110km 77hrs 49 mins

we made it!
and I'm struggling to find the words to describe it.
Amazing, hard, emotionally mentally physically draining, so I'm just going to put some pictures up, and maybe when the words come I will tell you all about it.
I will say that I am proud of my self, and I have a new sense of what is 'hard'.
Thank you Jane for sharing this journey with me :)

go pro

go pro

go pro

go pro

go pro

go pro - ROCKS!

lingon

keb in the background hiding in the clouds

team good to go

the hardest 10.5 km of my life

too scared to take off the tape

I took the tape off

110 km in the arctic circle

Next Friday I will set off on what will be my first big adventure of the year and quite frankly possible the hardest thing I have done in my life so far.

I have entered into the Fjäll Räven Classic.

http://www.fjallraven.com/classic

it is 110km or 11 swedish miles up in the north of Sweden.

I have done this walk before with Sofi when I first moved here, but this time it will be a little different,

I am aiming to complete the walk in 4 days, 

I find myself doing the maths of the walk and it works out that if we walk for 12 hours a day we should make it in time to get our flight home.

I am surprised at my complete lack of fear going into this walk. 

in my mind it seems like a big thing, when you say it out loud it seems like a thing that I should be scared that I cannot complete, instead I am inspired and excited.

in the helicopter from Kebnekaise to Nikkaloukta

I look forward to this challenge, I look forward to being physically exhausted, to finding out if my body can do this or if I am going to have to be helicoptered out.

(on my last trip we caught the helicopter from Kebnekaise Fjäll Station to Nikkaloukta. It was an awesome end to a fantastic trip.)

Right now with the trip 7 days away, I am fidgeting in my chair thinking about what I am about to go through.

It Shouldn't be that hard right, I mean just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

We shall see.

this time next week I may feel very different, but right now in this moment all I can say is Bring it on!

Tjäkta Passet

so stay tuned folks, Ill get back to you in a couple of weeks with news of the trip and photos of how awesome it was.

core, core stability and building good core habits

I had started this post out with some very big definitions and details pictures and wonderful things, and then I sat back a looked at and thought...
'way too technical'!
and I proceeded to delete what was the best part of a days work.

Lets start with understanding what the core is.

Your core is the group of muscles that helps stabilise the torso, through every movement we make, this includes breathing, and standing.

It encompasses so many more muscles than your abs, but also includes them.

I find it helps to think of your core like a corset holding everything in.

the important thing about it is if it is not activated correctly then I have other muscles in my body doing its job, and if they are too busy doing the cores job then they are unable to perform their own job properly - this leads to injury.

As a trainer I use the following cues to help clients engage their core

• belly button in towards the spine
• pelvic floor in and up.

To build on this idea at the Good to Go training studio we also have what we call 'set position', which is the following

• feet hip to shoulder width apart
• knees soft or off lock
• pelvic floor on
• belly button in towards the spine
• shoulder blades in and down (set in position towards the rib cage)
• bottom of the sternum up at angle towards the roof
• chin dropped slightly.

We use 'set position' as a starter for most of our exercises, it puts the body in correct posture so that your muscles can do their job.

And as with most things to do with the body, it is that simple but so much more complicated.
One of the biggest things about having a good core that I think most people miss is that, OK so you now how to turn on your core, but how often do you do it?
It has been my experience that most people (including me) do it when told by your trainer, and then in the next movement it gets turned off and not turned on again until someone reminds you again.
BUT!
To build a strong core you also need to build good core habits this means having your core on in everything you do from sitting at the computer to walking the dog to picking the kids up to brushing your teeth.
Everything!!!
Not just when you're planking at the gym.

And how do we build a habit?
the first thing is to decide that you are going to do this, then make sure you set yourself reminders every day.
What ever works for you.
For some people it may work to set an alarm.
Write it on post it notes and put it around the house
but catch your self more and more often and keep reminding yourself until it becomes a habit, until it becomes a natural way of being for you.

