Risat’s BodyBlog

How many times do you shop for clothes? I don’t mind shopping, what I don’t like it trying on clothes. If I could buy everything online (and when it comes in, know that it fits), that would be the best in my opinion.  Alas, it is not meant to be and periodically I have to shop for new clothes.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, I spent 10 years on Active Duty in the Army and avoided this shopping task (doesn’t matter how sweats fit, right?), but when I left the Army (Active Duty, I am still a Reservist) I had to buy clothes (now if I could just wear my uniform all the time it would make like a whole lot easier, but instead I have a civilian clothes uniform), so I bought a few things here and there, I wore things a little bigger, didn’t like tight clothes….

Fast forward to now and the reason I am writing this.  I am in much better shape and like to wear things fit a bit better to my frame….I also like most of the clothes I bought in the past, when I can find something that isn’t wacky because the designers haven’t had heachaches (just not really into some of the styles that are popular tirght now). My older clothes I had altered to fit (I have a great lady that took all my baggy#ss pants/skirts and even the new ones had to be altered, NOTE: they make clothes for average shapes, and I am not about to wear something my teenage daughters wear)

Then….competition will do this to you….it makes your clothes fall off…I am wearing my new favorite pants, too. I know they will fit again, but my job is front office and baggy pants are not the "persona" I want to portray…so I may just wear skirts from now until the competition is over….Sigh….If I stay this way after the competition, I may cry….(or re-learn to sew)….

I would like to say thanks to those that commented on my last blog, yes, lean is a much better word than skinny. I know that I am not alone and in great company. I have a book that I keep with things that have been said to me (positive) and I will include everything written and refer to it when I need a little reassurance…Thanks, again, bb.com’ers are great!

Sorry for the vent, but I have been working hard, eating,  and eating some more. It’s just not happening. I am a failure when it comes to putting on weight. Now I apologize if I offend anyone, but I have had it up to here (symbolically to the top of my head) with people calling me skinny. People that are larger than me I can understand and yes I am skinnier than them, but today I was called skinny by someone who should look in the mirror because she is skinny. Its frustrating, tiring, eating all the food I eat is tiring and I see changes, not HUGE ones, and I am not looking to be something that I am not and I can only work with what I’ve got.

   Don’t worry, I’ll get over it, I just needed to let it out. It really has nothing to do with anyone here on bb.com and I know that (for the most part) it comes from concern, but I am strong. I can lift, I can run, I compete. Oh and I am sensitive because I am a little under the weather…Probably too much Arnold weekend followed by sick people in the office…Worried about tomorrow, I have to work the scoring table at a diving meet, all the numbers….I usually do it in my head, I might bring back-up..

Well yesterday was tough, but not really in the way I thought it would be. Work had me running late to my scheduled appt w/my choreographer, and I am not really familiar with northside Atlanta (note: will buy a garmin, they are really handy) so we didn’t start on time, but thats when things changed.

I have my new routine, it is great and will ROCK (once I can pull it all together). I am keeping this one a little close hold so don’t ask questions, lol….but I will say that except for the dance sections I will be able to work this routine, the dance sections, well, I might not have said it before, but I am totally square and will really need to work this one hard. I am not against a little hard work so I will be spending a lot more time working on this one..

When all that was over it was time to prepare for PHAT Camp. I was told to be prepared and that I would need a lot of energy. WHAT? I had just spent 2.5 hours working my routine, lol…I ate, ate a little more and wished I wasn’t an hour away so I could take a nap…signed into camp and we began. It all started with a boot camp workout (last year they did the boot camp on day 2) lots of fun, lots of fun! I workout on my own for the most part, but I’d forgotten how fun it is to take a class and this year for some reason pop squats were the best! (last year I had worried that my "hopping" muscle had not been installed - could stairs have done the trick?) so I was pop-squatting like a pro!

This morning, I can feel it in the muscles, nothing unbearable, but with the added routine practice my upper body is a little tight. Today….will be great! Time to head out, we are expecting snow again and I will get up to the gym area early. We are expecting heavier snow on the southside where I live, then where I will be at camp, so I hope to miss all of that. 

And for a little inspiration check out this months Ironman magazine. On the cover is Cory Everson, she is amazing! 50 y/o and still looks great.  I can only hope to still be strong when that milestone comes around (which is not too far away for me).

The family went to the Thrasher/Penguin game and it went to a shoot out. Penguins lost:(  Me on the other hand, I went to the bookstore, my other favorite activity (other than fitness). So I had my cappucino and wandered the stacks, picking up something here and something there. It was avery relaxing way to spend an evening.

Which brings me back to training. I am going to begin working on my routine next week, feeling pretty strong about it. I got the first cut of my music, its great, with a few little tweaks it’ll be just right. Not going to give away any more at this early time.

So my training is taking on a new dimension, adding in the routine practice I will need is going to be a challenge. Tomorrow I will work on legs and hit the cardio pretty good. I’m only counting til the Arnold right now so here it is….47 more days!

Have you watched American Gladiator? I’m hooked, its set to tevo….The family can watch all the football, hockey, baseball that they want, and I am on my own with this, but as corny as it is, these contestants are athletes and here is another venue to challenge myself. I hope it makes it to another season and that tryouts come to Atlanta - I’d be there and with a little more training maybe make the cut?

I’d really like to give that course at the end a try, climbing a wall (check), the swimming -even better (what’s a little fire?). I saw obstacles similar to what I compete in with WTF. My kids just looked at me, wondering why Mom would want to embarrass them all over again, lol…

Oh well, a girl can dream can’t she? I am itching to start my fitness routine, I like the idea of a new challenge. I think that is why the show appeals to me. When I competed in the aquathlon (run, swim, run), even though I had trained for the swim, I had never done an open water swim, the extreme nature of swimming in currents was very exciting. It was an international qualifier event - top 3 could go the the interational competition in Switzerland last summer. I missed it by one I was 4th, I let two pass me up on the last run. The transition was what got me, try running 1.5 miles, swim 1000 meters, run up the beach, put your running shoes back on and then run another 1.5 miles!

