Week One – Quitting Sugar Again

Yes I am giving up sugar again, well I have already started. Why, because I think my life and body is better off without it! Yes I love enjoying the sweet goodness of biscuits, slices, sweet breads, lollies, chocolate every so often (a bit too often recently) but all of these give me very short term pleasure for the long term price I have to pay for the effects it has on my body and mind.

Sugar is offered to us in such abundance, it is added to pretty much everything, we can’t get away from it. They are constantly coming up with new variations of treats so we keep coming back for more, and so we don’t get bored. I mean, what is wrong with your traditional sugar and cinnamon doughnut? The variations from this simple creation is astounding, we can even now get a doughnut mixed with a croissant, I am sure it is very delicious but do we really need this in our lives. Perth (where I am from) was lucky for a long time, we didn’t have a Krispy Kreme store and whenever someone would fly to the east coast it was their traveling duty to bring back Krispy Kremes for their friends. Then last year a store opened up here and they had lines of people waiting hours and I mean hours to get their hands on some Krispy Kremes – we are now proud titles holders for the world record of the most Krispy Kreme sold on opening day. People were camping over night so they wouldn’t miss out, they sold 73,200 doughnuts….I don’t know about you but this seems ludicrous to me. We are so lucky to live in this country that our main concern in life is to line up for hours to get a doughnut…..an overrated one at that, I have never been a fan of them myself.

For me I want sugar to be an absolute treat, so when I do eat it I get to enjoy the pleasure that it gives me. If you eat a chocolate or biscuits etc everyday they all start to blend in together. I remember eating something divine for the first time and it was like a pleasure train going through your body but then you eat it again and again and it starts to lose the excitement, the pleasure becomes less and less. I want to bring back that excitement without guilt, knowing that if I allow myself this treat once or twice a year I will enjoy the wow factor so much more.

Addiction!

Sugar is an addiction that keeps returning to us all. It takes seconds to consume a chocolate but then hours spent mentally cursing ourselves for being so weak. Like any addiction there is a tug o war of what you want, to what you do. Some days you are strong and congratulating yourself on how well you are doing and then the next day succumbing to all of your weakness’s. While walking through the aisles of the shops you switch off a certain section of your brain that tells you not to purchase the sweets, you randomly place whatever you are craving on that particular day into your basket, before your conscious switches back on again. There is a faint whisper in your head as you go through the register “you can still back out, don’t buy it” but you have come this far already so you ignore the voices. When you get home you quickly make yourself a cup of tea (well I do haha, seems to be my ritual) and you sit down to consume your drug, before you know it…it is over. The whole build up leaves you thinking – was it really worth it?, I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I thought I would, I should have bought two because one didn’t really hit the spot. The drug has hit your blood stream and they say it sends pleasure through to the brain but all we feel is guilt because we succumbed to our drug again.

I rarely buy packets of things because knowing that they are in the house drives me crazy – Just one last biscuit, followed by another and another it never ends until the packet is gone. Do I eat the whole lot in one sitting, or should I try to spread it over a few days? These are the tricky questions that need answering. We constantly have internal discussion/arguments with ourselves – at the shops you tell yourself to keeping walking, and avoid the aisles with the sweets. How much time in our day do we spend beating ourselves up internally? No wonder we are always exhausted. Why is there so much guilt involved with eating, especially sugar. It should give you absolute pleasure but generally leaves me feeling like I have wasted a good week of eating well and good training.

Week One

This time around I am not going sugar free on my own, I have a team of 10 other people doing it with me. Doing it as a team we can turn to each other for support, there maybe less chance of us going off track as you don’t want to let the team down. We have our individual sugar journey’s but we will all be experiencing very similar things which is comforting and I hope the others feel that way too.

Having done this before I automatically believe that I am going to be successful but that could leave me a little too confident too haha but as I have discovered – each day is a new challenge.

This week is about cutting out all processed sugar i.e. cakes, cookies, lollies, chocolate etc you can still eat fruit but I decided to go cold turkey and eliminate fruit as well. I have been missing my fruit, I love to have blueberries in my oats in the morning and even though blueberries are very low in fructose (which is the sugar that you need to avoid) I am still going to go without for the 8 weeks. Walking into the fruit and veg section of the shops never smelt so good, the sweetness of the fruit is intoxicating. I have about 6 more weeks before I can start introducing fruit back in again.

This week was relatively easy, it is the excitement of starting something new, it is the coming weeks that will be more challenging. I have decided this week to eliminate bread too, even though you can get some good breads out there with little sugar in it but I have no off switch for bread and if I am going to put my body through a detox I might as well wean myself off that too.

I do have a confession, late Sunday after I wrote all of this I was craving something sweet and in a weak moment I ate two fresh dates chopped up in my yoghurt. The yoghurt is a good brand the only sugar in it is lactose and very minimal amount but I did add the dates and well, I have to say after a week of no sugar they were delicious.

Stay tuned for next week 2!

Sugar Free Again

A few years ago I went sugar free for 8 weeks, I loved being on this challenge and for a really long time after I had completed it, I was very conscious of what I was eating.

  Sugar, Sugar, Sugar

Last year was a hard year for me, I found out that someone who I was very close to lied to me everyday for 6 years. He was pretending to be someone that he is not and never will be. It was destroyed for a long time and I literally said fuck this shit, I packed my bags and took off for 4 1/2 months.

My eating went out the window – for a long time I wasn’t eating at all, I lost a lot of weight. While traveling I started to eat again and was eating pretty well, most of the time but I was in America.

When I came home it took me a long time to adjust back to my life, routines and I relaxed my diet a lot.

I was then made redundant and had the stress of finding a new job and then once I did I had to get into a routine with that too. Needless to say after all of this I had put on a couple of kilos normally I am sitting around 59-60kg (which I am comfortable at) now I am 62-63 the heaviest I got was 64, I know it is not much but I notice the difference and I don’t want to let it go up any further. It is not just the weight gain, I recently had a check up at the Drs, normally my cholesterol is perfect, now it is higher than it should be…well it is borderline and as I get older I need to stay on top of these things.

Also for the past 6 months I find my skin is always itchy, especially after I eat certain foods and the last reason is I have been having a lot of stomach issues but I think this is more due to chemicals in food like msg – my stomach issues I have had for a long time but it has seemed to have escalated for the last 6 months. All of these things have prompted me to put my body through a detox and cut out sugar again.

I think compared to others my diet is pretty good but after watching The Sugar Film the other night with my friends (which I would highly recommend everyone watch), I realised that I need to put a stop to sugar again. I honesty believe that this is what has caused my highish cholesterol and maybe my itchy skin too. The Sugar Film opened my eyes up again. Over the last 12 months I have switched my brain off and forgot what was important to me. I slowly but surely became addicted to sweetness once again. It is hard not to crave it every day, there is an internal battle that I have with myself on a daily basis and to be quite frank  – I am over it. Some days I am strong, then other days it is like I am on autopilot and don’t even think about what shit I am putting in my mouth.

I find our relationship with foods is pretty significant, it is very important to us, flavour is very important to us. I remember reading a blog a little while ago and it had a recipe for bread but the bread was made out of quinoa, not flour. The author of the blog spent the whole time saying how amazing the bread is and that you will never want to eat normal bread again. So I thought wow I will have to make this bread – I got all the ingredients, cooked it up, I was excited to try it….I cut it up, had a bite, chewed it…and well, it was shit. It was bland and dry, even putting butter on it didn’t improve it, I even tried peanut butter but no still crap. So I asked myself – are my expectations for food so high, it needs flavour otherwise I will be disappointed? I think the author talked it up way too much too, its like going to watch a movie after everyone gave it rave reviews and then you watch it and think – I don’t get what all the fuss is about.

