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Bren



It's all about the intensity!
03.08.2010 15:43:37

Hi everyone! This week I learned a great lesson from 3 wonderful people that I know, and I wanted to share that information with everyone.


So what did I learn this last week? Well, Dave showed me how intensely cardio should be done. Dave has elliptical trainers at his gym, and I had him jump on one of them and show me how hard he works out on it. Hmmm...it was alot more intense than I usually do. Dave sets a goal of how many strides per minute he can do, which I've never done. I usually just get on the machine and work out at the same level and resistance settings. After my training with Dave, I have upped my intensity. I'm doing the elliptical, but with a purpose now! Every 5 minutes I push as hard and as fast as I possibly can for a minute, then recover and do it again throughout my whole cardio session. I'm usually cruising on the machine around 180 strides per minute, but now every five minutes I'm pushing 225 for a minute, which gets me breathing even harder and sweating like I never have before.

The second person that I've learned from is my friend Kathy, who is preparing for her first bodybuilding show in Vancouver in 3 weeks.  I work out with her at Dave's gym and she never ceases to amaze me. We work legs every Friday together, with Dave coaching us. I admire Kathy, she is a hard worker! Kathy really "digs deep" and lifts hard. As Dave says, bodybuilding is a mental game. You need to be able to push through the pain, to dig deep from within. I remember when I first met Kathy and told her about Dave. I explained that Dave doesn't waste his time on anyone that isn't dedicated to doing what is necessary to achieve results. I was concerned that Kathy may not realize how dedicated and determined she needed to be to work with Dave, and I didn't want to refer someone to Dave that wasn't willing to put forth the effort required. Well, she is amazing. She does everything Dave has coached her to do, and she is seeing results.

My third person that inspires me is fellow blogger on this website, Julie. If you've read her blog, you know that life is not easy for her. She works as a personal trainer, and has 4 children... 2 of them being twins! Julie and I work out at the same gym, Gold's in Bothell. I saw Julie a while back at the gym and she looks great. She's getting ready for the Vancouver show, and will be competing in the figure division. I can't wait to see her onstage and cheer her on. What really hit me the other day is how hard Julie was working out on the elliptical. She had her earphones on listening to music, so I just gave her a wave "hi", and didn't stop to talk. She was focused. It was back day for me, so I had my work to do as well. Between sets I glanced over at Julie to see if she slowed down...nope, she just kept on going like the energizer bunny on that elliptical! Lol! I remember when I first met Julie. She told me how happy she was to see her body transform into what she always dreamed of. I think about what she said, and the emotions she had when she looked in the mirror and realized she created the body of her dreams. That's what I want. It's what I think about daily. I want to look in the mirror and not recognize myself. I want to have the body I have always dreamed about!

Have you ever really looked around the gym and watched people doing cardio? I can't help but notice how many people either read a book, get totally engrossed in TV or talk on their cell phone while they are supposed to be pushing hard to burn as many calories as possible.

I want to thank the 3 people who inspire me and push me to do my best. They have no idea how their actions spoke to me this last week. Thank you Dave, Kathy and Julie for inspiring me! You are very dedicated individuals and I admire each one of you! I hope someday to be an inspiration to others as well. Keep on pushing hard!

Think On It:

Just a little rant...can I do that? Tonight at the gym, the person next to me on the elliptical talked endlessly and effortlessly on her cell phone the whole time she was on the machine.  Is it just me, or is that just a little annoying? Lose the cell phone while at the gym...and concentrate on pushing as hard as you can...you will get better results for all the time spent in the gym. Just a thought.....

Bren

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Time to Focus
03.01.2010 13:13:55

It's time to focus! For all the competitors that are doing the Vancouver show in 4 weeks, you should be very focused right now. You should be dialed in on your training and nutrition. Eating, sleeping, working out and repeating...each day. I'm excited for all the competitors. I'll be helping my friend Kathy with her first bodybuilding show and I can hardly wait until the day of the show. The Vancouver show will be even more special to me, since later in the year I'm actually going to be stepping onstage myself.

