Like anyone else starting out, Dave 35 had his reservations.
In his mind:
“the challenge had become so big.The biggest obstacle at the start was finally realising that anything worth doing right, will be tough, will be painful but the rewards will last when the rest is gone”
3 and 1/2 Stone Down and with a series of accomplishments, Dave has truly turned his life around
It was a grounded starting point and one driven by a decline in health and the feeling of previous failures:
“diets in the past had not worked past 3 months and I ended up demoralised and back to square one”
It was a testing time and one that Dave knew he had to overcome for the sake of his family including a supportive and loving wife and three young children.
Like anyone else he was concerned that the changes coming would be too shortlived and “not life long”
It was a tough starting point for Dave too.
“When I first arrived up at Sphere Fitness I weighted just over 17 & ½ stone, had high blood pressure, triglycerides, ldl cholesterol and had been recently diagnosed with fatty liver disease. In short my body was in the worst condition it had ever been in. My mind was also in the gutter, fatigued with the uphill battle I faced. It was time to change the loosing ways of the past and get new skills”
Dave had not been shy of putting in the work in the past with a strong back ground in the IT industry and now owner of Team Project a CRM and IT specialist company based in Kildare.
With this same determination he began the journey taking one step at a time and using a forensic level of detail to the monitoring of his progress.
Dave’s level of detail was forensic but helped him stay on track – if you are not assessing you are guessing!
It suited his personality. Small changes to his nutrition – increased water intake, vegetables, good quality proteins, fish oil and a few other tools were practiced and nurtured. He began taking control of his meals bringing foods with him to work and making time for breakfast.
Moreover, setting goals for the week, month and year were all important tools.
But this is one element that Dave found it easy to perform for himself. There was also the visual ‘pain’ element that he was determined to avoid
“Goal setting and weekly accountability is what keeps me going that and I keep a 17.5 stone picture of myself on the fridge to remind me where lack of discipline gets you. I find having a month goal, a quarter goal and a year goal keeps me on the path”
But what underpinned this was the focus on his mind set and the determined ‘never give up attitude’. It is ok to have a bad day but not to let that waiver your efforts.
“I didn’t’ allow external emotions to block my progress. My biggest challenge was to keep on top of mindfulness. Thoughts and emotions aren’t allowed to dictate how I eat, drink, sleep and exercise.
Regardless of what life puts my way, I don’t give up my new life skills. EVER !”
After his 1st 10K
It is with this steely determination that began to set Dave apart. He avoided alcohol for 15 months for personal reasons. But over time a chase one rabbit mentality bought with it results.
“I’m just short of 3 &; ½ stone lighter, have reversed all my liver issues, my blood work is better than normal”
For the first time Dave felt “he wasn’t following a diet anymore”. Through the journey Dave has spent a good deal of time learning about himself and what makes his body feel better.
Dave running through Hell and Back copyright Hell and Back
He trains 3 times per week under the watchful eye of the team and moves most days with a combination of running and cycling. Setting performance goals was key to this. The 10K by the end of the year was a massive highlight. In testing conditions and a grueling course it was finished without stopping.
Two weeks later he finished his hell and back.
A few weeks later his first duathlon.
In a few weeks time a half marathon will be under the belt.
A Gael force is on the cards.
You get the idea where this is heading.
“This is the first journey in my life that you can’t cheat, can’t blag your way around. Put simply if you don’t 100% commit and put in the hard work you just won’t get the results. There is no “bull shit” with this journey……Do or Do Not there is no Try”
As always it comes back to your ‘why’. For Dave it is ultimately the love of his family:
“I simply owe the team at Sphere Fitness and in particular Gavin and John my life, what they have given me cannot be truly put into words, my wife and 3 children have a healthy happy husband and father and I have gained a whole new beginning”