So if AG has tryouts for the next season, watch out, I’ll be there!

"No matter our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born."  Dr. Dale Turner

I receive a little kick in the butt very day from runner’s world in the form of motivation, most are geared towards runners, but some apply just in general, like this one.  I’ve been asked why I did a marathon, honestly when I first started I could not answer that question, I just started to train for it and next thing you know I signed up and I ran it.  The same could be said for training for Tri-Fitness, it looked fun, and next thing you know I’m hooked.  I am used to overthinking things, saying to myself "what would my _________ (husband, kids, friends) think?" I think we do ourselves a disservice when we second guess what we can achieve.

So here I am training again, for races (like the Arnold 5K Pump & Run!!!!), for WTF, for bodybuilding and now I am going to try NPC fitness. This is a huge step for me because I can’t do gymnastics (not really), can’t dance (not really anyway), and even though I’ve been a musician for most of my life I’ve been told I don’t have rhythm (lol, jazz rhythm, I was a legit player), but I’m going to train and train and train because I don’t want to second guess myself.  And it will be fun! So here’s to 2008, a new year in fitness and all the untapped possibilities within all of us!

It started yesterday with an incredible downpour, started on my way to work, then the fog came in later that morning and I could’nt even see the Atlanta skyline (I have a great view from my boss’ window). We were all hoping to leave early, but of course things don’t happen that way and I finally left mid afternoon. I went into the city first because I had a couple of gift cards to spend at a local running store (sidenote: I feel so inbetween worlds right now, my runner’s soul is still thinking ultra-distance, but try to talk weight training to runner’s and for the most part they stare blankly at you). I don’t really need any more running shoes (I have three new pairs - another sidenote, if you are an Asics fan like I am, the new models for women are definitley shorter than last years, you may need to go up another half size) so I picked out a new shirt that has Pheidippides spelled out in greek on it and a winter top by mizuno (went for maroon, getting daring with color now). By the time I was finished the fog had cleared and the temp was up to the upper 60’s, seriously considered putting the top down in the car, but the forecast was for more rain and I knew I’d hit traffic on the way home so I did not tempt fate.

Sure enough traffic was bad, 75 south, what is everyone going to Florida for New Years? After an hour, I detoured, taking back roads and finally made it in the door at 5pm….Fridays are my days off from workouts, but after that drive I really should have stopped at the gym (yes I keep a gym bag packed in my car, you never know when the opportunity is going to strike, better be prepared, right?) Instead I sat down and watched "the blue planet" with the family. Good show if you haven’t seen it (and yes we are total geeks in this house).

Ok so where does that bring me? It’s Saturday morning, I slept in a bit, time to get my butt out the door and to the gym (Trainer says work shoulders, back and legs, those are the million dollar parts). I ‘ll do back/bi’s/tri’s today and since I’m upping my mileage (and it’s still raining - YEA - I’ll hit the treadmill for LSD - uhh thats long slow distance or steady state cardio), following that its time to clean the house, decorations are staying up since we’ll have christmas part two on 1 Jan (my oldest daughter couldn’t make it in til then so we are having a do-over) then when she leaves we’ll take the decorations down. No big plans for New Years, the city is too crowded and we’ve done the big city New Years events in the past (Seoul and San Fransicso were great; after that, Atlanta and the big peach drop, well I’ll watch it on tv).

And finally, it’s 62 days until the Arnold…..need I say more?

My daughter (#2) has been accepted into college! Her first acceptance came in today.  She has others out there, but this is her first choice.  And of all things, a gentleman came to the door, it had been mistakenly delivered about a half mile away and he was nice enough to bring it over, rather than put it back into the mail!!!! So after a week of things that I promised myself I wasn’t going to dwell on we have this wonderful news! An early christmas present for our family. (Yes, I’m a little goofy like this, I’ve had two kids already get accepted into college, but each time the first one comes in its reconfirming what I already know about my wonderfulyl smart and talented children, hehe).

I though I was pretty exhausted, but its funny how something can energize me like this has. I’d go workout, but I’m gonna run a little 5K in the AM and want to do well on that, so maybe I’ll just have a cheat snack instead

I’m sitting here, had been up early with the pets, could’nt really do anything early, didn’t want to wake anyone up. Can’t get til the gym until later because I am once again waiting on the direct TV guy to show up. We had an electrical storm a few months ago, blew one of our laptops, the telephone line, two of the tvs, the alarm system, the microwave, the refirgerator…..(you caught the two tvs, huh, well, I did say I have kids, right?, we are over run by electrical stuff, I’d prefer to minimize, but it’s not my call) needless to say, everything else is up and running, but we still can’t get some of the HD channels, ok, you can stop crying for us…all of this is important for one reason - Football and NFL ticket, so here I wait, no long run, no gym time, the husband is out on a gig and yea! the direct tv guy has arrived! Maybe it won’t be a wasted AM at all? OK back to training….

Yesterday I had a decent leg workout, posted it in the workout tracker.  Todays goal is shoulders/back and a medium long run (4-5 miles). Will have to hit the treadmill, we are getting the wind and some rain from the storms in the north, too windy to run, the rain would not have been a problem.  I’ll post that workout too when complete.

No races this weekend, it felt strange not getting up for one, but I need the rest. It’s 75 days til the Arnold, going for a PR on that!