Blogs | Craigproductions, Home of the Emerald Cup and Washington Ironman

03.21.2011 18:37:24

We're rollin' right into the stage! Under two weeks to the Vancouver. I'm a happy camper, holding steady at stage condition. Work outs are fun and the food (while I'm still trying to wrap my brain around how much and what I'm actually consuming) is awesome. I got my Suits by Amy bling bikini! It is amazing. I'm so excited. It's totally different than any suit I've worn. SO much sparkle. The craftsmanship is incredible. I have one tiny alternation for it to fit like a glove. Amy and I Skyped this weekend. Nothing like standing in your kitchen in an itty bitty bikini with sick kids climbing your legs like mucousy marmosets, trying to show your suit maker tiny tweaks to perfect the fit. I so appreciate her time. It's like a personal fitting in your own home.

Speaking of mucous. My children are sick AGAIN. Germs are one of the glorious inevitabilities of full time day care. I have "slept" the last two nights in Annie's rocking chair as it's the only way she (we) can get any sleep. I wouldn't trade a second of it though. She's such an easy kid that it feels good to be so needed. I can scarcely sleep for gazing at how beautiful she is. I remember these moments with Ethan and they slip away all too quickly.

So, I'm just trying to keep myself healthy. Guzzling the fluids, doubling the vitamins and sleeping when I can. I logged 136 hours in my last two week pay period. Love the new job in spite of the wicked demands. I work from home a great deal which makes life a whole lot easier, especially with food prep. I hang out in my home office and move from one conference call/webcast to the next. Sometimes I'm even able to switch loads of laundry with my earpiece in and chiming in on sales strategies and marketing initiatives. Multi-task or DIE.

Train hard! Almost there! Enjoy the ride. Here's a little snap from training this week...

Ginny

Hey, pretty lady...can I take your picture?

03.17.2011 19:34:28

A beautiful portfolio goes a long way for self-promotion and posterity. Many of us compete just for fun and want to capture our hard work on camera and others have career goals in the industry that require images. Photo shoots can be a ton of fun and a great deal of hard work. Perhaps the most difficult aspect is determining with whom you'll work. There are oodles of dudes with cameras--eager to take your picture. It's flattering! You've worked hard to get to the stage and the recognition feels good. Just don't be seduced by big promises or name-dropping.

If you're approached by a photographer, ask questions. Be polite and professional but don't be shy. Pictures last forever and you have control over how you'll be perceived. Does he have references? Where can you view his work? What type of shoot would he have in mind? Is it a paid shoot or trade for print (TFP)? If it's paid, ask very specifically about how the photographer will use the images. Are you comfortable with the use? Most amateur models are not compensated unless the photographer sells the images for some type of use, most often web. Just be very clear on where your pictures will be viewed.

Protect your personal safety. Again, ask for references and check them. Make inquiries with other ladies and industry professionals on the credibility of the photographer. This is not rude, it's responsible. Your approach is everything--polite, professional, protective. Bring someone with you to the shoot. This is just a personal credo and not necessarily what everyone does. My perspective is that if I'm shooting one on one with a freelance photographer that he/she should be comfortable with my bringing along a partner. The role of this person is to be a quiet observer and not interfere with comments or suggestions. They may be enlisted to help but are intended to be seen and not heard. You might also try to book your time with another competitor who also plans to shoot.

Be prepared to work. Arrive ready to shoot unless you're given other instructions. Shoots often take place after a show, so you may have specific nutritional considerations. Also, coming off a day on stage you'll be tired and shoots can be hard work. Don't whine. Smile, follow instruction, think creatively, ask questions and remember that your performance builds a reputation. No one likes a diva.

Have fun, contribute with enthusiasm and creativity, know your limits, express them clearly and stick to your guns.

Ginny

Ninja Girl - in stealth mode

03.16.2011 19:56:03

Well the edict has been passed down...no lookey, no peeky, no weighy. Had a nice little Skype chat with Coach yesterday. We're looking good! But, there's no more looking allowed. To prevent any neurosis in these final weeks before my first show it has been habit to have me cover up and let Coach do all the evaluations from here on in. No second guessing, just keep up the hard work and enjoy coasting into the show. So, I'll be in my ninja gear for a little while--pants, sleeves and sassy attitude.

Ginny

On cruise control and lovin' it...

