Risat’s BodyBlog

No, really that was the name of the race….It was an early one,  0730, but the kind where I could just roll out of bed and get there quickly (in other words, close to home, not in the city).  I ate some oatmeal first (trying to get back to some healthy eating, lol) and found myself pretty nervous.  I figured it out later (see below).  Got to the race, picked up my race packet (cool sport bottle w/a screw on bottom for snacks) oh and a toothbrush (yeah thats a first). Only had about 15 minutes to warm-up, temp was in the mid 60s already…..

Races are usually to support a cause, in this case a young man who was killed in a car accident along Mill road. His father started the race (a funny character, again see below) and we were off…there were a lot of teenagers at this race, in school track wear, so I knew we had some good racing to follow. The pace started out quickly, but I was running my own race….I’d say about 6 ladies were ahead of me, soon to fall back (out too quickly), but I just focused on my pace. It had been 6 weeks since I last raced, last ran (I had only one run in this week), yes, and I decided I wanted to race???? Am I crazy??? No, just determined. Anyway, again GA rolling hills, it started with a downhill (you know what that means at the end), it was an out and back (the best type course), I passed all of the ladies except for this one young girl (about 15). At the 1.5 turnaround, we started to just pace each other, I kept right behind her right shoulder all the way until about 2.8 miles (I was starting to fatigue, haven’t built up enough carbs yet…), she started here kick there (it was the start of that up hill), I knew that was a bit too early for me, I usually kick at about 2.9-3.0…so I held back, but that hill started to hold me back…and she outkicked me by 7 seconds…(rats) my time? A respectable 21:37 (about a minute off my best, but on average with my GA 5K times and a 6 week running break).

2d woman to cross, 1st ine my age group…Chicken biscuits for everyone! They were out of water (can you believe that?) and I don’t drink sports drinks (anymore) so I went to my car, got my phone (if you have a blackberry you have a "crackberry" habit, what if you have a Voyager???) and my water and checked out the displays (waiting for awards).

OK here is the see below….I was nervous because I wanted to do well. I set myself up with expectations based upon my previous accomplishments, then I take time off to pursue other things (like muscle building and bodybuilding competitions) and when go back (to running in this case) I was afraid that "my age" would start to catch up with me and I’ll lose the things that I do ejoy.  I have had many converstations with friends, and each time they say they are amazed that I can do the things I do ( I can’t explain to them, for me its fun and I love the hard work),  but they always go back to my age ( Ineed to stop listening to them, lol). I will continue to do what I do, for as long as I can and love it!

Here is the see below #2..the father also did the announcing (ok here I am going to show that winning is becoming a little too important to me), as he was announcing the awards he made mention of the boys (and the teen boys were all the ones that crossed 1st, 2d and 3d - well 4th 5th and 6th too) that had come in and their times….The young lady that crossed 1st, an excellent run for her at age 15 (oh they also received a free pair of Mizuno’s - rats again), he mentined her time…no Master’s winner at this race, only overall (and thats cool), but when they got to my age group (he had stopped saying the years, but runner’s know…), so he announces my name (1st place in the 40-44 - yea me!), but not my time and doesn’t acknowlege that I was just behind the winner…..here is my point, I wanted to get acknowledged as the 2d place runner. For a couple of reasons (because I like it when people congratulate me, lol) but that in a sport like this you can have someone sooo young and moderately old be #1 and #2. I think those hanging our for awards would have gotten a kick out of the age difference.  I’m kinda glad she won….it was in honor of a young man in her peer group and I really wasn’t running to win (well, maybe a little), but for a time and for a mark on my training wall to see what I need to do prepare for my next events (Tri-Fitness for one).

So one more 5k race on the books, later on I went and lifted (will post that in my journal). Training day again, my calves are tight and my shoulders.  I also need to get to yoga for some serious stretching….