Sweet, lovely bread

I didn’t think I was a I need lots of flavour kinda gal, I don’t have dressing on my salad, I actually prefer it without. I don’t use sauces or marinate my meat. Pretty much all the flavour I use is salt and pepper. So I wouldn’t think that my expectations were that high….but I do love fresh white bread, with butter and vegemite or honey – so I guess dry quinoa bread will never live up to that.

As I said our relationship with food is important to us, people struggle to let go of things. Women are drawn to sweets and men are drawn to meat. You tell a man that there is no meat in for dinner and all hell breaks loose, they get quite emotional when talking to Vegans. Women being emotional eaters, if something good happens in our life we treat ourselves with sweets, if something bad happens in our life we comfort ourselves with sweets, if everything is normal we eat sweets. I wonder if it has anything to do with our hunter/gatherers primal instincts – men hunt meat therefore their relationship towards meat is important, women would gather berries/honey etc therefore our relationship towards sweets is important….food for thought…

So here I am ready to go sugar free again and this time I think I might see who wants to do it with me?  I thought we could get a group of us to do it together and share each others 8 week journey, exchange food ideas and recipes. If you are interested in this challenge PM me otherwise wish me luck. Each week I will post something about it on my blog – again.

Here is the start of my last journey if you are interested in reading it  – 8 Weeks without Sugar

Challenge Yourself

Challenge yourself

I completed a challenge that I started 30 days ago. I started this challenge because I needed something to get myself out of bed in the morning, something fun to do. I struggle with winter, I’m not good when it is cold. I hear you say “but you are a personal trainer, doesn’t exercise stuff come natural?” Unfortunately, personal trainers don’t have super powers, we don’t jump out of bed at 4am and scream WAHOO, well not all of us! We are mere mortals just like the rest of you, we have our ups and downs with our training too and like most people we need something to strive towards, especially in winter for me!

So what was my challenge?

Glad you asked! I was to complete 5000 Kettlebell swings in 30 days.

For the people who don’t know what a Kettlebell is, let’s start with the name – it is not a cow bell, not kettle ball. It is called a Kettlebell!

Drop some knowledge time:

Kettlebells arrived in Russia at the start of the 18th century and was given the name “Girya” meaning kettlebell. Legend is, the Russians used the Kettlebells to help measure grains and goods and true to Russians style they would drink too much Vodka and start to challenge each other on who was the strongest and they started swinging and lifting the Kettlebells.

Kettlebells are a solid ball of iron with a handle and they come in many different sizes starting at 8kg up to 48kg, traditionally each Kettlebell goes up by 4kg.

There are several different exercises that you can do with Kettlebells the 3 most common ones are swings, turkish get ups and goblet squats. You also have snatch, clean, front squat, press, push press, jerks, pistol squats, bent press, windmills and it goes on and on.

What’s so special about Kettlebells?

You can cover many thing in one simple workout for example some of the exercises require explosive movement, you can train your strength, endurance, speed, movement, power and of course the key word for the decade it works your core – all this in one workout. The way the weight is distributed, all the weight in the bottom part of the bell, means you have to constantly adjust your body to fit with it.

I have been training with Kettlebells on and off for years, I was training with them before the kettlebells became mainstream here in Perth. Everyone thought I was crazy, saying it’s just another fitness craze passing through, (a fitness craze that started long before it reached Russia in the 18th century), they couldn’t believe that I found body building style training boring. I was always thinking there has got to more to training than your standard bicep/tricep workout. I found a qualified kettlebell instructor in Melbourne, now my good friend Andrew Read, to help me get certified. I spent months training up for the course, I booked my flights and I travelled to Chicago and I became a certified Kettlebell instructor in 2011. I was very excited to get my qualification under the legend Pavel Tsatsouline, a hardcore Russian who brought the Kettlebells to the western world.

Pavel Tsatsouline

Back to the challenge!

Like I said earlier, I needed to compete 5000 swings in 30 days…..it seems more impressive than it is. It is only just over 166 swings/day, had to do a session every day for 30 days and it was mixed between the standard two hand swings, one arm swings, alternating swings and double swings. I followed a different workout everyday and depending on the workout, weight I used, how quickly I wanted to complete it or how much rest I gave myself – depended on how long it took me complete – generally between 10 – 15mins. I was also doing BJJ most nights and the last couple weeks I added a few body weight exercises and extra cardio on top of it.

Take care of your hands!

When I started this challenge, I just started getting back into Kettlebells after having some time off. Anyone who knows kettlebells knows if you haven’t done them for a while your hands can become unconditioned so for the first couple of days my hands were hurting, the skin never tore, they just hurt to hold the kettlebell with some of the swings.

There were a couple of sessions that I missed which meant I had to double up the next day. One Friday at the start of the challenge for some reason I missed it, so I got up early on the Saturday morning to do the Friday workout and the Saturday’s workout. While I was doing the workouts I realised that I was having a party that night to celebrate my birthday, so I thought I probably won’t want to train on Sunday so I did Sunday’s workout as well. I ended up completing 527 swings (I did too many in one of the workouts, I had to use a timer and did too many rounds). So from 6am – 9.30am (I also had to train a client in that time too), I got Fri, Sat & Sun workout done. That was a busy morning and then I had to run a BJJ class too.

I would fit my workouts in either before training my clients 6am or after I finish work. Many people say they don’t have time to workout, I don’t care how busy you are, there is 24hrs in a day, there is always time for a workout – how bad do you want it! Your workout doesn’t have to be hours long, you can get a pretty descent workout in 20-30mins – heck you can smash yourself in 10mins! That kind of workout should be intense and not done everyday but a 20-30min workout can be done everyday, 7 days a week.

What did I get from this challenge?

Probably the most important thing for me was a routine, everyday for 30 days I was doing a workout. I committed myself to this challenge, I thoroughly enjoyed it (very important when working out) and I lost about 2kgs, if I was super strict with my diet I would have lost more. I definitely feel more toned in my arms, glutes, lats, abs and thighs.

Challenge yourself

I would highly recommending setting yourself a challenge, it doesn’t have to be the same as mine. It could be anything for an example – one month don’t drink alcohol, do 30min of cardio everyday, push up challenge, squat challenge, plank challenge, pull up challenge, clean eating challenge – whatever you want to do you can turn it into a challenge.

Want to swing?

Kettlebell swinging can be challenging and if you don’t know how to do then I would suggest you find yourself a qualified Kettlebell instructor to help you get the technique correct. My friend Tabitha and myself will be starting some Kettlebell workshops – so if you are interested in learning how to use this awesome piece of equipment send me an email on sainthunt.th@gmail.com

So what now?

I must admit I was a little sad to finish this challenge so I have decided to do another. This time it is going to be 10,000 swings in 4 weeks. I will be following a program from my favourite strength and conditioning coach Dan John. This challenge is going to be a bit different from the last. Each day, I have to complete 500 swings, workload – 2 days on 1 day off and in-between the rounds a strength exercise added. Even though the workout last for 4 weeks there are 20 days of work to complete the 10,000 swings – phew! Super excited to get it started!

Watch this space in 30days and I will share my experience with you.

Interview with Leslie (Just a Girl) Gardineer

I  have been following Leslie’s blog for a while now and I always enjoyed reading it. She is around the same age as myself, started BJJ around the same time too so I felt a connection with her through her words, plus she seems to have a good sense of humour. She has her own school, she is mum, a wife and she just seems like a really lovely lady. So I approached her AGES ago and asked her if I could interview her and she agreed which I was so happy. She very promptly sent me the answers and then I sat on them for ages, and ages not because I wasn’t sure on whether I will post it but because I have been a lazy shit.