03.15.2011 18:39:37

With less than three weeks to go to my return to the stage and just five out from the Cup I'm cocked, locked and ready to rock...so to speak. This prep has been a blast. I think it's a combination of having some time off while preganant with Annie to feel refreshed and excited about the process, the nature of the training and nutrition, and the fact that I'm just seasoned enough to not sweat the small stuff and enjoy the ride. I have not had to resort to any marathon cardio or drastic nutrition changes. My intensity and strength have remained high throughout which fuels my motivation to kill it in my training sessions.

The fact that I'm still eating 3+ carb servings a day (pasta, bread, rice, quinoa, oats, etc.) and even some cheese and fruit is almost more difficult to tackle mentally than going without. It's easy to get brainwashed on the "rules" of comp prep. Turns out, there are no rules...just hard work and discipline. We have found a great balance in this prep. I'm really excited about the package I'm bringing to the stage this year. I have balanced out my trouble spots and have a good ratio of muscular development and conditioning. Factor in some fun styling choices and a pretty new bling bikini and this girl is ready to slip on the heels and go for it! How will it all turn out? Who knows...I have reached a point where I don't think about that too much. Do I want to be recognized for all this hard work and sacrifice? You betcha! Right now, I'm just on cruise control--feeling focused and loving every minute of the challenges I tackle in the gym and the little last minute things that go into polishing my final presentation.

One of the greatest things to come out of this season so far is that I find that I'm connecting with people in a way never before. I don't know why exactly but I seem to have people approaching me in the gym more often--asking questions, lending support, and finding inspiration of their own from my crazy hard work. I had a really nice mature gentleman approach me a few days ago... He prefaced his comments by humbling saying that he was a happily married grandpa and NOT flirting but wanted to tell me that he'd never seen anyone who looks the way that I do. We shook hands and chatted by the barbell rack. After a bit, he asked if I would wait so that he could get his daughter. He pulled her off the cardio deck to make introductions. They both went on to encourage me in my journey. Before we said our adieu's he thanked me. For what, I asked. He sort of shrugged and said, "Thank you for showing people what's possible." Wow. What a compliment! I'm tremendously grateful for the growing support coming out of Club Fit--the Raines', Tom and Shannon, Katie, Wendy, Lori, Tonia, and everyone else!

There is also one heck of a team coming out of Onstage Image this year. I'm so excited to have had some of my very favorite girls come on board (Ryan and Heather). I'm also getting to know some teammates who have been on the roster but haven't had a chance to meet (Kim, Tabitha and othes). I'm in the company of some killer competitors who share my enthusiasm for making the process fun. Love ya ladies! The camraderie is a huge motivator. I'm also inspired by a friend of mine and her husband who are not competitors but have joined the team and are making amazing life changes. Their daily dedication and progress is awesome.

So, I probably ought to get to work. I receive about 75-100 emails daily and none of them are spam. Time's a wastin'. Final countdown to the 2011 season is underway and I am excited!

Ginny

Working girl wants a win

03.11.2011 20:13:30

I'm back! After a three day whirlwind business trip to Vegas I'm back home. The trip went off without a hitch. The business aspects were very successful and training and nutrition stayed on point. Those lists certainly paid off! I navigated airports, taxis, board meetings, presentations and business breakfasts/lunches/dinners with cooler or tupperware in tow. I impatiently waited for the hotel fitness center to open early so that I could get my sweat on before racing off to rub elbows with excecutives and ducked out of company "socials" to don gym gear and hustle off to move some weights. It was a rapid fire series of acts that included wardrobe and accessory changes trading business suit for sports bra and ever checking my daily itinerary and meal plan to make sure I had the right food items tucked into my briefcase alongside my trusty laptop, smartphone and assorted paperwork.

High hopes of rest faded quickly when the meetings that took place on site generated an immediate need for work to be created and shared overnight. It was a treat however to snuggle into a cozy hotel bed armed with my laptop and pound out the work in private comfort. I think I added an extra measure of cardio/training by hoofing it all over the hotel and casino in heels. It had to be miles...

Being new in my role with the company and in a highly visable position to executive management I had to be somewhat discrete with chowing down on my unusual prep food during presentations or worse AT scheduled meetings that took place over a meal. In some cases I had to politely let everyone know that I had already eaten or brought my own as I was a competitor in training and no, I do not have an eating disorder. Trust me...I eat. You should see my stocked hotel fridge!

