As a former elite athlete in an endurance sport, my body and mind are used to completing hours upon hours of training. A typical day for me between the years of 1997 and 2008 consisted of 3-5 hours of daily training. Obviously rowing made up the bulk of this training, but there was also a fair amount of weight lifting, cycling, running, bodyweight circuits & stretching. Spas, saunas, ice baths & massages were extras that added even more time onto the daily commitment required of an elite athlete.
As you can appreciate, I've had to adjust what I consider to be "normal" training. These days, I am a mother, a wife, an employee, a coach, a cook, a cleaner, a shopper, a taxi driver, a play dough maker. I simply do not have a spare 3-5 hours each day in which to train. Unless I want to eat into my sleeping time, and (a) I don't want to, and (b) that would be a really stupid thing to do anyway.
So, rather than doing 3-5 hours of daily training, I do between 0 and 2 hours. Most days are 'one hour training days', a few days a week I manage two hours and occasionally I don't fit in any training at all (unless you consider running around after a 2-year-old to be training)!
But, even with the dramatic drop in training duration, it is still hard to find the time and energy to do it. In fact, it's not really that I find the time, more that I "make" the time.
If something is important to you, you'll make the time to do it. And exercise for me is crucial. So, I schedule it in. I organise my life so I can do it daily (or almost daily). I organise my daughter's life so I can fit it.
Here are my top tips for making exercise a habit:
A) MAKE time for it (if it's important to you, that is. If not, continue doing what you're doing).
B) set some realistic health and/or fitness goals
C) be realistic about what you can actually manage (don't tell yourself you're going to do an hour of daily exercise if you are currently doing none. Why not start with 10 minutes of daily exercise?)
D) make changes gradually (when 10 minutes of daily exercise becomes your new norm, bump it up to 11 or 12 minutes).
E) do exercise that you enjoy & that your body responds well to (that way it wont be a chore & you're more likely to stick with it)
E) be consistent (this is by far the hardest part!)
Thanks for reading. Now, go and move that body for 10 minutes! And, if you need any inspiration for what you could possibly do in 10 minutes to give your body a decent workout, just ask me!
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Friday, October 10, 2014
Olympic Supermum Shares Success Secrets
Olympian, dual World Champion, mother of two. Bendigo-born Hannah Every-Hall is all of the above!
It was difficult to decide in which order to list those three epic achievements.
And I only started with 'Olympian' because it is less common to be an Olympian than it is to be a mother.
But now that I am a mother myself, I know too well which is the tougher job!
When I was an Australian representative rower, I committed up to 5 hours a day to training. No mean feat! But I wasn't a mother back then.
The fact that Hannah, now 37, competed at the 2012 Olympic Games (finishing fifth in the lightweight double scull) and won a silver medal at the recent World Championships, all while mothering two young boys (now 8 and 6), makes her a super mum!
So, how does she do it?
"Organisation and good support is the key," Hannah stated. "My life is so organised it's scary. But if it wasn't, things would go pear-shaped."
Hannah explained that being 'scarily' organised allowed her to stay present & give full focus to the task at hand.
"In the past I would try and play with my boys, but I would be so distracted thinking
about all the housework I should do, the dinner I should prepare, what training session I had next, etcetera," Hannah recalled. "And consequently I never did anything very well at all."
"So now I try and compartmentalise things, so I give the task at hand 100 per cent of my concentration."
Hannah - who is also a qualified sports dietician - first picked up an oar as a schoolgirl and found it to be a fun thing to do with friends. It wasn't until she was at university that she started to take the sport seriously.
But when she did commit, the results came quickly.
Hannah's two World Championships came in her pre-baby days. In 1999, she was a member of the winning under 23 lightweight double scull and in 2002, she stroked the open lightweight quad scull to gold.
Hannah trialled for the 2004 Olympic team, but fell short of the mark. It was then that she, and husband Michael, decided to start a family.
Harry was born in 2006, and Charlie came along in 2008.
Hannah's involvement in the sport re-commenced after her children were born, initially in the form of coaching. She was training a group of masters, and started filling in for them on occasion.
She then decided to race in the single scull at the Masters regatta in 2009, when Charlie was just seven months old.
"I won", Hannah recalled. "And I had so much fun."
"And then Michael said to me, 'why don't you have another shot, and see how you go.'"
"So in July 2009, I set the goal of racing at the 2010 Australian National Championships, just to see what I could do. And here I still am!"
The 2012 London Games was Hannah's first Olympic appearance, proving that persistence - and maturity - pays.
Hannah's goals for the future are pretty simple; she just wants to be the best at whatever it is she puts her mind too.
