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| Jen B |
| The Dreamer Vs. The Fear |
| 11.11.2011 00:28:21 | |
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Anyone else's mind do this to them? I know mine does, and I've been reading, and journaling to overcome it. I have always loved training my body, have put to much focus on that and not enough on my mind. Take a minute to think about your strength not physically but mentally. What do you do to defeat the naysayers of yourself and others?
Dreamer: Check it out, Emerald Cup 30th Anniversary!! Jen do you know what this means...You could finally make it to the stage and your first competition could be at the 30th anniversary of the Emerald Cup!! Its a coincidence, I'll be 30 next year in 2012...2012 is the year of 30!!! Ok, I need to start training now, I have a lot of work to do and need to take it slow. I just started the Isagenix 30 day system and am feeling GREAT! Were on the right track, now a coach!! The Fear: Haha...right Jen. Here you go again, the thoughts overtake you with excitement and I will crush you! You have looked for coaches before, remember how expensive they are? How are you going to pay for that, supplements, suits, music, dance classes, choreography, plane tickets, you see the list doesn't end. Dreamer: If I have not shaken this dream yet I will not let it go. The fight in me is more than I can explain I will do this I WILL!! Ok, lets find a coach... The Fear: See I told you...your looking for coaches, nobody near here, nobody that is going to put the time into you and stay on your back every step of the way. And do you see those price tags...sorry Charlie just not gonna happen. Dreamer: Ok, ways to come up with competition funds? *Thinking*...I will find a way, I have come to far to not find a way and will not let this stand in my way. I wonder if anyone would be willing to invest their time in me to see me succeed? To know where I'm coming from and help me blossom into what I am about to become? Prayer and passion can take a person a long way, and I am digging deep into both right now! Stay positive Jen, it will work out. The Fear: Your hillarious...who is going to take the time to help you, nobody knows who you are, your not a known competitor. If they do know you its because you have tried to start with them and then your body shuts down and they see you quit. No way are they going to reach out and push you! Its not time Jen, its not time. Dreamer: I am tired of hearing its not time. When is it time? So many things in life are never "in time". What I feel in my heart, in my soul, that is what is time. And I know I feel different now, I know I feel strong. My mind strength is growing and its carrying my body further as well! I am a strong woman with motivation and drive out of this world! Some can't believe at what I have done and will do to achieve a goal, to live a dream and inspire others along the way! This is the time! Patiently waiting for my green Emerald Cup bracelet to arrive, I will wear that puppy day in and day out! And one lucky audience member will catch it when I chuck that baby off the stage during my debut!! Check it fear, you are dead, I will catch you and tear you apart! The Fear: Right...to be continued... Tags: Figure | Bodybuilding | Washington Ironman | Emerald Cup | Craig Productions | setbacks | Journey | Thoughts | Mindset | Determination | Goals | goal setting | Fitness | Visualization | Dreams | focus |
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 Diane
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| Ironman, Here We Go! |
| 08.02.2011 03:16:15 | |
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So first off - For those of you who do not know yet...I am officially competing in the 2011 WA Ironman! I'm starting my prep slightly later than I am used to, but I am so excited to be stepping on stage after taking a whole year off from competing! It has been an incredible first couple weeks of prep as God has continued to stir in me a PURPOSE and PASSION for this show prep. I had a tough time getting back into the groove of prep after taking time off, but thankfully I am becoming more and more stirred up with each day that passes! Tags: Washington Ironman | Bikini |
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| Jen B |
| Center Stage and Eyes Closed |
| 07.02.2011 13:49:33 | |
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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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| Diane
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| 12 Days!!! Make Every Minute Count! |
| 09.21.2009 22:35:11 | |
