straight to the chase, I did well and won two silver medals! I ran the 800m in 2:49:14 and the 400m in 1:13:67. You can check out the full results listings here.

I learned a great deal from participating, including:

  • I could probably up my pace in the 800m (I had no idea about pacing for this race).
  • I need to accelerate more in the first 100m of the 400m (and stop laughing so much 🤣). By the way, I made a wee mistake in today’s video: I meant to say that the other athletes ran the first 100m very quickly!
  • Masters track & field athletes are a friendly and inspiring bunch of people!

400m 45-50 & 50-55  [Photo credit: Stephen Lee]

Working hard! 400m 45-50 & 50-55 [Photo credit: Stephen Lee]

I’m now looking forward to the NI Masters Championships at the end of June. I think I’m going to enjoy myself 😎. Here’s today’s video-blog with the full low-down about the Midland Masters Championships:

Right, then. I’m off to polish my medals and then I’m just going outside and may be some time. (By the way, if you’re new to my blog, you can find more out about my #OldDogNewTricks project here.)

JT 🙂

Talking About #OldDogNewTricks on the Telly!

/ intrepidjane

A while back, I got the chance to talk to Karen Mooney at Northern Visions Television about my #OldDogNewTricks project. As well as talking about my adventures, we also talk about The Faerie Thorn‘s journey to the stage, The Wonder Tales, my theatre-training with Tinderbox Theatre Company, and Women Aloud NI (an organisation I set up in 2015 to raise the profile of women writers in Northern Ireland).

You can watch the programme in full here:

I am just going outside and may be some time. (By the way, if you’re new to my blog, you can find more out about my #OldDogNewTricks project here.)

JT 🙂

Book Review: My Midsummer Morning

/ intrepidjane

I’m almost 6 months into my #OldDogNewTricks adventures now and, as the year moves on, I’ve welcomed the inspiration offered by several books and films. 

With my second adventure looming large (400m/800m track races – first at the West Midlands Masters Track & Field Championships in Nuneaton on Sunday 9 June and then at the Northern Irish Masters Track & Field Championships in Belfast on Saturday 29 June), I was hoping that Alastair Humphreys’ new book, My Midsummer Morning, would see me to the start line this weekend. I’d planned to read a little of it every night, finishing it on Saturday, just before the first athletics meet. Unfortunately, that’s no longer a possibility because I consumed the whole thing in two short sittings!

I review Alastair’s book in today’s video blog (scroll down). In the video I also talk about how the book got me thinking about my own adventures and the motivation behind them. If you want to avoid any kind of spoilers at all, please DON’T WATCH THE VIDEO! Here’s a very brief spoiler-free written review for those of you who want to enjoy Alastair’s book with completely fresh eyes:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Alastair Humphreys sets out to recreate Laurie Lee’s journey through Spain, a journey made famous by the book As I walked Out One Midsummer Morning (1969). Earning his daily crust by busking with a violin (which he is not very good at playing), Alastair’s adventure offers him the joy of human connection, the challenge and reward of vulnerability, and perfect conditions to re-assess his relationship with adventure and with life. It’s a brutally honest, refreshing and heart-warming read. It’s also a rare book in the adventure/travel-writing genre: you feel like you really get to see the human behind the adventurer’s mask. Reading this book, you don’t just feel like you’re a spectator, watching a man or woman complete a challenge. Reading this book, you feel like you’re in Alastair’s head, looking out of his eyes, hearing his (sometimes uncomfortable) thoughts – the kind of thoughts that don’t usually get written down in a book like this. This proximity to the ‘real’ action (Alastair’s honesty with himself) is what sets this book apart. I loved it!

I’m just going outside and may be some time 😉 . (By the way, if you’re new to my blog, you can find more out about my #OldDogNewTricks project here.)

JT 🙂

White Lights

/ intrepidjane

One of the biggest challenges of my #OldDogNewTricks year of adventure is project management! For the first three adventures, I’ve had to prepare for each simultaneously: I started preparing for my musical theatre adventure, my track adventure (400m/800m) and powerlifting adventure in January.

