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Julie |
| 2008 Washington Ironman |
| 09.03.2010 07:40:27 | |
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Two years ago I was training for my first competition ever, the 2008 Washington Ironman. As I would imagine for every competitor, this was a decision that was not made lightly or in haste. At the time, I was married, so it was a decision that my husband and I made as a couple since my contest prep would require so much dedication and devotion from me which, in turn, would mean that my family would have to make sacrifices along the way. My twin girls were turning 2 that July, my son was 4 and my oldest 12. Needless to say, I already had a full plate with 4 active children and a husband and a household to maintain. But I wanted so badly to compete. In every sense, it was a burning desire.
Although the trainer that I ended up hiring was pretty much useless, I was fortunate to have hooked up with the “legend”, Tanji Johnson who was an incredibly supportive influence, not to mention an amazing posing coach. For my diet I was working with a woman from my gym who had told me she had worked with competitors before. She hadn’t. I had several people influencing my diet and if you’ve competed before, you know that right there is recipe for disaster. And of course, as a rookie competitor I was completely confused and frustrated not knowing which advice to take and which advice to ignore. I literally wanted to put my fingers in my ears and scream to drown out the noise.
I remember those weeks leading up to the competition, wondering if I was really going to get up on that stage in those hooker heels wearing next to nothing. I mean, come on, I’m a mother of 4 children…aren’t I supposed to be vacuuming and doing laundry or something? I think many women feel like they lose a part of their identity when they become mothers. For me, it wasn’t so much after the first, but I can precisely recall a moment when I was driving up the hill to my house in my Suburban and I looked in my rearview mirror and saw my 4 children and thought to myself…”Oh my God, they are ALL mine! How did I get here?” I think the competition was something I could do that was completely all about me and no one else. It was my chance to focus solely on myself and then be on stage in the spotlight…as me. Not somebody’s wife. Not somebody’s mother. Certainly not somebody’s daughter (sorry dad!).
And then of course, there were the weeks and weeks of sleepless nights. What if I looked like a complete idiot in those heels? What if I couldn’t nail my poses? What if…what if…I didn’t win??? Ah yes, we all compete to win, right? Funny thing, as a rookie competitor, I failed to consider all those other women who would be competing against me that had been doing this for years and years. They had been working to perfect their physiques for a very long time.
Every competitor has “worked their ass off” to get on that stage. “Working your ass off”, I have learned is a matter of perception and varies in meaning from person to person. Regardless, each person that steps on stage has in their own way worked extremely hard and sacrificed a great deal to get there. Unfortunately, everyone can’t win, regardless of how hard we worked. This is where “spirit” and grace are very important. We all think we should win and if our friends want to remain our friends, they usually tell us: “You totally should have won. You looked better than all those girls. Those judges don’t have a clue!!” We all think we worked harder than anybody else on stage. Maybe you did, but you probably didn’t. The only thing that really matter is…”Did you work as hard as YOU could have?” If, at the end of the day, you can say yes to that question then nothing else really matters.
I have come to a point in my life, in my training and goal setting where I don’t so much care if I take first place anymore. I probably won’t. I’m not “genetically blessed” with a physique that adds muscle in all the right places. I’m a classic ectomorph and naturally put on body fat in my lower back and abdominal area first…and lose it there last. I am blessed with a body that can get lean fairly easily when I do everything right. I’m among the lucky ones that can eat relatively high calorie and high carb right up to the end. I’ve been pregnant 4 times, given birth to 4 babies, including a set of twins. When I get on stage, it’s not about who’s standing to my left or my right and being deemed “better” by a panel of judges. Getting on stage and knowing that I look, in that moment, better than I’ve ever looked in my entire life is the goal and can truly only be judged by me and me alone.
After almost every show (with the exception of the last two) I walked away frustrated, wondering what I should do differently to get a different result at my next contest. Judging for physique competitions is subjective, for the most part. There are guidelines and criteria that the judges are supposed to follow, but it doesn’t really always happen that way. Because of this, I have determined that if I am going to compete it has to be for me and only me. The win has to come from how I feel inside, not how I feel about where I place in the line-up. I know that if I work as hard as I possibly can and I present the best physique I’ve ever presented then I’ve won what I set out to win.
The last few months have been an amazing learning experience. In many ways I wish that I had done things differently and not ended up where I did, but I know that everything unfolded exactly the way it was meant to and I know that I’ve learned and am continuing to learn some lessons that I couldn’t have learned any other way than by going through this first hand. I haven’t enjoyed these past few months, but I realize the value in the lessons learned and I’m pretty certain that’s what this whole “life” thing is all about anyway.
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| A Whole Lot of NOTHING |
| 08.31.2010 01:54:44 | |
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I don’t know about you, but taking a self-imposed break from training and dieting is a pretty big challenge for me. Training is a huge stress relief for me, both physically and emotionally. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you are well aware that my life has had plenty of challenges over the last few years and training has been one of the main ways that I have coped with that stress. Hey, when you think that I coulda’ been drinkin’ a little over-training doesn’t look all that bad. Unfortunately, my overtraining and dieting put my body in a place where it completely stopped responding. I pushed and I pushed and I pushed and finally my body just got too tired to keep going.
Last Wednesday I decided it is time to take a complete break from training and dieting. Now, don’t go thinking I’m eating Big Mac’s and milkshakes everyday, I’m not! I am, however, eating a TON of Parrillo bars to tie me over between meals. I’m keeping my foods very clean, eating every 2-2 ½ hours and watching my carb intake, but not being restrictive. Today is the 6th day of my gym hiatus and, unlike the first few days, I’m not having any anxiety about not being in the gym. I know that my body needs this right now.
I am enjoying sleeping in…even if that means 5am…it beats 3:50am. One of the best things I sleep late enough for the kids to wake up before me and in my half-awake/half-asleep state I can hear them sneak a peek into my room and scurry off back to their rooms when they see I’m asleep. It’s a very sweet thing and I love it! I am enjoying some extra time with my children, playing outside on sunny evenings. I think the kids actually miss the gym more than I do. This break is giving me time to do some things that I’ve been putting off and the timing is good with school starting this week. I’m able to get things organized for the kids and all their upcoming activities and commitments.
I have not decided yet when I’ll get back to the gym. I’m definitely in for a full week off which would mean Thursday at the earliest. I’m planning to ease back into the training, starting with cardio. When I feel mentally and physically ready I’ll go back. I’m having my coach, Dave, help me put together a game plan for easing back into the training and structuring my diet to rebuild my metabolism. The past several months have definitely been a lesson in patience for me, but my body has my attention now and I’m listening and obeying…finally!
It’s easy for competitors to fall into this “trap” that I’m in. It’s so important to have good coaching, a solid plan and mostly to rest…both physically and mentally. Our bodies can only handle so much stress. Please listen to your body, follow the warning signs that it provides. I read this quote recently and it was my “ah ha” moment and inspired my “Gym Hiatus”…
“DO NOTHING WHEN NOTHING WORKS”
I’m enjoying the nothingness. J
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| Post Contest Food...The Woodman Lodge!! |
| 08.16.2010 00:19:31 | |
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WARNING: Dieting competitors beware post contains details of cheat foods and may trigger cravings.