Speaking of the hotel fridge...travel and training is a unique animal. We're talking power suits, Power Points and protein shakes. That's how I roll now a' day. Certainly no complaints from me, but my menu this week is incredibly diverse. I had to prep three different proteins, five different carb sources, baggie up protein powders, parcel out supplements, etc. But, it all paid off as I held my conditioning and am literally ready to slap on a tan and step on stage.

The days are flying by and the big day will be here before I know it! I am so exicted for Saturday...I have the afternoon blocked out to meet with my stylist, Kris Clark of Canby Hair Design. It's going to be fun! Kris is available for styling services for upcoming Northwest shows. She is fully licensed and fully amazing. She can be reached at 503-313-3707 or you can view her website at http://canbyhair.tripod.com/. I'll try to post some before and after pictures of our work on Saturday...or, I might just make it a surprise.

Almost there! Train hard, stay focused and keep it fun!

Ginny

Suitcase living, sponsorships and Sin City bound...

03.06.2011 19:35:07

Well, it's list making time again. Knowing my love for the list, it's all about creating some org structure for the week ahead. I'm traveling this week and need to pack for a long week of meetings and presentations, training and eating on the road, and getting the family squared away to be without mommy for a bit.

Today I'm prepping neat and tidy zip lock baggies of food to freeze for my flight, putting the finishing touches on PowerPoints, packing training gear and business suits, and loving on my little people as much as possible before things go 'tilt' tomorrow. They rest of the week will unravel like a cheap sweater after that...

This trip is going to be sun up to sun down meetings and business functions. I'll likely not know I'm even in Vegas except for the necessary scavenger hunt through the casino to find the elevator to my room. You gotta love the rat mazes they build to get you to drop your luggage and drop a $20 on roulette as you scurry to the safety of your hotel room. I don't gamble and drinking isn't in the cards for the foreseeable future so it could be any-town-USA for all I care. It'll be a good trip though, business wise. Hoping to hook up with NPC bikini competitor, Danny Johnson for a few giggles but we'll see if after dawn to dusk meetings and squeezing in gym time if I'll be able to.

I'm dialed in as far as prep goes. We're sitting right at where I should be to walk on stage. The next four weeks will be little ups and downs with nutrition and training to keep me just about where I'm at. Feels good to not stress! I'm excited to hit the Vancouver and then onto the EMERALD CUP!

In other news, I'm very excited to announce that I'll be partnering with Kris Clark of Canby Hair Design as my stage styling sponsor for 2011. She's full of ideas and we're coming up with some very cool stuff for my new look as I get ready to return to the stage.

I'll probably be MIA from the blog-o-sphere for this week... Will update as often as possible. Train hard! Just weeks to go!

Ginny

True - my thoughts on the Arnold

03.05.2011 20:07:00

I always look forward to the weekend of the Arnold Classic. It's the big kick off to the season. It's my Oscars. I giddily await the webcasts and tweets on call outs and soak in the industry media comments and critiques.

I was excited to see new IFBB Pro, Courtney West high in the lineup. I am inspired as an amateur athlete to know that just last year Courtney was in my shoes...training hard with a world of opportunity ahead of her. She looked amazing and I'm motivated by her journey.

I think the biggest thing I took away from the show is the notion of "truth". Tanji never fails to bring her best to the stage and this year was no different. Hands down, her athletic talent blew it up. I have also been privileged to follow her prep through her blogs and Facebook updates. Knowing the passion she has for her sport and the lengths to which she'll push her abilities has been inspiring. I love that Tanji is always "true" to her style of presentation in both her routine and physique rounds. This is NOT to say, predictable. It's always an exciting surprise!

If there is one thing I carry with me in the prep process it is to be "true" to what I love about this sport. I love the athletic training and never want to let that take second to trying to be what I think someone else would want to see out of my presentation. I pour my heart and soul into crafting my body of work and what the finished product ends up looking like is simply the result of that effort. I don't have a "look" I'm trying to achieve. There is no mold for me. I will always strive to be my best and only when I step on stage will we know how that looks in comparison to the competition. I hope I will always remain "true" to who I am and what I want. Thanks Tanj for the inspiration!