"I want to win gold in Rio, I want to be the best mother and role model possible, and I want to bring the best out in my husband because that is what he does for me."
It was difficult to decide in which order to list those three epic achievements.
And I only started with 'Olympian' because it is less common to be an Olympian than it is to be a mother.
But now that I am a mother myself, I know too well which is the tougher job!
When I was an Australian representative rower, I committed up to 5 hours a day to training. No mean feat! But I wasn't a mother back then.
The fact that Hannah, now 37, competed at the 2012 Olympic Games (finishing fifth in the lightweight double scull) and won a silver medal at the recent World Championships, all while mothering two young boys (now 8 and 6), makes her a super mum!
So, how does she do it?
"Organisation and good support is the key," Hannah stated. "My life is so organised it's scary. But if it wasn't, things would go pear-shaped."
Hannah explained that being 'scarily' organised allowed her to stay present & give full focus to the task at hand.
"In the past I would try and play with my boys, but I would be so distracted thinking
about all the housework I should do, the dinner I should prepare, what training session I had next, etcetera," Hannah recalled. "And consequently I never did anything very well at all."
"So now I try and compartmentalise things, so I give the task at hand 100 per cent of my concentration."
Hannah - who is also a qualified sports dietician - first picked up an oar as a schoolgirl and found it to be a fun thing to do with friends. It wasn't until she was at university that she started to take the sport seriously.
But when she did commit, the results came quickly.
Hannah's two World Championships came in her pre-baby days. In 1999, she was a member of the winning under 23 lightweight double scull and in 2002, she stroked the open lightweight quad scull to gold.
Hannah trialled for the 2004 Olympic team, but fell short of the mark. It was then that she, and husband Michael, decided to start a family.
Harry was born in 2006, and Charlie came along in 2008.
Hannah's involvement in the sport re-commenced after her children were born, initially in the form of coaching. She was training a group of masters, and started filling in for them on occasion.
She then decided to race in the single scull at the Masters regatta in 2009, when Charlie was just seven months old.
"I won", Hannah recalled. "And I had so much fun."
"And then Michael said to me, 'why don't you have another shot, and see how you go.'"
"So in July 2009, I set the goal of racing at the 2010 Australian National Championships, just to see what I could do. And here I still am!"
The 2012 London Games was Hannah's first Olympic appearance, proving that persistence - and maturity - pays.
Hannah's goals for the future are pretty simple; she just wants to be the best at whatever it is she puts her mind too.
"I want to win gold in Rio, I want to be the best mother and role model possible, and I want to bring the best out in my husband because that is what he does for me."
Sunday, September 28, 2014
"The Compound Effect" by Darren Hardy
I've never written a review, I don't know how to. So, this is not a review, but the key messages I took away from reading, "The Compound Effect" by Darren Hardy.
Do you know the Paul Kelly song, "From Little Things, Big Things Grow"? Well that is the premise of the book.
According to Hardy, the little, everyday decisions we make will either take us to the life we desire, or to disaster by default.
The book opens with a direct and powerful statement... "You've been bamboozled for too long". The writer goes on to explain that, despite what the sensationalist media might have us believe, there is no magic bullet to success.
And Hardy ensures that we don't need to learn anything new to be successful.
"New or more information is not what you need," he says. "What you need is a new plan". ("If all we needed was more information, everyone with an internet connection would have abs of steel, live in a mansion, and be blissfully happy.")
The compound effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices.
What's most interesting about the process is that, even though the results are massive, the steps, in the moment, don't feel significant.
Hardy cites examples of how people can get caught out by the simplicity of the compound effect. An overweight person might give up after the eighth day of running because s/he is still overweight. Another might quit practising the piano after six months because s/he hasn't mastered anything other than chopsticks. And a third person might stop making regular contributions to their goal saver account because they could use the cash for something else. And the money doesn't seem to be adding up to much anyway.
What these people fail to realise is the power of the compound effect. We are a society hell bent on instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it yesterday. Hardy says that understanding the compound effect will rid us of the expectation that we should see instant results.
I have followed the principles of The Compound Effect a couple of times in my life, to great success.
The most obvious time i followed the principles of the compound effect was during my elite rowing career. I represented Australia at two Olympic Games - Athens, 2004, and Beijing, 2008 - but I was a complete novice at one point. I first picked up an oar as a 14-year-old schoolgirl. So, it took me 10 years of daily, mundane, tiring & time-consuming training to reach the lofty heights of the Olympic Games.
Immediately following the Beijing Games, I set my sights on saving a deposit to buy my first home. Again, I followed the concept of 'from little things big things grow'. I saved at least $100 a week (on a slim wage, and without the luxury of living rent-free with my folks) for three full years until I had a respectable income.
