Now I’m strong: I can run fast, I can lift weights, and that in itself is quite empowering, to have that physical strength. It changes my whole mental attitude.
Esme Creed-Miles
“Are you hoping for a time today?”
“13 hours or less.”
He laughed at me. Openly laughed at me. This was how Ironman Wales started. I shrugged it off. It didn’t discourage me in the slightest. If anything, it made me even more determined to show these men who I really was and what I was capable of.
When I first set out to compete in Ironman Tenby, people had told me I was mad, asked me why I’d picked one of the hardest courses on the circuit, asked why I hadn’t picked a nice easy one, told me I needed a better bike, told me I would never have the time to train.
My body suffered. I had injuries – namely a stress fracture in my foot 9 weeks out from race day. But I kept calm, followed the plan and looked after myself. People couldn’t believe I recovered so quickly. I was happily stomping through an olympic distance tri only 6 weeks after the diagnosis. But I wasn’t phased. I knew I’d trained hard and given myself the best chance of completing. So that’s physical strength – it’s nutrition, training, recovery.
But how does it relate to confidence?
The truth was, I’d specifically picked out a challenging course. Of course, it made sense that I didn’t have to travel too far either, but I relished the opportunity to complete the undertaking that others didn’t think was possible. That’s because I had faith in my physical ability. I knew if I trained hard, did my research, followed the science and coached myself well, I’d get there. I also knew that it would be a lot of time and effort and that the biggest challenge to actually complete the race, would be channelling mental strength, but starting out with the physical aspect was always going to be the first step in the right direction.
Completing those tough workouts, the ones where you have to spend the whole time telling yourself not to give up, those ones make you stronger. They feed into your mental strength. They change your inner narrative to “I can, I will.” And that rush of endorphins you feel when the workout is over, leaves you looking for your next fix. You might be a sweaty mess after those workouts, but you feel like you can conquer the world, there isn’t a challenge big enough for you! The right blend of workouts for athletes can even give you the competitive edge; perhaps it’s that extra strength session you throw in early doors or the sprint training everyone else gives up on?
Of course, one of the most obvious side-effects of looking after your nutrition and fitness, is making it easier to manage weight and general physique; your skin gets clearer, your muffin top shrinks, you’re able to fit into those jeans you’ve been scared of… And that opens doors. Suddenly, entering your first triathlon doesn’t seem so scary when you realise you’re going to look great in the lycra. Joining the local running club seems a lot more inviting when you feel comfortable in those groovy leggings you bought online last year.
What happens when physical strength is off-balance?
Your commitment to good food goes a bit of course. You stop reminding yourself to drink enough. You start skipping those tough workouts a little bit more often. You’re staying up late on your phone.
Your body composition deteriorates, your skin becomes dull and lacklustre, bags appear under your eyes and the tone starts to soften in your arms. The sports bra leaves that little pinch of fat where it didn’t before and the lycra seems daunting. Your inner narrative becomes depressed and downtrodden and looking in the mirror just isn’t comfortable. You’re unhappy.
But to restore the balance, you just need a nudge in the right direction. Let’s talk about what caused things to slide in the first place. Let’s think about how we can change for the better, one little step at a time. It might be that a quick in clinic treatment and a subtle change to your skin routine allows you to take one step forward, to look in the mirror and almost smile. It might make you feel a little bit more confident to put on that lycra, head out for that run and feel a little more alive again.
Before you know it, one subtle tweak and the balance has shifted again. You’re back on track. You feel alive, joyful and most importantly, you feel confident. Sometimes all we can see are the barriers in the way of us and our best-selves. When that happens, we just need someone to take care of us and say “I got you”, who can tip the scales in our favour and just make that uphill climb seem a little less steep.
What my triathlon training and self-coaching has taught me, is that I’m the one who suffers or benefits the most from the choices I make about my own body. I’ve also learnt what those choices are and which ones I need to make in order to maintain the best version of myself. At the Wonder Clinic, I share those decisions with you. I talk about the hurdles you face and how we can gently tip the scales in your favour, whether it’s the physical, mental or aesthetic strength that’s out of balance: I help active men and women look and feel like winners, by balancing physical, mental and aesthetic strength. So stop putting off that workout and get it done! And if you need a little help getting the balance right again, get in touch.
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steviepotter@thewonderclinic.co.uk