From June through to now, I’ve faced some significant challenges, prompting a deep reflection on myself, my goals, my future, work, health, and well-being.
Myself: I’ve needed to explore what truly makes me happy. This has involved focusing on self-care, taking time to reflect on my needs, reading books, starting a journal, and reaching out to peers, friends, and co-workers for support and guidance. It’s been important to just have people to talk to.
Goals: I’ve set various fitness and personal goals. I have the Tongariro Crossing coming up in about three weeks, followed by the Round the Bridges 12km run in Hamilton, New Zealand, the week after. I’m also considering entering the Hamilton half marathon in March next year. Additionally, I’ve set specific time goals for 5km, 10km, and the Hakarimata Steps walkway, along with the objective to walk and run 100km each in October through workouts. So far, I’ve completed about 70km walking and 80km running so far, with 12 days left to reach my goal. I’ve established targets related to weight, muscle mass, VO2 max, body fat percentage, and BMI, and I am making good progress towards these ambitions.
Future: I’ve been creating plans and budgets for the next 18 months to secure my future.
Work: I’ve started training some staff to upskill into my position, allowing me to progress into a new role that will transition me from shifts to a daytime position.
Health: I’ve reassessed my eating and exercise habits, making significant changes to improve my health for a brighter future. I’ve cut out snacking, ensuring I eat fruit daily, along with porridge and protein.
In September, I walked 130km and ran 16km. My VO2 max has risen back to 42, I’ve reduced my body fat by 2%, increased my muscle mass by 2%, and lost around 6kg over the past two months.
Training walks are ongoing in preparation for the Tongariro Crossing. I’ve ascended the Hakarimata Steps about seven times now, with my best time being just over 40 minutes—walking up and running down. My goal is to finish under 40 minutes. I also walked up Mt. Kakepuke with friends, and this weekend, we plan to walk the Hakarimata trail, which is approximately 9km, including the steps. I’ve been running every few days, completing a 10km run in 54 minutes today, mixing it with walks and some weight training. Last Friday, I experienced hill runs for the first time!
Here are some photos from the past month or so.
Whatnz.com 