I did one lap, seven times

A few years ago I signed up for a 12-hour overnight obstacle race. I never once thought about the 12 hours. That’s the only reason I finished.

Europe’s Toughest Mudder. 8pm on a Saturday, a headtorch and a course you lap until the sun comes up.

Hanging electric cables, a tunnel of tear gas, icy water and penalties if you failed an obstacle; I downed a shot of hot chilli sauce, then later walked barefoot over Lego.

My preparation was not world-class. Everyone around me had a gazebo and cooking gear; I had a camping chair and two Bags for Life. Then I pulled out my trail shoes and found they were a size too small.

At 3am my headtorch died and I was shaking too hard with the cold to get the spare batteries out of the packet.

But not once did I think “I’ve got eight hours of this left.” I thought: get up the next wall, get back to the chair, change your socks, get out again. The whole thing was only ever the next 10 minutes.

Most people who come to me aren’t frightened of the gym. They’re looking at all of it at once. A year of eating differently, sessions four times a week forever, sleep sorted, drinking cut back and a holiday coming that’ll undo the lot.

That would stop anyone.

You don’t need a plan for the next 12 months. You need to know what you’re doing on Tuesday.

I finished with seven laps. 42 miles, when I’d gone in hoping for 30.

But I didn’t do 42 miles; I did one lap, seven times.

A quote worth sitting with

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

— John Wooden, Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

You can’t do the next 12 months this weekend. You can do Tuesday.

The Saturday Standard

Seven Laps

Pick a weight on the thrusters that’s challenging but will still allow you to finish the majority of rounds unbroken.

Nothing in there is hard on its own, and that’s the point. The difficulty is repeating it once round 4 stops being a workout and starts being a decision. Don’t sprint the first one; the test is whether round 7 looks anything like round 1.

What’s happening with me

Over the past 6 months I’ve lost 10kg and am now the lightest I’ve ever been.

Last year I was powerlifting, eating 5,000 calories a day and peaked at 94kg.

Now I’ve gone the other way and with regular training and consistent eating I’m down to 84kg.

Sounds good, until you realise none of your trousers fit any more.