So please let me introduce the lovely (and hopefully I will make over to her way one day to train with her) Leslie Gardineer.

How many years have you been doing BJJ? 

4 1/2 years

How old were you when you started BJJ and why did you start? 

I started BJJ at 40 after watching my sons train for over a year, I convinced a couple other girls to try and was hooked!

What other sporting background do you have? 

I was a gymnast for over 10 years and a competitive wake boarder for about 4 years

Becoming a purple belt is pretty significant, how long have you been purple belt for, what were your thoughts on receiving it. 

I have been a purple belt for about 1 1/2 years. I was completely shocked when I received it, my son was promoted to Purple the same day and my husband to black, it was a very exciting!

What does your training schedule look like? Does this include strength training and are you particular with your nutrition? 

I train 4-6 times a week for approximately 1 1/2 hours, I train strictly with Jiu Jitsu, no other cardio, strength training etc.. I would love to say I have a healthy diet but, I would by lying lol. I try to eat somewhat healthy but, I am a choc-oholic and NEED to eat something chocolate everyday.

You competed recently, do you enjoy competing and how do you deal with the pressure? 

I actually don’t enjoy competing, I suffer from severe performance anxiety and it is very hard for me to get out there. I am also very competitive though, so I  force myself through it. I always feel so amazing after a tournament (win or lose) for conquering my fears, this is why I continue to put myself out there.

What are the highs and lows of BJJ for you? 

The more I train and learn, the more I love to share that with other. Teaching is so rewarding, I’m starting to enjoy it as much as I do training. The only “lows” I have lately are the aches and pains of getting old. My body is starting to get upset with me when I over do it. I need to listen and take it easy sometimes.

You must have seen many people come and go – what keeps you going? 

Passion, the great way I feel, the wonderful friends I have made and continue to make, the great opportunities that have come my way (including…meeting my husband)

What advice would you give other women who were thinking about starting BJJ or who have just started? 

Stick with it!! At first it feels overwhelming but, I promise it gets easier and it WILL change your life for the better in so many ways!

In your opinion what do you believe it takes to be successful at BJJ? 

Consistency! mat time!   That’s it!

Who inspires you? 

Luciana Dias, still training and competing at a “mature” age! She is a rock star! I am inspired by the many woman who have started BJJ at an older age and have stuck it out. It’s not easy rolling with big, strong men every day. It’s not easy keeping up with the cardio of the competition that’s 10 or even 25 years younger then you!

What personal lessons have you learnt about yourself since doing BJJ? 

I have learned not to give up, if you really want something, you can get it!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? 

Still competing with the youngsters, teaching, running our school, traveling and enjoying my family.

Is there anyone you would like to thank? 

I want to thank my family for putting up with me not having a lot of spare time outside of BJJ. As anyone who has fallen in love with it knows….it’s life consuming! My teammates who push me every day! And my husband who teaches me, encourages me and is my BJJ mentor!

How to follow Leslie:

Facebook

facebook.com/leslie.rials

Instagram

instagram.com/justagirlbjj/

Blog

Just a girl bjj

Website

www.DeBoaBJJ.com

Sponsors

Do or Die Hyperfly

Interview with the Barkindji Warrior

My friend Liz tagged me to a video post on Facebook and all she said was “someone you may want to consider interviewing” – I watched the video and she was right – I definitely wanted to interview her. Check out the video here –

So I message Shantelle, introduced myself, told her some of the things that I do and asked her if she would let me interview her – thankfully Shantelle said yes. Shantelle has a very interesting story, as you will soon discover. Her strength and determination to help herself and others around her is outstanding.

Shantelle completed this a few months ago, since then she has won the IBJJF World Championships, and received her purple belt. She is an impressive individual not only for women BJJ but also for everything that she does in her Aborigine community.

 

The exact moment I realised I was a World Champion. Dreams really can come true, with the courage to dream, being prepared to work hard with mindful and purposeful intent, your actions are with love, integrity, and be resilient because there are always bumps in the road. Anything is possible, if you believe, take a deep breath and take the first step!!!

How many years have you been doing BJJ – how old were you when you started BJJ and why did you start?

I first came into contact with BJJ when I was 20 because a friend introduced me to the system. I began training BJJ on and off from the age of 21 but nothing serious. I began seriously training in 2010 because I developed Post-Natal Depression after the birth of my twins in 2009, BJJ became a form of physical therapy and my mental health plan.

BJJ saved my life and has also given me the life I have now.

How did you find BJJ helped you with dealing with depression? 

I developed post-natal depression after the birth of my twins in 2009, I was not officially diagnosed until late 2010. As a result of past trauma and life events I did not want to take medication so I needed something else to treat myself. In October 2010 I started training BJJ as a form of physical and mental therapy to treat my PND. BJJ helped me with this because it is a very physically engaging sport and is also mentally engaging and after a session I had nothing left to give to the PND. It helped me redirect the negative energy of my illness.

It has been a complete treatment for me because it helps me in all aspects of my life and the lessons I have learnt about myself on and off the mats have lead me down a journey of acknowledgement, acceptance and finally healing.

What gym do you train at?

Maromba Academy Australia/Absolute MMA

With Coach Thiago Stefanutti

What other sporting background do you have?

I have played Basketball as a teenager, I also trained in Renshinkan Karate (kyokushin), boxing and my dominant sports are BJJ and Wrestling and Coreeda Wrestling (Aboriginal Wrestling).

Coreeda wrestling is traditional Aboriginal wrestling and was used as a way to condition young warriors, manage conflict and for physical and mental health.

Coreeda Wrestling

When did you receive your blue belt, how did you feel when you got it?

I received my blue belt in 2013 and I felt, humbled, grateful, accomplished and so ready for the next stage of this life long journey that BJJ has become.

What does your training schedule look like? Does this include strength training and are you particular with your nutrition?

I currently train up to four hours a day that split over two sessions, x6 days a week. I do strength and conditioning training x5 days per week and yes I am very particular about my nutrition and this is becoming more of a priority as a I get older and more serious about my training and competing.

You took some time off training to have a family, how was it coming back?

I did not train during my pregnancies and from the birth of my first daughter in 2006 to the twins’ birth in 2009 I did not train much at all. I may have trained maybe once a week every now and again. Coming back to training and BJJ helped me find myself and gain my life back.

You have a young family, you also work and volunteer your time – how do you juggle it all?

I have found my life purpose and all that I do in being a mother, family, warrior, elite athlete, support worker, Kiilalaana program coordinator, mentor, volunteer and life warrior they all work together in this purpose.

To be honest I don’t think about it much I just do it.

Being an Aborigine you must a be a huge inspiration to your people, can you share some of your heritage/background?

I am a Barkindji/Anglo Saxon woman and my family come from along the Murray River, and I grew up in Dareton, NSW. I am very proud of both of my heritages and I am the second eldest of 17 children so I have a big mob. I have always been a fighter and I grew up fighting for what I believe in. Being the Barkindji Warrior is my responsibility to carry on the work of my ancestors and is my life purpose to work every day to become the Barkindji Warrior.

Do you enjoy competing and how do you deal with the pressure?

I love the battle of competing and my experiences of pressure are constantly changing the more I compete and the new levels of competition that I attempt. When I first started I was like everyone else nervous and felt every little aspect of pressure, then when I started winning a lot and also continued this into my blue belt for a little while it became about staying at the top and to continue to win.

