Risat’s BodyBlog

It’s almost like I keep saying that over and over - 2 weeks to go….I scheduled competitions and added some this year. So there is always one around the corner.  Diet is just the right balance (which means I am not feeling deprived except for those brownies my daughter made yesterday), my training is going well (mixing up the cardio w/sprints and stairs) and I am working my routine as much as I can (mentally when I am on my way to work and at the gym when I can get a room). Tried new shoes out (hated those) so I am back to my old ones (please let them have one more good run in them) and will work on the packing list this weekend (last time I overpacked some things and underpacked others, which will proboably happen again, but oh well).

Best of all my self motivation is high. I don’t doubt that I will do well (barring injuries) and truly hope to do better in some areas than last year. There are areas I can control - like the obstacle course and skills and some that the judges control - like Grace & Physique and fitness routine, but I believe that I am a better me than I was last year and I am having fun.

I wonder how we (all fitness, figure, bodybuilding competitors) do it? I keep going back to my running days (when I say running I mean 30-40 miles per week, not the cardio that I have been doing lately), not so far in the past, but they seem that way. The races, I was always prepared to run one any day. I just ran anywhere from 3-5 miles a day, longer runs on the weekend and if I could find one show up for a race, (hopefully) wait for my award and that was it.  Bodybuilding competitions are so different, all the eating, training, cardio (for me its stairs), posing and routine practice, grooming (have I mentioned how much tanning beds suck? I prefer the beach, but not here in Atlanta). Anyway, all of this preparation for a one day comp.  To stand out on stage to be judged for how well you prepared. 

  My rant is really for this, it is a slow process…..and although I see gains, and think I look OK, by myself, in front of the mirror, by myself, don’t think I am impressing the judges much.  I know it is because I am small, again I weighed in at a whopping 109 on Friday, what do judges really want from the amateur level (in master’s they picked the larger build even though they were smooth)? This was a good size show and there was not a body out there that did not deserve to win (everyone works hard), but….I just want to feel like I am on the right track and that I belong doing this. 

   Well it’s not necessarily back to the drawing board. I am in full WTF training mode now, I can run to my heart’s content (or for how long my legs hold up), work on my routine, bench press, box jumps and shuttle run, hope I can score better at the Grace & Physique and see what happens.  Then decision time comes, do I want to go to National’s? am I ready to really put myself out there?

I’ve decided to compete next week.  Had been enjoying my carbs, running a little, and started to work on  my fitness routine for Vegas, then this pops up. I definitely want the experience on stage so I believe it is a good idea, we wil have to see how things turn out.  Routine practice was fun, but I really have pushed it today, leg work out in the AM, followed by 2 hours learning my routine, finishing up with 1 1/2 hours of Bikram (heated) yoga was probably not the best idea, but I survived (and will see how I am tomorrow). I need more work on my routine, I am happy with it and my daughter even thinks its cool (this coming from a 17 year old is a high complement).  So this week , I focus one more time on bodybuilding (preparing for competition) and then it’s backto WTF….wish me luck!

BB.com sent me an email asking me to updat emy bodyblog, too funny…….Ok, so I will update. I am a week out from my last comp. I placed 2d, qualified for nationals (Yea!) and now I will prepare for WTF World Challenge. On a side note, work is driving me up the wall, I envy those that can live fitness every day. I know that every life has its trials, but when you are a desk jockey working 10+ hours a day and taking care of a family, squeezing the workouts in can get very challenging. So this week I started back to running (loved it!) and working towards 50 reps in the bench press. I am resigned to the fact that I will be the weight I am (and truly I am ok with that), my only concern has always been my little 110 lbs going up against someone at the top of the weight category (e.g.125 lbs), so my new thinking is just to work with what I’ve got and make it the best it can be…. The running went well, though I am a little out of practice. I will do a 5k next week (can’t wait, probably won’t get a PR, but if I stay in the 20 min. range I will be very happy,it’s says the course is flat, but Ihave run it before and there are rolling hills). Oh, and then I did a great chest workout, had not had one of those in a while, felt it about 36 hours later, lol. I know I have the strength and am working on the mental endurance to do the 50 reps (can do 33 right now at 65 lbs.) so I am close and have plenty of time to get there. On top of all of that I will start working with a choreograpgher for my fitness routine, between her schedule and mine, this is the first chance we’ve had to work together. It’s a stretch (as far as being prepared), but again, I am doing this for the experience and fun of it all. Goal for this one is maybe to add some tumbling into my routine…We will see… So it’s off to training for now…more to follow..