And I'm currently following the principles of the compound effect as I prepare to run the Perth marathon in June 2015.
What one simple act can you perform on a daily basis that is going to lead you in the direction you want your life to take?
Do you know the Paul Kelly song, "From Little Things, Big Things Grow"? Well that is the premise of the book.
According to Hardy, the little, everyday decisions we make will either take us to the life we desire, or to disaster by default.
The book opens with a direct and powerful statement... "You've been bamboozled for too long". The writer goes on to explain that, despite what the sensationalist media might have us believe, there is no magic bullet to success.
And Hardy ensures that we don't need to learn anything new to be successful.
"New or more information is not what you need," he says. "What you need is a new plan". ("If all we needed was more information, everyone with an internet connection would have abs of steel, live in a mansion, and be blissfully happy.")
The compound effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices.
What's most interesting about the process is that, even though the results are massive, the steps, in the moment, don't feel significant.
Hardy cites examples of how people can get caught out by the simplicity of the compound effect. An overweight person might give up after the eighth day of running because s/he is still overweight. Another might quit practising the piano after six months because s/he hasn't mastered anything other than chopsticks. And a third person might stop making regular contributions to their goal saver account because they could use the cash for something else. And the money doesn't seem to be adding up to much anyway.
What these people fail to realise is the power of the compound effect. We are a society hell bent on instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it yesterday. Hardy says that understanding the compound effect will rid us of the expectation that we should see instant results.
I have followed the principles of The Compound Effect a couple of times in my life, to great success.
The most obvious time i followed the principles of the compound effect was during my elite rowing career. I represented Australia at two Olympic Games - Athens, 2004, and Beijing, 2008 - but I was a complete novice at one point. I first picked up an oar as a 14-year-old schoolgirl. So, it took me 10 years of daily, mundane, tiring & time-consuming training to reach the lofty heights of the Olympic Games.
Immediately following the Beijing Games, I set my sights on saving a deposit to buy my first home. Again, I followed the concept of 'from little things big things grow'. I saved at least $100 a week (on a slim wage, and without the luxury of living rent-free with my folks) for three full years until I had a respectable income.
And I'm currently following the principles of the compound effect as I prepare to run the Perth marathon in June 2015.
What one simple act can you perform on a daily basis that is going to lead you in the direction you want your life to take?
Friday, May 23, 2014
Cancer-free Keith to climb Kilimanjaro!
Keith Daddow is a cancer survivor.
But, he may well not have been.
Three years ago, at the tender age of 42, Keith went to see the doctor because he wasn't feeling "himself".
Given his family's history of prostate cancer (his father was diagnosed at the age of 65), Keith insisted on having a prostate exam. A biopsy was taken.
Three weeks later, Keith went back to the doctor to get the results.
"I said, 'Doc, I'm in a positive mood, I've just won a poker tournament, give me the good news.'" Keith recalled.
The doctor said, "the good news is, you came to see me when you did. Because, if you had've waited three years, I'd be telling you that you only have a few weeks to live."
So, thanks to early detection and early treatment (Keith had his prostate removed), this father of three lives to tell the tale.
And, he isn't shy about sharing his story and encouraging other men to be tested.
"I'm happy to sing for my supper," Keith said. "The two points I emphasise are that there's nothing hard about having a test, and, you owe it to yourself and your family to do so."
Keith, who has always been an opportunist, is now even more so. And that's why he has signed up to participate in this year's Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia "Save a Man" Tour.
In an effort to raise vital funds and awareness, the group of six men will scale the world's highest freestanding mountain, Tanzania's Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m) in October.
Keith's previous mountaineering experience is limited to Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges, a mere 1099 metres above sea level.
To help Keith reach his goal of raising $10,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, please visit this link..
https://saveamankilimanjarochallenge.everydayhero.com/au/keith-daddow
https://saveamankilimanjarochallenge.everydayhero.com/au/keith-daddow
And if you'd like to (a) hear Keith "sing for his supper" or (b) be trained by Keith's awesome personal trainer (yours truly), please leave a message in the comments section at the end of this blog.
In Australia, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. And more men die of prostate cancer than women die of breast cancer.
But, he may well not have been.
Three years ago, at the tender age of 42, Keith went to see the doctor because he wasn't feeling "himself".
Given his family's history of prostate cancer (his father was diagnosed at the age of 65), Keith insisted on having a prostate exam. A biopsy was taken.
Three weeks later, Keith went back to the doctor to get the results.