On Thursday Rob Thomas graced the Mountain View Plaza at the Snoqualmie Casino. It was 85 on Thursday, a gorgeous night to be out in Snoqualmie watching and listening to an equally gorgeous specimen of a man sing. Oops, I’m drooling again. My girlfriend and I had 3rd row seats and not just any 3rd row seats, these were PERFECT 3rd row seats, almost center stage. Mad props to Brett for scoring such amazing seats for my friend and me!
Before the concert my friend Julie and I went out for drinks and appetizers. I have a client/friend who frequently dines at the Woodman Lodge in Snoqualmie and tells me all the details about the food, so I decided that Julie and I should go check it out. As it turns out the place is only 5 minutes from the casino…perfect!
The Woodman serves Happy Hour appetizers from 4-6, so, since calories didn’t count on Thursday, we ordered up 3 appetizers to compliment our apple martinis. If you like seafood and Northwest cuisine, you will totally dig this place! The Penn Cove mussels at this place are insane!! Make sure you order bread to dip in the spicy Cioppino sauce…um, delicious!!! We also had Dungeness crab cakes and coconut shrimp skewers with spicy dipping sauce. Being the daughter of a culinary arts teacher and foodie, I have dined at most of the top seafood restaurants in the Seattle area…this place was definitely right up there with the best of ‘em! In fact, as I sit here writing about it, reliving it, I’m sort of salivating.
Of course, since it was “calorie-free-Thursday” we decided to have a look-see at the dessert menu. I mean, I figured that since it was so close to the casino I should write a review on the place for competitors since it hands-down beats the casino buffet! You can’t really write a solid review on a restaurant without having dessert and my client had just told me the day before about the carrot cake, which is one of my favorites! Okay, so, first of all, the desserts at this place are ENORMOUS!!! Think Claim Jumper getting all classed up and sophisticated…that’s the size! I, of course, ordered the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and Jules had crème brulee. We shared. It was kind of an “experience”…we definitely got lost in the moment. While the crème brulee was amazing and wonderful, the carrot cake was probably the best I’ve ever tasted and I’ve tasted a LOT of carrot cakes in my day. I think I liked that it was a small 2 layer round cake with the most delicious cream cheese frosting EVER!!
While we were enjoying our calorie-free night at the Woodman, I thought of my fellow competitors who would be out at the casino on October 2nd looking for some amazing food to eat after 12+ weeks of contest dieting. This place puts the casino food to shame, seriously! I talked to the owner and asked him if he would be willing to put a deal together for the Ironman competitors and he said…OF COURSE!!! So, stay tuned…I will post details when they are available. In the meantime, you can check out their website and menu for yourself at www.woodmanlodge.com. You can also find them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/woodman.lodge
On that note, it’s time to get my butt to the gym for Sunday’s total body metabolic training, followed by an hour of steppin’! Fun times!
~Julie~ Tags: |
| What's YOUR Excuse? |
| 08.11.2010 06:02:56 | |
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I was meeting Elaine this morning for coffee at Starbucks. We were waiting in line to order our drinks and just happened to be in front of a woman with two children with her. Somehow we struck up a short conversation with the woman who managed to point out that she is chubby despite the fact that she’s chasing around three kids all day. Elaine, in her matter-of-fact way, says to the woman…”Well, she (pointing at me) has FOUR kids so she knows exactly what it’s like.”
When we sat down with our drinks, we both commented about how quick people are to give excuses for why they “can’t” be fit. Obviously, being a mother of 4 children, the mom excuse doesn’t get very far with me. But it’s amazing how many women will use the fact that they’ve birthed a child into the world as a reason why they can’t be as fit as they want to or think they should be. As we talked about it, I remembered back to a time when my twins were infants and my son was a toddler.
I nursed my twins exclusively for 13 months. They never did take a bottle, which often made it hard for me to get away from them for much more than 2 or 3 hours. You see, infants like to eat like bodybuilders every 2-3 hours, 6-8 times a day. You think prepping all that food is hard work, try BEING the food!! All of my time away from the duo was strategically planned and I was always “on the clock” and had to be back to them for the next meal. When I started back to the gym when they were two months old, I had to plan my workouts according to their eating schedule. I would usually feed them around 8:30 and then go straight to the gym and do whatever I could for about 1 hour. Monday through Friday I managed to walk in the gym before 9am, carrying an infant seat in each arm and towing my toddler behind me. I managed to keep the girls in their infant seats for an entire year, at which point I had to start carrying them one on each hip, which got a bit tricky. Fortunately, by the time they were a year old I had a training partner who graciously offered to “carry a twin” for me.
Now that my twins are 4 and my son is 6, it’s much easier to corral them from the car into the gym. Although, most days I feel like a mother duck with her ducklings in tow trying to make sure they make it safely across the parking lot. There are still times, more frequent than I’d like, that the daycare staff fetches me off my step mill or from the weight room to take care of a “potty accident.” This is really not convenient during contest prep, but fortunately, I don’t know any other way of doing contest prep, so I can’t say it bothers me that much. Okay, it does. Pee in the potty for crying out loud!!!!
I actually have a long list of excuses that are pretty legitimate reasons for not being able to workout or eat healthy. If it’s not something that is a priority for you, you’ll find any excuse not to do it. And maybe you feel like it’s a priority, but it just seems like too much work and you’re not ready to put out the effort so rather than admitting that, you just use your excuses as a reason not to do it. If being healthy and being fit is something you really desire in your life, you will make the time to exercise and eat well. I guarantee, every one of us is busy, very busy, and we all have the same 24 hours to work with each day. That means you might have to get up a little earlier to get your workout in or you might have to stay up a little later at night to make sure your meals are all ready for the following day.
Almost every bodybuilder I’ve ever met is a busy person, usually maintaining a full time job, a rigorous training schedule and a full personal life. They are masters at time management. They know how to make the most of their time both in and out of the gym. I believe that’s what makes a great bodybuilder. So, if you want it “that bad”, ditch your excuses, quit talking about it and just make it happen!
“Today, be aware of how you’re spending your 1440 beautiful moments, and spend them wisely.” ~ unknown
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| Is It In You? |
| 07.25.2010 22:18:50 | |
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So, we’re just 10 weeks away from the 2010 Washington Ironman, or, if you live in my world, it’s been 15 weeks since the 2010 Emerald Cup. But, I’m no longer in “recovery mode” and actually starting to feel more like my normal self everyday!
It was 2 years ago this month that I decided to do my first show, the 2008 Washington Ironman. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into…I thought I did, but looking back and knowing what I know now, I was absolutely clueless. I hired a 20 year old trainer from my gym who had assured me he knew how to train competitors. At 20? Really? No offense kid, but that’s doubtful. But, like the good student I aim to be, I followed his advice to the letter along with the advice of my “nutritionist” who as it turned out was giving me diet advice she was getting from some bodybuilder who didn’t even know me. Considering the fact that I wasn’t following the best protocol in training and nutrition, I ended up placing 7th out of 15 in my class. Also not bad considering I only recently got serious about weight training and when leaned out didn’t have much lean mass to speak of. No delts. No lats. No butt. But there was one thing I could do well…walk in heels.
After that first show I met my friend Jon. He’s a bodybuilder and a CPT, CSCS and was looking for a training partner. He offered to help me with my diet and training and I felt like I had just hit the jackpot! To have his knowledge at my fingertips and to be able to train with him was really exciting. Meeting Jon changed my “competition world.” I learned what it was really like to eat and train like a competitor and then when I was 12 weeks out from Vancouver ’09 Jon turned me over to the “guru”, Dave Patterson. After my first show I knew I liked being on stage and I knew that I wanted to do well in this sport, so when I met Dave I was prepared to do whatever he told me I needed to do.