Whilst my musical theatre adventure was done and dusted in April, my first track adventure takes place this weekend (9 June). All well and good, you might think 😉 .However, the small spanner in the works is that I’m less than 7 weeks out from the rookie powerlifting competition. This has meant that getting ready for my upcoming track races (including the NI Masters Champs at the end of June) is clashing head on with an increasingly heavy (literally 😂) powerlifting training load.

Result? I’m whacked. To be more precise, I’m REALLY whacked during the first week of every new powerlifting mesocycle. (Each mesocycle is a 4-week schedule with a very heavy first week, a moderate second week, a heavy third week , and a light fourth or de-load week). I’ve just come to the end of the first week of a new cycle, so I’m definitely feeling it a bit. With my first track races this weekend, I’m getting in as much recovery as I can. Basically, this means as much sleep as I can take (which is about 10 hours at the moment: 9 hours at night and 30-60 minutes kip late afternoon if I’m working from home). It also means as much food as I can take (which is 4000 – 5000 calories a day at the moment); and it means a strategic lightening of the training load (which means that I’ve front-loaded my moderate powerlifting week so all my lifts will be done by tomorrow lunchtime. It also means a slightly lighter run load).

On top of the physical training load is the psychological training load. Last week I learned how to get out of the blocks and got some track experience in my spikes to build a little racing confidence. This took a huge psychological weight off my mind. On Sunday, I’ll be focusing on enjoying the experience and getting a feel for what an athletics meet is really like: all useful for ‘peaking’ at the NI Masters Championships at the end of June 😎. (Listen, if you’re reading this and you’re competing at the Masters T&F Championships in Belfast at the end of June, don’t worry. My peak will be nothing like your peak: I just want to get off that track alive 🤣 ! And without getting disqualified 😱)

Psychological preparations have also started for the rookie powerlifting competition. Paul Cullen, my powerlifting coach (who holds two current weightlifting world records: behind- the- head military press and push press from the rack), ran an evening seminar for CrossFit Causeway lifters competing in the July competition. During this session, the five of us who are going to compete learned all about platform etiquette, how to work out what to go for for the three attempts at each lift, what the commands are for each lift, warm-up etiquette, weigh-in protocols and how you know whether you ‘got’ the lift. There’ll be three judges on the platform and what competitors will be hoping for is three white lights (and a minimum of two).

Knowing how things will work on the day helps me to stop worrying about all the things I don’t know (because I have a better sense of those things now) and put all that energy into training. Being prepared suits me 🙂 . Being inspired also helps me with my preparations. And last Friday Gail (my powerlifting training buddy) and I got a surprise mega-dose of inspiration after our CrossFit workout.

Ricky (L) and Eugene (R)

Gail and I take our training very seriously 😉

Northern Irish powerlifting legends Ricky Mullan and Eugene Currie popped into the box to train. Gail and I were thrilled when they took a bit of time out and had a chat with us. Gail got some top tips about tightening her belt and her wrist wraps (and, let me tell you, those things aren’t comfortable! My belt bruises my ribs every time I wear it 😱). When Ricky said I was probably a good deadlifter, it was really lovely to feel a sense of ‘belonging’ to the powerlifting community. To look at me, you might not take me for a powerlifter at all – and yet here was a great powerlifter ‘seeing’ the powerlifter in me. His words really helped to make me start to take myself more seriously as a lifter – and to feel more possibility too.  (I have pretty long everything, which isn’t that great for bench-pressing or back-squatting. Here’s an interesting wee factoid: my arms are actually as long as Gail’s legs! My old-lady back squats are improving, thanks to my knee sleeves which really help my old-lady knees 😉 But my super-long arms and super-long back are just perfect for deadlifting. )

So, here I am with 5 months of training under my belt. I’m running faster. I’m lifting heavier, and – most importantly of all – I’m feeling more connected to the world, and more alive, than ever before. If the world were watching me, I reckon I’d be getting 3 white lights right now!

Right. I think I need a little lie down, so I’m just going outside and may be some time 😉 . (By the way, if you’re new to my blog, you can find more out about my #OldDogNewTricks project here.)

JT 🙂