The title of my blog "Focus" has more to do with my last month of training than anything else. I have my trainer do a body comp on me each month to see how much fat I'm losing. Well, let's just say this wasn't the best month. As I mentioned in my last blog, I had a business trip I had to go on and wasn't able to eat exactly how I normally do. I still ate pretty good and worked out while I was there, but my foods were not the same as what I would eat at home. When I got back from my trip, I came down with a really bad cold that left me not able to work out for a week. Two weeks in a row of not following the plan. Not good. I also started a new relationship, which I allowed to take some of my focus away. We all know about the first stages of a new relationship. We want to be with the person as much as possible right? Well, I still got my workouts in most days, but they were not like before the relationship started. I would run into gym and get my workout done in as little time as possible. 45 min of cardio instead of an hour and.not as many sets of my workout exercises. I told myself I have plenty of time before the Ironman, so a few sessions at the gym that are shorter and less intense won't matter this far out. Wrong!
What I learned is that EVERY DAY counts! What I eat, or don't eat...matters. The number of reps....matters. The total number of sets...matters! It all either takes me closer to my goal, or farther away. I had to learn the hard way. I lost a pound of muscle, where the previous month I had gained a pound of muscle. Yes, I was sick and I was away on business, which were out of my control. However, I chose to cut workouts short, or eat or not eat something that was on my plan. I take full responsibility.
So, I learned from this experience, and am thankful that I have time to make amends. Time to focus! Bodybuilding is a priority to me and it requires sacrifice and some amount of suffering. It's what I want to do and nothing is going to stand in the way of my goals.
So...I am focused...are you?
Think On It

The choices you make everyday about foods and training either bring you closer to your goals, or farther away.
Bren

 



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Challenging, but not impossible!
02.10.2010 12:11:43

When you think of traveling, what is it that comes to mind in regards to eating clean and staying on task with your training? Well, in the past, I've only seen the obstacles that stood in my way. Now, I have a whole new outlook.

 

 This past week I traveled to San Antonio, TX for a continuing education seminar. I went with my co-workers from my dental office. We left on Wednesday morning and didn't return until Sunday morning. Before I left I gotta admit, I was a little freaked out about how I was going to eat clean and train. Most of the meals would be provided for me at the 3 day seminar. I wouldn't have much choice in my food selection. Then there were the traveling days. How was I going to eat on the plane, and in the airport, with all the somewhat needless restrictions on what you can take through security? What could I possibly do to keep up my training? All these thoughts kept running through my mind. I was determined to do the best I could with the circumstances I had.

 

 So, what did I do? Well, I packed a huge canister of Parrillo protein powder in my checked luggage for starters. For those of you that aren't familiar with Parillo products, they are awesome, and are quality products. Just a side note, I order them through my trainer...gotta have my Parrillo fix! Lol. Look them up on the Internet..www.parrillo.com. Anyway, the canister took up about a third of the space in my luggage, but I didn't care. Next, I packed a ton of protein bars in my carry on luggage, so I always had something to eat when I was traveling. When I got to the hotel I found a small convenience store that just happened to have frozen chicken breasts, 2 pieces to a package, and eggs. Wow..I couldn't believe it! So I purchased chicken, eggs, carrots and water and ran back to my hotel room to cook. I had a room with a kitchen, which I was very thankful for. I defrosted the chicken and put it in the oven to cook while I hard-boiled the eggs. So far, so good, I thought to myself. I would be able to have chicken and eggs for breakfast. Now all I had to deal with was lunch and dinners provided at the conference. The lunches were buffet style, so I was able to pick the healthiest options. Dinners were a bit more challenging however. Most of the time I ate a piece of chicken or eggs before going to dinner, so I was able to get good quality protein, and not have to rely on what was served to me.

 

 I was fortunate to have a fitness center that had elliptical machines, recumbent bicycles and treadmills. The fitness center even had a selection of dumbells up to 25 pounds. I was able to get in my cardio and did an upper body workout with the dumbells. I combined a variety of exercises for back, chest, bis/tris and shoulders into one giant workout since my time was very limited, and the weights were so light. I didn't get sore at all, but I felt good that since there weren't any machines, I was able to improvise, and get a high rep workout in.