Now that has changed for me, competing is so much more than winning or a medal. Competing is now as much about the battle against myself as the opponent. By this I mean, how do I handle pressure, the battle of competition? The only difference between competition and training is the environment change, it is about the battle and have I improved since the last battle as a person, competitor and fighter.  I want to push my boundaries in all areas of my life and competing in BJJ is one of them. I also love the friendships and relationships I have developed with other women that compete in BJJ. I wish more women competed and I hope by sharing my story and perspective on competing that it may encourage others to try competing.

What are the highs and lows of BJJ for you?

The greatest lows of BJJ have been when I have been injured and unable to train at all, and this becomes a challenge when it is a way of life. Also when the focus becomes too much on preparing for a comp or about reaching the next goal. When I lose sight of what is important, that it is about the journey and the relationships that I make in BJJ I become anxious and it becomes less of a safe place. I am getting better and remembering my purpose and why for BJJ and this helps.

The greatest highs are that BJJ is a part of my life, it is a lifetime journey, my team is my family and my whole family are involved in BJJ. The challenge and growth that I gain daily from training and competing in BJJ is also a high.

You must have seen many people come and go – what keeps you going?

It is a way of life.

What advice would you give other women who were thinking about starting BJJ or who have just started?

I would say give it a try and see if it is right for you, and try a few different clubs to find a culture that supports women and new people into the sport. Trust your instincts and be upfront with your training partners that you are new to the sport. I used to try and match the guys on strength (as I am a bigger female and I lift weights) but now I am honest with my training partners (male and female) and let them know how I am going to roll in that roll. By this I mean for example if it is a new person I will lets say be technical and flow role, until I get a feel for how they role and if they are a safe training partner. If they are not I will speak to them and then if I feel unsafe and they do not improve I will not roll with that person. My personally safety always comes first always. If I am getting ready for a comp I always check if my partner is ok with us rolling comp mode, which is more intense, then a general training roll.

Enjoy the journey because BJJ can give you so much if you allow it.

Gold medal IBJJF World Championships

In your opinion what do you believe it takes to be successful at BJJ?

To me BJJ is such a personal thing and for you to be successful at BJJ you have to decide what role it plays in your life. For me, BJJ is a lifestyle and it is also going to be a part of the work I do in the future with women’s and youth programs so it is important for me to be constantly evolving and growing in the sport.

Who inspires you?

My family inspire me every day with their constant acceptance and encouragement of the journey I am taking them on and the goals I have set for myself. My grandmother with her strength, life journey and accomplishments inspires me to become the best of myself and to never settle. My coach Thiago inspires me with his willingness to create a family of our team, never allowing me to settle or become complacent and how he also is there for us as a friend and coach. He is always training and competing as well as coaching and he puts himself out there and I admire that. My training partners and teammates inspire me with their friendship, help and constant support.

Receiving purple belt

What personal lessons have you learnt about yourself since doing BJJ?

BJJ has helped me to discover my life’s purpose and also shown me the best and worst of who I am as a person both on and off the mats. My jiu jitsu reflects my life and who I am as a person. The biggest lessons it has taught me is that I am stronger then I think, I love to help people, I am also to impatient and I do not take enough time to visualise or reflect on things before I make a move or make the next step.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

In 5 years time I see myself as;

• The best mother to my children possible and role model to others I can be.
• a world champion in BJJ
• competing internationally in wrestling
• a brown belt
• Kiilalaana Program Coordinator – using BJJ, Wrestling and my experiences to run Women’s and Youth empowerment programs.
• A trauma specialist working with people who have been affected by trauma.
• The Barkindji Warrior and the best version I can become on this journey.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

There are many I would like to thank on this journey and for those that support me, believe in me thank you for everything.

Thank you to my family for the love and support you show me everyday, you inspire me to push higher then I ever thought possible. I love you xox

To my coaches Thiago, Chris and Mac for all your support, guidance and time I would not be the fighter or person I am today without you, Teresa for keeping me patched up, my BJJ and wrestling family for everything on and off the mats, and a special mention to Apryl and Kim for being there in more ways then one.

Thank you to my sponsors for believing, investing and supporting my dreams.

The Fight Factory

Kapai Puku

Fitline Personal Training

Optimum Muscular Health

Ways that you can follow Shantelle

Blog:  https://barkindjiwarrior.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShantelleThompsonBarkindjiWarrior?fref=ts

Instagram: @barkindjiwarrior

 

 

 

Interview with Livia Gluchowska

I met Livia at the Australia Girls in Gi’s Camp this year (2015) at Dominance Martial Arts in Melbourne. The very little time that I spent with her she seemed like a pretty cool chick and I had a lot of fun rolling with her. She is someone I would like to get to know better and train with!

She lives and breathes Jiu Jitsu and this is why she is so good at it. She recently competed to win herself a spot at the Abu Dhabi Championships and when she competed she had a broken hand and won! She has a lot of drive, passion and heart for this sport. On my Babes n Belts Facebook page she did a fighters profile for me, which gave us a sneak peek into her life – this only intrigue me more and wanted to delve further and so when I asked her if I could interview her – I was pretty happy that she agreed. As you read through the answers you will see why I find her so inspiring and I hope you find her just as inspiring as I do.

Please let me introduce the lovely Livia Gluchowska

How many years have you been doing BJJ – how old were you when you started BJJ and why did you start?

I started training when I was 25 when I just retired from a competitive track cycling career but wanted to keep fit and strong (lifting wasn’t cutting it).

I went along to a kick boxing class with my brother and out of the corner of my eye, I kept watching the Jiu Jitsu guys hug it out on the mats… I was intrigued. At the same time I met my now partner Lachie Giles, who also did BJJ and was so passionate about it, that I wanted in on all the fun. One day I got enough courage to go to class, giggled my way through it, had no idea what was going on, but thankfully somehow I kept coming back.

I have been training for 5 years now – the first 1.5 years only 2-3 times a week, but each year I slowly increased my training frequency and intensity.

What other sporting background do you have?

I was a rhythmic gymnast for 12 years, where I represented Poland and Australia and trained up to 35 hrs a week from the age of 7. When I stopped gymnastics at 18, I turned to track cycling. I raced as a sprinter for a few years and then changed disciplines to track endurance. After training my butt off for 6 years or so, I decided that I needed to get an education and a career, as sport was never going to pay my bills.

I studied Bachelor of Science at Monash University and then completed a physiotherapy degree with honours at University of Melbourne.

I started BJJ in the second year of my physiotherapy degree, however only managed to train twice a week to balance out 2 jobs, study, placements and training.

Becoming a purple belt is pretty significant, how long have you been purple belt for, what were your thoughts on receiving it.

I have been a purple belt for 1.5 years. I received it after winning blue belt Worlds and it was an amazing feeling at the time.

To be honest though, belts don’t mean that much to me, as Jiu Jitsu is a continuum of learning. I don’t aim for belts, I aim to improve my skill set and technical knowledge and the depth of details of each position I am working on. I think competition results, medals, skill execution and belts take care of themselves as a result of smart, calculated training.

Although a purple belt is a fairly advanced belt in Australia for women, having trained in Brazil for 6 months last year have put things in perspective. Often I was the lowest ranked on the mats, where there would be 20 black belts, 10 of which were World Champions. I have years to go and a lot of mat time and experience to gain in my BJJ journey.

What does your training schedule look like? Does this include strength training and are you particular with your nutrition?

Lachlan Giles and I have recently opened a Jiu Jitsu school Absolute MMA & Conditioning South Yarra in Melbourne. This means my mat time has increased as I am able to fit it in around my physiotherapy work.

I usually train 2 x day, which includes no gi 4 x week and 5-8 sessions of gi. Saturdays are full of fun with a video analysis and a competition class. I drill for an extra hour once a week and attempt to do wrestling once a week as well.

