Last night one of the lads said he was heading for Portmarnock to get into the water as he was leaving the gym.

I took a notion and said “I’ll grab my car and meet you out there.”

Usually I hate cold water but have been pushing my comfort zone a bit lately and got in a couple of times – during recent heatwaves.

I got out there and headed for the shelter on the beach where we leave our gear and there must have been 150 plus people facing it doing yoga.

I took my top off and started jogging past them, when they started clapping and cheering about something their coach did. Course I got involved and clapped along as I was running past.

It didn’t take me long to forget about the yogis when I got towards the water realising the temperature had dropped radically.

When I got to the edge I dipped my toe in, thought “I’m not having that”, turned and ran back past the yogis to get my gear- a lot faster this time. I ended up going for a walk on the beach.

With my tail between my legs.

If you tend to bite off more than you can chew when it comes to fitness, the above may sound familiar.

You get all gung ho about it and decide to go all in.

Only to end up packing it in, fairly quickly.

Here’s some tips if that is the case:
– Find a gym/program that you’ll like working out in, that uses a way you like to train.
– Consistently push yourself to the edges of your comfort zone but don’t jump way outside them too quickly. You’ll end up injured or quitting very quickly.
– Realise that you’re on your own individual fitness journey and don’t try keeping up with the Jones’s.
– Before starting, give serious consideration to things like the times you can train and where. There’s no point signing up for something that is completely unrealistic with regards to location.
– Give yourself time and enjoy the journey. This is vital.

Probably the biggest thing is to make sure that you’re clear on why you’re training and realise you’re doing it for yourself. This will help ensure you’re not just working out now and again because you’re at a bit of a loose end.

Because that will only lead to you dipping your toe in and deciding “I’m not having this”.