 

 I know now that when I travel, whether on business or for fun, I can make healthy choices and not just give in to the idea that my routine has to be disrupted. It takes planning, and lots of it. I put alot of effort into the thought process of what I would be able to do to stay on task. I was fortunate, as I said earlier, that I had a store nearby, a kitchen and a fitness center. However, if I didn't have these things I still would have been able to drink protein shakes and eat protein bars to get me through. I would have found a hill to walk up or jog around the hotel for cardio, and I would have done bodyweight exercises to get some lifting done.

 

 So did I eat the best foods? No. Did I get the best workouts in that made me sore afterwards? No. Did I get the best cardio sessions in with the limited time I had? No. Was I proud of myself? YES! I did the best with what I had. Challenging, but not impossible! I'm most proud of the fact that I have challenged my old way of thinking. In the past, I would have taken time "off" from eating healthy and my workouts while I was out of town. No longer!  I wont let obstacles stand in the way of my goals now.

 

 Dedication and determinination. Was I tired after sitting in lectures all day? Yes. Did I go workout late at night when all my co-workers were heading off to bed? Yes. Was I proud of the fact that I was the only one in my office that exercised while we were there? Yes. I did it!

 

Think on it:

When you want something bad enough, you will not see the obstacles, only the goal before you! Quit looking at the obstacles and making excuses. Go for your goal, and let nothing stop you! You can do it!

 

Bren



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Life Goes On....
02.01.2010 14:10:01

Hi! I'm back! You might have been checking in on me and wondering where I've been. Sorry to make you wait so long. I've had a big setback in my "road to the Ironman", but I'm back now. Let me tell you about my last month....
Without going into too much detail about my personal life, I want to let you know how emotions can destroy our training goals if we choose to let them. I was in a relationship for ten years. About a year and a half ago, I chose to move out. I purchased my own home and began a life on my own so to speak. However, my ex and I didn't have full closure on our relationship until just recently. Even though I've started dating again, when my ex began dating someone new and told me about it, my world fell apart. I couldn't handle the fact that our relationship was now truly over. We were both finally moving on. When I heard the news, I was physically sick and couldn't eat or sleep for days.
 
In the past when I was stressed or depressed I overate. I binged on sugary foods, fatty foods anything to drown my emotions. That's how I ended up weighing so much in the first place, before I adopted the bodybuilding lifestyle. (225 pounds at 5'6...not a pretty sight). Not this time, I had no desire to eat. I didn't have an appetite at all. I sank into a giant black hole of depression. It happened fast and hard. I literally couldn't eat. The thought of food made me sick to my stomach. I wasn't sleeping well. It seemed all I could do was go to work and come home to my place of solace, where I could cry my eyes out each night. Training was important, but I just felt like I wasn't able to give it 100 percent. I couldn't eat at all without my stomach physically aching, and I had absolutely no appetite. Those of you that have never dealt with depression before might not be able to relate, but I know that there are many of you that can.
So the first thing I did was to call my trainer and friend Dave. "What do I do Dave"? I asked. "Can I live on protein bars and shakes to get me by until my appetite returns"? I wondered how far this would set me back. Dave was very understanding and had good insight into my situation. He basically said I would have to separate my emotions from eating and just force myself to eat healthy. Bars and shakes would be okay temporarily, but not for very long. Dave said not to worry about the competition. I'm a long ways out to the Ironman still. If I had only been about 8 weeks out it might be different. So that gave me peace. Dave also told me this will pass...the hurt will be intense for a while, and it will never go completely away, but the hurt will be less with time. I held onto that thought every day.
I told myself I'd grieve the ending of the relationship as long as I needed to, but in the process I would force myself to eat. 
The only thing I could force down was chicken, broccoli and rice. I was eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I just kept telling myself that this will pass. Just hang on. I continued to workout. I didn't put much effort into it though. Cardio was good. I got on the elliptical or spin bike and cried. Tears would run down my face, which made me look like I was sweating alot! 
So I ask myself what did I learn from this? I learned a lot which I believe will help me with my preparation for my upcoming bodybuilding competition. I learned that we don't always feel like eating the right foods or training with purpose. We are not "motivated" (Dave dislikes that word) to eat the foods that are best for us when life sucks. Motivation is temporary and fleeting. I was not motivated to eat or train during this time, but I was disciplined and dedicated. I forced myself to eat. I forced myself to go to the gym. I didn't get the best workouts in. They weren't something I was proud of when I was done, but I was glad to keep doing what I needed to do even if it wasn't my best. I didn't give up. I didn't say forget the bodybuilding competition. I kept going even when I didn't want to. 
When the final weeks of my preparation come and I have no energy, I feel tired, I don't want to eat certain foods, and don't feel like training hard, I will think back on this time in my life and realize that I made it through. I'm a winner. I not only survived this last month, but thrived. I'm happy to report that I'm better now. I still have moments that I feel sadness for a loss of a relationship that was at times wonderful, but I know in my heart we are both better off as friends. I can now move on. 
Life goes on....

