Kelly Gazzard

‼️‼️CANCELLED ‼️‼️
A year of preparation. Countless hours of training. One day that changed everything.

As someone who works in the fitness industry, I have so much respect for the level of commitment it takes to prepare for an event like an Ironman.

One of my clients Ricky McClean has spent the past year working towards completing the Ironman in Barcelona. A goal that has required discipline, consistency and an incredible amount of dedication.
But what does a year of preparing for an Ironman actually look like?
🏊‍♂️ The training – countless hours of swimming, cycling and running, carefully scheduled around everyday life. Early starts, long sessions and the commitment to keep going, even when motivation might be low.
🥗 The nutrition – planning and fuelling properly to meet the demands of endurance training, understanding the importance of recovery and giving the body what it needs to perform.
🗓️ The routine – organising life around training sessions, managing fatigue, prioritising recovery and making sacrifices to stay on track.
🧠 The mindset – staying focused on the goal, pushing through challenging sessions, trusting the process and remaining consistent over months of preparation.
🏅 The build-up – taking part in other events and challenges along the way, gaining experience and working towards that one big goal in Barcelona.
Then, just ONE DAY before the event, it was
‼️CANCELLED ‼️

Imagine the disappointment. A full year of preparation, the excitement of travelling to Barcelona, the final build-up and the anticipation of finally putting all that hard work into action, only for the opportunity to be taken away at the last minute.

It's a reminder that sometimes, despite all the planning, preparation and commitment, things happen that are completely outside our control.
But the race may have been cancelled. The work hasn't been wasted.

The fitness built, 💪the resilience developed, the discipline learned and the strength gained over the past year don't disappear because an event doesn't go ahead.
It's easy to measure success by a finish line, a medal or a time on the clock. But the journey to get there deserves recognition too.

As a sports massage therapist and rehab coach, I see the importance of consistency, preparation and looking after your body in pursuit of your goals. And I have huge respect for anyone willing to put in this level of work to achieve something that matters to them.
IRONMAN Barcelona might not have delivered the finish line he worked so hard for, and it's completely understandable to feel disappointed.
But a cancelled event cannot take away a year's worth of achievement.
👏 Huge respect for the dedication and commitment you've shown Ricky. Be proud of what you've accomplished, even if the final chapter didn't go to plan.
The next start line will come. 💪 🏊‍♂️ 🏃🏻 🚲

Thank you for all the birthday wishes 🎂

Yesterday I celebrated turning 49 and a chapter of life where looking after my health, strength and wellbeing is more important than ever.

I’ve always enjoyed training and keeping active, but as we get older, maintaining muscle strength, bone health, mobility, cardiovascular fitness and overall physical health becomes increasingly important.

This shoot is a celebration of where I am now not just how I look, but the work that goes into staying strong, active and capable.

My goal going into my 50s is to continue doing what I love, keep challenging myself and maintain my strength and fitness for the years ahead.

And hopefully I’ll still be doing the same in my 60s and 70s. ❤️

Getting older is inevitable. Losing strength, movement and independence doesn’t have to be. Coached Clis Secret 👑 , Photographer- Peter Bennett | Photographer | N.Ireland | Physique | Commercial , Hair- , Styled - Núa , Nails Amy Johnston Oneill , Tattoos - Marelle Hanna Tattoos , Make-up 𝙹𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚗 𝙵𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 , Glasses - TOM FORD , Rachel Andrews ,Tan JGlo Spray Tanning | Jennifer | Spray Tan Artist , eyelashes- EyeBeautifi Lashes By Rebekah

🏃‍♀️ Belfast Half Marathon — DONE! 🏃‍♂️

A huge congratulations to ALL my amazing clients who took on the Belfast Half Marathon! 👏🏼 here is just a few .

