Phoenix Martial Arts Selby

Day… honestly, I’ve given up counting now! 😂

First run after the wonders of Wakefield at the weekend.

I won’t lie… I really wasn’t feeling it.

I wasn’t in the right headspace. I’m not sleeping well, and there are a few things going on in the background that have been playing with my emotions and my mindset.

Everything in me wanted to stay in bed.

But martial arts has taught me that motivation is unreliable. Discipline isn’t.

So I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed and told myself it was only going to be a short run. Nothing heroic. Just enough to keep the momentum going because after a huge run like Wakefield, there’s always that danger of losing the habit.

Turns out…

Being an emotional car wreck is apparently good for my running. 😂

Three personal bests later…

🏃🏻‍♀️ 1.5 miles – 13:55 (my first time under 14 minutes!)
🏃🏻‍♀️ 2 miles – under 19 minutes
🏃🏻‍♀️ 5K – 29:14

Safe to say I wasn’t expecting that!

It’s funny how often the runs you least want to do end up being the ones you’re proudest of.

Martial arts has taught me that you don’t have to feel strong to be strong. Sometimes courage is simply getting up when you don’t want to, lacing up your trainers, and taking that first step.

Today proved something I’ve been learning over the last few months…

Your mind will often tell you to quit long before your body actually needs to.

And if you can win the battle in your head, the rest has a habit of taking care of itself. 🥋🏃🏻‍♀️💪🏻

☀️ SUMMER THIS OR THAT? ☀️

If you could only choose one this summer…

🌊 A peaceful beach walk with the sound of the waves, sea breeze and sand beneath your feet…

OR

⛰️ A mountain hike with incredible views, fresh air and the satisfaction of reaching the top…

Which one are you picking? 🤔

There are no wrong answers—both are a fantastic way to get moving, enjoy the outdoors and recharge your batteries.

We’re curious to see which one wins!

👇 Vote in the comments:

🌊 = Beach Walk

⛰️ = Mountain Hike

And tell us why you chose it!

🔥 WATCHING CONFIDENCE GROW IS OUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB. 🔥

Some children walk through our doors quietly.

They stay close to Mum or Dad.
They avoid eye contact.
They worry about trying something new.

And that’s absolutely okay. ❤️

Then, something amazing starts to happen…

🥋 They begin answering questions.
😊 They make new friends.
💪 They stand a little taller.
🙌 They volunteer to have a go.
🌟 They start believing in themselves.

That’s the real power of martial arts.

Yes, we teach punches and kicks.

But more importantly, we help children build confidence, resilience, respect and the courage to step outside their comfort zone.

The smiles become bigger.
The confidence grows stronger.
And before long, the shy child who walked through our doors is encouraging someone else on their very first class.

That’s the real magic of training.

❤️ We’re not just building martial artists… we’re helping build confident, happy young people ready to take on whatever life throws at them.

Road to 13.1 🏃🏻‍♀️

Day… who knows anymore! 😂

So, after the wonders of Wakefield Run on Saturday with Mr & Mrs Walker, I think I’ve finally started to feel human again.

The plan was simple…

Run 3 miles.
Walk 1 mile.
Repeat.

Simple on paper anyway. 🤦🏼‍♀️

I actually started really strong. The pace felt comfortable, the knee was behaving itself and I was feeling confident.

Then hayfever decided it wanted to join us.

My lungs were burning, breathing became hard work, and somewhere around mile 15 my calves decided they’d had enough and were preparing to hand in their resignation.

The knee, surprisingly, was probably the best part of me all day!

In the end, myself and Mr Walker called it a day about three-quarters of a mile short of the finish. Considering he’d been poorly for a few days beforehand, we’d both given everything we had.

Mrs Walker, however…

She just kept going and absolutely smashed the whole thing! 💪🏻🔥

Couldn’t be prouder of the three of us.

Did I want to cry? Yes.