Think on it:
Do you ever feel like eating junk foods, skipping your workout or not taking care of yourself? Of course you do. We all do. Getting anything you really want in life requires dedication and determination. Know in your heart and mind that working out and eating clean is good for your body and mind. Think of the feeling you have when you leave the gym knowing you worked hard. Be proud of yourself. If you are in the middle of a stressful situation, push yourself beyond what you think you can do. Then you will have the great feeling of knowing that you did everything you could with the circumstances that surround you at the time.
For those of you that haven't checked out a great video clip yet, open up Dave Patterson...Raw located on this websites home page. Great information for everyone!
Bren



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Consequences
01.05.2010 01:56:32

Happy new year everyone! I look forward to 2010 being my best year ever! This is the time of year that many people make resolutions. Everyone wants to improve upon areas in their lives that are lacking in one way or another. Relationships, personal health and fitness, work, organization...whatever it is that has fallen by the wayside. I gave up making resolutions years ago. I never followed through. Oh sure, I used to start a "diet" more Mondays than I can remember. If a Monday happened to fall on the first day of the month, it was even better. I seemed to think that if I started a new behavior on the first day of the week, month or year, then I was working with a "fresh slate" so to speak. Looking back, I see how foolish my thinking was. It doesn't matter when you start a new behavior, what matters is that you actually START!

 

So my journey to compete started in June of 09, when I began to workout just to look and feel better. I was tired of being fat and unhealthy, and everything that comes with a lifestyle of neglect. I was always tired and sluggish, and because of being overweight I couldn't do the things I wanted to do easily. I kept working out, and slowly began to lose bodyfat. It's so exciting to see the changes happening in my body. These last 6 months I've witnessed so many changes. The biggest outward change is that I'm developing muscle and losing bodyfat. The inside however, is where the real change is happening. I've developed a self confidence that I never knew I had. I feel good about myself for the first time in a long time. I had pictures taken the other day, and I actually liked what I saw! To me, that's a miracle in itself. You see, I "hid" whenever a camera was pointed in my direction for so many years. I missed out on so many memories of me and my kids when I could have been in photos, because I hated my picture being taken. In fact, I don't even have a "before" picture of me at my heaviest weight, because it was too painful to  see myself in pictures. Now, I like pictures of me with my friends and family, because I know I am achieving the goals I have set for myself, and it is beginning to show. I know I have a ways to go before I am in competition shape, but I'm liking what I see so far. Hard work and dedication does pay off! 

 