There you have it, short and sweet.
CORE ON PEOPLE!

Running still sucks

so running still stuck, and after having some weeks off, and trying to get back into it I feel like not only have I lost all the progress I had made before I broke my finger but I have gone backwards.

my new running partner olivia and her egg

This is a very depressing feeling, and somewhat debilitating, I mean where is the progress, technically speaking it should be easier for me to get back to where i was not harder. My education tells me that my body should still have some muscle memory from my training before, and even tho i have not run for 6 weeks and will definitely not be at the same level I was before injury, i should at least not find it as hard as I am finding it to actually physical run.
But reality is somewhat different.
I'm heavy and every step is hard work, its painful and I am not 'feeling it in any way'.

So what do I do?, well today we change direction and start a new path. for those of you who dont know I have signed up for the fjäll räven classic this year
www.fjallraven.com
this is a 110km trek through the kings rail at the top of Sweden, I have signed up to do this with my cousin, and am hoping to complete the trek in less than 3 days.

and what does this mean for your running program I hear you ask?
well here is my new plan.
because its not just about running its also about

• using my body, 
• feeling good, 
• creating some head space, 
• working towards a goal,
• teaching y kids that exercise is important

and all those kinds of things, I have had to sit down and re think my program.

so to work around all those things that are taking me away from my training i have sat down and written a program that should work into my life instead of being a burden and making my life work around my training program,

essentially what I want to be getting in is, 

3 walks  - minimum 10 km

2 runs - minimum 1/2 hour - will probably be mostly taking the dog out for her exercise

3 rides - because riding my bike is not only a healthy and environmentally friendly way to get to and from the studio, our of all the cardio options I have cycling is by far my favourite.

so there it is people

oh and don't forget, 

squeaky and olivia in the snow

1 core w/o

and 1 functional fitness w/o

and there you have it

my training program for the next 10 weeks,

lets see how it goes.

speaking for core w/o's my training tip for this week will be on 

'what is my core and why must I turn it on?'

my diary says it time to go for a walk, so Ill collect the dog and head out.

thanks for reading

my new running partner

its going to take some time to get used to running with her.
she is nothing like my training partner from last year (who has unfortunately had to stop training because of injury )
she is very young,
and were learning to work together in our training sessions
to date ourlongest run has been 4 k's
which was today, ,and whilst we ran faster than i normally would we did a shorter distance.
her concentration span is a little short and i have to keep reminding her of where we are going and what we are doing.
she does'nt mind if I listen to music whilst we run, she doesnt say much.
and really its going to be probably another cuple of years before we can get to some good distance runing but this is true for me also.
so Im very excited about running with her and when my old training partner is recoverd and can come back to running, all 3 of us can hit the trails.

one of the best things about my new training partner is I always know when she's had a good run, she goes stright to sleep aftrwards.

dojo dog

loving the new shoes not so much the old body

Im gooing to start this post with an apology.
sorry.
but i need to have a rant, i'm tired old fat and just a little depressed, and getting back into running after a great start is hard and annoying.

I can help but think about how much further I would have been in my training if I hadn't broken my finger and if I hadn't not trained for 3 weeks and well bla bla bla blaahhhhhhhh.

I did go for my run on friday I also went cross country skiing on sunday and then went for a run on monday.
on Sunday I went and bought my self some new shoes to see if I could get myself out of this little funk I'm in, and well a little retail therapy usually works, and I

NEW SHOES!

do love my new winter running shoes, the come with little spikes so I don't slip on the ice, but you  know what even though they were awesome they didn't make me any lighter or help me run any faster, and I spent more time walking than I did running sports tracker isn't working properly so I don't have the proper stats for my sessions, and it makes me cranky.

aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhh

I know there is nothing for it but to just get out there and do my training. But its sooo frustrating!!!!!!!'

so because i have a broken finger i cant grip anything with my lef hand, so that means no lifting for me, more frustration. i cant even do the things im good at, lifting heavy things and hitting people.

so here i am and now for the next 3 to 6 months whilst i rehab my finger i will focus on flexibilty and core stability and running and cycling, no lifting heavy and no hitting people

so I'm feeling a bit stuck.
how do I fix this?how do I get out of this funk?