Did I question every life choice that led me to voluntarily spend over five hours running and walking around Wakefield?

Also yes. 😂

Did I enjoy it?

Surprisingly… yes.

That’s another lesson martial arts has taught me.

Success isn’t always about finishing exactly as planned. Sometimes success is knowing you’ve given everything your body has on that particular day, having the discipline to listen when it’s had enough, and celebrating the people around you just as much as yourself.

A few months ago I’d never have believed I was capable of covering 21 miles in one day.

Now I’m looking at a half marathon and thinking…

“Yeah… I think I’ve got this.”

(Ask me again after York 10K… and maybe after my calves forgive me. 😂🏃🏻‍♀️🥋)

🧠 FRIDAY QUIZ ANSWER! 🧠

Thanks to everyone who joined in with Friday’s quiz!

The question was…

True or False?

“Muscle weighs more than fat.”

The answer is…

❌ FALSE!

A pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as a pound of fat.

A pound is a pound! ⚖️

The difference is that muscle is much denser, which means it takes up less space than fat.

That’s why someone can:
💪 Feel stronger
👖 Drop a clothes size
📏 Lose inches around their waist
😊 Look leaner and healthier…

…without seeing a huge change on the scales.

This is exactly why we always say:

Don’t let the number on the scales define your progress.

Celebrate the victories that really matter:
⭐ Feeling fitter
⭐ Having more energy
⭐ Building confidence
⭐ Getting stronger
⭐ Achieving things you couldn’t do a few weeks ago

The scales only tell one small part of your story.

Keep showing up, keep moving and trust the process. Your body is changing in more ways than one. 💛

Did you get the answer right? Let us know below! 👇😊

When it comes to wall sits, our ladies’ concentration level is ALWAYS at 100%! 🥋💪

Not a smile. Not a word. Just pure “I will survive this” focus. 😂🫠

Legs shaking, eyes locked in, but nobody is backing out.

🌴 SUMMER QUIZ! 🌴🧠

Let’s test your fitness knowledge… 👀

TRUE or FALSE?

💪 Muscle weighs more than fat.

🤔 What do you think?

👍 TRUE
❤️ FALSE

Drop your answer in the comments

We’ll reveal the answer tomorrow.

Who thinks they’ve got this one right? 👇🔥

Who’s working harder here?! 🥋🔥

The Jamie running or Andy doing the pulling?! 😂💪

Day… I’ve genuinely lost count now 😂

I forgot to upload Monday’s run.

It ended up being my only run this week because Saturday brings the wonders of Wakefield Run… which, apparently, is perfect half marathon training. 🤦🏼‍♀️

22 miles made up of running 3 miles, walking 1 mile at a strict slower pace.

I’m seriously questioning my life choices right now. 😂

Anyway…

10K done before work.

2 minutes faster than my Pontefract 10K time! 🥳

And that was with stopping to walk a few times.

Considering I’d spent the whole day before refereeing at the Summer Showdown, my legs weren’t exactly fresh, so I’ll happily take that.

York 10K is now only 3 weeks away, and for the first time I’m genuinely starting to believe that a sub-1 hour finish is possible.

The funny thing is, none of this is really about running.

It’s about everything martial arts has taught me.

Positive Mental Attitude isn’t just a phrase we put on the wall. It’s turning up when you’re tired. Believing you’re capable before you actually know if you are. Focusing on the next step instead of the finish line.

Martial arts has also taught me discipline. A few months ago I’d have tried to smash every run, ignored the warning signs and probably ended up injured. Now I know there’s a difference between pushing yourself and pushing too far.

That mindset has helped me improve far more than any training plan ever could.

This time last year, I was just hoping to survive two miles.

Now I’m chasing a sub-1 hour 10K… and somehow convincing myself a half marathon sounds like a good idea.

Turns out, earning a black belt doesn’t just change how you train in the dojo.

It changes how you approach every challenge life throws at you. 🥋🏃🏻‍♀️💪🏻