This sport is not for everybody. I think that the biggest thing you have to be able to do in this sport is SUCK IT UP and the “suck it up factor” is high in competitive bodybuilding. Contest prep doesn’t often feel good. It takes a level of commitment that most people aren’t willing to give. To be successful you must follow a plan and you must make the plan fit into your life somehow. As part of my contest prep I do a lot of cardio. I do morning cardio before my first meal. Given my job and my family obligations, sometimes that means I’m in the gym on the step mill at 3:30am. While I’d obviously rather be sleeping at that hour, I want the results more than I want the sleep. Then, of course, most of us go back to the gym for “round 2” to lift and maybe do more cardio depending on our current level of leanness. It’s a time-consuming sport, no doubt. And to do it right, you have to be intense, you have to push yourself when you don’t feel like it, when you’d rather stop your set at 8 reps when you know you really could make 10. The competitor that loves this stuff pushes for those extra reps because we know…those are the reps that matter.
I haven’t even started on the diet yet. Almost every client I work with tells me…”oh, but I just don’t have time to eat well.” Really, people? Y’all know I have 4 kids, maintain a household by myself, work full time and train twice a day. Please take your excuses somewhere else. The diet takes serious commitment. Sometimes I feel like eating itself is a full time job. When you’re in contest prep mode you can’t miss meals, you have to be impeccable with your meal timing and your supplements. You can’t go 15 hours without eating (uh-hum, not naming any names). Most of us work, so we have to be prepared in advance with our meals for each day. For me, this usually means an afternoon of food prep on Sunday and sometimes a second day during the week so I’ve got everything ready to go for the week ahead.
Anyone who has competed before can tell you that the final weeks of contest prep SUCK. I will never forget one of my sessions (actually, it was probably many) that Dave told me…”Jules, you haven’t suffered before. You’re gonna have to suffer to make this show.” And I was ready…bring it! I’m ready to suffer and suffer I did. It sucked. Managing my daily life, my kids, my other obligations was very challenging, but I did it because I wanted it and I wanted it bad. To achieve the level of conditioning and leanness that it takes to really look your best on stage, you don’t have any options, you have to suffer. You have to put in the hard work. If you don’t want it that bad, you aren’t going to do it. It’s definitely not for everyone. If achieving the physiques of a competitor was easy, you’d see everybody walking around like they stepped out of a fitness magazine.
This is my life now. Well, I don’t suffer all the time, but I know that for me to look my best at a show I have to put in my “suffering time.” But even when I’m not in contest prep, I do my cardio most mornings before my first meal and then I go back later in the day to lift and maybe do more cardio. I keep my diet pretty dialed in most of the time because it feels good to me that way and also because when I try to differently it just doesn’t feel right. It’s just become my way of life and I truly find it rewarding and enjoyable.
So…how bad do YOU want it? Is it in you?
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: contest prep |
| A Plug For Our Sponsor |
| 07.17.2010 02:10:49 | |
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I was flattered that the owners of Max Muscle asked if I would begin contributing to their monthly newsletter. I LOVE to write and I do LOVE Max Muscle too! :) We are so lucky that we have a local business supporting our local physique athletes. Max Muscle is THE place for quality supplements and the entire staff is very knowledgeable and helpful and the FREE samples are always great too!You should also know that if there's a product you're looking for that is not carried in the store, they will gladly special order it for you! If you're local to the Bellevue area make sure you stop in to support our sponsor, MAX MUSCLE BELLEVUE!!! http://bellevue.maxmuscle.com/testimonials/1492/ I'll be back this weekend for more blogging! In the meantime, have an AMAZING day! And good luck to all of the athletes competing in the Washington State Championships tomorrow! ~Julie~ Tags: Max Muscle Bellevue |
| Perspiration Inspiration |
| 07.01.2010 22:41:36 | |
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You know it’s going to be a good day when you walk into the gym and your favorite band is playing one of your very favorite songs.
I’m a huge Rob Thomas fan, so when I walked into Gold’s this morning and heard him singing “I feel stupid…” (in case you’re not a fan, that would be Mad Season) it put a big smile on my face. Nothing delights me more than the vision of Rob Thomas in my head. I decided Rob would be the soundtrack for my cardio this morning. And, being the big fan that I am, I do have, of course, every Matchbox Twenty and Rob Thomas song ever released on my iPod.
Rob and I spent 30 minutes on the stepmill and since my quads are incredibly sore this morning, we finished off with 20 minutes on the elliptical. I didn’t have to be there at the gym this morning. After all, I’m not in training for anything in particular (although I did decide that I will “train for” the Rob Thomas concert, which happens to be 6 weeks from today!), just trying to get myself back to where I like to be…which is a lot leaner than I am now. I didn’t have any early clients this morning, so I got to sleep in. I decided not to set my alarm and just let myself wake up on my own. Typically I wake up several times during the night, but I slept all the way through to 4:30 and was wide awake, so I decided to hit it.
It’s easy when you’re not training for anything specific to slack off. I think this is where the athletes, the competitors, separate themselves from the average “gym rat.” There have been so many times lately that I will be doing cardio and I want to stop early. My quads are burning, my calves are sore, my heart is pounding like it’s going to pop out of my chest, I’m hungry, I already did 45 minutes – why did I set the machine for 50?, I probably should go check my cell phone to see if I’ve missed anything important…I can come up with a lot of reason, ANY reason, to stop what I’m doing. BUT, I hate feeling like I quit. I hate leaving time on the machine, not finishiing the number of reps I had intended to complete, not going the distance on my sprints…I don’t like incomplete.
This game is 100% mental. You have to find a way to tap into that part of your brain that makes you fight through when you feel like giving up, when you feel like being done, when you feel like there are more important things to be doing (you know, the ones that really aren’t that important, the ones that can wait another 5 minutes…those ones!!). I’ve always been able to find something I’ve done in my life that was harder than the training I’m doing in the moment. I tap into the things that make me a “fighter”, because you do have to fight for it in this sport. You have to want it THAT bad. You have to be driven and you have to be willing and able to DRIVE YOURSELF!
For me, my best “drivers” are my emotions. Physical activity is the best emotional release for me…anger, anxiety, frustration, sadness, happiness, excitement…any kind of emotion comes out when I train. And another technique I use when I want to quit and when it feels like “this must be the hardest thing I’ve ever done” is to draw on challenges I’ve had in my life that were, far and above, more challenging that an hour on a rotating stair case. One of my twins was born breach. They pulled her out by her feet. It took a long time, the little stinker was fighting to stay in there, and the epidural was beginning to wear off. That’s what I use right now to keep going…if I can do THAT, I can certainly keep stepping for another 15 minutes. It puts it into perspective. Granted, I realize that not everybody has an experience like this to draw on, but I guarantee you have something. I’ve only had these twins for 4 years and I’ve been training for 16 years, so I’ve always been able to find something.
I know a lot of people are getting geared up for the Washington State show on the 17th of this month. Those long cardio sessions are getting more grueling with each day as the diet gets more extreme. This is the time when you have to set your mind to accomplishing things one meal at a time, one workout at a time. You have to mentally prepare yourself to power through when your body feels like it can’t go any longer. It can. Set your mind to what you need to do and your body will follow its lead. Mind. Over. Matter. It’s really a simple thing, but it takes a disciplined athlete to make it happen. Get in your head, be mentally strong and get to the finish line.