Ginny

The sweet smell of success...not so much

03.03.2011 20:43:17

Stinky = Success. As the weekend of the Arnold approaches I wax poetic on the silly little things that let you know you've arrived as a competitor--particularly, smell. Game day is announced with a funktastic combo of tanning product aromas, Flexall, and fish. Poorly ventilated host hotel rooms brew an olfactory concoction of odors that reek to the average man and scream success to the battle hardened veteran. Hot pot hotel cooking may consist of reheated tilapia fillets and fill the hallways with divine putridity. Jan Tana is perfume. Many competitors opt out of showers or deodorant to preserve their color which factors a lovely undertone of B.O. into the mix.

Leading up to the big event we torture captive passengers on flights with our tuna from a can. My husband pulls his shirt up over his nose to block out the fragrance of my freshly cooked turkey and asparagus pre-bedtime medley. I know it smells like farts. I'm hungry and it tastes FANTASTIC. Suck it up.

All this to say...you smell funny and that's a good thing. Time to rock the stage!

Ginny

Taking care of business

03.02.2011 20:23:12

...and business is good. I'm in function mode. I'm so incredibly busy that I just plan, react and don't give much thought to anything else. I think a loaded schedule is the key to not getting caught up in the mental challenges of prepping. I'm just too darn busy to care much if my food isn't as fun as it was over the weekend, if I'm a little hungry or tired. There's simply no time to think of such things. Forward motion...

The two day refeed had awesome results. I blew it up in the gym these past two days and suffered no rebound effect. It was all part of my carefully constructed plan. I always get a little nervous when things are looking so good and we throw a bunch of new nutrition in the mix but Coach has never let me down and this time was no different.

The days and weeks are reeling past and I'm holding on tight as time flies by. I play with the family, prep my food, pound out the workouts, tear through work projects and crash for a few hours--up again well before dawn to do it all again. It's shear madness but there is nothing I would wish to give up so I face the day with a manic grin and say, "hit me with your best shot...I'm ready."

Ginny

Rested and ready to rock

02.28.2011 21:36:44

Had a great weekend and am looking down the barrel of a big training and work week. Rick and I enjoyed a quiet weekend at home sans-kids. Missed them terribly but had a chance to catch up on some sleep and relax. I had a two-day training moratorium and filled up on a ton of amazing food. I'm in the zone right now with my metabolism--like a yo-yo on a string Coach can tweak my nutrition one way or the other to bring about the desired response. It's a symphony of sort--add carbs, take them away, bring in the fats, fade them out, up/down calories. The result leaves my body guessing as to what's coming next and is keeping me lean and mean. I have a hunch that the hunger pangs are going to hit today after stoking the fire with all that food over the weekend. Good thing I bought stock in Orbitz gum and Tazo tea.

I can see the home stretch to the first step on stage and I'm really excited! Make it a great week!

Here's a little snap of my guy and me out to dinner this weekend. Such a treat!

Ginny

R&R...that's recover and refeed

02.27.2011 00:03:57

I slept for eight hours last night. That's the first time I have had that much sleep in about six months. Right now I'm enjoying a cup of coffee and silence. The ballad of dueling baby monitors is not thrumming in the background. I have no deadlines or diaper duty this weekend. Rick and I are enjoying a nice little "stay-cation". We had a romantic beach getaway planned but got smacked with a snow storm and didn't feel like braving the coast range late after I got off work yesterday. So, the kids are at the grandparents and we are remember what it was like to enjoy a leisurely weekend. Icing on the cake...no training and a two day refeed.

With but five weeks to go to the Vancouver I'm sure my plan after my decadent weekend will be a doozy but I'm under trainer's instructions to relax, sleep and eat. Aye, aye sir! I shipped off new and improved stats for weight and measurements and now plan to sit back and let my little body heal up a bit. Still feeling healthy and strong but the training has been intense and I'm dependent on my glutamine cocktails with Advil back and A.R.T. chasers to get me feeling fine.

Here's a little comparison pic of the evolution over the past nine months...

Ginny

I am a Competitor

02.25.2011 20:10:14

From the archive... I wrote this a few years back and it still rings true.

I am a competitor. I have a dream fueled by a drive and determination to win. Every day is a personal best. I have endured where others dropped out. When it gets hard, I push harder. When I hit a wall, I break through.

In 2007 I began training to shed a little pregnancy weight and to see what I what I might be able to accomplish in regard to building a new physique. I figured that even if I placed dead last I would be in the best shape of my life and have completed something I set out to do. I didn’t finish last and after walking off that stage I found myself with a whole new set of goals.

