Last night was awards night. We had spent 20 weeks training hard, being active, watching our food (in one way or another) and persevering, focusing on the goals we had set ourselves, either out loud or just inside our own heads. Wednesday night was the finale, the celebration, the awards!
Awards are a funny thing for me, because I really, really like winning, but I don't mind if I lose. I had hopes for a win in a category tonight, but I had been to these awards nights 3 times previously (as a spectator) and I have seen some success stories that were mind blowing. What these people did, with the help of their personal trainers, was absolutely awe inspiring. I knew tonight would be no different, but I wasn't sure I fit into that category. Had I done well enough? Had my personal trainer pushed me hard enough?
One of the categories I had entered was best change in abdominals. Now I know I had lost a lot of gut in the last 20 weeks, and my core fitness had improved, but I still wouldn't want to take my shirt off to show my tummy to people. Yes it still needs work, no there is no 6-pack, yes it has dramatically decreased, yes I will continue to work on it, but no, I do not think I will win in this category. On a good note tho, at my table were Sharon & Darrell from Tauranga. Their PT (Dan) had been 'mentored' in the 20 week challenge by Tracey Butler, my PT and Darrell won the best change in abs award! Darrell is a big advocate of boxing training, not necessarily the sport of it, more the fitness aspects of it, and it has kick-started his journey back to good health and great fitness. If I had to lose to someone in this category, I'm glad it was him.
The other category was Best Increase in Strength (male) and was the category I felt I was better suited to win. Not because I am super fit now, but because I am now so much better balanced and have so much extra upper body strength that my improvements seemed much greater. I have gone from an upper-body strength of 'well below average' to 'not too shabby' and still improving. When Matthew from Diamond Mine got up to present the award I was listening intently. He started mentioning some of the stats of the winner, and they were sounding familiar, especially the chin-ups! I realised that it was me. Yup, I was going to win. It was then I started listening to the people in the room as he mentioned my results and increases in strength. While they weren't leaping up in shocked amazement, they were genuinely impressed. Really? Squats, push-ups, chin-ups and sit-ups had all improved, but in this room full of people who had undertaken the same journey as I had, they could understand where I had come from, and how hard I must have worked to get to where I am now.
And that's the funny thing. Had Steve Gurney knocked on my door and said how well I had done, I'd be chuffed. He's a funny little super athlete who does all sorts of stuff I'd like to do. But the 120 people in that room that night had all started at similar, or worse levels than I did, and had all worked hard to improve, and really did understand what I had achieved. Their applause and congratulations really did mean a lot to me.
My name was called, I got my trophy, I said a few words and I sat back down. Sounds anti-climactic, but the real trophy for me is the memory of the murmuring of the crowd as my results were being read out. That made me feel real good.
Sharon and Jody, one of my hill walking buddies (human, not doggie) were both finalists in best overall body shape change so Tracey's haul was not to shabby for the evening really. I'm pretty proud of her and she deserves some praise for taking a rag-tag bunch of humans and making their lives better. She's not a twig-thin, blond, 18 year old fitness freak who's never been overweight a day of her life. She's been fat and lazy and has turned her own life around using a PT and the 20 week challenge and is now sharing her skills, compassion and training with others to make their lives better as well. If you are in Christchurch and looking for a trainer who will understand you're not trying to become a body builder, then I can fully recommend her. I once mentioned that a session with her was like being whipped by marshmallows, and while that was often true, sometimes it was a whip, so don't think you can get away with slacking about. But if the PT's in a gym scare you, physically or mentally, then give Tracey a call. She can come to you, burn fat, build muscle, improve health and fitness and make you a much better person.
Would I do it again? Yup. I'm carrying on the training with regular PT sessions in the park at lunchtimes and paying more attention to my upper body rather than just my cycling legs. As we push through winter and are targeting summer, I'm going to carry on losing my gut and extending my cardio fitness. I want to be able to ride up a hill, swim lengths of a pool or run for some distance without my lungs exploding. Here's to future challenges and training!
