Another warrior done and dusted. I can not believe the year is steamrolling ahead and the 2018 series is almost coming to an end.

As the year is progressing though, mental fatigue is definitely setting in a bit. It has been such a busy time for me the last few months and somehow I thought I would be able to keep it all together, juggling work, family time, training and “me” time…but its not an easy task, something always gives in. Unfortunately my training took a bit of a back seat, and it showed this weekend. My running was just flat, I was just tired and could not get going. I arrived tired from a workweek, mentally fatigued and then expected to perform…somehow though, i needed a bit of perspective and a reality check. If the person next to you is working harder, is more motivated and focused on a specific goal…they will generally be ahead of you.

That said, I was very chuffed with myself that I could keep it together and not give up all together.

Meerendal as a venue was really cool. Accessible and  beautiful. The Warrior team once again did an amazing job putting it all together. The running route was good, varied, hilly and windy. Very unfortunate that I felt so flat. And with a few new obstacles it was very challenging.

The carries where very tough for me this time around. Girls and guys carrying the same weight is always mentally challenging for me to accept in the moment, and I feel very sorry for myself and then have to just to suck it up and keep going…My running was mediocre , but on the positive side, my obstacle ability and strength is definitely improving, spending a bit more time working on it, is paying off. I feel more confident with my grip and ability to add sections together. That said the competitive side of the race is getting tighter, there is no more room for errors or hesitation.

The new obstacles challenged me a lot though, especially a new overhanging cargo net obstacle , NET MONSTER, totally freaked me out when I saw it the first time, and honestly it was in the back of my mind the whole race. It looked high and unprotected. I was worried about being fatigued and slipping off at the highest point when you have to hook your leg over the edge and pull yourself up onto the top of it. My mental space was not right for it, and I was totally over thinking it. Approaching the obstacle I thought of all the excuses I could make not to try the obstacle and the valid reasons I had to stop. How I could just opt out. And then I thought of the thousands of times I had encouraged others to “just try” and here I am faced with my own fears wanting to opt out. So then I approach it, got on and just went blank, focusing solely on the technique and the sequence to get onto, moving meticulously, just not thinking too much. Ringing the bell, a big sense of relief and stoke came over me and I was motivated to really give breaking point a good go. And it actually did not go too bad on the obstacle. I rung the bell super happy knowing that I might actually finish this race, band intact!

Thank you to everyone that supported me this weekend, sometimes you need it a bit more than other times.

Well done Nadine on your well deserved win! Hard work always pays off!

Till next time!