On top of that I teach a women’s only class on Fridays as well as a gi class once a week.

I don’t lift at the moment as I don’t have the time and don’t want to sacrifice a Jiu Jitsu session to get a little stronger. I believe technique will help me win more matches rather than strength, so that’s what I concentrate on. My conditioning comes from rolling. In saying that if I’m injured, I am disciplined about doing extra strength/rehab sessions.

In terms of nutrition, I don’t like to restrict my food. I spent my teenage years as an elite gymnast riddled with disordered eating and I am proud of where I am now. I eat all food groups, I eat what I crave, I make sure I get all the nutrients into me, but at the same time I love treats and deserts. When I train 4 hours a day I can afford to eat nearly whatever I want to fuel my body without it making a difference to my weight. If I need to cut for bigger comps, it’s usually only drop 1-2kgs, so I stop eating cakes and keep my diet simple and rely on common sense. I am also thankful to have an amazing sponsor in Musashi who not only provide me with all the supplements I need, but also with nutritional guidance.

You do a lot of competition and travel a lot for them, do you enjoy competing and how do you deal with the pressure?

I really enjoy the focus I gain before competitions and the improvements to my BJJ after competing. I love testing my game against women of the same skill and weight as there is absolutely no excuse or hiding. I’m not going to lie – I also love winning and hate losing just as everyone else, but the end result is never a driver for me.

Apart from bettering myself at Jiu Jitsu, I love meeting new people, traveling to amazing places and doing training camps.

As for my mental prep, I have done a lot of work with my sports psychologist Anthony Klarica. I don’t really ever feel pressure per se, as I don’t compete for anyone else but myself. I always do the best I can and if I don’t win, it’s not the end of the world. I may get sad or angry for an hour and then I get motivated to fix mistakes, train smarter and do better next time. In the end I would like to think that my family, friends and team mates will think the same of me whether I win, lose or draw.

I have specific goals for every competition – domestic season will see me play a little bit more and experiment with different games to get them comp ready, but once I step on the mats at the big championships, it’s a different story – I don’t muck around, it’s game on and I’m ready to fight.

What are the highs and lows of BJJ for you?

Highs:

• Living my passion every day and making BJJ my lifestyle and a source of income
• Sharing the journey with my partner Lachlan Giles
• Personal growth and development – on and off the mats
• Traveling the world to train and compete and making life-long friends in the process
• Seeing Lachlan and my team-mates succeed
• Learning new skills and adding them to my game
• Teaching women’s class and planting a seed of obsession in their minds
• Winning blue belt Worlds in 2013 and breaking my pre-conceived limits I put on myself and my abilities
• Being able to eat ice cream and still have a 6-pack
• Learning that my confidence and body-image has nothing to do with how I look, but with what I can do with my mind and body

LOWS:

• Time out from training to let my injuries heal
• Being exhausted every single day
• Knowing if I eat more deserts I will get diabetes
• Not being able to always get perspective straight away after a bad training day or a comp

Lachlan & Livia

You must have seen many people come and go – what keeps you going?

BJJ is a lifestyle for me and not just a hobby, however I don’t define myself as a person based on my Jiu Jitsu. I have many interests and a career outside of the sport.

What keeps me going is the constant need to solve the next puzzle and learn more. I love executing new skills, I love competing, and I love the camaraderie with my training partners and the close bond we form.

I am sure that a fear of failure plays a big part in why I train and compete so much.

Most importantly though, Jiu Jitsu is my fun – I love being on the mats, I feel good about myself when I train and I am totally and positively addicted.

What advice would you give other women who were thinking about starting BJJ or who have just started?

If you are thinking about starting then stop thinking about it and just start. There is no time like the present. If you wait, you will regret it later.

For those who just started – patience, perspective, respect, technique and learning are the key words. It’s a marathon and a wonderful journey if you stick at it. You just have to keep turning up and try your best. Laugh at yourself in the process, be nice to yourself and immerse yourself in the sport as much as you can.

In your opinion what do you believe it takes to be successful at BJJ?

• Smart training – find the right people to learn from and a gym with a good environment that fosters technique and learning. Don’t wreck your body if you are injured or fatigued. It’s not always about hard rolling – learn to play, try new skills and don’t be afraid to lose.

• Repetition – a pretty basic motor learning principle. Repeat the movement you are working on until its second nature. Find time outside of class times to do it if necessary as repeating the technique 4-10 times won’t cut it. In my opinion, if you want accurate, clean and precise BJJ, some sort of drilling is a must especially at lower belt levels.

• Specific training – add resistance to your drilling and get specific about your mistakes. I put a timer on and start and stop from a position I am working on. Sometimes it’s as detailed as just a grip. It can be tedious and hard on the mind, but for me this is the quickest way to get better.

• Imitation – watch the best in the world compete and train and try to do what they do. Then watch them again and fix your mistakes. Notice the smallest details and get excited about them. Imitate your coach and your idols until you become like them.

• Mat time – there is simply no magic pill or substitute for mat time. Prioritize your day so that you have time to train. When at training, don’t talk instead of drilling. Don’t sit out of rolls. There is always something you CAN do and improve on. Every minute, every day.

• Competition – it forces you to focus on your game, tighten your skills, train harder, analyze your comp game and do better next time. My BJJ sky rockets during the comp season.

Who inspires you?

So many people!

Specifically in my BJJ life, the biggest inspiration is my partner Lachie – he is a patient, skilled and a kind person. He is an excellent coach and a humble competitor. He believes in me and all his students and there is simply no room for bullshit with him. You just shut up and train until you get it right.

My other BJJ inspirations include Michelle Nicolini, Fabio Gurgel, Marcelo Garcia, Michael Langhi, Cobrinha, Mario Reis, the Miyaos, and my team mates.

What personal lessons have you learnt about yourself since doing BJJ?

• I have learnt that I can learn anything I set my sights on. Whether it’s a physical skill, a language or a profession, there are simply no limits to what I can do.

• I learnt to have a lot more respect, understanding and patience toward other people. I try to get to know people more these days and find something good about everyone.

• I learnt how to NOT define myself as a person based on my competition results. I am so much more than a gold medal or a 1st round loss.

• I learnt that life is too short to waste it, so instead I love each and every minute of the life I have created.

• I learnt that BJJ (just like life) is not an individual sport and you simply can’t succeed alone.

• I learnt that I am a very tough, strong, confident, and a fun person.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

• Hopefully doing what I love whatever that may be.
• I would like to have had completed a masters or a PhD.
• I would like to have amazing relationships with my partner, family, friends and team mates.
• I would like my team to grow and succeed.
• I also want to compete with the best women in the world, which means my belt colour would need to be a little darker.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

• My incredible partner and an amazing coach Lachie Giles for introducing me to Jiu Jitsu and sharing the journey with me.
• My sponsors MA1 Apparel, Absolute MMA & Conditioning, Musashi and 34s.
• All my training partners – past and present for kicking my butt and going easy on me when required.

Awesome – Livia is smart, beautiful and talented! If you want to keep up to date with what she is up to you can follow her on the follow.

