Member Q&A with AJ

AJ is the definition of someone who thrives on being outside his comfort zone.

It was his first Spartan race back in 2019 that got him hooked, and these days, he plans his training around the events he wants to tick off his bucket list (with some help from the team at Ascend Fit).

Can you tell us more about your health and fitness journey - where you were and where you are now?

Fitness has always been part of my life through sports at school and then I was a pretty regular gym goer for 15+ years after that. About 10 x years ago, I went to my first bootcamp-style class and enjoyed that far more than a regular gym routine that was too easy to skip and wasn’t very inspiring. It was my first Spartan race in 2019 that really kicked off my fitness journey. The thrill of racing and competing was such a rush that I straight away started looking for my next challenge.

My training is now planned around events and Ascend Fit plays a massive part in not only improving how well I do but also ensuring I'm race-day ready. I'm not particularly good at any one event – I'm more than to complete than compete, but that doesn't diminish the satisfaction I get from crossing the finish line. Doing events is also a great way to travel with my family and friends around New Zealand and overseas.

Before joining Ascend Fit, what made you hesitant or scared about joining a gym?

I wasn’t scared of joining a gym, but change always brings questions – what will the people be like? What if I don’t like the classes? What if the training doesn’t meet my needs? These are some of the reasons you don’t change because there is comfort in the known. Before joining Ascend Fit, I had met Liam and done some of his training, so I knew what to expect. As soon as I found out you were opening in GI, I was all in!

How did you overcome those fears?

One big thing I have learned through racing is that once you are out of your comfort zone and know what it is you need to do, the fears are replaced with “I can do this”, so what’s next? Do I do the same race but target a better time or fewer failed obstacles, or do I take on something bigger and harder?

What advice would you give to people who might be battling with the same fears?

Start slow, dip your toe in to see if it’s what you like, but before doing anything, figure out what it is you want to do. What is your “why”? Is it weight loss? fitness improvements, or social interaction? Knowing why you are doing something stops it from being a routine or a drag. I need a goal or something to work towards. Once I have that, I can give more focus and effort to achieving my goal.

What does being healthy mean to you?

Being healthy for me looks like:

• I start the day feeling refreshed
• Training hard with minimal injuries
• Good breakfast and lunch means being able to concentrate at work and be motivated to be my best – tackle the hard things and use time wisely.
• Then home time with the family is engaged and interactive and usually involves doing something physical with Jensen.
• Eat properly for dinner and get a great night's sleep.
• On weekends, replacing work with what we want to do, but, importantly, have the energy and drive to do things.

What motivates you to work on your health and fitness?

Racing prompted the fitness journey, which had the added side effects of energy and motivation through better health. Nutrition then became a factor which also added to the health benefits and in turn the training. I really enjoy training at Ascend Fit, and doing something you enjoy takes away the burden of “having” to train – I do it because I want to.

What’s been your proudest accomplishment so far on your health and fitness journey?

Every year, there are new goals and new accomplishments, so each of the past few years, there are things to be proud of. There have definitely been setbacks along the way, so the thing I am the proudest of is every year targeting bigger, harder, and faster than the last. This can only be achieved through the right training and motivation and this is where Ascend Fit has played a big part in getting me to where I need to be.

Do you have any goals you’re working towards right now?

Having taken a couple of weeks off over the New Year and resting injuries, I'm planning out what I want to do for the year. It's either going to be new races that I haven’t done before or longer distances in different races I've already done but want to go back to. Once the first event is locked in, then that will start the timeline for training. 

How has Ascend Fit helped you on your health and fitness journey?

Ascend Fit (and Liam) have played a big part in my being able to compete in the races that I do now. In 2019, I did my first 5km OCR race, which was daunting at the time because of both the running and the obstacles. Through training and doing things properly, I was able to complete 3 x trifecta weekends - 3 x obstacle races in 2 x days covering 37kms. Looking back, the first 5km seems a long time and a lot of km ago! The other members are also motivational – I am a competitive person and will always be keeping an eye on what others are doing to push myself.

What gets you out of bed, what keeps you committed to your health and fitness?

Having goals and targets to work towards is my motivation - having Ascend Fot provide the environment and training that I need makes the preparation something I want to do rather than something I have to do.