Training is going well, however, I had a little injury that has left me trying to deal with the "mental" issue of bodybuilding. Here's the story. About 2 weeks ago, I smacked my knee into the footboard of my bed. I hit it HARD. At the time, I heard a cracking sound. "Not good," I thought to myself. As I lay on the floor, writhing in pain, my first thought was "Is anything broken?" No, I had just hyper-extended my knee joint and it hurt. My next thought was "Is this going to affect my training?"  Well, I put ice on it throughout the week, but it didn't get better very fast. I was supposed to train legs later in the week with Dave, and I realized that it just wasn't going to happen. So I did a hard chest workout instead for my weekly session with Dave. I was disappointed that I didn't get to work legs, but relieved I wasn't hurt bad. It just needed some time off, and I would be back to training legs next session. The next week it was feeling pretty good, but still had a few issues with it "talking" to me. I didn't listen to it. I wanted to go snowboarding on Christmas day, even though I knew my knee joint still felt a bit unstable (I had a previous ACL reconstruction in this knee and I've felt the same "unstable" feeling in this joint before).  I didn't run it by Dave to see what he thought about snowboarding since I had hurt the knee, because I knew he'd say it's a bad idea. I knew in my heart and mind that I needed to rest it if I wanted to train legs at my next workout with Dave. So what did I do? I went snowboarding.  Hmmm..., I did not listen to my body OR my mind telling me I shouldn't go. I went boarding on Christmas anyway. Since I weighed 50 pounds lighter than I did last time I went boarding, it was so much easier and way more fun! I paid a price for it however. My knee started to "talk" to me...well...scream at me, actually. I think I heard it scream..."Boy are you stupid,...you gonna pay for this!"  I was supposed to work out legs the next day with Dave. When I told Dave that I went snowboarding, and my knee was still acting up a bit, but I wanted to try to do legs anyway, he said in a matter of fact voice, "NO, we're not doing legs!" That kind of took me by surprise, since I thought bodybuilders just pressed on, working through the pain. Surely, Dave would tell me to just deal with it. Nope, he said no leg workouts until it heals up. Ice and rest. Okay. I can understand that. What I wasn't prepared for were the intense feelings I had about missing leg workouts. I got mentally messed up. I talked about it with Dave, and he helped me to wrap my mind around it, so that I can continue to train for my competition and not be left with permanent injuries. Here is a sample of the questions that flooded my mind...are my leg muscles going to atrophy if I miss 2 or 3 leg workouts? Will I be able to squat the same weight when I come back to legs? How many weeks is this gonna put me back? Am I gonna make my competition in time?   All those questions were really messing with my head. He answered every question! Rest and ice are important after an injury. If you don't rest an injured joint, you risk arthritis setting in. Don't want that! So rest and ice, and listen to Dave. That's what I'm gonna do. When it's okay to work legs, I will work them. I will not worry about what I can't control.

 

So what did I learn from all of this? I always want to learn something new from my life lessons! What I learned is that there are CONSEQUENCES to our actions. I knew that I shouldn't go snowboarding, but I did it anyway. Now I delayed my leg workout at least another week. CONSEQUENCES. I learned to ask Dave for his recommendations on training issues and to listen and follow his advice. Dave is my advisor, and that is why we have trainers...to advise us what we should do, to help us achieve our goals. CONSEQUENCES. I learned to listen to my body. If I just would have listened....CONSEQUENCES!

 

On a brighter note...I made my first goal. I wanted to have lost 50 pounds by Christmas day, and I MADE it happen! 50 pounds lighter since last Christmas...Yay! Notice I said "I MADE" it happen? I am realizing to achieve goals, no one else is gonna make it happen for you. I made it happen. It was a priority for me. You have to want it! You have to desire it... more than anything else!

 

Think on it:

If you have ever run out of air in your lungs while under water, all you can think about is getting to the surface of the water and taking a big breath. You're not thinking about anything else, you're just focused on that one thought. You want that air... you need that air. That breath of air is the only thing that matters to you at the time. You know that feeling? 

Training is alot like that. To get what you want, you have to want it that bad. 

 

(This thought was taken from a movie. The coach had held a players head under water until he was struggling for air. When the player came up to take a breath, the coach said that is how you should be training...like your life depended on it. I can't remember the name of the movie. It might have been from Remember the Titans. I just wanted to give credit where credit is due).

 

While I'm at giving credit where credit is due...a special "thank you" to Dave Patterson, for giving me advice and helping edit my beginning blogs. He knows his stuff, and I appreciate the help he is giving me to get me started. Thanks Dave!


 

 

Bren 



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Crunch Time!
12.22.2009 13:50:07

Ok people, it's crunch time! No, I'm not talking about ab work...I'm talking about only 3 more days until the BIG Day! I can't believe this was the last weekend before Christmas and I didn't get any shopping done.