"I said, 'Doc, I'm in a positive mood, I've just won a poker tournament, give me the good news.'" Keith recalled.
The doctor said, "the good news is, you came to see me when you did. Because, if you had've waited three years, I'd be telling you that you only have a few weeks to live."
So, thanks to early detection and early treatment (Keith had his prostate removed), this father of three lives to tell the tale.
And, he isn't shy about sharing his story and encouraging other men to be tested.
"I'm happy to sing for my supper," Keith said. "The two points I emphasise are that there's nothing hard about having a test, and, you owe it to yourself and your family to do so."
Keith, who has always been an opportunist, is now even more so. And that's why he has signed up to participate in this year's Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia "Save a Man" Tour.
In an effort to raise vital funds and awareness, the group of six men will scale the world's highest freestanding mountain, Tanzania's Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m) in October.
Keith's previous mountaineering experience is limited to Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges, a mere 1099 metres above sea level.
To help Keith reach his goal of raising $10,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, please visit this link..
https://saveamankilimanjarochallenge.everydayhero.com/au/keith-daddow
https://saveamankilimanjarochallenge.everydayhero.com/au/keith-daddow
And if you'd like to (a) hear Keith "sing for his supper" or (b) be trained by Keith's awesome personal trainer (yours truly), please leave a message in the comments section at the end of this blog.
In Australia, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. And more men die of prostate cancer than women die of breast cancer.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
A tradition is born; lucky, lucky me!
Baby Marley and I have started a tradition.
Every morning I carry my 5-month-old in the baby bjorn sling, and toddle over to the Dome coffee shop to get myself a fix. It's decaf, mind you (for Marley's sake, as I'm breastfeeding), but the ritual still gives me a lift.
Marley likes it, too. The ritual, that is, not the coffee. Fresh air and being in the upright position are two of her favourite things.
We've been following this ritual for a fortnight now, since my husband returned to work. And almost every day on our walk, we see a homeless man.
I haven't had the courage to speak to him, because I didn't know what to say. I longed to buy him food, but didn't want to appear condescending.
But, I genuinely wanted to try and help this man.
And at about 5 o'clock last night, while walking Marley up and down our balcony, I saw the man again. He was curled up, trying to sleep. No sox. No blanket. I knew that we could easily provide those things for this man.
So, we did. Neill, Marley and I walked over the road and gave him our summer doña (all we had) and a pair of warm fluffy socks. We were both nervous about how he would react. He was nothing but grateful.
We left it at that.
Then, this morning, as Marley and I went about our regular business of coffee buying, we saw him again. He was awake, so we chatted for a brief moment. His name is Michael, and he learned (and approved of) Marley's name.
I offered to buy him a coffee. And I offered to bring him a bowl of beef and barley soup, which I had cooked the night before. He didn't want either. "I'm just waiting for the bottle shop to open," was his response.
We left it at that.
As I strolled home, baby in sling and coffee in hand, I realised that Michael has actually helped me more than I've helped him.
By meeting him, I've been reminded of just how lucky I am. And, while I haven't had a decent night sleep in five months, I do have a warm and comfortable place to rest, complete with loving husband and precious baby girl.
I don't know what else I can do for Michael, but I'll be sure to include a friendly hello to him as part of our daily tradition.
Every morning I carry my 5-month-old in the baby bjorn sling, and toddle over to the Dome coffee shop to get myself a fix. It's decaf, mind you (for Marley's sake, as I'm breastfeeding), but the ritual still gives me a lift.
Marley likes it, too. The ritual, that is, not the coffee. Fresh air and being in the upright position are two of her favourite things.
We've been following this ritual for a fortnight now, since my husband returned to work. And almost every day on our walk, we see a homeless man.
I haven't had the courage to speak to him, because I didn't know what to say. I longed to buy him food, but didn't want to appear condescending.
But, I genuinely wanted to try and help this man.
And at about 5 o'clock last night, while walking Marley up and down our balcony, I saw the man again. He was curled up, trying to sleep. No sox. No blanket. I knew that we could easily provide those things for this man.
So, we did. Neill, Marley and I walked over the road and gave him our summer doña (all we had) and a pair of warm fluffy socks. We were both nervous about how he would react. He was nothing but grateful.
We left it at that.
Then, this morning, as Marley and I went about our regular business of coffee buying, we saw him again. He was awake, so we chatted for a brief moment. His name is Michael, and he learned (and approved of) Marley's name.
I offered to buy him a coffee. And I offered to bring him a bowl of beef and barley soup, which I had cooked the night before. He didn't want either. "I'm just waiting for the bottle shop to open," was his response.
We left it at that.
