CRAIG PRODUCTIONS LLC

Hi everyone! I'm now less than 6 weeks out from the Ironman....5 1/2  to be exact! Time is going fast....but slow. I'm enjoying the process, but I really just want the Ironman to get here already!

 

Lots of changes are occuring that I thought I'd share with you.

 

First, I'm getting leaner, but my issue is with my skin integrity. Since I've been overweight a good portion of my life, my skin was stretched out for a long time. I'm not sure if it will snap back or not.

 

The other changes that are occuring, are that fatigue seems to be setting in. Lifting is getting harder to push up the same weight, and cardio is not fun anymore. I realized I have absolutely no energy during cardio, the last session I did. I usually sing to the music when I work out at home. Not anymore. It's all business. I'm just trying to get through it now.

 

One other thing I noticed is that I seem to be interested in food more....always thinking about my next meal or snack....and I daydream about carbs!  

 

I don't even have to talk about how tired I am throughout the day, despite how much sleep I get. This past weekend, I layed down at 4 pm to take an hour nap, and woke up at 2 in the morning....disoriented. The questions started in my mind....What day is it? Is it 2 in the morning or afternoon? Is it a work day? I looked out the window and it was dark, so I knew I had slept for 10 hours straight. I had missed dinner. Since it was 2 am I didn't want to eat, as I would be doing cardio in a couple of hours and need to do it on an empty stomach.

 

My joints are starting to ache a lot. My knees are hurting like they did when I first started double cardio and my body had to adjust to the extra sessions. Wrists, elbows and fingers all just ache.

 

I'm a little more mellow, mood-wise, as well. It's getting harder to work at my job, since I'm so tired. I don't seem to have as much patience with people either. I just try to get through each day.

 

I'm working on my routine and that's fun...also practicing my mandatories. I have to admit though, it was easier to practice when I didn't have to, and was just doing it for fun, and also when I had more energy. Holding a mandatory pose  is hard work. It takes a lot out of me.

 

I really didn't expect to feel this way at 6 weeks out. I expected to feel this way around 2 to 4 weeks out. For whatever reason, I totally hit the wall this past weekend. It was a definite change...very obvious to me. Dave didn't pull any more carbs, he just says the changes are partially due to the fact  I'm getting leaner. All I know is it sucks! I want to feel good. I'm getting the body that I've always wanted, but I'm too tired to appreciate it! lol

 

I don't want to seem like I'm complaining. I just want to blog about the changes that I'm experiencing. This has been a year long undertaking for me and it 's coming to a pinnacle. It's gonna happen! Besides, I can't complain...I chose this! It's my choice to go through this. It 's getting hard, and I know it will get even harder. When the women competitors get up onstage, and they look perfect...beautiful hair, makeup, nails, suit...and they are all smiles...what you don't see is the challenges that came before, that had to occur for them to be onstage.

 

Dave said it's all a mental game at the end. Yep! I gotta agree. All I want to do is go home, crawl between the sheets and sleep. I don't want to go workout, do cardio, practice my mandatories and run through my routine a few times. However, I have to. Not doing it, is not an option any more. Every day counts. Every rep, every minute of cardio, every mandatory pose I practice hard, and every time I run through my routine..... counts!

 

So I will press on....I keep thinking about the words a fellow competitor, Guy, said to me.."One day at a time, Dixon!" I couldn't agree more.

 

One day at a time!

 

Bren