CRAIG PRODUCTIONS LLC

Coming to this site, looking around, I am so grateful to be here writing to you.  I look at the photos, I read the articles of those in the industry and I wonder what am I doing here?  Who wants to hear about my challenges when you see all this success?  I posted my first post and then hid, wondering if I should continue, let alone blog on one of the top competition sites!  I want to thank Elaine Craig Wright for pushing me, she didn't do much.  A simple post on my Facebook page. (New friends welcome)  Short and sweet "Missing you on the blogs!"  That simple post made my day and pushed me to face the self doubt and open up to this journey.  How am I going to grace the stage if I'm already hiding from the computer screen? :)

Good news!! The doctor has given the OK to run, yup, thats it.  But check out my new running kicks!

No more than 30 minutes a day, try not to break a sweat or get out of breath.  Really?  To hear that as an athlete, a fitness competitors soul is not an easy pill to swallow.  I try to look forward and not backwards, though at this moment I have to look back.  I was on a no activity order from the doctor.  30 minutes is a long time from nothing!  So here I am 7 weeks later finishing up the 5k training program and running a steady 28 minutes with no breaks!  I know, doesn't sound like much but from where I was this is GIGANTIC!

Bad News!! My body is in a recovery mode, still not super excited over my exercising and putting extra demands on it. It is holding onto the weight, actually I have gained another 2lbs.  Though I do have to say my husband was checking out the tone in my legs the other day!  It is so hard to understand how 7 weeks of running and I gain 2lbs.  For those of you that have dealt with adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalances you know the frustration, for those that haven't it is close to absolutely impossible to push weight off while in recovery.  As I need to improve my nutrition and trying to learn as a runner now, or runner in training.  Resources and recommendations gladly accepted!

So where am I now?  Where am I headed?  I am fighting the doubt and the fear.  I am fighting and keeping my eye on the prize.  I am running a 5k in October, I know not the stage but even the title holders started somewhere.  I have talked with a few amazing competitors with very big hearts that have gone through what I am going through and successfully manage it and compete.  It took them a long time too.  It is hope and motivation to hear stories of those dealing with the same conditions that I am.  It can be very lonely out in the world and when we isolate ourselves it may seem as if we are in it by ourselves, that nobody could possibly understand.  No matter your situation that is wrong! There are people out there that want to love you, support you, and help you succeed.

Thank you to Elaine for dropping a kind reminder that somebody does want to hear about the girl that isn't on stage YET.  *smile*

~Jen B.~

Tags: Emerald Cup | Figure | Fitness | Bikini | Mindset | Thoughts | training legs | Dreams | Visualization | illness | goal setting | Dedication | desire | sacrifice | motivation | inspiration | succeed | crossfit figure cardio contest prep | nutrition

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I sit here tonight, ecstatic over the opportunity to be blogging with www.craigproductions.com.  Today has been something a bit surreal for me.  Small accomplishments in the big picture though steps I have put off for fear of rejection.  I sit here tonight ecstatic, yet unsure.  I want this to be big, I want this to be real.  For me, Jen, to be blogging on the website for Emerald Cup and Washington Ironman feels as if my dreams have come true.  To some of you this may be cheesy, well even to me it sounds a bit silly.  We are not to idolize, but  I am obsessed!  The fitness industry has intrigued me for over 11 years now.  Sitting on the couch after midnight flipping through cable when I stumbled on a fitness show on ESPN.  A former cheerleader, wanna be dancer, and in athletics my whole life I was hooked.  These woman were on national television, they had to be of some weird and famous breed.  I set them on a pedestal, something unattainable by an average girl like me.  At that time I was 17, young and naive.  Though our thoughts lead to our actions and our actions lead to our destination.  Eleven years later I'm still in the audience, dreaming of standing center of that stage, head high, shoulders back, to close my eyes for a moment and feel the feat of accomplishment.  Though the road has not put me on stage yet, I will not be defeated, I will not quit fighting until I am on stage.

So I guess this is where it gets a bit personal.  I've been a gym rat since high school, loving the smell so stuffy and stinky.  Cold hard floors, cardio machines buzzing, weights clinking...paradise.  It is not difficult to get me to the gym, its not difficult to get me to push myself.  This is where the issue comes in.  I might be a bit hard on myself...well ok...I said I was going to be honest, I am very hard on myself.  I will take myself to the gym, roll myself up like a back alley cat fight and love every second while I'm there.  I am very good at over training, if it was a good technique I would be famous!  Several years of this, committing to this show or that show, working with this trainer or that trainer, I always got the same result.  I was on cloud 9, pumped and ready to go.  Two weeks in I would get sick, I would start having anxiety attacks, weakness, and foggy brain.  Yup...aren't those right out of the training manual for OVER TRAINING!  Well I never caught on to this, I fizzed out, felt defeated, tore myself apart emotionally and became angry.  I tend to live life in black or white, so if I couldn't do it overnight with intense training then I would not ever reach this goal.  5 years or so of off and on choosing shows, starting to train, my body freaking out and me giving up I have thrown my endocrine system into a fit!  Now dealing with much more sensitive issues such as major hormone imbalances, adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, 20lbs weight gain, on and on.  Turning from doctor to doctor looking for the magic pill.  I haven't found it yet but I am starting to realize my body is different, I can't jump into a competition training regiment overnight, cardio has to be done at a lower intensity, sleep is not negotiable, and nutrition is HUGE!  So...maybe I'm not that different.