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I cannot believe that we're already less than two weeks out from the WA Ironman!! Time has gone by SOOO fast!! Luckily I have everything completely organized for the show. I have my suit, my make-up scheduled, hair appointments scheduled, tanning scheduled...etc. It's all coming together wonderfully! I've been practicing posing almost every single day. I practice whenever I can...Even if it's just a few minutes here and there. I'm feeling confident in my heels and just can't wait for the big day to get here....Plus I'm excited to eat ;) I had an amazing weekend! It was my birthday yesterday, so we celebrated my birthday all weekend long. My fiance jokes around because September turns into my "Birthday Month"...Anyways, he spoiled me. We spent the whole weekend relaxing and it was just what I needed. Yesterday I took the whole entire day off from the gym (Not from my diet of course) and I feel so refreshed this morning. We went to Church and enjoyed a great service with my family and then we headed to my parents house to eat food. My parents are great...They had a bunch of broccoli and veggies out for me. They kept the chips out of my sight and they made me some delicious Orange Roughy. Overall, it was a very healthy birthday. I was able to rest my body and nourish it with all the clean food that my parents put together. I am so blessed. I have such a supportive family and could not thank them enough for all that they do for me. Then I got into bed last night at 7:30PM and woke up ready to go this morning. I literally woke up with SOOO much energy this morning...Reminds me of how crucial rest is when I'm working my body so hard during the week. I headed into LA for my AM cardio and I kicked butt!! If I would have had time, I would have easily been able to do 90min of cardio...No joke. I felt like the energizer bunny...I just wanted to go go go. So I'm pretty happy about that considering I'm 12 days out from the show. Normally my energy levels are suffering right about now, but not this time :) I'll keep a positive attitude about these next couple weeks in hopes of maintaining my good energy levels! Today I also start eating all real food (less protein shakes and more real food and lots of veggies) and I'll lower my carbs a bit. I actually had Orange Roughy and Green Beans with 1/4 cup of Oatmeal this morning for breakfast...Fish? For Breakfast? Yes. It works for me, so I'll just keep rolling with it. After I get off work, it's off to Snap for legs!! I'm expecting lots of lunges, squats and all that fun stuff. As each week passes that I train, I seem to enjoy legs more and more. It used to be a mental thing. I used to have a bad attitude towards training legs...I hated it. But I just decided I wasn't going to think like that and now I actually enjoy training legs. I will also do two more hours of cardio later on today. How I split up those two hours will depend on how I feel. So that's my plan for today...Work for 8 hours. Train legs with Pete. 2 Hours of Cardio. Prep my food for tomorrow...It'll be a good day!! Stay Strong you guys!! We have 12 Days to go!! These next 12 days will FLY by, so make the most of each day ahead of you. It will all be worth it when you step on stage October 3rd feeling 100% ready to go! I know that we can do it :) Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: Washington Ironman | Bikini | Posing | training | legs |
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| Diane
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| I Have Officially Registered! |
| 08.27.2009 23:58:08 | |
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Well, I officially registered for the show. It sure does feel good to get that done. It's that final touch that gets me very excited!! Cardio this morning was great!! I mixed up my routine a little. I normally do the elliptical in the mornings, but I switched over to the treadmill for fun. By mixing up my routine a little, I keep myself excited for cardio. If I go too long with the same routine, not only does my body stop responding, but also my mind. So it felt great to get my cardio done!! Yesterday was amazing. I did extra cardio and really pushed myself during weights. I woke up feeling lean and tight! That's always such a great feeling. A lot of times I have to remind myself how I will feel in the morning if I choose to cheat on my diet or do/not do my extra cardio. If I remind myself of that awesome feeling of waking up toned, tight and lean, I will always follow through with no cheats!! While it was difficult to head back to the gym at 7:00 last night for my last cardio session, once I got started I was so thankful that I had made it there. That's how it always seems to go...Even if I'm dreading the gym, once I'm there I feel great. That's always my advice for people having a difficult time getting into the gym. Just go. Get started on your workout and if you STILL really feel like leaving...and I mean REALLY feel like leaving, then leave. But give yourself a chance first. For me, every single time I do this I end up wanting to stay once I get going. Today is shoulders!! I can't wait. Every week I seem to make so much progress with my shoulders, so it keeps me pushing and pushing for progress. We train at 5:00, so I will probably go tanning and do some cardio when I get off work at 2:00. I haven't started tanning yet, so today will be my first day. I try to stay away from the beds as much as possible. If I'm working this hard to have a nice muscular body, I sure as heck don't want a bunch of wrinkles! So I'll start tanning little by little, just to get a good base. Roxana and her husband will be spraying me down for the show. They always do such a great job!! If you still need someone to do your color for the show, they are the PERFECT people for the job. Not only do they do an excellent job with color, but they are also sooo sweet and helpful! The last thing you need to worry about on the day of the show is your color...Let them take care of it. Their email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I hope everyone is keeping up with posing and all the minor details. As I've said a million times before, all the little details come together for an AMAZING look on stage. SO make sure you practice all your posing and get your hair/make-up/color/suit and all that stuff figured out ASAP if you haven't already. These next five weeks will FLY by!! If you can get all the minor details figured out now, you can focus on training and diet towards the end. **The difference between failure and success is doing a thing nearly right and doing it exactly right** Edward Simmons While everything will not always go EXACTLY right, do everything you can to stick to your prep 100%. There's no half-as**ing in show prep if you want to win. You need to put EVERYTHING into your prep. This is only for YOUR benefit...So don't complain. Just do it. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: color | onstageimage@yahoo.com | registration | Washington Ironman |
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| Diane
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| Hang On - Finish Strong! |
| 08.27.2009 04:40:06 | |
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Well, so far it has been an AMAZING day!! I was able to sleep in till 7:00am today!! It sure felt great!! I woke up and headed straight to LA Fitness for some am cardio. I kicked butt on the elliptical :) I kept my intensity high and burned A LOT of calories! Whoo!! Let's just say I was drenched in sweat by the end. It feels so great to leave the gym knowing that I did the best that I possibly could. Then I headed home to get ready for work...I made my delicious egg whites!! I seriously STILL crave eggs!! I'm really hoping that this craving lasts all the way until the Ironman. I even stopped by the store on my way to my parent's house yesterday to buy a bunch of eggs...I wanted some sooo bad that I couldn't wait until I got home later that night to eat them. Silly I know...But whatever :) So yesterday's workout was awesome. It was chest. We did a heart-pumping workout that consisted of 9 different chest exercises. We did three exercises together, back to back. We finished our last set up with 30 sec push up holds....Boy was I shaking!! It's tough to hold a push-up position for even 15 sec after doing all the different chest exercises that we did. Overall, it was GREAT! I was sweating and pushing myself as hard as I could...Can't get much better than that! I finished up with 20 min of interval training. While I LOVE listening to Christian music such as Third Day, Casting Crowns etc, I always listen to a couple specific Rage Against The Machine songs when doing intervals. It's weird since Rage is VERY different from my normal music, but it gets me moving fast for my intervals. It's funny how we all have certain music for different types of workouts. Overall, I'd have a very difficult time living without music. After I got home from training I ate some more egg whites mixed with ground turkey breast...delicious. Basically I'm right on track. I'm busting my butt every single day to make as much progress as possible. While I can't always SEE the progress I'm making, I know that I'm making it. It's such a great feeling to be completely confident that prep is going exactly how it is supposed to go! I'm rockin' it and cannot wait for the show! I'm excited to see all of my fellow competitors as well!! There are so many amazing girls that I have met through competitions and I thank the Lord for putting them into my life. They are all so inspiring and we all create a great support system. Thank You Lord! Anyways, I better get back to work! I'm heading to the gym after work for back. Whoo! Then back home I go to prep my food for the rest of the week. Then I'll head to LA for a final cardio session today. I'm adding on another session at night. This will help me to burn that last bit of fat before the show. **When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on so long in the first place** - Unknown. It's too late to turn around now. For all of you Ironman competitors out there...We're ALMOST there. It's going to get tough pushing through this last month of prep, but keep in mind WHY you have decided to compete in the first place. This will keep you moving...Keep you lifting...Keep you running...When you REALLY don't want to. You've come this far...Finish Strong! Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane
Tags: Washington Ironman | Bikini | focus | Chest | cardio |
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| Diane
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| WA State Pumped Me Up! |
| 07.19.2009 05:51:38 | |
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I woke up this morning still a little head stuffy from my flu. I'm telling you...I've learned to be patient and do the best I can with the given situation. What I thought was going to last 1-2 days, has lasted 5 days! I am happy to say that I got back into the gym yesterday and had a great cardio session. I'm sticking to just cardio until Monday...By Monday I will be fully healthy to start lifting. Tags: WA State Show | Ironman | Washington Ironman | Bikini |
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| Diane
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| The Bikini Division: Does It Deserve a Spot In The Bodybuilding World? |
| 07.06.2009 05:52:57 | |