My whole life, I avoided confrontation and conflict, never recognizing my true potential. As it turns out, I am fiercely competitive—especially with myself. I have bled through my shoes and wrung sweat from my clothes. I have outrun my demons and outlasted my own limitations. When I think I’m done I grind out one more rep and even exhausted, sprint that last leg. My joints hurt and muscles ache but I can’t wait to get up tomorrow and do it all again. If I fail, if I quit, the only one disappointed will be me and I’m not about to let that happen.

I am a teammate and cheerleader. I have the ultimate respect for anyone who braves the competitive gauntlet. It takes courage and determination to step on that stage. In all of us beats the heart of a warrior. I want my fellow competitors to achieve greatness and know the thrill of success. But, don’t underestimate my desire to win. If I earn a place in a top five lineup, don’t think for a second that I don’t want to beat ever other girl who has also worked hard to be there.

When I take the stage my head will be high. I will walk with pride, determination, and defiance because I have denied those who doubted me. I will be my best on that day. I will smile because I have already won. I met the challenge head-on and wherever the chips fall, no one can call me a quitter. I will hold my pose with grace and poise, honoring my body of work. Each transition feels familiar and strong. I am ready. I am a competitor.

Never quit.
Never give up.
Never say die.
Go heavy.
Go hard.
Bring it on.

Ginny

Progress Pic...

02.24.2011 11:49:58

Getting close! About five weeks to the Vancouver--my jumping off point for the 2011 season. I'm hoping to requalify for Nationals at one of our Northwest shows and then hit the circuit. National shows are yet to be determined but I'm feeling healthy and hope the season will be a long and eventful one!

With my new job I'm in the gym at a new time. The regulars were used to my bizarre workouts and weird posing/footwork practice between sets. I'm breaking in a new crowd to my training habits. They'll get used to it... What I'm struggling to get used to is the higher gym traffic and learning to play well with others when it comes to sharing the one currently operating Stepmill. It's been a fabulous training week and my meal plan is a fun one--lots of good eats!

Train hard all! We're almost there!G

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Ginny

Fired up and focused

02.23.2011 20:48:46

Just a quick update... Here we are about five weeks out from the Vancouver. Prep is bang on. We're right where we should be. This week we continue to dial things in and I get a long rest weekend to look forward to and a nice two day refeed. We started the season with the goal of having me stage ready several weeks out for all intents and purposes and we're tracking with that. This achieves a couple things--I don't have to stress about whether I'll be ready or not and the push and hold philosophy seems to give me a nice look harmonizing the desired degree of leanness, skin tone, and conditioning. We also avoid the potential problems that arise from having to make unusual changes to water and nutrition to "peak". I try to plan and not "peak". My food and water really won't change at all in the week leading up to or the day of the show from what I'm accustomed to in the next couple weeks. So, assuming things continue to unfold as they have been I'll be ready to step on stage in the next ten days to two weeks and we'll just let things simmer until the big day arrives.

I am approaching the Vancouver and EC with the same attitude I always do which is to go in my absolute top condition, have some fun and see where the chips fall. I do have my sites set on a higher goal and that is to re-qualify for Nationals and go on to capture my pro status. Someone asked me recently what you "get" when you turn pro. For me this would be the gratification of upping the competitive ante. It would mean much of my hard work would be realized in a title. Do I need the title to feel rewarded? No, but I'm gunning for it. It's my own personal goal-oriented gauntlet--the next step in the self challenge of chipping away at the desire to step on stage a little better each time and compete shoulder to shoulder with the best. I am committed to bringing my best and the rest is outside of my control. We'll see how it all shakes out in the months to come. One way or the other it promises to be interesting...

Ginny

New Beginnings

02.22.2011 19:29:36

I started a new job yesterday! This is an amazing opportunity with regard to role and responsibility, career growth and company environment. Much of my work has been just that--work. I put in the hours, grind out the gig and get paid. This one will be fulfilling and fun. There is more to do than I could have imagined and wouldn't have it any other way. Boredom is a beast I won't have to battle. In addition to fabulous benefits which our little family sorely needs it offers flexibility. For our insane lifestyle I couldn't ask for more. The company is on Central time so I'm afforded the opportunity to take advantage of my early waking habits by putting in a few early hours, dropping the kiddos at day care, head to the office and leave with a few afternoon hours to train and play with my babies.

