New Plymouth

Jac Potroz

 

Jac Potroz   
 Listen to our interview with Jac three weeks into her challenge  
Read Jac's latest blog here  
Hi!



My name is Jac Potroz and I am a 27 year old mum to two wonderful kids. My 5 year old son and my 9mth old daughter.

I live in South Taranaki, with my husband on a dairy farm. I am a part time social work student and volunteer for HRC Family counseling in Hawera.



All my life I have struggled with my weight and personal fitness. It has become a generational problem in my family and I can already see the effects that my bad habits are having on my children.

Since having my children it feels even harder, trying to fit exercise in to my already busy life. However I have come to realize, that to be a good role model for my children, and to feel better about myself, I need to make time and start enjoying the benefits surrounding being fit and healthy. Its time to break the cycle!



I saw the contact women’s tri as an excellent goal to work towards. I have never in my life done anything like this, let alone apply to be the “IT Girl” for New Plymouth! In all honesty, like so many others, I’m not even sure I would have followed through if I didn’t receive the wonderful news that I had been selected. Like so many other things it would have been another great idea put in the too hard basket – well not this time!

I really hope that my story does help to encourage lots of other wonderful women out there to join in. I am sure you will find my journey towards the tri interesting and realistic! I am certainly not a born athlete, I am a women who has set a challenge for myself and today is the day I start working towards it!
 21st September 2011
 So here I am - in to week three of my training for the tri. Ive had lots of different emotions surrounding being the Tri It girl for NP. After the initial shock and total excitement wore off the worry begun.

Right now I am no where near being able to swim 300m, i struggle to do 50 actually.

The last time I rode 9km... well I cant remember actually,

And to top if off ive never been in to running - but I did play netball this year so I know I am capable!!

However, 3 weeks ago, when I went for my 1st swim i struggled doing 25m and already I can double that.

Im out riding my bike and actually surprised with what I can do in a 20min ride.

And today im going for my first walk/jog and im actually looking foward to seeing how I go. Ive been walking for several months and its time to push it up.



Why am I telling you all this? Well if I wasnt a tri it girl the worry of not being able to do it may well have put me off... but I have to remind myself if I keep chipping away at it I will get stronger and fitter and even if I am last accross the line its about my journey and how far I have come. So I hope, if theres a few girls out there that may be thinking of putting it in the too hard basket to just go for it - the training programme is a great way to work you way up and theres still pleanty of time to get started!!!



The tri is the first event I have ever taken part in. Am I nervous? Yep! Am i excited? Very!!! I love thinking of myself as a triathlon competitor!
 Blog Update: 02/11/11
  

Well guys its been a while since I've updated on here so thought I better get on to it!

Since last time I've scored myself a part time job in a social work role, one day a week and a bit of other work here and there, plus I also got a week's work to do for the election this month.

School holidays were a big challenge for me exercise wise and I'll be the first to admit I pretty much fell face first off the wagon when it came to my training schedule and eating well. Damn!

I assumed as soon as school started I'd be right back in to it but all those little things keep popping up and I keep being challenged. I'm slowly getting there and I have realised even if I can't manage one of my planned training times I can still go out for a walk in the evening or just get out and do something.

It's only going to get harder as we lead up to Christmas for me but it's time to get serious again!

My second round of a 12 week weight loss challenge started last night so that's giving me a reason to get back on the wagon as well as the fact that the tri is getting nearer and nearer every week and I need to know I can finish it!!

So I am back to carefully planning each week so I know what I'm doing and when I'm doing it - that is the key thing for me.

Hope you guys are all doing well and enjoying the warmer weather (when it actually is!)

 Update!

First and foremost – thank you so much Polly your last couple of updates have got me through a hard couple of weeks while I've been trying to get back in to a decent training programme.
 
I'm feeling plenty of nerves at the mo with only 3 weeks left before the NP event!!!  I think I was hoping to be feeling a bit better prepared for the whole thing, but with Christmas and school holidays its been challenging to do what I had hoped.
I'm on track now doing 10km bike rides 2 – 3 times a week, around 600m worth of swimming each time and walk / jogs of around 3kms. I've been focusing on the distances since I got back in to it all last week and I'm feeling confident in each one when i do them one at a time but no idea how I'm going to go with joining them all up!!!.
I have no idea how I'm going to go with the ocean swim, did i little swimming during my week at the beach but nothing on what i was planning.
In saying all this and still holding all this doubt, I think about where I was when I first started training and think of how far I have come and it all becomes clear again, Im doing this even for my own benefit. Not to try and lead the pack... but to prove to myself I can cross the finish line and this is just the beginning of my journey. A lifetime journey.  A journey that will teach my children they can do whatever they want and will naturally live a healthy lifestyle.
But right now its one step at a time, because each of those steps is quickly brining me closer to event day!!!!

       

            

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