Months of training, niggles, doubts, hard days and plenty of determination , and you got yourselves over that finish line. 💪🏼✅

So proud to have played a small part in helping you keep moving, recover and stay on track. 🙌🫶🏻
Stephen Hawe 2:20:57 Ward Park Runners
Paul Fitchie 1:31:24 Ward Park Runners
Mike Curran 1.36 & Lindsay Curran 2:17
Leanne Campbell 2:01:26 Coastal Runners
Nicola McClean 2:19
Alexander Watts 1:45 Ballydrain Harriers

🏃‍♀️ Your first half marathon? Try distracting your brain.

For some runners, the hardest part of a longer race isn’t necessarily the physical effort ,it’s what happens when the mind starts getting involved.

“How far have I got?”
“Can I actually do this?”
“Why am I feeling like this?”
“What if I can’t finish?”

When anxiety or negative thoughts start to take over, our attention can become increasingly focused on internal sensations, perceived threat and the possibility of failure. In sport, anxiety is associated with changes in attentional control and can affect how we process and respond to what’s happening around us.

That’s where purposeful distraction and grounding strategies can be useful.

Giving your brain something simple and neutral to focus on counting, spotting colours, noticing the crowd, finding signs, listening to music, or breaking the race into smaller sections can help shift attention back towards the present moment, rather than constantly monitoring how you feel or how much further you have to go.

Grounding and attention-shifting techniques are also recommended within NHS guidance for managing anxiety and overwhelming thoughts.

And importantly, this isn’t about ignoring pain or pushing through something that isn’t right.

It’s about giving yourself another tool when nerves, doubt or anxious thoughts start becoming louder than they need to be.

You don’t have to think about 21.1km.

Think about this mile.
This moment.
This step.

So I put together these 12 Distraction Missions one for each stage of a half marathon to give your brain something positive to focus on when the miles start feeling long.

Save it. Screenshot it. Use the ones that work for you. 🤍

And remember: distraction is a coping strategy, not a substitute for listening to your body. If symptoms are unusual, severe or concerning, stop and seek appropriate medical help.

RESTORE • STRENGTHEN • PERFORM
Kelly Gazzard | Sports Massage • Rehab Coach.

“Half Marathon runners — save this one! “🏃‍♀️❤️ EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDANCE
This advice is based on guidance from leading organisations including World Athletics, the British Dietetic Association, the International Olympic Committee and NHS running initiatives.

I hear it all the time ….. for various reasons

“From ‘I don’t know if I can do this’ to I DID IT! ❤️ ❤️

Sometimes we doubt ourselves so much that we forget what we’re actually capable of. And we all have moments like that.

But doubt doesn’t mean you can’t.
Keep going. Keep believing. Show up anyway.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Massive congrats to these 3 clients who completed The Great North Run on Sunday 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏻. 🏅❤️ Lyn Mutch Colin Mutch and David Morton

“Never give up “ 🫶🏻

One of the kindest souls I know ❤️

Victoria is one of those people who always gives 100% in everything she does. She’s constantly finding ways to support charities, help others and give back to our local community and she does it all with such a genuine and caring heart. 🥰

She is definitely one of my absolute favourites and I feel very lucky to have her as a client/friend . 💕

Before we say goodbye to July… 👏

A huge well done to every single one of my clients who stepped outside their comfort zone and completed an event this month there was so many !! Whether it was your first 5K, a marathon, triathlon, Hyrox, cycling event, or simply achieving a personal goal you’ve been working towards, you should be incredibly proud of yourselves.

Heres just a couple of the amazing achievements from July.

Ricky McClean - what a way to cross the finish line with his gorgeous daughter Maisie 🫶🏻 on his first 70.3 finishing 6hr 42min on a really hilly and windy bike & run course , well done Ricky

Stefanie Eisenstadt - I just love this one 🩷, she has the smile that would lighten any room and her determination is nothing short of incredible !!

Judith Boyd and Mark Halus these 2 are going from strength to strength . Sea to Sky Mark - 53:15
Judith - 57:07
Both PBs of over 4 mins 💪

Always so proud to be part of your journey ..

Rehab Coach - Clis Secret 👑 RESTORE • STRENGTHEN • PERFORM
I help women rebuild their bodies through evidence-based rehab, strength training and personalised online coaching so they can move without fear, train with confidence and feel strong again. 💪.