“Strength is a matter of a made up mind” ~John Beecher
Make up your mind and get it done!!
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| Glasshouse |
| 06.15.2010 02:21:13 | |
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My favorite genre of music is reggae. I love it! The beat, the lyrics, the way it can take me back to my blue and white striped beach chair in front of Coco La Palm resort on Negril beach, Jamaica…I can smell the grape seed trees, I can taste the Appleton rum, I can hear the rastas yelling up and down the beach “Parasail! Jet ski!” It’s amazing how music can take you back to a particular place and time, the way it can remind you of a person or a feeling…it’s amazing.
I have a favorite reggae song that always starts playing in my head when someone says something judgmental or critical to me. It’s called Glass House by reggae legend Peter Tosh. The lyrics go like this:
If you live in a glasshouse Don’t throw stones And if you can’t take blows brother Don’t throw blows
Harm no man Let no man harm you Do unto others As they would do unto you
This morning a reader took the time to leave a negative comment on my last post. I’ve read these same types of comments on the other bloggers’ posts as well and had the same thought as I had this morning…how sad that someone feels so crappy about themselves that they want to put their negative stuff on me. If you have time to criticize others it’s simply because you’re unhappy with yourself, it has absolutely nothing to do with us or what we’re writing. So my suggestion to those who want to leave negative comments…how about instead you go to your nearest mirror and utter the comments to yourself. Look yourself in the eye and tell yourself exactly how you feel. Because I can guarantee you that I will likely write about my kids, my divorce, my training and my cape/tiara again…because that’s my life and I’m damn proud of it. So if it bothers you to the degree that you need to leave a crappy comment then don’t bother reading my blogs anymore. Really, I’m not getting paid for your visit to my page.
This reminded me of something Dave Patterson sent to me last June that I put in my personal blog. It’s called “Hater” by Maya Angelou and it’s wonderful and inspiring…and of course, I like to leave you with something inspiring. I read it again this morning and thought of my fellow bloggers, Bren and Diane. I am proud to be amongst ALL the bloggers here…Elaine, Dave, Bren Diane and now Erika…inspirational people who are transparent enough to share their real experiences with the rest of us. Thanks guys, you inspire me! "Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing" ~Aristotle
~Julie~
HATER/BY MAYA ANGELOU
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| It Was Only Supposed to be a “One-Time” Thing |
| 06.14.2010 01:59:30 | |
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16 weeks out from the 2010 Washington Ironman…it was 2 years ago at this time that I was “toying” with the idea of competing in my first figure competition, which would be the 2008 Washington Ironman. For me, it was one of those “bucket list” items that I knew at some point or another I would need to cross off the list. I had gotten the “bug” to compete back in the late 90’s and despite all the life changes that came along, marriage, 3 more children, career changes, etc, I never really shook that “bug”.
My ex-husband and I (who were married at the time) decided that on our trip to Jamaica (which, sadly, was nearly 2 years ago) we would think about and discuss the competition and come to a decision as to whether or not I should do the competition. I had a meeting with a lawyer as soon as we got back home, so I knew that divorce was inevitable and I thought that this could be my one and only chance to cross this item off my “bucket list.” After all, a single mother of 4 children hardly has the financial resources, the time or the energy to do what it takes to compete. Or so I thought…
I found that while I was in “contest prep” mode, my marriage wasn’t really all that bad. I was very focused on eating and training and sleeping and of course, caring for the children. It left no room in my schedule to think about my husband or the sad shape our relationship was in. Once the contest was over reality set in and I would get depressed realizing that my focus on the contest was merely a distraction and that yes, things were as bad as they had been before.
Becoming a single mom is scary. Becoming a single mom with 4 children is terrifying. The thought of it was more than I could handle, so what better to do than train for another competition and distract myself and then I could stay married, comfortable in my suburban housewife life. I remember so vividly the day that I was confronted by my friend who told me…”You can’t compete. You have to get out. You have to do it now.” Living in my fantasy land of competition was much easier than taking the rough road ahead that I knew I inevitably would have to take.
When I initiated the divorce process just a year ago, I decided it would be good to set my sights on the 2009 Ironman. I was an emotional basketcase and dealing with a major life change that was stressful on every level – training for the Ironman would be a wonderful distraction. Problem was, I couldn’t keep weight on and not only that, but I really needed to give my time to other things: like getting a job, finding childcare for my children, dealing with legal matters, just to name a few. My friend and former training partner, Jon, said to me one day in the gym last summer…”There will always be another competition.” I put him in my head with this advice quite often…it doesn’t always get through to me, but it makes me think, at least.
I did bag the Ironman last year, but I did hit the Northwest Championships 5 weeks later. I was glad I did. I felt it was my best stage appearance yet, although I did not place as well as I would have liked, I was very pleased with how I looked. It also got me in shape for a photo shoot that spurned my Bodybuilding.com transformation article, which led to an article with muscleandstrength.com. The training paid off for more than just contest purposes.
I knew, after that show, that I wanted to spend the winter putting on size and competing again in Vancouver and Emerald Cup in the spring. I was working insanely early hours, I was getting sick frequently and I wasn’t giving my kids the time and attention they needed and deserved. But, I did it anyway…because that’s what I do…I compete.
As I give myself the gift of time in deciding if I want to compete this fall or not, I have done a lot of reflecting on the last two years since I began competing. What was only supposed to be a “one time deal”, turned into 2 years of contest prep. And I’ve realized that I use competing as a distraction from the things in life that I fear, mostly…failure. If I’m competing then I can’t be failing at something else or if I do, it’s because I was busy competing, which seems to be a legit excuse.
It’s “in” me, this whole competing thing. Sure, there’s definitely a part of it that plays to my obsessive nature, but there’s also a part that makes me really happy. I enjoy a day of perfect nutrition. I enjoy a workout that leaves me feeling so taxed I know I have nothing left to give. I love doing HIIT on the step mill with sweat dripping off my face. I love Sundays when I spend hours cutting veggies and grilling chicken, fish and…Mmmmmm steak!
I couldn’t abandon my new lifestyle no matter how hard I tried. It’s just the way I am now. The question is not if I will compete again, it’s when. I still don’t have an answer and I’m not in any rush to make a decision. I saw Jon in the gym this morning and we talked about it and again he said…”There will always be another competition.”
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| GOAL = Balance |
| 06.08.2010 07:57:42 | |
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Yesterday afternoon I had just walked in the door with my chaotic crew at my heels when my cell phone started beeping at me. It happened to be a text from my good friend, Butch…”there’s a great show on channel 661.” I roll my eyes, thinking, “Great, there’s some show about teenagers gone wrong due to bad mothering.” (we’d been joking about this the night before) I can totally see him sitting with his buddies at the fire station, stumbled on this humorous reality show and he thinks it would be funny to get me to turn it on. And since usually when he makes fun of me it is funny and gets me laughing, so I turn on the tv. I was shocked to find that the show was a documentary about Female Bodybuilding and its psychological effects.
The documentary was, in my opinion, right on target. Over the last couple of months I’ve spoken to numerous female competitors who, like me, struggle to find a balance between “contest prep” and “off season.” For me, it is extremely difficult to go from the rigorous training and cardio and the weighing and measuring of everything I put into my mouth, to a more relaxed approach to training and nutrition. It becomes an obsession that is hard to let go of.
