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Lessons from the Lock-Down


So as you all may have noticed, I haven’t written on this blog for a long time, mainly due to the fact that I’ve been focusing on my studies at uni. With the very weird situation going on, I’ve decided, as I’m sure many others have, to rekindle an old hobby-blog writing!
As someone who is used to and enjoys a very regimented, busy training schedule (and life in general), I have struggled to adapt my lifestyle but I feel that in the days that have already passed I have learnt some lessons about myself and the way I live. My family home is in London, but I decided to stay in student halls in Leeds during this period as my family and I felt that travelling to the hub of the virus didn’t seem to make sense at this time and, being the outdoorsy person that I am, I felt it would be better for me psychologically and physically to be near larger green spaces for my single daily exercise. I miss my parents and sister, but I also appreciate the time I have spent getting to know myself! Below is a list of things I have learnt from being in isolation so far; I would be interested to hear if others feel a similar way or have had very different experiences.
Endurance training around the table has become part of my regular training schedule!
(and no, I don't eat off this table anymore)

·        If you want to train, you can almost always find a way
I say ‘almost always’ because I don’t want to claim that I have experienced all scenarios where people want to train. What I mean by this point is that you don’t need a lot of space and equipment to stay fit and strong. I am definitely guilty of scrolling through Instagram stories of other’s home boards (nothing against this, all respect to those who have put the time and money into making their own facilities) and feeling helplessly envious because in halls this is simply not an option for me. However, I have found creative ways to push myself and am a firm believer that attitude to training plays as great a role as equipment.
·        Life is not all about climbing!
Wow, revelation. But seriously, before all this happened, I thought I would go crazy if I couldn’t get to a climbing wall for more than a few days. It’s true, I’ve been climbing tables, levering off my desk and hiding in cupboards, which may well seem like attributes of someone who has lost their marbles. However, I have found so many other ways to have fun-cooking, juggling (or in my case just dropping things on the floor), doing yoga, to list a few-and am appreciative of having some time away from the pressure of performance in training and competing.
·        Human contact is valuable
Yup, I think my whole life I’ve been underrating the importance of seeing others face-to-face. When you do a lot on your own (training, studying etc.) I think it’s very easy to take for granted the fact that you can take a break at your convenience and see whoever you want, whenever you want. Now that the highlight of my days is spending the evenings with the two people I live with, I have come to realise quite how valuable it is to have company.
·        Spending time by yourself is also kinda cool…
By this, I mean time spent doing nothing other than relaxing and thinking. I think in modern society there is a lot of pressure to always be working towards something-achieving goals, meeting deadlines, looking after others etc. I know I’ve never dedicated much time to just reflecting on my own thoughts and ideas, but it turns out it’s a pretty good way to kill some time. It took me a few days in quarantine to realise that I don’t need to be constantly training and trying to maintain peak-level performance standards.
If you’ve read this far, I hope you feel it was time well spent and have a few more ideas/questions to think about whilst in lock-down.
Stay healthy and happy everyone 😉

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