Life got a bit crazy for me this weekend. My son flew into SeaTac airport for a short layover on his way to Mexico. I was able to spend a few hours with him before he flew back out. This meant I stayed up all night to enjoy every precious minute of time I could with him. Which meant I slept all day today. I woke up at 3 in the afternoon, and the adrenaline started pumping before I even got out of bed. My mind started racing. I have so much to do, how am I gonna fit it all in? How am I going to get Christmas shopping done, get meals ready for my work week, and find the time to exercise? Hmmm...I started to think things through. First and foremost, I know when we are stressed cortisol is released into our system, and guess what happens then? Belly fat! That's right, the very thing I am trying to get rid of. I took a deep breath and began to make a game plan for the day. I'm not working Christmas eve day...so that will be my shopping day. I might even get some great sales that late in the game! I planned out what stores I absolutely needed to go to today. Costco was it. I needed food for the week. Then what? Prepare meals for the week. Easy!  Dave showed me how simple preparing meals can be. I used to make a huge deal over preparing stuff. Not anymore. All I can say is Costco, baby! I get tons of stuff there and make it simple! For example, this week I'm packing cans of chicken breast that require a can opener and a fork. Throw in some veggies and rice and call it good! Next on the list...how was I going to find time to get my exercise in? Reality check! I'm not FINDING time I'm MAKING time. Big difference. It's all about priorities! Finding time, to me, means I'll try to get it done. Making time, however, means it will get done! Dave always says "do or do not, there is no try". You might remember Yoda saying that line from a little movie named Star Wars!

We all have the same 24 hours in each day. Sometimes I feel that there's never enough time for the things I need, or want, to do. When I really look at my life, and the lives of people around me, I've come to the conclusion that we all MAKE time for the things we want to do. We just make it happen. Most times it requires that we sacrifice something else. I really wanted to just sit down and watch a video this weekend. That's all I wanted. 2 hours to just relax and veg out in front of my big 56 inch screen TV. Not much to ask, really. Did it happen? Nope! Why not, you ask? After all, I had all weekend. Well, I chose, yes...CHOSE to do other things that were more important to me. Spending time with my son. High priority! Getting shopping done so I have good, healthy, foods to enjoy all week. High priority! Getting enough sleep so my muscles can grow bigger and stronger. High priority! Working out and getting cardio in so that I can kick butt onstage come next October. High priority. Sitting on my butt, watching TV... way down on the priority scale. So you see, I could've watched TV, but what would I have had to give up? When I'm onstage, whatever the outcome, I'll ask myself one question. The only question that really matters. I'll ask myself, did I do my best each day to prepare for this show? Could I have done any better?  I want to be able to say with confidence, that I did everything I possibly could have done. That I gave 100% each and every day. Sure, I could have watched TV. Maybe not got my workout in today. Probably no one would know that I slacked off today...but I would. (actually Dave would figure it out, come body composition test time!) ha ha. I'm beginning to see the light. The competition is with yourself. Each day trying to be the best that you can possibly be. Each day improving on the day before. The actual bodybuilding event should be a celebration of all the hard work that was accomplished to get to that day. (I am learning Dave!  Weedhoppah catches on quickly!)  That being said, even though it is 10 pm I am going to the gym to "make it do what it do"! Thank you Golds gym for being open 24 hours! 

So at this crazy-busy time of year..."crunch time" 'til the big day, ask yourself what's important to you? For me, in this time of my life, it's surrounding myself with family and friends who love and support me. Giving my all, each and everyday, to a sport I love, bodybuilding. Remaining as stress free as possible, because really, the stuff that we think is a big deal, really isn't after all. So, this week make the time to eat healthy, exercise, sleep, hug the ones you love and remember to breathe! 

Think on it...
If you do each day what you need to do, the week will take care of itself.
If you do each week what you need to do, the month will take care of itself.
If you do each month what you need to do, the competition will take care of itself. 
(Dave Patterson) 

Bren



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Uncharted Territory
12.21.2009 11:48:27

You're back! Good! Thanks for coming along on my journey with me!


