Negotiating Menopause….
For all of the ladies out there who are entering into perimenopause, are already menopausal or post menopausal - I feel your pain! I have no idea where I am in the whole shit show, currently had scans on my ovaries which are clear, but my womb has a thickened lining. So, I really am struggling a bit…. and so is my husband as he has to live with me!!
Right now, my body does not know it’s arse from it’s elbow. I don’t recognise myself or my body. I actually feel like a shell of who I used to be…. but I know it won’t last forever. What I do know is, having athletic goals to work towards has always been a stable requirement in my life - the constant, immovable structure that I can hinge my efforts onto.
When you don’t feel like working out is when you NEED to do it. Overwhelming fatigue, anxiety, sleeplessness, hot flushes…. all of these could be used as valid reasons to NOT get your exercise in. Let me tell you, no one ever regrets a workout. When I feel like this - I write down my lifting training planned by my awesome lifting coach Glenn Branch, and I simply work through the sets ticking them off as I go. What keeps me motivated is my competitions and I know that the work I put in now will come into fruition later.
Surround yourself with people who enhance your life, who fill your cup up. It’s important to me that when we work out we are surrounded by people who lift us up, who champion our efforts and celebrate our successes as if they were their own. That’s exactly how it is at ABC boot camp. The girls are simply incredible at being there for one another. That’s exactly how I feel when I compete in powerlifting events and duathlons - unlike any other competitive environments I have been in. I feel supported and accepted - this truly fills up my cup of life!!
It would be easy to crumble emotionally at times. Working out is the one thing that is keeping me sane. It cannot be underestimated how important it is for our mind, body and soul… as cheesy as that sounds, it is 100% right!! On any day I might only have 40% of my potential to give, but if I give 100% of that 40%, I am still giving everything I have for that day.
Keep on keeping on xx
