Moving to Scarborough was one of the best things I could have done for my family. We are by the sea and we literally just have to open our bedroom curtains to see it. My boys play football on the beach, go for walks in the beautiful surroundings and attend a good school. We needed to get away from City life.
But the initial move was a very difficult one. As we were selling our house in Leeds and hoping to buy our house in Scarborough my mum died. She had been ill with cancer for a number of years and eventually she lost her fight. She was 62. My dad was an absolute rock for her every step of the way. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 43. My age now. They were still young. My mum was still young when she died.
Within months of my mum dying, we left for Scarborough. My dad had lots of family around him. His brothers and his mum, plus my mum’s family. Had he been alone, our decision to go ahead with a move might have been different.
Scarborough isn’t a million miles away from Leeds. A couple of hours on the A64. But with busy lifestyles and a pandemic to deal with we haven’t seen him loads. Fleeting visits both ways every few month perhaps. So I was delighted when we managed to arrange my dad and my grandma to drive over this weekend. It’s always lovely to see my grandma and, despite the list of aches and pains she will tell us all about, she has a great sense of humour. Well, she laughs at my jokes, so she must have.
My grandma, as usual when we see her, said that she would pay for our meals. It’s what grandparents seem to do. I don’t argue. My mind turns to the menu!
It won’t be a fancy restaurant. We’ll be with an 8 and 5 year old. It would be lost on them. Plus, a decent pub with a play area would be nice so that the adults could catch up. Back to thinking about the menu…
I am currently looking for a caloric deficit in my training schedule. Ideally I will lose 2-3 body fat % in the next two weeks before beginning a strength phase. It’s tight. But I’ve been on track all month. Now, I either restrict myself on the occasion where I see my dad and Grandma for the first time in months by ordering the salad, or I get the double cheese burger, onion rings and fries and break the whole calorie thing into the whatthefuck.
I tell my trainees that you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. If you leave the track then bloody well enjoy it and get back onto the track with no regrets. Don’t regret a slice of cake, a chippy tea, a packet of crisps or a kebab. Enjoy what you enjoy! I’m going to take my calorie thing into the whatthefuck. I’m focussed enough to enjoy the burger, onion rings and fries, enjoy it, and move on.
And that’s the key. You can still be a focussed, determined individual and still break the rules now and again. I have goals that I’m passionate about. My training regime is tough. I demand a lot of myself. But a part of being human and not an algorithm is that I am a husband, a father, a son. Sometimes, the computer says yes, give me the bloody burger!
So don’t sweat the small stuff. Enjoy food. Enjoy training. Enjoy life. We’re not here forever.
Never Give Up PT 