I think as females we all struggle in some way or another for control in our lives. For me, my life and my schedule is primarily dominated by my children. I am terrible at making time for myself aside from my time in the gym. I went from having a career that I loved to suddenly becoming a stay at home mom of 4 children (having the twins made it more practical for me to stay at home). I always felt I was a better mother as a working mother – I could control my income, I could control my clients (to a degree) and I liked the end result that I also could control: money. I’ve always been somewhat (“somewhat” being a huge understatement) OCD about my fitness…there is no limit to how much cardio this body can do! Naturally, when I decided to compete in 2008 it stoked my OCD fire into a pretty big flame. The recipe for controlling my physique.
Recently, I’ve found myself trapped by my obsessive nature, especially in regards to my training. I walked into the gym on Friday morning at 3:20am, looked around at the other 3 people in the gym and thought to myself…”What the hell am I doing here? I don’t have a competition and I would much rather be in bed!! Why am I here?” Well, I was there, so I figured I might as well do some cardio and it was a very eye-opening cardio session!! I have been beating myself up with cardio and intense weight training. I did not take a break after the Emerald Cup, I just got right back into competition training…but…I don’t have a competition coming up.
So why am I doing this? I’m sore. I’m tired. I’m not motivated to train. I’m eating like I’m gearing up for a contest and I’m not. My body is retaining water like crazy. I’m not sleeping well. I guess it’s time to listen to my body. On Friday, I decided to start small…back off for the weekend. Notice I didn’t say “take the weekend off?” I knew that was going too far! I would workout only to the extent that I felt like. Friday afternoon I went in for a second round of cardio…stopped after 18 minutes and went and slept in the sauna for a half hour. After that I ate pizza with my kids and made chocolate chip cookies with my twins. I went to the gym once each day on Saturday and Sunday and kept my time to ONE hour…BIG step!! And I slept, a lot. Although Sunday morning at 6am I rolled over to find my 6-year-old son in my face telling me he wanted to go help with the neighbor’s garage sale. And he came back every 15 minutes thereafter. He’s lucky to be alive today.
This morning was the first morning in 7 weeks that I did NOT get up to do early morning cardio. I told my girlfriend earlier this morning that my body feels great but my head is trippin’! This is my addiction: overtraining with cardio. I can get a little crazy with the food, but I try to keep that one under control as I do have 4 children in my presence and want them to develop healthy and normal eating habits.
For me, it’s cardio…lots of it and very intense. Cardio is therapeutic for me. When I’m upset about something, I like to do really intense cardio, sweat and cry. I like cardio when I’m really happy too...I can go forever! I’ve talked to other girls who say their thing is binging. They have a cheat meal and can’t stop. A lot of girls I talked to are obsessive with weighing and measuring food as I have been known to be (okay, I’m not going to even try to lie…I am counting, weighing and logging these days…trying to let go of it).
I believe you must possess a certain degree of OCD to be a physique competitor or an athlete of any sport, really. It’s what drives us, what gives us the ability to do things to our bodies and with our bodies that most people don’t and won’t do. I also have to believe that there IS a way to find balance between normal, healthy living and the contest lifestyle…there has GOT to be! I think there have been times that I’ve found that balance and there have been people who have entered my life that have helped me find it. On the flip side, there are other people who have entered my life that have fueled the addiction and compulsion. But truly, it is within me, in my mind, to find the balance…regardless of who happens to be influencing my life at the time.
I haven’t blogged in a few weeks and not because I don’t have anything to say – that’s pretty rare – but because I haven’t felt like I’ve had anything inspiring or uplifting to write about. I feel like unless I can write about how well I’m handling all the challenges of my life and just flowing along with ease and grace, I shouldn’t write. But my life isn’t like that. My life is far from perfect, but it’s my journey and I love it. Some days are really, really hard and other days I feel really strong and powerful. I think probably everybody has those ups and downs.
This is real. This is where I’m at right now. It’s a struggle to find balance, but I am determined to do so. I’ve considered competing in the Ironman in the fall, but I haven’t yet decided if I will or not. I will only do it if I truly want to and right now I don’t know if I do or not. There is a part of me that would really like to just enjoy the summer – yes, have drinks and yummy food and not worry about it. Last summer was the summer of hell and it would be really cool to just have fun…well, if summer ever comes…
Sorry, I know this got really long…huge brain dump! But I gotta say, getting it out today has been very therapeutic for me and I feel a LOT better. If you made it this far, thanks! And if you’re reading and can totally relate, know that you are not alone, there are so many just like you.
“Be kind – for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” –Plato
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| Muscle Girl Goes Yoga??? (and more!) |
| 05.14.2010 03:41:17 | |
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Tomorrow will be 4 weeks post-competition for us figure girls. I've had one hell of a rebound, to say the least. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by kind, caring and supportive physique friends and professionals in addition to my non-competitor friends and of course, as always, my family. Today is the first day in weeks that I have worn a fitted shirt. I'm a far cry from where I like to be, but I am definitely getting there. And boy did I learn some lessons along the way. I have no regrets for the choices I made and this experience will help me in my future competition endeavors and will also help me as I work with clients, present and future. As far as my diet goes, I'm following what I would normally do 4-6 weeks out. I'm back to training on my 5 day, heavy split. These two things combined make me feel really good. I talked with expert, Will Brink, about my situation and when he heard about my training he told me..."Don't let your emotions dictate your training!" That's exactly what I had been doing which led me to "Training ADD"...one day I was following this program, the next day I was following that program. My head was a mess! It feels good to going back to what I know works for my body. I have had to trust that my body would eventually find it's way back to its "happy place". It's still not there, but every day is one day closer. I've had to call upon my memory of my days carrying my twins. I've had to remember how I felt, the strange digestive things I encountered on a daily basis and how if my organs could find new homes in my body to carry my girls and then find their way back to where they belong after their birth, SURELY they can get through this too!!! In an effort to rid my body of excess water and fluids and flush out the toxins, I contacted my friend, resident Hot Mom, Janette who teaches hot yoga in Mill Creek. I'm pretty sure she thought hell had frozen over when I said..."Tell me about hot yoga, I'm thinking about coming to a class." I am not a yoga girl. I like to move, I don't want to sit still and mostly, I'm not flexible in the slightest and I hate doing things I'm not good at...the real reason for my aversion to yoga. I like to be better than everyone in the room at what I'm doing and guaranteed I will be the class retard at hot yoga. But, I'm desperate, and all the health benefits from this actually sound like it might be worthwhile. Go figure! Here's what Janette had to say about hot yoga: The benefits of hot yoga go beyond the toxins you release. You really do get a full body work out - plus you work on your balance and flexibility. I am amazed how much it takes care of my water retention issues plus it makes me sleep like a baby. I think it might really help you with your current uncomfortableness and you are in such amazing shape and such an athlete, I really think you'll do well at it. The site has some more info on the benefits of HY. www.hotyogamillcreek.com I left the other stuff in at the end because, well, my ego likes it(even though she's totally blowing smoke when she says I'll do "well"). :) So, if you're a "northender" like me, check out the website, go to Janette's class. I've never been to her class, but knowing Janette, it's AMAZING. I could use some company from some fellow "muscle girls" and guys!! I'm planning to attend hot yoga next week, so I'll definitely report back and let you know how it goes. Enjoy this beautiful weather and have an AMAZING weekend!! ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| Happy Mother's Day |