Did I mention the chicken biscuits???? I skipped on mine, but I did eat a banana (its been even longer for that yummy piece of fruit - too many sugar carbs) …and for thoseof you who have no idea what I’m talking about…here is a picture, now I am not fom the South, so I had no idea…I’ve tried them, but at 420 cals….I’ll stay away….

"Hills are speedwork in disguise."

Frank Short 

Well, when have you known me not to be in training, lol….Maybe it would be better to say let the Tri-Fitness Training begin (yes I will be multitasking and working on my routine for my fitness comp 3 weeks later). But I have an added an additional support member to team Winterhalter and will be working some new training plans into my schedule. They are very ambitious (a little worried), but all I can do is try…So today starts the plan and first off I’m going to run a 5K this AM which is not on the plan, but I like to run so I will…I want a base time to start this new season. 

So its 4 weeks ’til the WTF Spring Challenge (just the course and skills folks). Goal is to maintain (or better) my OC time, maintain (or better) my shuttle and box jump time and here is the reall GOAL - BENCH PRESS the heck out that stupid 65 lbs! 50 is the GOAL , 36 has been my best in the past and I want to surpass that!

Let the training begen

Shakespeare "Julius Caesar"

I took 6 weeks off to focus on my bb’ing competition. It worked in a lot of ways, but now I am ready to run. I started last night, 4 miles about an 8 min mile pace (didn’t have my watch on). It’s funny, I was nervous to hit the road, thinking I’d poop out and have to turn around, but after a little struggle in the beginning, there I was, going up and down the rolling hills of Georgia (dodging cars) I could have even done the 6 mile loop (didn’t want to overdue it), so I turned around at the stop sign at the top of the hill, and retraced my path (again dodging cars) until I was home again.

So now it begins, training for the Spring WTF Challenge…..5K this weekend, again, just to shake out the cobwebs and support a good cause (oh yeah and a free chicken biscuit, which I’ll skip) I think I’ll add something about junk food being bad to my forum signature….

Contest over, I am re-feeding. It’s not a pretty sight folks, lol…I won’t go into details, but it did involve a batter onion thingie, a couple of loaves of bread (had to arm wrestle a guy that fights MMA when he isn’t bb’ing -  I won the last piece, but I think he saw my something in my eye and didn’t want to get hurt), a burger (that I forgot to tell them to take the sauce off of - freudian slip maybe?) and a twinkie (at home)….and yes I am suffering a bit this morning from all of it…..

Thinking through quite a lot of things this morning…will write more (when the stomach settles and the mind clears) soon.

No work, don’t think I could have focused anyway, yesterday was a struggle, today will be more so. Have lots of running around to do and packing for tomorrow. The competition is just up the street at a nicer venue than last year so I will know where to get things if needed. Not quite a roll out of bed (like 5ks), and yes, even though this is bb’ing, I still like to be pretty (pretty with muscles that is) so hair, nails, make-up are all important to me.

Food will be a challenge (gotta keep those abs popping), water even more so (none after 4pm) and sips only tomorrow (after the water logging I received earlier this week).

One final observation…..I have this friend (yes I know and this is not me, or was not me, lol) who as she was preparing for a figure show would constantly say during final prep week that her body was changing, literally from hour to hour, used to drive me up the wall…how could she tell? what was she doing? was it true? (I thought then and still do now that she is a little well, she is a friend so I won’t say it), BUT, this time for me has been different (under the direction of a nutritionist and a well thought out plan), I am not changing hour by hour, but there have been times when felt that I was changing. Last night, I had to change shirts because the one I was wearing was driving me up the wall (the arms were too tight) and of course this morning, I feel flat again..hehe..so if everything goes to plan, tomorrow about 10am (well, probably a little later than that) I will be up on stage at my optimum condition and WOWING those judges

OK I said it…I am days out from a competition, things are going great, but….if I only had 5 or 10 more lbs on me. It really doesn’t matter right at this particular moment, it was a thought that just crossed my mind. I will come into contest at my lowest ever and I am truly pleased with the changes since this same contest last year, but…..(sigh). OK, no more dreaming, I will deal with what I’ve got and go for it.