As I strolled home, baby in sling and coffee in hand, I realised that Michael has actually helped me more than I've helped him.
By meeting him, I've been reminded of just how lucky I am. And, while I haven't had a decent night sleep in five months, I do have a warm and comfortable place to rest, complete with loving husband and precious baby girl.
I don't know what else I can do for Michael, but I'll be sure to include a friendly hello to him as part of our daily tradition.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Stepping ON and OFF bandwagons
It's time to step back on the bandwagon.
It would be easy to say I fell off. But, I did have a choice. And I chose to step off for a few months.
I was pretty strict and disciplined with my diet & exercise routine throughout my pregnancy. But the demands of caring for a new bub, the wedding celebration of a lifetime and a constant stream of visitors, has seen the discipline go out the door.
But...who cares? Not me! I stepped off & now I'm gonna step right back on. It's my choice!
Amber's top tips for returning to the bandwagon:
1) have healthy food at your fingertips. I like to cook & freeze meals ahead of time (soups, mince dishes and curries all freeze well). And prepare healthy salads for lunch the night before. So, when hunger strikes, you can reach straight for the good stuff!
2) start with an exercise routine which is easy to achieve. I'm recommencing mine with just 10 minutes a day. Even just that tiny amount is enough to give me a healthy dose of confidence & a boost of energy. Of course, you don't have to stop at 10 minutes, but at least you have a starting point. And...you'd be surprised at just how effective a short workout can be! If you need inspiration, let me know!
3) be consistent!
It would be easy to say I fell off. But, I did have a choice. And I chose to step off for a few months.
I was pretty strict and disciplined with my diet & exercise routine throughout my pregnancy. But the demands of caring for a new bub, the wedding celebration of a lifetime and a constant stream of visitors, has seen the discipline go out the door.
But...who cares? Not me! I stepped off & now I'm gonna step right back on. It's my choice!
Amber's top tips for returning to the bandwagon:
1) have healthy food at your fingertips. I like to cook & freeze meals ahead of time (soups, mince dishes and curries all freeze well). And prepare healthy salads for lunch the night before. So, when hunger strikes, you can reach straight for the good stuff!
2) start with an exercise routine which is easy to achieve. I'm recommencing mine with just 10 minutes a day. Even just that tiny amount is enough to give me a healthy dose of confidence & a boost of energy. Of course, you don't have to stop at 10 minutes, but at least you have a starting point. And...you'd be surprised at just how effective a short workout can be! If you need inspiration, let me know!
3) be consistent!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Cutting my Curls to raise Cash for Cancer
I received an email from a long-time friend recently.
And it wasn't good news.
One of her good friend's two-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphblastic Leukaemia.
The little girl's prognosis is good, but she is still facing two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy and all sorts of other horrendous testing and surgeries.
Understandably, her mother feels devastated and helpless.
But - given she can't do much else - this brave woman is taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave.
As the mother of a four-month-old baby girl, this story touched my heart.
I don't have a lot of money to donate to the cause. But, I do have hair. And, I know a lot of people.
Therefore, I am also going to shave off my precious locks. I'm going to sponsor myself $5 for doing so. And, I am requesting that each of you also donate $5 to the cause.
My goal is to raise $2000, so I need 399 people (plus myself) to donate $5. And, if I can manage that, then my participation has been worthwhile.
D-day is May 3, at a time and place to be determined.
Please click on the following link to sponsor me. The process is simple.
http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/booradleyrows
Today, 31 Australians will get the news they have blood cancer. Your donation will help the Leukaemia Foundation to fund its important work – providing practical and emotional support to people with blood cancer, as well as investing millions in research.
And it wasn't good news.
One of her good friend's two-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphblastic Leukaemia.
The little girl's prognosis is good, but she is still facing two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy and all sorts of other horrendous testing and surgeries.
Understandably, her mother feels devastated and helpless.
But - given she can't do much else - this brave woman is taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave.
As the mother of a four-month-old baby girl, this story touched my heart.
I don't have a lot of money to donate to the cause. But, I do have hair. And, I know a lot of people.
Therefore, I am also going to shave off my precious locks. I'm going to sponsor myself $5 for doing so. And, I am requesting that each of you also donate $5 to the cause.
My goal is to raise $2000, so I need 399 people (plus myself) to donate $5. And, if I can manage that, then my participation has been worthwhile.
D-day is May 3, at a time and place to be determined.
Please click on the following link to sponsor me. The process is simple.
http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/booradleyrows
Today, 31 Australians will get the news they have blood cancer. Your donation will help the Leukaemia Foundation to fund its important work – providing practical and emotional support to people with blood cancer, as well as investing millions in research.
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