Livia’s blog – livjiujitsu.com.au

Instagram – @livjiujitsu

Twitter – @liv_g

Facebook – Livia Gluchowska

Interview with Jess ‘Swear Jar’ Fraser

Jess Fraser – Brown Belt Dominance MMA

I met Jess in 2013 (which I am sure she would have no recollection of, she meets a lot of people), I was in Melbourne to compete at the Nationals. I entered the female change rooms to get changed into my gi and there she was also getting changed. I was this dopey brand new blue belt, all tongue tied because I was sharing the change room with Jess Fraser!! I awkwardly introduced myself while Jess was half naked :-), I can’t remember what we talked about but I do remember thinking she was super nice. Jess is an inspiration to a lot of us ladies, she leads the way to help promote women’s BJJ here in Australia and she is a real rock star when it comes to organizing Australia Girls in Gi camps, which I was really happy to attend my first last weekend (Jan 2015). Not only is she very smart, hilarious (awesome sense of humor), beautiful, articulate, and talented – she is going to be an awesome coach. She provides so much support to us ladies, she is a true ambassador for this sport. Please let me introduce, the awesome Jess Fraser.

How many years have you been doing BJJ – how old were you when you started BJJ and why did you start?

I started in April 2010. I was 30 years old the first time I put on a gi.

I started BJJ without knowing what it was or researching it in any way. Weirdly I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a badass. This sport, the athletes, they are certainly that. So here we are.

What other sporting background do you have?

I skateboarded for years very badly. And snowboarded for many more very well. Before starting BJJ I was an instructor in both yoga and Krav Maga. I was doing a lot back then. Now I’m more focused.

You recently got your brown belt, besides being thrilled how did you feel when you received it? What were your thoughts?

As I understand it my journey is the fastest female to brown in Australia’s history. On top of that there’s only about 5 a Aussie female Browns. This is not only the rarest belt in Oz, it’s the rarest in the World. Female brown belts, we’re very, very rare. So. What does that tell me? It tells me I have a great deal of support and love and investment being shared my way. There’s no way I’m exceptional yet I’m in an exceptional situation. That means exceptional people have gotten me here. And my hard work and dedication has made that possible. It’s a shared effort. I believe my belt is shared with all of those around me and see it my responsibility to then share as much as I can of myself with others.

As far as how I felt on the day, I’m FKN proud to wear a Dominance Brown. Like I can’t explain. Belts come slow and hard at my gym and my coach only grades those that are truly ready. The purple belts here are ridiculously good. It blows me away that I have worked to get the technical ability worthy of his Acknowledgement in this way. I’m proud. And stunned. As with receiving my purple. Now all I can think is, I don’t wanna just be a brown. I want to be an incredible brown. So now we start again.

What does your training schedule look like? Does this include strength training and are you particular with your nutrition?

I’m off season now so weight training and weight checking is almost out of my routine.

My week is currently: Monday 6pm wrestling, 7:30pm gi Tuesday 6pm advance BJJ, 730pm gi Wednesday 6pm No Gi, 7:30pm gi Thursday 6pm advance BJJ, 730pm gi Friday 10am. Playful free rolling. Lots of laughter. Nothing serious.

During comp season I replace both wrestling and no gi with lifting heavy. And add a hard 2 hour Saturday session in. Plus Myotherapy weekly.

It’s important to note I roll/spar a lot. Like 80% of my training. And I’m disciplined about it. I’m always working on something and never rolling without a plan. I self critique a lot and I ask lots and lots of questions and feedback. My rolling is drilling. It is drilling but it’s against a resisting opponent. I learn more this way.

My diet is meat, veg, coffee, dark chocolate and strawberries. Barely any dairy. Glutenous foods are avoided. During comp season I start to intermittently fast (one day per week on non training days) and only eat starchy veg or white rice within half an hour of training. No starchy carbs at other times of the day. Loads of fish oil and always 3 litres of water a day.

You do a lot of competition and travel a lot for them, do you enjoy competing and how do you deal with the pressure?

I have never loved competing but I love the gains I get from a hard training camp. I also love training at that intensity. I deal poorly with the stress and extra load though and it effects my personality in a negative way. Self absorption doesn’t suit me well but it gets the job done. I find that trade off difficult. I’m a bloody good sport at the events and take wins and losses very well but my anxiety and the extra load at training make me less fun and someone I don’t enjoy. I hate that about competing.

I value the gain of skill, understanding, technique, improvement, refinement. Not so much titles and not gold. I would rather lose a match that was epic and a battle and against an amazing opponent than smash my way easily to the podium. So when I hit the competition and tap hands with an opponent I’m not scared or worried. I’m not at all because she cannot possibly take from me what I’ve gained prior to that moment. So if I win or lose the match, I’ve absolutely already won. Outcomes can go either way but advancing and improving is always a win.

I’ve competed in over 50 comps. Most actively in my blue belt and first year of purple. It’s no longer the actual competition matches that I get a lot out of or learn from anymore. It was at white and blue but not so much now. For me now its the preparation that a get a lot out of. I think this then helps me feel no pressure on the day. The lead up though… There’s always at least one epic melt down. Usually more.

I also feel like that drive to prove myself is done. I no longer feel I need to prove that I’m doing well. I just ensure I am.

What are the highs and lows of BJJ for you?

Lows are plateaus. They’re the worst. They always feel longer than they actually are. And you have them for longer and longer as you move up the ranks. For me these days, if I fix just one grip in a 3 month time frame, I’m happy. That’s a gain! Frustrated white belts missing a sweep twice but getting it the next week have no idea how lucky they are! Haha. That accelerated learning & daily improvement does slow down. I urge peeps to enjoy it now. And be less frustrated. Watching a white belt learn is like hearing a child learn to talk. It’s epic how much happens in a short amount of time in those early days.

The highs? When you’re rolling and you realise the plateau is over! It’s always suddenly and mid roll and in that moment you feel you’re a genius! You’re moving like a beast. Everything is smooth! Everything works! You nail a perfectly timed sweep and it sets up your favourite pass. It’s magical…it’s the greatest feeling in the world! Haha. Suddenly you’re in love with BJJ again. It’s what keeps me coming back. Even more fun to see others go through that.

The bigger picture life lesson here is that the peaks are only possible because of the plateaus. They are linked. Damn. That’s deep. Haha. But real.

You must have seen many people come and go – what keeps you going?

See above. Plus obsession. Plus believing that I can actually get good and be good at this thing. I have complete and utter belief in that fact. I don’t know why but I do.

What advice would you give other women who were thinking about starting BJJ or who have just started?

-Try to find a way to laugh at yourself at least once each session. Truly. Usually this comes easily in the form of a team mate who will be happy to help. Take the piss. Out of yourself and the situation. That’s what boys do in ALL sports. And they stick around.

-Refrain from bitching or critiquing other girls. It’s a habit. It will continue if you foster that habit. And stop if you don’t. Don’t make yourself miserable by saying mean shit. Even in private. Don’t be that girl.

-Don’t bring your existing understanding competitive nature to this sport. This sport is different than anything you have ever done so you need to approach it differently than anything you have ever done. Understand that your greatest competitor or best friend or least favourite person or weirdest team mate can succeed while you also succeed. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You don’t even have to share and you will get better no matter what. That includes if other people do also. In fact. It’s inevitable. It’s how this sport works. Comparing yourself to others and creating your own hierarchy on where they/you should be at is a huge waste of time and not going to help you. Beat techniques, not people.

-Ask lots of questions. As a white belt you are discovering BJJ and learning how to learn it, not actually developing it yet. It’s heaps of fun and probably your entire obsession right now which is the perfect situation for advancing. You’ve gotta set up the frame work to make yourself no longer be a white belt. Learn how to be a teachable student. Learn how you process information. Learn who needs to deliver this to you. Sometimes it’s not only your coach. Be realistic in your assessment of yourself as a student. If you’re getting in the way of your own learning, no one can help you but you. Trust this old yoda on these ideas you should.

Australia Girls in Gi

In your opinion what do you believe it takes to be successful at BJJ?

The ability to self assess honestly. And to hear and accept feedback without taking it personally.