Today has been an extreme challenge. The nutrition is tough, I feel up and then down, my workout was a challnge. I knew this was going to happen, but it still is somewhat tough when I can’tlift like I did even a week ago.  Cardio this morning was also a challenge.  Then there was the water….all the water to drink, I have the hang of it will be able to handle it better tomorrow, but here I am, late in the evening trying to finish off the last bit (and don’t even get me started on how work is….I am surprised I am completing the tasks at hand, lol, or that people don’t notice)

What was truly surprising though was I had been struggling with my bb’ing routine (not to be confused with my fitness routine, that is on hold because I can’t tumble without carbs) for the evening competition and tonight it just clicked, it felt strong. I could hear/feel the music to the moves.  I have one strength move that just worked tonight (where did the strength come from???)

Tomorrow, one more cardio session, one more workout, more posing practice (plus all the rest of the daily activities like work, family, home)..one more….well, I don’t really want one more day…I’m ready.

"If you want to win a race (competition) you have to go a little berserk. "

Bill Rodgers 

Yesterday was Donut Friday and it was my turn to bring donuts in…because the other donut handler is off today (I don’t get to participate in the lovely little RDO program where you get 1 day off per pay period (rats - I am too valuable, yaa right). I could refuse to bring in the yummy littles cakes of joy, but then all the people who stop by would be sooo sad : (  Donut Friday is the light at the end of the tunnel here in my otherwise dreary work world, they look forward to the donuts and of course my sparkling conversation (so Theresa, what did you do this past week?) So, yes I am an enabler, I like when they stop by and visit for a short period of time (otherwise it is just death by meeting after meeting). Donut Friday and the day before was was Krispy Kreme Thursday and I had the good fortune to bring Outback home to the family this week (Cheezy Fries, Bloomin Onion and Kookabura Wings), they wanted pizza too and then had homemade Primanti Brothers-like Sandwiches (iho the Penguins Hockey game of course), its got everything from turkey, ham capicola, cheese, coleslaw and french fries…..I aught to get sainthood for puttin gup with this…….ok done now on to business…

"Racing (in my case prepping for a bodybuilding competition) teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about. "

PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

That is the theme of the week, pushing my limits, learning my strenghts and in reality my weakness.  My (18 y/o) daughter asked me last night while at the dinner table, I was eating my round steak and green beans, she was eating the pot roast w/gravy, potatoes, carrots, fresh baked bread (yes I torrutred my self and made homemade bread for dinner) w/butter if what I was doing was worth the trophy I’d get (she is confident I will come home with another trophy). I had to stop and think….is it for a trophy? Then I said to her its about setting a goal and working to achieve it.  Its about learning my strengths and weaknesses, its about overcoming frustration, tiredness, self doubt, hunger, pain…..I know this is a little odd, but I wanted to let her know that for me its not about a trophy.  At 18, her goal was get into a good college, that has been accomplished, I want her to set her goals higher and higher, nothing is too high for someone with everything to look foward to.  When this runnersworld Quote of the Day came in, its was the perfect answer to her question…its what I want all my children to learn (and not as late in life as I have done).

As many know I am in my final two weeks prep towards a competition, it’s like groundhog day as far as nutrition goes, there really is no excitement…until today….but not in a good way.  How many of you like natural foods? Have you tried Stevia? Its an all natural sweetner, no carbs, no cals, better than the pink, yellow or blue packet….but when you are lo carbing it, it is absolutely the WRONG thing to add to your tea…It causes lower intestinal problems, so I have been suffering since this morning when I just wanted a little bit more with my tea. (won’t make that mistake again). My biggest concern is the calories I lost today..I am better now, but sometimes its just better to go plain.

I also have been accused of being snappy, what I think I am is not putting up with little things right now and being a little more vocal about it, but I will try be aware of it and not be "snappy" at the kiddo’s. Now the husband is on his own, lol….