Talk about work is fairly boring considering the nature of this blog environment but I think it's a critical component of my life and how I manage to pull everything together. In spite of my best efforts to plan every single detail of my first week of work I got a call in the afternoon that Annie needed to be picked up from daycare to be evaluated by a pediatrician...probable pink eye. Lovely. You just can plan for stuff like this. Because my husband is awesome, he dropped what he was doing and took her in.

Backing up, day one of the job started on the heels of two days of two hours of sleep at night. The skinny--teething baby who couldn't settle down, four year old with bad dreams followed by bed wetting and my general anxiety over our pending lifestyle change. I'm exhausted but excited about my work and having survived the first day, feeling encouraged that we're gonna make it through. I got on the phone and found someone to watch Annie today. I have to be in the office at 6:30 for a conference call and Super Dad is taking care of the first shift--getting kids fed, clothed and to their appropriate care givers. My mom has been amazing too...she swung into daycare yesterday, springing Ethan for a few hours of fun in the chilly winter sun.

Alright, that's enough talk about the insanity. Down to brass tacks...training is rocking. Exhausted from my day, I straggled to the gym (in the small window between work and swimming lessons) yesterday. Within five minutes of pounding out the cardio I felt liberated from stress and let go of all responsibility for just a little bit. A thought occurred to me--the more complicated my life gets the more I focus on what I really want out of my training. It forces me to up the ante in my desire to bring my best package ever to the stage. If I waver or allow fatigue to distract me I'll forget what I find so fulfilling in this process. Having a bit of solace in the gym is reward in itself. Realizing the awesome progress we're experiencing this season is my encouragement to keep the intensity at a steady boil. We're in high gear and ready to burn down the house!

Now, time to work...

Ginny

How do you find the time?

02.19.2011 19:58:19

I get this question more often than just about any other. Where do you find the time? I don't. Nor, do I make time. There aren't rascally little hours floating around in the universe waiting to be found. If I were a miracle worker I would simply make more. Waving my wand I would cast a spell--stretching seconds to hours and would likely fill them up too.

We're all given a measly 24 hours to work with in a day. I can't make more but I do my best to make the most out of what I'm given. In preparing to start a new and demanding job with increased responsibility and travel this coming week I'm faced with the challenge of figuring out how to do all that I do now and then some. Part of my role in my work is to create policy and procedure specific to the flow of communication. I'm applying all of those principals to my personal life--game plan, strategy, action item. Sounds anal, right? It's the only way I know to make it all come together.

Family first. Period. It's my number one priority to ensure my actions have a positive or at least neutral effect on my babies and husband. Training and prep throw an interesting monkey wrench in the mix. There is less flexibility at the end of a long workday to dig around in the fridge and eat whatever isn't covered in mold. Meals need to be thought out in advance with trips to the grocery store for fresh items. Gym time is non-negotiable. I am constructing a matrix in my mind of all the things that require my attention--beginning with family, followed by work and so on.

Considering my love of lists, I have the fridge papered with to-do's after we get home from work/gym/swimming lessons, items to prepare for the day ahead, household jobs in order to prevent a mountain of stinky gym clothes and towers of dishes in the sink, and on and on and on.

The fact is I don't actually find the time--I sacrifice. I give up the things I can live without such as sleeping in so that I may maximize the little I'm allotted. This sounds dreadful to most people but we all march to the beat of our own drum or in my case I rock out to the the rhythm of my own one-man-band complete with strings, horns and percussion. Party on people!

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Ginny

What do you hunger for?

02.18.2011 03:29:00

We have managed this prep in a way that I haven't had to sacrifice much in the way of food. Six weeks out from the Vancouver and I'm still enjoying fats, fruit, carbs and the occasional treat. The fuel fires my training and the results are recognized in development in areas that have been lacking in previous seasons. I have always told Coach, "Train me harder...don't take my food." Just to keep things interesting I'm running a two day mini-deplete and find myself a bit on the hungry side. (Or, "hangry" which is angry as a result of being hungry, according the the Urban Dictionary). Now, I find it necessary to take the food AND train hard.

While I'm acutely aware of when my next of six meals will be, I am even more attune to the fact that I hunger for something that has nothing to do with nutrition. I want to taste the competition again. After sitting out last season, pregnant with Annie, I'm really eager to get back in the game. My "hanger" makes me sharp. The discomfort dials in the focus on what I want out of this season and I can't wait to get down to it and that's enough to beat down a few hunger pangs.

Me being sassy...