I'm rambling on, wondering where to take this blog venture.  I am going to take you on my journey through adrenal fatigue, hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue, and more and right onto to center stage where I promise win or lose I am going to take a moment to stand still, eyes closed, and breathe in the drive, motivation, blood, sweat, and tears of many years fighting my way.  Right now my doctor has me laying low, I'm listening for once, trying to be patient.  Its hard to look in the mirror and not recognize the body that encompasses such a fit and strong soul.  With time and patience, and the grace of God I will be an inspiration to men and women alike.  Those that believe that they couldn't do something like that, or that are dealing with physical ailments interfering with their training.  It is possible, even for a regular girl like me! :)

Jen

Tags: Ironman | Craig Productions | Emerald Cup | Washington Ironman | determined | WA State Show | setbacks | Goals | Determination | Weakness | persistence | goal-setting | illness

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bod·y·build·ing [bod-ee-bil-ding]

–noun the act or practice of exercising, lifting weights, etc., so as to develop the muscles of the body.

Here is a question. Who is a bodybuilder? It turns out anyone who works out is a bodybuilder. We sometimes attach titles to ourselves and other people to categorize. The good news about this one is that it is a positive thing and no one can be excluded. A bodybuilder isn’t necessarily a huge muscle bound giant that scares little children. Anyone of any age can develop their body into a healthy state that reflects their goals for appearance. The beauty of this activity is that you can make yourself look several different ways and excel in different physical activities. Almost any route you take will add health and supplement the joy in your life.

When I train clients, I wait for the most important statement. Mostly, it isn’t mentioned in the very beginning, but as time progresses, they almost always mention it. What is it? “I feel good”. Not “I look good”. Many people start their journey with an appearance in mind. I was one of those people. If they are training consistently and eating healthfully the true reward comes from within. The feeling of health is a much greater reward than how other people perceive you. One chooses their own joy. It isn’t brought about by others. The human body, however, when unhealthy cannot correctly produce energy or hormones which can create several bad symptoms making it difficult for one to choose to enjoy life. The statement comes eventually and I have a sigh of relief knowing my client has finally found the true benefit.

It is funny too. Many of my clients start out by saying. I want to get into shape, but not get as big as you. I don’t really think I am THAT big. I just train and wait patiently for the statement; it always comes. Although, once someone starts to feel healthy, they don’t want it to end. If one is not careful, they may become a Bodybuilder.

I thank God for all he has done for us.

Owen

Tags: illness

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First of all, I am deeply honored to have been invited to blog on the Craig Productions Site! A sincere thanks to the Craig family for such a wonderful opportunity. I'm looking forward to sharing my very unique journey back to the Ironman stage as I finally make my long-awaited transition from figure to fitness.

The Ironman holds a special place in my heart as some of you may already know. In 2006, while preparing for my very first competition, I became sick with a life-threatening paralysis and collapse of my Digestive Tract. In retrospect it seemed as though I went directly from the gym to the operating table for an emergency operation to remove part of my colon and my gallbladder. I also had my small intestine reinforced with wire mesh, and the remainder of my colon 'tied' to my backbone to prevent another collapse. "We need to do this quickly," my surgeon said "Because this is going to kill you otherwise"

Unfortunately the procedures "awakened" a dormant blood clotting disorder found in patients with Lupus that I unknowingly had, and blood clots formed in my liver in a condition known as portal vein thrombosis. I went on a potent dosage of a dangerous blood thinner called coumadin, which soon therafter landed me in the hospital with internal bleeding. Meanwhile, I was officially diagnosed with Gastroparesis and Chronic-Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction.

These diseases are extremely complex and treatment is mostly ineffective. It was a very grave time in my life, as I was expected to require a feeding tube implanted into my small intestine as well as an ileostomy to survive. I was warned of the high mortality rate that my condition carried, and that life as I knew it would be forever altered.

I was broken-hearted. Competition was no longer a viable option in the immediate future, but what I didn't know was that I had been prepping for far more than a figure competition: I had been prepping to save my life.

To my surgeon's amazement, I healed astonishingly fast. I begged him to let me start running five weeks after my discharge from the surgical unit. He looked baffled, and said "Your diet and exercise regiment has literally made you a medical miracle. I would never have expected to see you sitting here in such remarkable condition considering the kind of shape you were in when we met."Despite this, my doctors said that I would never be able to become a figure competitor.

