Welcome to D.D.T.T., what I wish I knew when I started – the fitness edition!
Why D.D.T.T?
My fitness journey began in 2011. Compared to today (2021), content on physical fitness, nutrition and mental health was limited. Consequently, my journey began with so many unknowns. What should I wear, what area of fitness should I start with and so on? The list was endless.
Being known for always having a gym bag on me, I began the person to ask for fitness advice. Then it struck me, don’t you think there should be an easy guide for beginner fitness enthusiasts?
Ten years, 35 races later, lost and gained weight and found my inner yogi during the pandemic. I am not a certified trainer. Nor am I a nutritionist. But I have learnt a few things over the years. So here I am taking the plunge and sharing what I’ve learnt thus far.
My Fitness Journey, so far.
Chapter #1
Let’s start at the beginning. It’s 2011; I weighed roughly 120 lbs; I was a student at university and was not at all interested in losing any weight. At that time, my most strenuous physical activity entailed walking to my classes on campus, random gym appearances and clubbing. I wish I had a Fitbit in those days; my step game would have been on fleek.
Fast forward to 2014. I have left university, and not much has changed in the weight department. Life is moving on. I am a working woman, and my social life is still booming. And guess what? It’s also my first year as a masquerader. Big up Trinidad and Tobago Carnival! My inspo at the time was a local artiste with a phenomenal body. Now, I am all about the gym gains.
Chapter #2
One year, 5lbs of pure muscle later, I think the fitness bug had bitten me. Having achieved one goal, I was motivated to set new ones. What can I try next? I started exploring the idea of training outdoors, which later led to the start of a new chapter in my life, running. Three training races later, I completed my first official race, the UWI SPEC International Half Marathon. 13.1 miles! Who knew?
Just saying, for those who may not know; there is an unexplainable high when you cross that finish line. It is amazing; you can walk, crawl or run over it, it doesn’t matter, you did it!
What inspired you to start your fitness journey? Comment below.
Following the half marathon, strength training remained, but I formed a new appreciation for cardio, stability and flexibility training. At this stage, training occupied most of my leisure time. It was tasking physically and mentally, but it allowed me to really learn how to compartmentalise my life. At the time, I made no compromises to my social life. I also work full-time, so accomplishing a healthy balance was a challenge at first.
I became known for my regular appearance at the gym or running around the savannah (for us here in Trinidad and Tobago we have a lot of places to run and one of the main locations is the Queen’s Park Savannah). Soon after I realised I became the ‘fitness guru’ in my inner circles at home with family, at work and with my friends.
The Beginning of a New Chapter...
The global flip. Yes, COVID-19! It happened, it is happening. Lockdowns, working-from-home and a limited social life. For some, this revamped their fitness lives, and for others, it killed it. Honestly, my running has reduced, but my flexibility and stability training has improved.
At this stage of my life, I have much to share and learn from others. So I decided to do a blog to share my experiences! As we say in the Caribbean, “why burn to learn?”. I also look forward to connecting with all newbie fitness enthusiasts as well as all the amateurs and professionals out there who may join the discussions on this page.
Join the journey!
Coming up, expect to see more on…
- Building the right mindset and preparing for disappointments;
- Dressing for outdoor and indoor training;
- Running;
- Liming (aka hanging out or socialising) during training season and off;
and much more.
2 Comments
Anonymous
Interesting.
dosdontstipsandtricks
Thanks!