I look to Winston Churchill who said 'when going through hell keep going'.

so this is me keeping going, keeping motivated keeping inspired.
meh.
not its not, this is me with my cranky pants on.

the plan for the rest of the week is core and flexibility training wednesday thursday, run on friday and maybe some more skiing on the weekend.
we shall see.

check ya
J

Monday Runday

so true to form, after posting how much I was starting to love running last Monday, I had the crappiest run ever!

• I was sore from training the night before.
• I walked too fast at the start - it was cold and I was excited because of my new found love for running - and my legs didn't really like that.
• I tried out a new pair of compression socks which were a huge fail.
• when we got to the forest track there were no lights - see creepy guy in the forest - and after our experience a couple of weeks ago now way was I going to attempt a run on the rack when there were no lights, and subsequently no other runners.
• we ran on the foot path / road - not a good thing to do for my legs especially taking into account the bad start and the wrong socks
• we went to the sports hall down the road and ran on the outdoor track - BORING!!!

So after finding that I was starting to love my running I had what was the crappiest session in this adventure so far.

I missed my session on Friday due to reasons that include a sick 2 year old and just a little laziness


, and after a week of extreme tiredness and little good training I sit here in a Monday contemplating my Monday Runday.

magical vinter wonderland

Today I have decided to try something new - I am going to attempt to run into my studio.

its 10 k (or if you prefer a Swedish mile) -  a good distance.

As I write this I look outside my window and see that what was an ok start to the day has turned into a typically Swedish autumn day.

DARK COLD AND DREARY WITH JUST A LITTLE RAIN.

its not cold enough to snow - but dear got i wish it would. at least when it snows the world becomes a wonderful magical place. this is just depressing.

but never fear - Good to Go Jo is here.

with my never-ending stream of positive thinking I look forward to this run.

• I need to take a back pack, and pack carefully - I must take with me my work gear and then I also need to ride my bike home (I left it at the studio last night) so I need to take riding gear also.

cool, I can try out my hydro pack for running, I have been using it for cycling for over a year now but i have never run with it - I hope it works our ok - we shall see.

 Marilyn  - just because

• also I get to see how long this is going to take me - something I have wanted to find out since we opened in October.
• I think I go through Vinterviken - it runs along the water and offers more trail running than road running.

And now - I am ready

Looking forward to running today -and taking note of my mistakes from last Monday lets see if today's Monday Runday can be a better one than last week.

training actually works - and the running is getting easier

so despite creepy guys in the forest I have continued with my running program, and am starting to notice some effects.

• Its getting easier
• my recovery time is getting shorter
• I want to run more
• I look forward to my next session
• I am starting to think of other ways in which i can en-corporate running into my life - e.g.. to run t my studio instead of ride, (but then I would miss out on my ride so that  doesn't really work, but you get the idea)

And for the first time since I was a kid, I really like - dare I say it, am starting to love running.

so what is so different about running this time?

because really I have been trying to get to this place for years, and always failed.

its simple really - I finally took my own advice.

I set a goal

educated my self

and have taken steps to achieve that goal.

this running thing didn't just start a couple of weeks ago for me, really it started a couple of years ago when I started training clients here in Stockholm.

I  specialise in functional training as a PT, and it has made a huge difference in my own training.

for years I have watched how my advice and programs have helped my clients but for whatever reason I just was not applying it to my own training.

well finally the penny dropped.

I started taking some active MSR sessions with my self looking to release the fascia in my lower legs so that I wouldn't suffer from compartment syndrome so much.