Who inspires you?

The people closest to me are my biggest inspirations. Dave Hart my coach is this in an epic in this way. He’s shown me that BJJ as a sport for myself & a community can be anything I want it to be, I just need to put in the work. As far as athletes go, Luanna Alguzuir has movement I would kill for. I love her technique. Her game rocks.

What personal lessons have you learnt about yourself since doing BJJ?

Too many to list. So many that they’ve changed me forever. I’m a much kinder person than I was pre BJJ. I’m also more certain of myself. And able to communicate on all levels much much better. This has vastly improved all of the relationships in my life, my working environment and my life. I couldn’t be more thankful for that.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I see myself touring Australia as the black belt head of Australian Girls In Gi, offering seminars and private lessons to both women and men. I see myself gathering a shit load of knowledge about this sport between now and then and still be 110% driven to find a way to share that knowledge. I hope this vision becomes my life.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Dominance MMA. The entire staff there. They are my closest friends and my life. Australian Girls in Gi for being my inspiration. I want to be the kind of leader that group deserves. And they deserve the world. Dave Hart, my coach. The Bear, my partner.

Interview with Jac Qui

I met Jac Qui a couple of years ago; she is always at the fight show events as the photograhper. She is a little squirt, very pretty, very bubbly, and is a kind person but has struggled with her weight. I hadn’t seen her for a long time and one day when I was at another fight event, there she was – half her size, I was blown away. Losing weight is a struggle for many people, it is hard to find a reason to lose weight because just the goal of weight lose isn’t enough for some and it is a boring task. Some people however dig deep and find that reason, that drive and they become successful and this is one of those stories.

Welcome Jac Qui

What do you do for a living? 

By day I work in Radiology and by night and weekends I run my own photography business, Jac Qui Photography.

What is your sporting background?

When I was younger I did karate and progressed to BJJ as an adult. In 2010 I fell in love with Cross-fit and have been addicted to it ever since.

For some people losing weight is such a battle so when I see someone that has been successful I am generally so happy and pleased for them. You have recently lost a lot of weight, so a huge congratulations to you! Can you tell me what you use to weigh and what you are now?

*laughs* that’s quite personal but ok. My maximum weight was 89kgs and I am currently around 55kg but I accidentally dropped my scales when I moved house recently and they broke, so I haven’t been able to weigh myself, but I’m guessing I’m still around the 55kg mark.

wow!!!

What started you on your weight loss journey? 

I thought I had battled weight gain for quite some time but seeing a photo of myself at my niece and nephews Christening really opened my eyes to how much I had gained and how little effort I was actually putting in. I never saw the weight when I looked at myself and I thought I was still doing “just ok” but when I saw that photo it dawned on me that I was morbidly obese and that I had really let myself go and my efforts weren’t as good as I had thought they were.

What do you believe was the biggest factor to help you lose weight? Example; eating habits – change of mind-set – exercise – or something else?

The biggest factor was changing my eating style. My friend had lap band surgery and I was watching how slowly she had to eat.

I figured that if I ate just as slowly then I would get the same results but without the surgery. So I went out and bought a bunch of chopsticks and toothpick sized forks. Using these as my utensils forced me to slow down my eating pace and I started to feel full before my meal had finished.

The next step was to teach myself that it is OK to NOT FINISH all the food on the plate!! Do whatever you have to, to NOT keep eating “just because it’s there”. As soon as I felt full I would tip the rest away or if I was at a restaurant I would either cover it with the napkin, ask the waiter to remove it or I just tipped salt all over it. Anything to deter me from picking at it.

What was your diet like before you lost weight and what changes have you made to it? 

I remember laughing about having a “Macca’s Trifecta” (meaning breakfast, lunch & dinner). I guess that was my attitude towards food at that time, I never took it seriously.

I’ve changed to eating mostly fresh foods now. I like the Paleo theory of eating…if cavemen could find it to eat then it’s ok for me to eat.

What is your exercise routine like, how often do you train? 

I try to do one Cross-fit style workout per day during the week to help me relax after work. And I just do my best to live an active lifestyle in my personal time. Love walks along the coast or Kings Park or going rock climbing with friends.

What three foods do you stay clear of and what 3 foods are a must have?

I stay clear of take-away food, microwave dinners and alcohol. My must have foods are bananas, avocado and strawberries.

What are the highs and lows you found on your weight loss journey?

The start of the journey was really hard. I was hungry, grumpy, tired and generally upset that no one would notice my hard work for the first 15kg that I lost. But I kept doing it, reminding myself that I was doing it for me and not for anyone else. The high point has been that I feel SO healthy. I can sleep better, breath easier and I am a happier person.

Have you reached your ideal weight and if so how are you going to maintain your weight? 

I didn’t have a specific goal weight. I just wanted to become healthy. I viewed it as a lifestyle change, rather than a “diet”.

What advice would you give someone who was struggling with their weight? 

We are what we eat…literally. Our body reproduces itself in a constant process of replenishment and decay. So next time you put something in your mouth think “Am I a Big Mac or am I a healthy meal. Am I a handful or preservatives or am I straight out of the ground?”

Tess’s BJJ Training Week 25 – Part 2

Saturday

Great PT session with Coach Steve today we did some great drills/technique and then he pushed me hard with some wrestling at the end. At the time when I am doing it I hate it, I feel sorry for myself and I think why am I paying for this but I know when it comes to comps this is going to help me big time, I won’t get overwhelmed by my competition and I will hopefully find comps easier.

Coach Steve is an awesome coach, I know I keep saying this but I am always impressed with his knowledge, his skills and his professionalism, plus he is a great guy too.

From today I am really going to knuckle down with my diet, I have two and bit months to make weight for the Nationals in September. My diet will consist for the next few months with lots of veggies, protein, fruit, minimal starchy carbs, green tea, the odd coffee and very little sugar.

I will increase my cardio – rowing sprints, I will also get another ½ hour session per week with Coach Steve. I really need to make a conscious effort of increasing my water intake, I find during winter I barely drink water; I could easily go through the whole day and not drink any. I have been wondering if my slow weight gain is because of this, I will do an experiment.

Had a chat with my strength coach today Andrew Read, I haven’t spoken to him in a while and I told him about my anxiety issues. He told me when he used to do BJJ and when he was up against a particular person and found himself in difficult situations, he always found talking himself through the situation helped keep himself calm. He said that getting your blue belt is a big deal and it took him a couple of years to find himself again. Andrew always manages to make me feel better when we have our chats; I really enjoy them.

I was having a lie down this afternoon and I realized that all the small injuries that I have at the moment are all on one side of my body but one. On my left side I have a sore jaw/mouth, bruised knee from shooting, banged up shin, and I think I have a broken toe. My toe has been sore for a few weeks now and today when I had my PT with Coach Steve he knelt on it quite heavily by mistake, so now I am convinced it is definitely broken.

BJJ comps tomorrow, I am really excited about going – I am not competing this time but I am looking forward to checking out the girls that will be in my division, I want to watch who I will be up against for future events. GO TEAM AMMA!!

Sunday

BJJ State comp was great to watch! So many talented people and it was good to watch the girls in action. Team AMMA did awesome, Steve (brown belt) won gold in his weight division and gold in open division – Mitch (blue belt) won gold in the open division – Tyrone (blue belt) won gold in his weight division and bronze in the open division – Ash (blue belt) won gold in her weight division and gold in the open division –Sicily (white belt & first comp) won gold in her weight division and bronze in the open division – Daniel (white belt) won bronze in both his weight and open division. How awesome is that, I am so proud of everyone!!

