Remind me: Why Do I Do This Again?

6 days out of 2009 NPC Masters Figure Nationals...

I've sat down to this blog box at least 10 times, trying to write something. Writers block is a terrible thing. So please, be kind with your critiques of the below text. It's not my best work. ;)








After being completely overwhelmed by my first national figure competition back in May, one might assume that I would never set foot on a national stage again.

You work and work and work and work.....for what? Only to be completely taken aback by the competition. Here's my life during contest prep:

1. Diet for 12+ weeks. I'm not talking about dieting in the sense of cutting back on fastfood and limiting your icecream consumption. I mean DIET. The same thing, everyday...chicken, fish, oats, yams, greens, egg whites, protein powder...repeat. And that means there are cravings that are out of this world. Every hour of the day, I find myself craving something: peanut butter, nuts, a cookie, a pancake, some ketchup, or a potato chip. But I don't cave...because athletes don't cave.


2. Train HARD. I'm not talking about a quick, moderate intensity trip to the gym a few times a week. Yes, this method worked for me way back when I first started losing weight. But now, my body needs more. 4-5 times a week of strength training...heavy strength training...split into muscle specific routines. 3-4 days of short but majorly intense HIIT cardio sessions. And if I miss a workout? It will show on stage....I guarantee it.

3. Irritability. This paragraph should be written by my husband and my children. They know how I get when I'm dieting and training for a show. But somehow, they love me through it. They know how much I want this, and they are incredibly supportive. But it doesn't change the fact that I can get down right ugly sometimes--I mean, wouldn't you? If you were eating this way, and your body's metabolism is on fire 24-hours a day, and you can't sleep because all you want to do is raid the refrigerator, and you can't go out with friends because they just want to eat food and drink beverages that are a "no-no" for you....all that adds up to a not-so-nice-lady.


4. Keeping up with the rest of life. You know what I'm talking about: a house needs to be cleaned, kids need to be fed and shuffled from function to function, laundry needs to be washed, a dog needs to be fed, groceries need to be purchased (that's another story), doctors' appointments need to be kept, lawns need to be mowed, etc. And then there's work: clients need to be trained and motivated. And I admit, it's tough to motivate others when I don't feel motivated myself! How do you tell someone to "stick with the plan!" and "be consistent" when all you want to do is crawl in bed, throw the covers over your head and hibernate for the weekend?


Thankfully, I have an amazing group of clients. They have hired me because they know I'm a real person who struggles. I get frustrated and angry and need to be encouraged, too. They know I'm not going to blow sunshine by telling them everything in their life should be happy and carefree. IT ISN'T! Life gets crappy sometimes...but God is bigger than all that.



So why did I even decide to continue with another National level show? Ahhh...that's a good question.


I'm doing it because I love to be challenged. I love to push myself beyond what I think I'm capable of. Maybe I'm a little bit of a risk taker, too. And believe me....it's risky putting yourself through all that work for just a few seconds on stage, not knowing what the judges are looking for that particular day. Do they want hard? Do they want soft? Do they want quad separation? Do they want a lat spread? Do they want a model look today or something a bit more muscular?

Heck if I know...and heck if I care. I am doing this for me. And I will walk on that Pittsburgh stage in 6 days and give them what I've got. Because I LOVE what I've got.

Now, that doesn't mean I haven't tweaked a few things. My training plan hasn't changed one bit. I still lift heavy, although right now I'm staying in the 12-15 rep range. But my diet has included a few more carbs, and my cardio has increased just slightly: 3, 30-minute stepmill sessions per week. I've added 3 days of ham/glute work (walking lunges, booty blasters, prone leg curls), and I've lightened up just a bit on my quad work. And I have softened up my poses, too, which should make a difference.

Oh, and I changed my hair. Which I LOVE, btw. :)


It comes down to this: I love this sport. And I want to learn everything about it. I also want to continue to challenge my mind and my body to be the very best. And if figure competing provides that challenge and motivation, I will continue with it.

But if not, well...there's always bodybuilding. ;)