Ginny

Down the wire

02.14.2011 12:42:27

So, we're inside seven weeks for the Vancouver. This will be the jumping off point for my 2011 season. I can't believe how fast this prep has flown by! Things are looking very good. My conditioning is spot on and we're fooling around with some fine tuning. My programs are dynamic and push me to the limit. I grit my teeth, loving every minute of it.

About this point in prep I really start to visualize my stage presentation--walking, posing, transitions. My thoughts are almost entirely consumed with taking the stage while I'm pounding out the cardio. This focus keeps my intensity high and eyes on the prize.

There is a rumor about that the coaching team will be down to run me through the paces again late this week. Those workouts are always a total body annihilation! It's great to have an in person evaluation of our progress and needs as we get close to showtime--pictures only reveal so much. We have lots of room to make some tweaks if necessary.

Make it a great week!

Ginny

To Do: a love affair with lists

02.11.2011 19:26:55

All hail, Princess of the Post-It, Lady of the List, Queen of Quickbooks, Her Excellence of Excel, Supreme Ruler of the Spreadsheet!

Lists are poetry. Line, stanza, phrase--a tidy to-do list reads like a requiem.

My existing life is chaos neatly knitted together with an ongoing flow chart of notes, lists, and balance sheets and it's about to go from complicated to straight up anarchy in about a week when I begin a new job. Mind reeling, I'm working to lasso the latest additions to my daily duties and organize them in a way to keep the rest of the ship upright: kids, daycare, diet, training, travel, career, competition, marriage, maintaining a household, ad nauseum.

It's a running joke in our family that if it's worth doing, it's deserves a spreadsheet. I have binders for training and nutrition, journals for each child and their particular challenges, databases of spreadsheets for the important and mundane, I collect Post-It notes like decks of trading cards. My phone syncs to my computer and my computer travels with me like an appendage. My precious planner is color coded--I am old school with the paper planner...that's just how I roll. Now multiply this times two for work, round up for subordinate scheduling and you have a hot mess if it's not managed to the most minute detail.

Sometimes I wonder "what's going to give"? I could use a few extra hands to juggle but having none I resort to "the list". Live and die by the "to do" list. If it's not written down, it might not get done and that's not something I can abide by and so, page after page, day after day lists grow. Action items are born, given a special line on the page and soon struck down with the mighty pen--each squiggly line a visual tally in the daily score.

What's on deck for today? Not sure...must consult the list...

Ginny

Judge, Jury, Executioner and "the work"

02.10.2011 08:33:47

It was a busy day in the gym yesterday The usually vacant squat rack was in use. I politely asked said squatter how many more sets he had to determine if I should wait or rework my program. He stared blankly at me with mild disdain that suggested I should take my tail over to the pink dumbbells and lift where I belong. Hmmkay, bro. No problem. Good players adjust. I shifted things around and made my way back over to the squat rack a short time later.

I don't know if it was the lingering aura of arrogance or the fact that I'm coming down with a cold but the first set felt off. Still, I went heavy to depth using care and focus. Frustrated, I pulled the plates and reloaded for round two. I racked, steadied, dove, stood, repeated for reps. From the corner of my eye I noticed a mountain of man quietly waiting for me to finish and unplug the angry music in my ears. He smiled. Hesitant, I nodded. He said, "I was over on the treadmill watching you work and had to come tell you how rare it is to see someone with perfect squat form in a gym these days." My gloom gave way to a grin. He went on to tell me that he was a retired strength and conditioning coach who trained athletes for more than 35 years and how much he appreciated seeing good old fashioned hard work.

With physique competition we are awarded placings for who is best on that one day. For me, the competition lives outside of what takes place on stage. I view "the work" as a day-to-day, one-woman challenge to be better, stronger, tougher. I rise each day, facing the gauntlet of building my physique and honing my mental stamina. If only there were a panel of judges in the gym watching me train, in my kitchen as I prep food, the boardroom where I make presentations, or the nursery as I soothe sick babies in middle of the night. Wouldn't it be nice if bonus points were awarded for perfect lifting posture, strength, quickness and personal bests? I mete out my own judgment on a daily basis with close criticism and high expectations--requiring no one to hold me accountable. There are no trophies or second place. "The work" is the reward with an occasional "atta girl" like I received yesterday as the unexpected prize.

In this game I am judge, jury and executioner. Some days the cards are rags, others riches and often I gamble on the river--but throughout, my commitment to "the work" remains.

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