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The sound of your alarm is never pleasant on a Saturday morning. Saturday should be a sleep in - but no; it is time to get up and get ready for work.

Some of us may dread the sound of the alarm early in the morning - especially when we know it means we have to go to work.

When I was 14 I had a part time job at Lenard's Poultry shop - classy, I know! My shift on a Saturday morning would start at 7am, and let me tell you - I am NOT a morning person… I would set my alarm at 6:40am - this would give me a mere ten minutes to get ready for work! I was a typical teenager - and needed to prolong my beauty sleep.

In all honesty I didn't mind my job - but there were days when I really did dread going in to work.

Here are some tips for you girls out there who dread going to work:

• Positive Body Language - It is so important to have positive body language. Body language includes facial expressions, posture, gestures, and so on. It makes such a difference when you hold yourself well (shoulders back), smile and have a friendly manner about you. You will find yourself feeling happier and your customers will generally respond in a more friendly and pleasant manner also.
  
  
• Think of the money - Remember that cute dress you saw on Thursday night? Well you can't buy it unless you have money… and you don't have money unless you work - so grit your teeth, work hard and you can get that dress!
  
  
• Do a job you enjoy - If you can't stand to be around people, or you are very shy - don't be a promo girl. On the other hand, if you constantly need people around you then don't sign up for the late night shift packing shelves at Coles. Be smart with your job choices - apply for jobs you think you will enjoy, and when you get that job - stick it out! Obviously you can't be too fussy, but when it comes down to it - you are much better off doing something you enjoy; as this will make your work day much more fulfilling.
  
  
• Set goals for yourself - When I was working as a sales assistant I would continually set goals for myself or make up little games to get me through the day. The games were pretty lame - but when you are working you'd be surprised at what seems fun! I would guess who the next customer would be (male, female, kid, adult etc), or guess what the next customer would buy. I would try and predict how many sales I would do in the hour or how many ice creams I would sell (I also used to work at Cold Rock). I would try and work out how much change to give the customer before it was displayed on the cash register, or I would try and add up the total cost before it appeared on the register's screen… Okay - you may think my games are lame, hehe, but they did help the time pass!
  
  
• Be thankful that you can work - we are so blessed in our country and are fortunate that we have the freedom to work and earn money. Many individuals would do anything to live and work in a country like Australia!
  
  

So grin and bear it - yes work can be a pain, but compared to some things, it's a breeze!

Meet Claire Buchar!!! She is a professional DH Mountain Bike Athlete and 5 time Canadian National Team member. We had a chat to her to find out about what keeps her fit and healthy and the things she likes about Mountain Biking.

Why Mt Bike?

I picked up a mountain bike about 8 years ago and have never looked back. Since then I have traveled the World racing and riding my bike. Peru, Chile, all over Europe and the States, New Zealand and here, Australia. I have made many friends along the way, some of them will be close by me for the rest of my life.

What motivates you to keep training?

It keeps me fit, strong and focused. It gives me a challenge and goals to go after. It gives me the opportunity to see the world and meet incredible people on all of my adventures. I would have never dreamed of being where I am at right now but I am and that proves that you can go after your dreams and succeed!

Why did you come to Australia?

Some of the best Downhill Mountain Bikers in the world are from here, Australia. And they happen to be my friends from the circuit. I came down here to ride, train and hang out with them because at home in Canada, it is winter at the moment and you can't ride your bike too well in the snow!

What's your training regime like?

I train almost every day. Whether it is gym work, cardio work or riding my bike(XC, dirt jump, skate park or DH) I am training. I have worked very hard to get to where I am in my sport. And I still have to work hard to achieve to reach my goals. But that is the challenge and the fun of it! The cool thing is, a lot of the time when I'm riding my bike, I'm having so much fun it doesn't even feel like hard work! Off my bike and away from structured training, I love to snow board and play soccer.

What does your diet consist of?

In order to maintain my strength and energy to perform, I need to eat healthy food. I WANT to eat healthily because after you have eaten healthy food for a while, you just don't want anything else. It makes you feel good to put good food inside of you. Lots of fruit and veggies.....a balanced diet and plenty of fresh water. Don't get me wrong, I do like chocolate! I treat myself once in a while.....

How could girls get into Mountain Bike riding as a sport?

Your local bike shop is the best place to start if you are interested in getting into it. Go have a chat with them for info on bikes and gear, local trails and hooking up with people to ride with. Also check out my website at www.canadiandhgirls.com (and you will see its all about fun) to find out more about me and my teammates and our sport! And we can also help answer any questions you may have.

How many times have you made the grand decision to start a new exercise plan??? Or join a gym??? And yet, a month down the track the plan has gone out the window and you are back to square one!

We've all had good intentions at one time or another but the tricky bit is maintaining the motivation that is required to keep it up and not give up when things get a little hard.

To help with ideas about how to maintain motivation, I caught up with Stephen Ng, Queensland Middle-Weight Champion for boxing and Personal Trainer. Who would know more about staying focused and motivating himself and others???

Stephen says that he is a self-motivated person so he finds his motivation from within himself. He uses different thought processes to keep him going through the tough times such as:

• Family - he is really motivated to set a good example to his children and show them that he will "put in" and work hard to achieve his goals.
• Losing - He hates losing so he works hard to avoid this feeling.
• Focus/Visualisation - he keeps the "goal" in sight.

As Stephen works regularly with clients in his Personal Training business, he is also aware that most people are a little different and need additional things to keep motivation high.

"Some people like to be pushed and challenged to go harder, while others need to be treated more gently and praised for every little bit of progress that they make. As a trainer you need to get in tune with each individual client."

Stephen says that you don't need a personal trainer but you do need to know what kind of person you are and the best ways to motivate yourself.

Here are some ideas that work for most people:

• Workout with a partner. Encourage each other and be accountable to each other.
• Set small, realistic goals and recognize progress.
• Reward yourself as you reach your goals.
• Sometimes it is good to help someone else who is struggling. By helping another person get motivated (e.g. going for a jog with your friend regularly) you are also increasing your own fitness. (Sometimes it's harder to pull-out if you are letting down another person.)
• Change the routine. They say a change is as good as a holiday and boredom is one of the biggest reasons why people don't stick to an exercise regime. You need to mix it up and have a little fun!

So, the trick is to find things that motivate you and ways to keep yourself accountable and on track.

1. IDENTIFY HOW YOU ARE MOTIVATED…BY INTERNAL THOUGHTS OR EXTERNAL TOOLS SUCH AS A TRAINING PARTNER???
2. BE ACCOUNTABLE TO SOMEONE (EVEN IF IT IS YOURSELF…YOU CAN KEEP A DIARY TO TRACK YOUR EFFORT)
3. SET REALISTIC AND ATTAINABLE GOALS
4. REWARD EFFORT AND PROGRESS
5. KEEP IT FUN

Good luck and let us know what works for you!!! E-mail me with your ideas!