I started to work on my core and functional body, I started to build strength in my lower legs and consciously work on getting my legs back into balance.

and the result.

well I now run twice a week for an hour or so, and next week we move it up to 3 times a week.

and I couldn't be more excited.

so my lesson here is, (and I can hear my self saying this to just about every client I have ever had - sigh & slight head shake) DO THE FUCKING WORK JO & THE RESULTS WILL COME.

And the scary thing is I know this - I have done this with so many other things in my life. (insert smile here)

and now I am doing it with something that has been a stumbling block for over 20 years, and it feels awesome!

so keep training people.

good to go Jo

night running & that creepy guy in the forest - this weeks adventure

so last night I went for a run with my training partner down on the forest track.
we started running at 17.20 in the evening,
now if you're reading this and you don't live in the north of Europe then you might not realise that at 5 pm in Stockholm at this time of year it is pitch black.
Even though its technically still the afternoon, its dark outside.
Living in Sweden they are well aware of that and there is a section of the track that is very well lit, and you can use the track all through winter without concern,
But...
there is more than one way to get to the light track , and the way that I like to go has no lights at all - its very dark, so we do the only logical thing  (insert look of contempt here) we break out the headlamps and run with them.
I love it, it makes me feel just a little hardcore, I'm out running in the dark with a head lamp I must be a bad-ass.
any way back to the story.

night running

So we get to the light track no problems, light work, bas-ass feeling acquired, running like a hardcore trail-running champ.
Whilst running on the light track we pass this guy, who is walking by himself, in track pants and a hoodie, with the hood up trying really hard to be noticed for walking a little bit creepy and not get his face seen (mission accomplished on his behalf).
I think to my self ooo creepy guy, so thankful we passed him on the light track and not a K before where there were no lights and no people. I shudder a little.
Now the thing is, most people out for a walk on the track don't walk slowly with their hood up, so that was one reason to notice him for a start, the other reason was that that instinctual feeling of "there is something not quite right here" hit me. and as a rule - I always pay attention to that feeling.
as a martial artist and self defence instructor I tell my students to also always pay attention to that feeling, and when and if that feeling hits, get out of that situation.
So creepy guy seen on track, I immediately think of my surroundings, the outdoor gym was just behind us and as we went past I noticed a couple of people training at it. Good.
Keep running.

more night running

We run along the track and do out thing, coming back because we have the head lamps I want to run along the section of the track that has no lights.
all is going well.
And then movement up ahead, there is someone standing on the side of the track I see them because they have reflexives on the side of their shoes and the bottom of their pants, small strips but enough to light up.
And Of course its creepy guy from the track earlier.
OK breath deep keep running. I turn to my training partner and get her to take her earphones out, if nothing else its important to be able to hear what's going on.
as another rule whilst out and about, I really like to listen to music when running but I never have it so loud that I can hear what's going on.
Again my thoughts go to my surroundings.
there are leaves all over the track and whilst they are damp, a person would have a hard time approaching without making noise.
keep running

are you feeling creeped out yet?

I keep my light tracked ahead of me as we approach creepy guy so that I can still see his reflective and then occasionally shining my light directly at him.(yes that's right I see you, if you mean me no harm then its all good but if you do mean me harm then I see you)
as we go passed he turns his body away but turns his head towards us so as to be able to watch us go past, hood still up, cant get a look at his face.
OK so this guy really is being creepy. its not just in my head, I'm not over reacting. that was weird.
keep running
we get a good distance away - certainly far enough so that we could relax a bit, calm down and focus of finishing the run.