These words, which will forever ring in my ears, were exactly what I needed to ignite my passion to prove them wrong! And in 2008 I did exactly that as I stood on stage at the Ironman: happy tears trailing down my cheeks as I stood clutching my trophy while a tiara was placed upon my head. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, as I had proven to the world and to myself that you can achieve the impossible if you have the heart to do so.

Now here we are, already through the first half of 2010 and I find myself in a similar situation as I did back then. After spending part of February, March and April in the hospital (I had another surgery and ended up suffering several complications from it), I am tired of being forced into a sedentary lifestyle and am ready to bring all I have to the Ironman stage! So here begins my blog: a chronicle of what it is to be both chronically ill and a fitness athlete. Two very distinct lives intertwined in one girl who owes this sport her life.

It is a debt I don't intend to take lightly.

Tags: Fitness | Ironman | illness | Dedication

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What's up, America!  I know, I know...I promised to write a couple times a week but I just haven't had anything to say.  My mom used to always tell us, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything!"  So I've been on the DL for a few weeks.  But out of sight doesn't mean out of mind - I hope you guys haven't forgotten about me - I sure haven't forgotten about you all!

So the topic for today is training, cardio, sickness, and illness.  The question posed to me by Jules yesterday was "When does one train or what does one do when sick or under the weather?"  Well...the quick, easy answer is, neck and above, hit the gym;  in the chest, take some time off.  But it actually goes a little deeper than that.  Lemme explain...

The first thing you've gotta understand, America, is that if you're sick and out and about, you run the risk of infecting everyone else.  As a competitor, the last thing I want is to be around someone sick, especially once I get within 3-4 weeks of a show.  I avoid sick people like the plague!  When I had my big gym, I had two hard and fast rules...(1) Don't drop weights, and (2) Don't come in here sick.  Even though I had (and still have) a strong immune system, I always feared that the next person walking in would be the one to 'take me out' so to speak.  Since I was the owner and primary trainer, I couldn't afford to miss days.  I'm proud to say that in 14 years of running PTS I only missed two days of not opening the facility due to extreme sickness - too sick to even get out of bed!  Not a bad track record if I may say so myself. 

America, have you ever seen someone come into the gym hacking and coughing up a storm and you (and everyone else...) does their best to avoid him or her?  Yet a few days later, it seems like the entire gym is out with a cold or flu.  That happened several times in my facility - one person would proliferate the entire gym and a few days later everyone was out - I'd be the only one there!  This pattern repeated itself several times during the cold/flu season.  Y'gotta remember America, that when you're sick, especially within the first few days, you're extremely contagious.  Everytime you breathe, cough, or touch something or someone you're leaving and spreading germs.  I have a video on how colds and flu spread that I showed to all my student trainers - it was an eye-opener to say the least.  One uncovered cough or sneeze could spew out thousands of micro cold or flu spores.  All it takes is one simple spore to land in your nasal passage, and ~BAM~ - you're infected because it works it's way into your warm, moist throat where it multiplies faster than you can say, "Yes, I'm doing the Emerald Cup next year!"  But it doesn't stop there - the spore could land on your hand, arm, shirt sleeve, and all you have to do is rub your nose or mouth, and once again, you're infected!  If you're around someone who is sick, the easiest way to avoid getting sick yourself is simply to avoid touching your face with your hands, and gargle with warm salt water or Listerine, which kills the spores before they have a chance to multiply and take you out.

Another reason why I don't want people working out or doing cardio when sick is the relapse phenomenom - you know, America - where you you get sick all over again!  Why does this happen?  Simple - cold and flu spores thrive and proliferate on heat.  When you train hard and heavy like we do, and do intense cardio, the body heats up.  When body temperature rises a few degrees, the spores rapidly multiply, and ~BAM~ you're sick all over again! At the very least, working out while sick will probably prolong your illness because every time you sleep and the body fights to heal itself, you ruin it the next morning or afternoon by training, heating up, and allowing the spores to multiply - two steps forward, one step back.  The bottom line?????  When sick, stay home, rest, sleep, and eat (even though you don't feel like it, but believe me, it really helps...).  So when do you go back to the gym?  I tell my people that once you feel good, give it another day or two for the body to finish eliminating the spores, then you can hit it again.  Expect to be weaker as your immune system has been compromised.  It may take a few days to a couple of weeks for you to return to full strength.  Finally, if your cold or flu lasts for more than a couple of weeks, go see your doctor.  I know...I AM The Dr., but not that kind of Dr! :)

Well America, I hope this helps someone.  I'm sure you know most, if not all, of this, but it never helps to re-read and re-learn.  I kept it simple on purpose - there's a lot more that could have been said, but this is good enough.  I'm out...peace!

The Dr.

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Tags: personal training | sickness | illness | colds | flu

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