| 05.09.2010 21:58:10 | |
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I am always amazed when I do a competition and talk to other mother competitors backstage. It is truly a remarkable thing for a woman, a mom, to take her body through a pregnancy, watch her belly grow larger than she ever thought possible and then taking it to the level necessary to step on stage. I am always inspired by the women I meet at a contest who juggle the mom-competitor lifestyle. It is a level of commitment and dedication that not many possess. I was standing in the audience at the Emerald Cup watching one of the figure masters classes on stage when I heard a guy standing behind me say..."I just don't get it. Why would a woman with 3 kids want to get up there in next-to-nothing? It's just stupid." Yeah, you bet it took every ounce of restraint I had not to turn around and give the guy a piece of my mind...and a taste of my fist. (and he was a little guy too...I totally coulda taken him down) I'm going to go ahead and take the liberty of speaking on behalf of my fellow mom-competitors on this issue: we don't do it for YOU, we do it for ourselves. We do it to challenge ourselves, to take ourselves to new levels. Getting up on stage is not about "hey, look at me, aren't I hot?" It's more like "I did this, I did this for myself, I took myself from a huge whale with an 8lb baby inside of me (or two), built some nice muscle and got leaner than I ever thought possible." So to the little man in the wings...she did that because she is determined, disciplined, committed, driven and passionate. Can you say the same for yourself? ;) So, to all my fellow mom-competitors, you are AMAZING!!! You inspire me, you make me want to be better and do better. For that, I thank you. I wish you all a wonderful Mother's Day! Also, as the Emerald Cup has come and gone, my posting here has become less frequent as it has for all of us bloggers. I still plan to blog here about once a week, but if you want to keep up with me you can follow me on my personal blog at http://www.iriefitgirl.blogspot.com/ I write to my blog almost daily...it's a very real (yes, even more real than this blog) glimpse into my life. :) HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, LADIES!!! ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| Post Competition Rebound |
| 05.03.2010 21:50:32 | |
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I decided to share my "rebounding" experiences with you all in hopes that it will be helpful to some of the newer competitors who are dealing with post-competition rebound for the first time. I've learned that everyone handles their post-competition experience differently and you really have to figure out what works for you both mentally and physically...what you're willing to put your mind and body through...or not. As you can probably imagine, after dropping 19lbs in one week's time, my body went absolutely CRAAAZY after the competition. The first week was absolutely horrible, the second week was my body trying to adjust and finally, these last couple of days I think I have finally settled back into balance. I can look in the mirror again and I'm not mad and frustrated. I'm not bloated and uncomfortable anymore. I haven't had a rebound this bad since my first shows in October of 2008. I had a young trainer from Gold's who told me after the show to eat whatever I wanted and as you can imagine, after dieting, I went hog wild!!! It was the week before Halloween too, so there was candy EVERYWHERE!! I put on 15lbs in less than 2 weeks and I was less than happy. I vowed never to let that happen again...and here I am... Typically, I like to stay within 6-8 weeks of contest look year round. I keep up with my morning cardio because a) it works for me and b) I enjoy it (yes, really, I enjoy it). This last winter, I had to ditch my morning cardio due to my work schedule and add to that a less than stellar diet and my body fat climbed. This was good and bad...it allowed me to gain some muscle, but it also added a nice layer of body fat that made me uncomfortable. I didn't diet as hard as I should have and didn't come in as lean as I should have, could have and wanted, so that led to drastic measures at the final week. Not a good idea and not something I am willing to do again. I don't binge after a competition, I enjoy a few meals of my choosing and allow myself to relax with my food choices for about a week and then I try to get back on the program. I don't miss gym time...why?...because I don't WANT to. I enjoy the gym and I like the physical and mental release it gives me, so while I don't train as hard, I DO still train. It's been quite a process waiting for my body to settle back into balance, but I think finally, after 2 1/2 weeks, it's there and it is responding well. I've gone back to my diet that works well for me (high protein/moderate carbs/low fat). I cut out peanut butter a few days ago (this was really hard for me) as I couldn't leave it alone and darn those Costco people for selling it in a double pack!! My kids won't eat peanut butter, so I'm going to have to get it out of the house. I'm doing 30-60 minutes of morning cardio at 4am. I'm currently suffering "training ADD", meaning: I can't seem to make a decision on how I want to train. I keep thinking I'll go lighter on the weights to try and lose some size, but I've had such great success with heavy lifting and fat loss, so I think, once again, I'll go back to what I know works. I have been tacking on 30 minutes of cardio after my evening lift...what's up with all the cardio? Summer's coming and I'm heading to Jamaica!! This is a really good article about post-competition rebounding and how to do it RIGHT!! My other recommendation: once you know what works well for your body, don't mess with it. Stick with what you know and stick with what works. http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/figure_competition/rebounding_the_wet_wolf_way "Balance is beautiful." I hope you are all finding your way back into balance and enjoying spending time with friends and family doing the things we have to avoid during contest prep. ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| The Eagle |
| 04.29.2010 12:39:50 | |
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I'm a very social person, but I think I'm more inclined to be introverted by nature than I am extroverted. I can turn it on when I want to or need to, but I'm very content with solitude and I have a high need for alone time on a frequent basis. So, that said, I have never been the kind of girl who preferred being with a group of girls. I do like the camaraderie, however, I like to feel like I can escape to solitude when I want and need to. Every time I compete I make a new playlist for my ipod the night before the competition and fill it with songs that inspire me or somehow get me motivated for that particular show that way I can put my headphones in, sneak off to a quiet place and get some alone time. The Snoqualmie Casino was a perfect venue for someone like me. I used to trek up Mt Si four days a week before I was married. I much prefer to workout outside than in the gym and I always find peace and clarity at the summit of a hike. There was a perfect place for me to step outside the buzz and excitement going on in the casino and be alone with an amazing view of Mt Si and the surrounding mountains. It was the perfect place for me to get inside my own head for awhile. (The excitement is so much fun, but sometimes a bit overwhelming and overstimulating to me) Over the last several months I've worked really hard to train my lats and add some width. Elaine and I always refer to my new and wider lats as my "wings" and it's kind of fitting that "I grew wings so I could fly" with the changes that have occurred in my life in the last year. So, as I was sitting outside, overlooking the Cascades and getting into my head, I saw a bald eagle. Way cool! I'm watching the eagle circling and I KNOW that whatever prey he's watching down below was put there just for ME so I could have my moment to watch this eagle. And how appropriate that I just happen to have Ziggy Marley's "Wings of an Eagle" on my ipod! The eagle was the perfect vision for me as I was able to get my head on straight before stepping on stage. Having that time outside was so necessary for me. I needed to go over in my head WHY I was there and what I had accomplished in the last year. I realize that my view of "winning" is not the same as most people's and that's okay. For me, with what I've been through this last year, it's a minor miracle that I was still able to step on stage 3 times, in 3 different competitions. It was important for me to have some time to remind myself that winning ISN'T everything and that sometimes, it's okay to step on stage for entirely different reasons and still feel like you've won. I can't think of a better symbol that could have been sent my way on that day... "Eagle teaches us that it is okay to combine wisdom and courage - it is okay to be wise enough to know that a change needs to be made in one's life and then finding the courage to execute the change. It is okay to gather our courage, for the universe presents us with opportunities to soar above the mundane levels of life; the test is the power to recognize opportunities. Do not, in other words, be afraid of opportunities." ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand
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| 2010 Emerald Cup Wrap-Up: My Victory |
| 04.25.2010 23:45:00 | |
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"There are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even when you lose, you win." Elie Wiesel "How did you do?" That's the question everybody asks, naturally. It's been asked of me all week, more times than I can count and by people I don't even know that I had no idea even knew I was competing. I suppose it would be easy to feel ashamed and tell them how poorly I placed. But the thing is, it wasn't about that for me this year. This year I didn't compete to win, I did it for entirely different reasons and while I'm not happy that I did not look my best and I know I'm capable of coming in much leaner, I'm so happy with what happened to me on the inside. If you've been reading my blog consistently, you probably remember a post a few months back where I considered not competing this year. I had a heart-to-heart with a good friend and came to the decision not to compete and then a couple days later changed my mind. I've often times second guessed this decision and thought along the way that my friend was right and I shouldn't compete...but I did and I believe everything happens for a reason and I KNOW that I was on that path to the Emerald Cup for a very good reason and it's so easy to see it now in hindsight. Doing Vancouver was my opportunity to reflect back on everything that had changed for me in the last year. I spent so much of that weekend reflecting and looking back. The weeks between Vancouver and Emerald Cup were about leaving the past behind and looking forward to my amazingly bright future...the Emerald Cup was like a new beginning for me. I was preoccupied with all of the things on my "to do" list for after the Emerald Cup that it made it really challenging for me to focus on my diet and my training and I couldn't wait for the Emerald Cup to come and go so I could get on to the things I was really itching to do. The actual experience of the Emerald Cup was nothing short of amazing (yeah, you can say I overuse the word but it's MY word and I like it...so...). I feel incredibly blessed to know some really inspiring people...number one on my list...ELAINE CRAIG!! I cannot tell you how many times over the last year Elaine has picked me up and pushed me forward. When I didn't believe in myself, Elaine believed in me. When I thought of settling (in various capacities), Elaine reminded me of who I am, what I am NOT and helped me reset my compass. For all that Elaine has done for me on purely an emotional level, I am truly grateful. I hope everyone is as blessed as I am to have someone as AMAZING as Elaine in their lives. A few of my other inspiring people...my awesome suit designer and dear friend, Christie Skelton! Another incredible woman who is inspiring and uplifting. Christie is also a mom (although she's got me beat with SIX kids) and been through a divorce, so she always seems to "get" me even when others don't. She made me a new suit this year and what I love most about my suit is not how gorgeous it is but that I know Christie made it for ME and put so much of herself into making it perfect for ME. Christie joined me at the Brown Bag for breakfast on EC morning and it was a great time for me to spend some quiet moments with a good friend before stepping on stage. Diane Rudholm is another person on my list of amazing, inspiring people who made this experience so great for me. Diane touches everyone she meets - she absolutely radiates everything positive. I am so grateful for her posts on my Facebook to help me keep pushing forward as we prepped for the shows. I also have to put Rose Patterson and Lindsey McFerran on my list because, even though they don't realize it, they pushed me and motivated me and kept me on track and I am so appreciative for their constant and consistent support along my journey. Bren Dixon, my fellow blogger, was also a huge inspiration to me in the final weeks of my contest prep. Always giving me that push I needed and helping me stay focused on my VICTORY! This is a woman on the move, so make sure you follow her blog as she prepares for the 2010 Ironman!! A few other thank you's...David Patterson, my former coach and mentor. Dave's always been an inspiration to me and a driving force in my contest prep. For everything I've learned from Dave, I am truly grateful. Bill Willyerd from Northwest Competition Color...Bill did my tan for both Vancouver and Emerald Cup. This is one, stand-up guy! Had some issues with my tan in Vancouver and due to the fact Bill wasn't the primary vendor he couldn't get backstage. He overcompensated and took amazing care of me at Emerald Cup and my tan look incredible! In fact, the tan is so good I'm still scrubbing it off...and it's a "one coat". Thank you Bill!! My hair and makeup artist, Rosaline Hampton...this woman can make your average mom of 4 into a rockstar. I love her! I think the "glam session" was my favorite part of getting ready for the show. Now, if only I could have her around every time I'm getting ready for a night out. Thanks Rose! And a couple of my non-competitor friends who deserve a little "shout out": Shaney, thanks for always being in my corner. Butch, thanks for being my "pusher". While I didn't take first place or even top 5, I don't have any regrets. This year wasn't about winning for me, it was an internal process and during the process, I came out a winner. I came out so much stronger than I ever thought possible. I am grateful to the Craigs for having me blog here as my blogging has reached more people than I ever thought possible. I appreciate all of you who have emailed me, Facebooked me or approached me in person as it inspires me further to know that my writing has touched you. I look back at where I was a year ago today and I am amazed at how far I've come. While I didn't place well, I'm okay with that because this time was about the journey and getting myself mentally and emotionally to a better place. I'm not even close to being the same person I was a year ago and I am so proud about how far I've come and so grateful to all of the people who have helped me along the way because I certainly did not get here on my own. This sport has blessed me in countless ways. So...I've got my cape. I grew wings. And now...I've got my tiara! I've got more to share with you, but this post is getting a little long, so I'll come back later and post more. Thanks to all of you who have followed my journey and to all of you who supported me and to all of you who shared parts of yourself with me. I am truly grateful and very blessed. ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| Just Checking In |
| 04.23.2010 12:22:47 | |
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I know I promised to post earlier in the week and I'm working on it!!! :) It's coming, I promise!!! This week has been crazy busy and I just haven't been able to find the time to finish my post but I did want to take a few minutes to check in. Post competition...hate it! My body is totally revolting from the treats of the weekend and reintroducing carbs into the diet. I've actually decided to go back to my protein/fat diet starting today, so hopefully in a few days my body will start acting HAPPY again! Add to that my body is holding every drop of water I put in it and everything is swollen, I am one uncomfortable girl! Hopefully, you all aren't suffering quite as bad...I did go off the deep end a little. Oops. I started a new workout this week. Lifting 4 days a week and cardio everyday. My lift is short and intense with only 20 seconds rest between sets. Gets me in and out of the gym FAST! I'm loving it and my kids are loving it too! It's been a great week so far! I love not being so stressed and hungry and I'm pretty sure most everybody around my (my kids, especially) are loving it too! I promise to get my EC wrap-up post up here in the next few days! ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| What a Weekend!!! |
| 04.19.2010 11:10:45 | |
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I'm just here to write a short post tonight...working on the "big one" which I hope to post tomorrow night or shortly thereafter. The 2010 Emerald Cup was absolutely AMAZING!!! Elaine and Brad put together a fabulous production and an incredible experience for every competitor who participated. I hope they both sleep for this entire week! I thoroughly enjoyed seeing old faces and meeting new people. Thank you to all of you who introduced yourselves to me. Thank you to those who shared your thoughts on my blog. I am grateful to the Craigs for giving me the opportunity to write here as it has been a huge growth opportunity for me, personally. The big question: how did I do? I did not place. And really, I'm more than okay with that. I still got my tiara, thanks to my dear friend, Elaine! It's been a great weekend...relaxing, sleeping, hanging out with friends I've missed, eating, a *little* wine and enjoying my kids this evening without being "edgy". And it was awesome to leave the gym this morning after cardio and have the front desk girl say: "see you this afternoon" and reply with "No more two-a-days for a while!" I have to admit, I got a little sad watching her take down all the E Cup posters around the gym while I did my cardio. I guess it has to be done. I hope you all had a very rewarding experience as I did. More to come... ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand
