The Week From Hell!

10 Things I learnt from Hell Week

I started back up at pilates on the 29^th July this year.  I hadn’t done it for years, and really, I haven’t done any exercise regularly since my late teens / early 20s.  But we all know how good exercise is for us, and there’s no time to make a change like, well now.

I always said that when my local shopping centre opened a pilates studio, I’d be there.  There are plenty around, but if I can’t park somewhere easily and quickly then it’s a hard no from me straight up.

Then, a studio opened at my local shopping centre.  Slightly excited, but mostly nervous, I thought, bugger, I’ve gotta start now, I promised myself.

My first time was nerve wracking.  It didn’t help that when I arrived for my orientation class, the bloody radio station was there, camera crews and videographers – seriously!! The owner even said “how are you feeling about the class?”, nervous was my reply.

I committed to doing 3 classes a week.  Then they advertised Hell Week.  That sounds nice doesn’t it.  Sounds like a relaxing hammock challenge…. I contemplated it.  My inner critic told me I’d be ridiculous to do it.  My inner confidant was saying, I reckon we could do this. I checked my calendar, challenges call Hell Week never seem to find a spot in my calendar as there’s always something on for this mother of 4 with an entrepreneurial adhd husband and my own job.  I was sitting at school for a school function for one of my children and a message came through from the studio about signing up for Hell Week.  In a quick flick of a button, I’d signed up.  Instantly regretted it.  Instantly my inner critic (whom I will give a name to soon!) also showed up.  What were you thinking?  You can never do that?  You’re so unfit!  You’ll never be able to fit that into your calendar!  You’re not a morning person…. And on she went.   Fortunately in my life, my head is never quiet so soon enough she was drowned out with a child’s performance at school, one getting an award and a call from work and on went the day….

So what is Hell Week.  Hell Week was invented by the devil.  Haha!  Joking.  But with the signage going up with lots of “Hell” words and a skull on the poster, it was never going to be that hammock challenge I was hoping for.  It was in fact 10 pilates sessions in 5 days.

So here are my 10 things I learnt from Hell Week, and very few are actually related to health.

1. It was hard!
   If it was easy, everyone would do it. In fact, there were only 10 people that did it from the studio I go to, out of who knows how many, but 10 isn’t a great number.  And 5 of the participants were pilates instructors.  Gosh, what have I gotten myself in to….
2. The only way to change is to change.
   I’ve done a lot of Adam Hudson’s work over the years and he says some in ya face stuff, which I’m all here for….  This was one of them…. The only way to change is to actually change!
3. It was hard, did I mention? 
   The week taught me about persistence.  Success comes from continuous effort and commitment.
4. Know thy self.
   • I’m not a morning person. And I know morning sessions are full of happy morning people.  Not people like me….  I need a slow start to the day, sunshine on my face to wake me up, half a litre of water and a cute kitten to cuddle before I face the day.  Nothing like, getting up in the dark and putting on exercise gear for this mum.
   • I’m not an exercise person. As I mentioned before, I haven’t done it in, you know, a little while.
   • I had a sneaky thought that I could do it.
5. There’s always more in the tank.
   That one comes from Jesse Itzler.  When you think you have nothing left, there's always a bit more! When you think you can’t do another rep, another class, hear another “let it grow” song again, you can. You can do another rep, you can do two classes a day and you can hear that song again!!
6. Resilience builds….
   You can bounce back even when it’s hard.
7. Repair the tank as you go.
   After sessions I drank more water, used my magnesium, rested and so on.
   Ask yourself, how will you feel tomorrow… Another one from Jesse Itzler.
   • If you skipped a class, how would you feel tomorrow. If you just did light springs the whole week, how would you feel?  I’d feel like I didn’t earn the right to wear a hell week shirt!
   • In fact, someone gave me an extra tick! Inner mean girl said “sweet, one less to do”, she even laid it on thick and said “it’s the universe giving you a hand cause you are having a challenging week.  I sat with that overnight and asked myself ‘how would I feel at the end of the week if I’d only done 9 classes, but it looked like 10 because of my extra tick!?  I didn’t like that feeling…..
   • Don’t let that inner critic win!
8. Preparation is the key, or is it!?!?!
   • I am a chronic overthinker. This challenge was signed up and booked into in like 5 seconds flat, I had no time to over think it.  And I couldn’t quit.  I mean I could’ve, but what would that have taught me… you’d be getting quite the different 10 lessons learnt message that’s for sure.
   • Build up… I had a couple of weeks notice, so I worked up to 4 / 5 sessions a week and had few rest days. Sure, it wasn’t going to exactly simulate 2 sessions a day for 5 days, but at least I wasn’t going from 2 sessions a week to 10.  Work it into your timetable, tell your husband you’re doing it, tell your kids.  So when you’re tired, when you’re late home, when you’re feeding them cereal for dinner they know “hey mum’s doing something really hard for her, and it’s only 5 days before we go back to normal programming”.
   • Hurdles always come up. My child broke his wrist at a school sport 3 days before the week from Hell started…. Not ideal.  But honestly, if we let all these things come in front of something that might grow us, stretch us, encourage us, then we’d not get far… Push on I say!
9. Motivation comes in many forms….
   • It was nice to share the Hell Week with other Hell Weekers…. Noone would understand what you’re going through like they did.
   • There’s nothing like finishing the 5^th class to give you a bit more of a boost… and then getting to the last day.. and then the last class, which was booked with the instructor who said at the beginning “we’ll get through this together!”.
   • When my son asked “mum why are you doing so much pilates” I told him… I was honest and said “mate, it’s the toughest thing physically I’ve honestly done in my life”…. Slightly embarrassed to admit that, but look here we are!... His beautiful response… “mum you’ve delivered 4 kids, that was harder”. Thanks buddy.  Another little confidence builder for me.
10. It’s actually NOT about the shirt!
    • It’s about the mental gain and endurance. It’s a mind game.  Look in reality, you could do really light weights and just go through the motions.  The mind games helped you to stay focused on the goal that was set.
    • Strength gain. Honestly, I’m surprised at how much my strength has changed in just 5 days.
    • And there’s always more time in the week! This challenge has taken 4 hours a day, 5 days this week – 20 hours!  In my already busy life, I managed to find 20 hours to do this.
11. 3 sneaky benefits I wasn’t looking for...
    • I was even more conscious about consuming water. I already have 2L a day, but I was just more conscious on staying hydrated.
    • I was more conscious of eating well and getting enough protein in.
    • I slept better, yes because I was more tired than normal, but also because I was dedicated to doing this, so I needed to be strict with bed time.
12. It’s only 5 days.
    • At the end of the day, no pun intended, it’s only 5 days. Yes I put off things, yes I had less time doing work / family / friends etc.
    • Will I do it every week? Absolutely not. I’m so hanging for a sleep in.
    • The mental growth I’ve had is worth more than the 5 days it’s taken to complete this challenge.
13. My favourite 3 things that I’ll take on with me now that Hell Week has finished?
    • I can do hard things.
    • Sometimes you just need to get on with it and not over think it.
    • I can take that inner critic down a few pegs.

I gave Hell Week my all.

If you’ve made it this far, then how can we all take these 10 lessons and transfer these into other aspects of life to become, more resilient, confident and adaptable??!!

Have a lovely week!

Alison xx