Sitting back and watching made me feel excited for the next comp which is in a couple of weeks. I need to diet and train hard to make weight and jump in to have some fun. The blue belt women’s division is going to be tough and I have a lot of work ahead of me but I am looking forward to the journey.

Interview with my friend – Fitmidget

Fitmidget...Jamie is a close friend of mine, we met through the fitness industry about 7 years ago. Jamie is an amazing person who likes to give everything ago. When she decides to do something she will put all her energy into it, gets expert advice and this is the reason she is so successful at all sports and competitions. She has competed in high level Crossfit, body building (fitness), played netball, martial arts, cheerleading, taught dancing, learnt rock n’ roll dancing – the list goes on. Her latest endeavor is trail running and she runs some crazy distances. Jamie is a true inspiration and she amazes me every time tells me one of her awesome stories. I hope you find her just as inspiring.

Welcome Jamie!

1.     What is your general sporting background?

I have been involved with various sports and fitness activities since I was a teenager however only started getting serious about my training over the last 10 years.

2.     How did you get involved in trail running, how long have you been doing it?

While holidaying across the nullabor without gym equipment I decided to purchase a new pair of running shoes and motivate myself to take short regular jogs to maintain my fitness. This allowed me to enjoy various landscapes around the different cities and towns visited along the way. I was able to enjoy everything from coastal beachside sunsets and sunrises, to lush green trails as well as dusty dry desert running. I found that once I came back to Perth I really wanted to continue to run in the great outdoors and so I searched and signed up for the Perth Trail Series. I started 2 years ago with the short race options and have worked up to the ultra distances.

3.     Who inspires you?

A now friend and elite ultrarunner Bernadette Benson is by far my biggest inspiration. She is the most dedicated athlete and race director I have ever met. She has broken several world records in running and is only continuing to get better and better every year. She has endured some of the toughest 24 hour races and multiday events I have ever heard of. As well as being experienced, she is also a modest and friendly person who is always open to helping and encouraging up and comers in the sport which truly is something of a rare quality amongst the elite.

4.     You recently competed in a 50km trail run, talk us through it and how did you go?

The course itself was quiet varied. It consisted of 2 x 25km loops of the same course with -/+1500 metres of elevation held out at Serpentine National Park.

There were steeps, flats, single track, a log jumps, bridges, fire trail, ruts, steps, compacted limestone, sand, pea gravel and the well known technical section called ‘Three steps’. Three steps is a wide rocky steep climb that has three distinct levels of elevation which are notoriously difficult to run, so much so that even some of the best runners end up walking sections of it.

The course format meant that the half way point was an opportunity to re-fuel and refill your hydration pack with water and change shoes or socks, or do anything else you might need to do to ease any suffering. This also meant that no matter how tired you felt, you still had to run through the finish point, past your comfortable warm looking car and happy cheery friends waving beers to continue on your second lap knowing full well you still had another grueling 25kms to go.

Initially I started off reasonably strong setting a moderately quick pace for the first lap. Being familiar with only bit and pieces of the course meant that I was able to seed myself well in preparation for ‘Three Steps’ where I managed to scale and scramble my way up without dropping any distance between me and the next runner. Next was a wide sections fire trail down the Mundabiddi Mountain Bike Track. The last 5 kms of the loop was single winding track through green lush bush which meant it was difficult to know where you stood in comparison to others because you generally couldn’t see anyone else in front or behind. Leading into the finish line

Jamie fails to mention that out of 37 participants she finished 17th and she was the second female to pass the finish line, for her first big distance race I think that is amazing.

5.     What was your training schedule like leading up to this race? 

I have a running coach who programs for me with a specific event in mind. I usually only run 3 times a week, 4 at a maximum incorporating speed work and distance as well. I also have a strength and conditioning coach who works with me periodically depending on the difficulty of the event to ensure I am not neglecting my all over body and core strength to minimize injury and condition my body for the task ahead. All up I was training 6 x a week. Sometimes twice a day.

6.     Your training schedule must take you away for long periods of time, how does that impact on your private life, family and friends, are they supportive?

My friends and family are amazing, and I’ve managed to make a lot of friends out on the trails which means it’s incredibly easy for me to find support in those around me, which also helps to keep me on track. Ultra running can be an all-encompassing sport and tough on the body, however as with any physical challenge the result more so becomes about finishing rather than competing, and in that I’ve found great camaraderie and mates for life.

It does help when your friends are often running longer distances than you and so you always are getting talked into crazier races and distances!

7.     How many other races have you competed in?

I have paced for a friend at the Lark Hill Ultra Running Event, Run the City to Surf, HBF Run for  Reason, Perth Trail Series, Perth Marathon and am about to train up for my first 50 miler (80km) called the ‘Waterous Trail on Foot’ in September 2013 and then hopefully ‘The Big Five’ marathon in Africa next year.

8.     Do you get nervous before a race and if you do how do you deal with them?

I always get nervous before a race, and generally the degree of nervousness I experience is directly related to my level of preparation. To deal with the nerves, I always pack my bags up the night before, go to bed nice and early and definitely always go to the bathroom before leaving home! Oh and music with low beats per minute seems to help me settle into a steady maintainable pace.

9.     Do you follow a particular eating plan to deal with the long distances?

Every runner is different but I maintain a clean diet up until 4 days out from an event. This means little sugar, lots of veggies, lots of protein and adequate carbs to support my training. Then I increase my carbohydrate intake 4 days leading into the event and double up all my fluids as well. I also like to always take my daily vitamins and even dose up on magnesium and electrolytes a few days before particularly if it is a trail event with varying terrain.

10. What would you tell someone who was thinking about taking up trail running?

Get yourself the correct gear (hydration pack or belt) and join a group. I learnt the most about running from joining in with a local trail running group, little tricks of the trade that you won’t necessarily read about, and it’ll save you having to make the same mistakes of runners past.

11. What advice would you give someone who was thinking about competing?

Talk to other runners. So often we get stuck in a certain way of training or thinking because it’s what has always worked for us. However talking to others you can find other effective ways to improve. And don’t forget that by talking to others you’re also making friends, and ultimately you still want it to be friendly and fun!

Plus you have to ask yourself if someone’s going to help you when you’re dirty, smelly, and stuck in the middle of the bush with sore legs hating life, wouldn’t you rather it be someone you’re already friends with?

12. What are the highs and lows for this sport?

Highs – Downhills wheee! The unbeatable feeling of accomplishment after crossing the finishing line, the camaraderie between runners on and off the trails and also the crazy characters that make the sport interesting. Somehow long distance trails seems to bring out the crazy and giddiness in us all!

Lows – Chaffing, black/or missing toe nails, runners trots!

13. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

I would love to thank my fabulous running coach Marie Bean for putting together such a flexible and successful program that allowed me to not only actually finish my last ultra, but also place as well as I did. Your continued support and encouragement is greatly appreciated! Also a big thank you to my strength and conditioning Drill Sergeant Chantelle Fairall for putting up with my whinging and for pushing me time and time again in the gym so my joints and body can stand the pounding I give them.

Additionally I’d like to thank the Perth Hills and Trails running group for being constant inspiration and motivation for me to keep running for enjoyment, and also for sharing so many nutritious post run goodies on so many occasions regardless of my lack of culinary skills!

And lastly Bernadette Benson and the volunteers from The Perth Trail Series who work tirelessly to provide well organised and safe trail running events in WA. Bernadette selflessly works her butt off time and time again to provide challenging and encouraging events for runners of all levels and without her as a driving force it’s hard to imagine that the trail running scene in WA would have grown to be the community that it is now.

Jamie 3rd from the left – Winner!!!

You can also follow Jamie on her blog Fitmidget