So I come out of this experience with many feelings.
I'm pissed that some creepy guy felt it necessary to be creepy on my favourite part of the track.
I'm pissed that some creepy guy decided that he would be creepy whilst I was there thereby forcing me to step into protective self defence mode instead of I'm a bad-ass trail-runner mode - yes they are two completely different mid sets.
I'm disappointed that what was a safe place for me has now become a place of fear.
I am glad very very glad I was running with my training partner and not by my self.
And so from now on we run the other way and get to the light track from the well lit path and definitely no running on dark tracks by yourself.
and to creepy guy on the track. STOP CREEPING PEOPLE OUT! ITS NOT COOL!
oh and stop watching scary movies, they don't help either. :)

Be strong
Love
Have adventures

Good to Go Jo

why do a 12 week challenge?

what is all this fuss about?
why do a 12 week challenge?

me doing goblet squats

If you're thinking about a challenge, chances are that you re at a place in your life where you are looking for a change, and a 12 week challenge is he perfect opportunity for such a change.
there is a common misconception that its all about losing weight.
And for most people it is, but it doesn't have to be just about losing weight, for some people it can be too put on weight, it can be about training for a run, it can be about learning to use your body better, it can be about getting stronger, any way you get the picture.

so back to the question, why do a 12 week challenge?.
This is where I would like to share with you what one of my clients wrote about her 12 week challenge experience:
—
The Good to Go 12 week program changed my perception on many things. Jo transformed my daily attitudes and inspired me to achieve more than I thought I could. The program taught me above all that "I am worth it" - a quote I heard weekly and will never forget. Training and diet do not have to be a burden, and whilst following the program I learnt this. It's not about a fad, it's about a lifestyle. A better lifestyle.
From Lauren Byrnes – Melbourne Australia—

When I received this in an email, I was in the middle of a very busy shopping centre, and had to go and sit down, and have shed a little tear. I was so filled with pride and happiness that I was a little overcome. She had gotten the message, and understood the process.

So rather than telling you why you do them let me tell you why I run them.

When I first started out s a trainer, 12 week challenges were all about losing weight.
the company I was working for was running them purely as a money making venture.
They ran this big promotion and got in a bunch of clients base on this advertising.
They went to an info day where they were told you can lose heaps of weigh, look what it did for this girl... insert before and after pictures here, bla bla ba.
needless to say some of these people achieved their goals, but most of them didn't.
There are many reasons for this, but from my own perspective and taking responsibility for my own actions I was a naive instructor who in reality hadn't had much experience, I knew the theory but in practice things are different.
Any way so this program left me wanting. (and a few clients as well)
and yet I persist with them. as a trainer I have grown and matured (only just) and with that so has my ability to help clients through their challenges.
So the reason I still run challenges even after such a rotten start is because they are a great opportunity to start the process of change.
As a trainer it is a time specific frame work within which to work.
I gives me the space to set out specific goals not just for the client but also for me as a trainer.
It gives me the opportunity to really get to know a client so that after the challenge i can continue to support them through their change process.

hello my little friend, want to play?

The 12 week challenge isn't he whole package, it is a start for change.
For most of us we need longer that 12 weeks with which to change our lives, you know old habits die hard...
but within this framework together we can work to identify areas that need work, things that need to be left behind or worked through and new habits that need to be built.

So you see its not just about losing weight, its about real and genuine change.
For me as a trainer its about helping people to reconnect with their bodies.
I find that in this society we are very disconnected from our bodies in various ways, some of us are overweight, some of us are addicted to things - alcohol - drugs  suguar - coffee - carbs - stress.
So we take a whole self approach to the challenge. We look not just at 1 issue but everything that's going on in your life.
We set the goal. and we work towards it in a methodical in intelligent manner.
And then hopefully at the end of your challenge if you have done everything I have asked you to do you will have achieved your goal.
At the start of a challenge I tell my clients my job isn't to do the work, your job is to do the work, my job is to keep you looking in the direction of your goal, and to keep pointing it out. Your job is to move towards it.

I love to watch my clients faces when the reality of this statement sinks in.
And this my friends is the difference between real success in a challenge and failure.
The understanding that:

• You are the one who has to do the work. 
• You are the one who has to come up with the motivation to move.
• You are the one who is responsible for your success in this challenge.

