It’s not unusual to get asked about my training, particularly with the amount I run. People from the local area occasionally stop me to ask, “Do you ever stop running?” while friends who see some of my workouts tend to respond with, “That’s not normal.”

Whilst I take both as compliments, the reality is less unusual than it may appear on the face of it. As with most things in life, dig deeply enough and what seems out of the ordinary usually has a clear explanation.

Since discovering Cryotherapy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy nearly a year ago now, they’ve become a firm staple of my recovery routine. Whilst I’d tried Red Light Therapy a couple of times before, I hadn’t prioritised making it a regular commitment.

Recently though, I decided that rather than having RLT down the list as a ‘nice to have’, I wanted to start treating it with the same consistency as my other recovery practices.

I recently added the Consistency in Motion tracker to the site after becoming aware a few months ago of an upcoming milestone of sorts, crossing the cumulative distance of 24,901 miles tracked on Strava since I started using it in November 2020.

Another leg day, another personal best recorded. As I touched on in a previous post, incorporating more consistent functional training is continuing to pay dividends for my leg strength. This morning, I hit 172.5kg for a one rep max on the seventh set out of my standard ten.

I’ve mentioned in prior posts the integration of more functional exercises into my training over the past eighteen months or so, however it’s really in the last six months that I’m starting to see the payoff. I’m lifting and sustaining heavier loads, more volume, and longer sessions in the gym.

Wednesday Morning, 5:45am, Amsterdam.

A city I’ve come to know well over the past year through work, lies dark and almost dormant.

I get myself up, splash water on my face, throw on my shorts, top and jumper and lace up my trainers. It’s time to go to war again. Here we are again my friend, I’ve missed you.

I’ve never really been one for New Year’s resolutions. I don’t have anything particularly against them, I’ve just always favoured consistency over focusing on the switch of year as a reason to reset. I understand why people leverage the new year to re-align, establish goals, and map out the next twelve months, however for me, clarity of direction and persistent action hold more importance than the date on the calendar.

During a recent article I mentioned a new Wellness Centre opened in the town centre. When I first visited, I booked a couple of treatments to test the waters, one was Cryotherapy and the other was the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber.

When it comes to training, there’s a big difference between just showing up versus turning up to work.

Of course, not every session is going to be maximum intensity. We all have off days, moments of exhaustion, or times where the focus just isn’t there. But when you walk through those gym doors, what’s your intention?