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| The BIG Day!!! |
| 04.16.2010 18:49:47 | |
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Our big day has finally arrived...and not a moment too soon! I am so excited to get up there on stage and DO THIS!!! I'm not going deep this morning, just a little play-by-play for what my day is going to look like. It's about 3:30am and I actually got a decent night's sleep last night (well, I guess for most normal people it still is "last night"). I'm heading to Gold's to do some time in the sauna to drop this last little bit of water. Holding at 17lbs in weight loss just this week...IN-FREAKING-SANE!!!! I had clients tell me this week: "I want to try that." No really, you don't. Living with an impressionable 14 year old daughter, I talk to her about this a lot. I want her to understand that this is not a healthy process for losing weight. It's been a rough week...I've been in contact with my buddy who's an Everett medic off and on the last 3 days. Dehydration is dangerous and it's important that you monitor it very carefully. A big thanks to my friend, Rich Langford! Alright, off my soapbox...after the sauna, I'll come home and shower and wash my hair for the first time this week (YAY!!!). Then I'm heading to the Brown Bag Cafe in Kirkland to meet up with my pal and amazing suit designer, Christie Skelton, for some carbing UP! Christie will be backstage for prejudging and finals to help all the figure and fitness competitors. I love having Christie backstage - she is so positive to everyone and goes out of her way to make sure all the girls have a great experience. After breakfast it's off to Rosaline Hampton's for the big GLAM SESSION!!! My favorite part of the prep. I don't care what anyone says...it DOES matter how you look on stage if it makes you feel different on the inside, which for most of us girls, looking amazing on the outside goes a long way for our confidence. So bring it on Rose, make me a ROCK STAR! After I leave Rose, I'm headed to see Bill for my Jan Tana 1-Coat...ick. No offense, Bill. The tan is my least favorite part of this...it's sticky, it's stinky, it's kinda freaky looking....just not my thing. And then...it's off to the Snoqualmie Casino to do prejudging!!! Today is going to be AMAZING!!!! Okay, so maybe one deep little thing that I will share. I am a big fan of Ed Viesturs (google him...he is freaking AMAZING!) and this quote popped into my head a LOT this week: "Getting to the top is optional, but getting down is mandatory. A lot of people get focused on the summit and forget that." ~Ed Viesturs Whatever your circumstances are, I can almost guarantee that SOMEONE is depending on you...including YOU! As a mother of 4 beautiful children, I've had to give myself a reality check a few times this week..."I won't do this if the price is too high." Getting on stage, looking amazing and maybe, just maybe "winning" (however you define that) is wonderful, but it certainly is not worth the risk of your health, mentally or physically. I will only summit if I know that I can make it back down safely to my loved ones. One last thing I have to say...Elaine Craig is one AMAZING woman!!! Elaine is truly a superhero herself. She is so incredibly giving and selfless and has gracefully put this show together while completely focused on making sure this is a wonderful experience for each competitor. I am truly blessed and grateful to call Elaine my friend and mentor. Countless times I felt like giving up and giving in and Elaine just picked me right back up, told me to get focused, dust myself off and get back in the game. She is INCREDIBLE! I personally cannot give Elaine enough thanks and for those of you who don't know Elaine all that well, let me just tell you...she has been working her ass off to make this an amazing experience for all of us. Make sure you thank her...And Brad too...they are both the best promoters a competitor could ask for. Be prepared for a great time! THANKS BRAD & ELAINE!! ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
| Mind. Over. Matter. |
| 04.15.2010 19:19:52 | |
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Yeah, yeah, I know, I've used the title before...BUT...not with the periods!!! Don't mess with Dehydrated Girl!! Alright so I am thinking this is likely my last chance to post before the competition as craziness sets in as soon as I leave work this afternoon. I have to get my kids packed up for their weekend at their dad's and get my stuff all packed and ready to go bright and early tomorrow morning. I have a ton of errands to run this afternoon and have finally surrendered to the fact that my house is going to look like chaos for the next few days. I just don't have time to stress about it. I didn't sleep a wink last night. That, combined with the dehydration is making me feel pretty miserable. I've dropped 14 pounds since Saturday...children, do not do as I do!! I may look good, but I feel like crap. My face doesn't even look like me anymore...doesn't even feel the same as it did a few days ago...boney and gaunt...ick! I went to the gym at 2am since I couldn't sleep. Busted out 45 minutes on the eliptical and then hit the sauna for a bit. I'm planning to train with a client this morning so that I won't have to do cardio tonight at Gold's. Tonight is my big carb-up...chocolate chip pancakes!!! I'm meeting Christie Skelton for breakfast bright and early tomorrow at the Brown Bag Cafe. I can't wait...I love breakfast!!! After breakfast it's off to get my tan on and then head back to Redmond to get glammed up by Rose and then off to the Casino just in time for pre-judging. SOOOOO excited! And what I am still most excited for...that cold bottle of water that I'm going to guzzle the moment I step off stage. Screw the tiara...give me water!!! Just kidding...I still think the tiara would be pretty darn cool. Alright off to do my busy day! See you at the casino tomorrow! ~Julie~ Fearlessly dehydrated with cape in hand Tags: |
| Moderation is Key! |
| 04.14.2010 11:13:42 | |
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As I was driving to pick up my girls from preschool this afternoon I found myself already missing water. Today was my first drop in water and it wasn't too bad, but it leaves me dreading tomorrow's water drop and anxiously awaiting the moment I walk off stage on Friday and can suck down a big bottle of ice cold water!!! When I'm water loading I feel like I'm going to drown in water and I find myself excited to drop...and then comes the drop and I'm really, really thirsty...and I just want more water. We go from one extreme to the other. Salt everything. Salt nothing. No carbs. Lots of carbs. High fat. Low fat. There's a lot to be learned from a peak week and I can tell you right now...I CRAVE moderation!!! I'm pretty convinced that anyone in this sport has some degree of OCD about them...you kind of have to...deny it all you want. If this is something you're serious about then chances are you're at least a little obsessive-compulsive about it. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, after all, I'm lumping myself into this category right along with everyone else. But I think it's a good opportunity for me, at least, to learn about seeking balance and moderation in my life and peak week provides me a perfect example of why that's so important and why I don't like "extremes." But I gotta admit, it is kinda fun! :) It's no wonder why so many people go nuts on the crappy food after a show and dieting for so long. Another reason moderation is so important. If you stay relatively lean year round you don't have to diet as hard to get ready for a show, which, for me, at least, lessens the post competition rebound significantly. Anyway...just my observations on a very EXTREME depleted day. I'm off to Fred Meyer to get some Dave's Killer Bread so I can begin carbing up in the morning. I used this to carb up before the Olympia show last fall and it worked really well for me, so I'm going back to what I know works. And it's sooooo yummy...especially when you've not had any starchy carbs in TWO WEEKS!!! My body is going to be so HAPPY!!! Only two more days to go. I'm feeling right on target, right on schedule and likin' where I'm at. I managed to bust out 2 hours of cardio today and a last depletion workout at Gold's after work. I was very foggy today and my body just didn't want to go at all...but mind over matter...it did! STICK WITH IT...the finish line is in sight! Oh yeah...and my new "crave" for Friday night...Chateau Ste. Michele Cold Fiddle red wine...no idea why I'm craving that! Okay...off to Seattle Sun Tan for one last tan! ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand Tags: |
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