Yesterday was Friday. My day to meet with Dave, my coach, for our weekly workout. I travel about 60 miles to Tacoma, from Bothell, to meet with him. Exactly 1 hour each way if I go the speed limit, 50 minutes otherwise...I usually make it in 50 minutes (Brad Craig, if you are reading this don't send me any tickets!). Why would I travel so far, you ask? Well, because Dave's just that good! If you don't know Dave, you are missing out! I'll refer to him many times during my blogging, so I'll give you a little info about him now, so you can get to "know" him through me. Dave is my "main man"! He's a personal trainer that has his own business, PTS, in Tacoma, WA. Look him up on Facebook...he's one good lookin', buff dude! He's not just any personal trainer, but THE personal trainer to go to if you want to present your best physique onstage! I would venture to guess he has helped carve out exceptional physiques of thousands, if not more, of winning competitors. Anyway, enough about him and back to me!  This is all about me, right? Ha Ha. 

So yesterday was leg day. I knew driving down to Dave's gym that I was in for some serious pain ahead. Sometimes I psych myself out, thinking how hard it's gonna be, before I even get to his doorstep. I'm working on changing my thinking. So much of bodybuilding is mental. That's right, MENTAL! Whatever you think about, the body believes it. So, if I'm thinking I can't do this, well, guess what, the body responds accordingly. Half way through my workout during a set of heavy squats, Dave stopped me. My head wasn't in the game. I was thinking the weight was too heavy, I can't squat down all the way or I'll never be able to press it up, etc. I knew in my head that Dave is standing right there behind me and he's got my back, but I wasn't trusting myself. I was doubting. I lacked the confidence...whatever you want to call it...I was not squatting to my full potential, and therefore wouldn't get optimal results. After I put my head back into the game I had a great workout, the best workout I've ever had by far, but mentally it was a challenging day for me. After a set of heavy leg extensions, the burn was so intense that I almost had a "liquid drop of weakness" leave my body from one of my tear ducts. In other words, I almost started to cry like a baby! Dave didn't realize it...as I was "walking off the burn". I could feel the tears well up inside me. I was thinking that I can't do this. It's too heavy. It hurts. Then I had a little reality check with myself. Yep, it's heavy. Yep, it does hurt. What are my choices? Lift it...or  quit. Hmmm. I could quit, but that won't get me the body I've dreamed about for so long. I was starting to feel sorry for myself that I had to endure so much pain, then I told myself...this is your CHOICE. No one is forcing this on you. Others have gone through this pain and survived. I will survive this, and I'll be stronger both physically and mentally because of it. I told myself to suck it up, get my game on, and go show the weights who's boss!" It's all about your mental attitude. Think strong, be strong.

I know after a leg workout I'm gonna hurt the next day. This workout was different. I was in "uncharted territory". Yesterday, while I was finishing up with hack squats, my legs started to shake uncontrollably as I was pressing the weight. I've never had that happen before. Let me tell you a bit about my workout so you can imagine how tired my legs were by my final set. My workout consisted of leg extensions, followed by squats, then onto lying leg curls, immediately to leg press and finally hack squats. This was all done with as little rest as I could possibly handle between sets. I don't even know how many sets I did. I didn't care at that point. I just wanted to be done with it!  Let's just say I had a glow to my face...I was perspiring a bit. Ha! I'll tell it like it is, sweat was dripping off my face so much, I felt like I was standing outside in the rain! When I got to my final set on the hack machine...that's when my legs started a shakin'. I remember looking down at them, thinking what is going on here? Dave explained the reason for it. I was recruiting muscle fibers that hadn't been called into play before. Those muscle fibers were just sitting around...not doing anything, just hanging out. 2nd string players just waiting to be called into the game! Well, they got called into play alright! The rest of the afternoon, my muscles were talking to me. Yep, I heard them loud and clear. They were saying "feed me..NOW!" The body talks to us, we just have to listen. My legs were aching! A deep ache. The kind of ache that wakes me up early every Saturday morning, the day after a leg workout. It's a good feeling. I know I worked them hard. I'm forcing my muscles to grow. So next time when my legs start shaking, I'll know that my 2nd string players are coming in to help me out! 

Today was another exceptional day for me. I challenged "The Beast" and won! The Beast is my nickname for the Step Mill, a never ending staircase to nowhere! It's by far the best piece of cardio equipment for me...you have to keep up the pace or you go flying off of it! Anyway, I did my personal best...45 min on it. Now the challenge is 1 hour. Piece of cake! 