I am responsible for guiding and advising and inspiring, but you must take the steps, you must move and you must decide.

So if you're looking for change I encourage you to take the step. You may find that its not as hard as you first thought, and with the right advice and guidance the journey to real change and self discovery whilst hard is well worth it.

Alex lost 15 Kg over summer this year on his 12 week challenge

I am a runner!

So we did it!
we made it as planned.
as testament to how hard just starting this endeavour for me has been, in true form, my level of self sabotage was pretty high. I brought many things into my path on monday afternoon that previously have been a great excuse to not go for a run.
at about 2 pm my leg started to hurt.

Me and my mountain bike

since i was 14 years old I have had "shin splints", and at certain times over my life this condition has gotten so bad that just walking was an extremely painful experience.
I have been working very hard with my body over the past 18 months to eliminate my bad habits and to be able to run.
This hard work however has not been tested, and with the expectation that running was going to be a painful experience my legs started to "go out" as I like to say and I was experiencing pain in my anterior compartment of my lower right leg.
But this was not going to beat me.
Next I hid my heart rate monitor from my self - I know , can you believe it?
I got home from the studio, got it out to see if it needed charging, it didn't, I then proceeded to put in my jeans pocket and forget that I had done so.
When my training partner had arrived and we were getting ready I went to get the monitor and lo and behold it wasn't where I thought it was.
I then spent the next 5 minutes looking for it. getting stressed, know full well that here was a perfect option to just say nup cant go, cant find my HRM.
But no this will not get in my way.

in the forest

I decided that I was running even if I couldn't find it. And with that decision came the flash that it was in my jeans.
HRM found, now I can collect all the data I want.
So we left the house, and began walking to the start of the track.
In the play area near our building we bumped into my wife and our son.
a flash of inspiration.(and a potential stumbling block)
Now My wife is a runner, She doesn't train much at the moment as her focus is on other things, however even when she isn't training her level of fitness is still that of an elite level athlete, and for me, as a non runner, I just simply haven't been able to go out running with her. Its humiliating. Now I know you're not supposed to compare your self to others and you should just compete with your self and all that but you know I'm human, and I do these things, and I have let them get the better of me in the past.
But in order to overcome this hurdle instead of constantly beating my self up for not being at the same level as her, I have come at it from a different angle, I am training with someone at my own level so that we can both come up to the level that my wife is at in the hope that one day we can run together, and not just as a couple, but as a whole family.

more of the forest

I want my kids to look at our level of activity and be inspired, i want for them to enjoy the outdoors as much as we do, and I want for them to so that when taking on a challenge, hard work dedication and an intelligent approach will bring rewards.
So any way back to the run.
This is the first time my training partner and I have run together, we have trained outdoors and in the studio for over a year now, and its proving to be a great friendship and partnership, but running is a totally different animal.
Running brings up all kinds of stuff.

even more of the forest

And we have an agreement to be ok with what ever comes up, and totally ok with the fact that we would both rather listen to music very loudly than chat whilst running.
we get to the start of the track and it begins.
I am reminded of running down the bush with my dad as a kid and I smile to my self, I am happy. and I am looking forward to running becoming a happy place.
So we ran to the out door gym, did a couple of rounds of obstacle type stuff there, and kept running .
all up we walked 1.3 km, then ran for the next 1.5 k's to the gym, did our rounds, then ran a further 3.5 ks round the track, then walked home from there.
and what can I say, it felt Awesome!
The running part was fantastic, the hills were hard but achievable, we stopped at the right time, I think if we had kept running what was a good experience may have turned bad,
in the aftermath, by legs are sore but in all the right places, NO SHIN SPLINTS!!!
and 4 days later I am ready to go again.
And I am very proud of my self. I can see my self running through the finish line at next years tough Viking and many other races (as well as the lidingöloppet MTB race, cant forget the bike races).

 So We Did It.
and there will be many more.

Be Strong
Love
Have Adventures

Good to Go Jo

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