I gotta admit, I feel tired, I feel sore, but most of all I feel good. There is nothing better than accomplishing a goal you've set for yourself. 45 min on The Beast seemed impossible a few short months ago, when all I could manage was 5 minutes on it. Now I run up my stairs in my house and don't even get winded. I discovered that today while going upstairs to my second story. I actually turned around at the top of the staircase, walked back down the stairs, and ran back up them to see if I even got slightly out of breath. Nope! Now that's a great feeling! 

Think on it
Happy are those who dream dreams, and are willing to pay the price to make them come true 
(Leon Suenens, a clergyman)

Bren



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Livin' The Dream
12.19.2009 14:03:52

Yep, livin' the dream, that's what I'm doing. My name is Bren and I'm finally living my dream after so many years of sitting on the sidelines, watching life go by. My blog is about my journey into competitive bodybuilding...from fatness to fitness and everything in between. I'm preparing to compete this next year and I'll be sharing with you my thoughts, feelings, goals, successes and things that didn't work well for me. My perspective will be that of someone who has been involved with bodybuilding for many years, by attending shows, helping competitors get ready backstage, taking pictures and cheering friends on when they are on stage... to me actually "going for it" and competing myself. 


When people talk about living the dream it usually means they have it good, life is easy. Not in my case. When I say I'm "livin' the dream", I mean that I really am finally living the life that I've dreamed about for so long. I have wanted to be a bodybuilder for over 10 years now. Why haven't I pursued my goals? Hmmm...good question. I guess I just wasn't ready. Maybe I felt it required too much time, or would be too hard. I think I chose to do nothing because I was afraid I would fail. I've come to realize that by not even trying, I already failed. 

I'll tell you a bit about me so you have a picture of me in your mind. I'm 46 years old (ugh...it hurts to admit that!). I have 2 wonderful grown boys in college (WSU and UW), and have been a dental hygienist for almost 7 years (there won't be any flossing lectures, don't worry!). 12 years ago I took a women's weightlifting course at college. The course was taught by a professor named Janet Guenther. Those of you in the bodybuilding world may know her...she's the 59 year old, gorgeous lady that competes, doing her routines to country music, wearing her signature red cowboy boots. She's also Dave Patterson's "other half" in mixed pairs. If you've been to any of the local shows you know who I'm talking about. So, I have struggled with my weight off and on throughout my adult life, and I thought a weighlifting course would help me gain the knowledge I needed to get fit. What I found out is that to get fit, you actually have to WORK at it! Ha! Imagine that. So I had the head knowledge, but didn't apply it. I always said "I want to be a competitive bodybuilder", and my goal was to compete before I turned 45 years old. My 45th birthday came and went, but I never put forth the effort required to change.

Fast forward 12 years, and I'm backstage at the Ironman, helping get Dave and Janet get ready for their mixed pairs routine. It suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks...(or dumbells)! I realized that I want to live this lifestyle that they, and so many others, are living. I want to be a bodybuilder! What happened to my goals? Why did I not "go for them"? The following week I asked Dave Patterson if he would work with me to get me ready, and the rest is history.

So...how did I get here on Brad and Elaine's website? Well, Elaine asked if I'd be interested in blogging my journey. What an honor! I'm so thankful that Brad and Elaine are allowing me this opportunity. It'll allow me to stay focused on my goals and hopefully offer some insight as to what all a competitor goes through physically and mentally while preparing for a show.

I started to lose weight this summer by eating better and exercising. Last year at this time I weighed 50 pounds more than I do today. I feel more fit than I have in a very long time. However, to get a body that I can stand on stage in an itty-bitty suit, in front of hundreds of people, flexing my muscles...well, let's just say I have my work cut out for me! It will happen. I'm working out with my coach and friend, Dave Patterson, of Personal Training Systems, on a weekly basis. All I can say is... it's hard! He's showing me the intensity one has to have while working out. Sometimes I think I can actually see my muscles growing after our workouts! It's the hardest thing physically I've ever done, but way worth it! No one said this journey would be easy, but I have a great support of family and friends that will walk beside me through it all. I hope that you'll join me on my journey as well. 

Think on it....
"You don't wait for muscles to grow, you make them grow!" (Dave Patterson)

Bren 

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