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I cannot tell you how many times people have asked me "Why do you train and diet so much if you're only competing in Bikini?" This is one of the most frustrating questions to be asked. I started my training one year ago and I started in prep for Figure at the 2008 WA Ironman. What's funny is my training, since switching to Bikini, has not changed at all. I still lift heavy, bust my buns in the gym and eat a clean and balanced diet. To me there's no difference in my prep. The only change has been how I present myself on stage and the kind of suit I wear! That's why when people assume the Bikini Division requires very little training and dieting, I get extremely frustrated. It also frustrates me that many people in the bodybuilding industry are not giving Bikini recognition. I've met people who feel it has no place in the bodybuilding industry. I would have to completely disagree, AS LONG AS OUR JUDGES CONTINUE TO AWARD THOSE THAT ARE IN GREAT PHYSICAL SHAPE. In my opinion and experience, it still takes a lot of work to keep a bikini body looking muscular, toned and symmetrical. So as long as the judges continue to place women who are toned, muscular and athletic, the division is an excellent addition to the bodybuilding shows. But it is very important for the winners to not be too muscular as well. We need to remember that there must be a difference between Figure/Fitness and Bikini. Bikini serves as an excellent stepping stone for those competitiors wanting to compete in Figure who don't quite have the muscle yet, like myself. Overall I think it's a great asset to the bodybuilding world. It will allow for more women to compete who may be discouraged by the muscularity required for the Figure/Fitness and Bodybuilding divisions. It's a great opportunity for the industry to promote health and strength to an even greater number of people. How could we go wrong? Many lives are changed through competing, including my own, and we need to take advantage of our opportunity to reach out to more women to get them healthy and strong. So I hope everyone reading this will give Bikini competitors the same respect and recognition that they deserve for all of their hardwork. The destiny of the Bikini Division is in the hands of the new competitors and the standards they wish to keep for their training and physique and it is the industry leader's and judge's responsibility to keep the standards high for Bikini as well. Tags: Washington Ironman | Emerald Cup | Bikini |
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| Diane
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| Another Successful Day |
| 07.01.2009 12:20:27 | |
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Well, it was another successful day. As I mentioned earlier, I woke up determined to reach my goals and I'm confident that I'll be going to bed very satisfied with my day. I met my trainer and several ladies who are training for the Ironman and we all kicked butt. Chest and Biceps....Excellent! We did a total of eight different exercises, super-setting a chest workout with a bicep workout. By the end of the hour, I could barely do push ups on my knees. I finished up on the treadmill. After my workout I walk on the treadmill for 30min at the highest incline possible. I used to run without an incline after my weights, but I've noticed walking at a very high incline is really shaping my buns. Feels good to push myself to the limit. There's something about that burn, that sweat and that feeling of your muscles about to explode that is unbelievable. As I've mentioned, there are several girls training for the Ironman at my gym. For all of them, it will be their first show. Let me just say, it is SOOO inspiring to workout with such motivated gals. They are all in the same position I was in a year ago. They are new to training and are all soaking up all the knowledge they can. They really demonstrate that new hunger for the sport. It is truly inspiring. Seeing their new excitement for training keeps me excited. I think no matter how many years we have been training, whether it's one year or ten, we should surround ourselves with motvated and 'hungry' people who are new to the sport. There's something about that new passion for lifting that can really remind all of the experienced competitors why they do what they do. Well I'm off to bed!! I ate exactly what I needed to eat today, I drank all my water and I worked my booty off at the gym...Amazing day. Stay Focused. Stay Strong. Let the Lord's Light Shine. Diane Tags: Determination | Goals | Bikini | Washington Ironman | Ironman |
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| Diane
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| It's YOUR day. Decide the theme for your day and stay focused! |
| 06.30.2009 23:00:09 | |
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So it's my first time writing a blog....I'm very excited!! This should be a great experience. THANK YOU Elaine for inviting me to write about my "Road to the Ironman 2009" on your website!! I really appreciate the invite and I'm very excited for the next several months of sharing my progress. For those of you who don't know me, I'll be competing in the new Bikini Division. I have two Bikini shows under my belt and I'm excited to be in better shape for my third show. Today I woke up very excited to go after my day. My alarm went off at 3:55am and I was happy to get up and head to the gym. Cardio was great this morning. Although it is sometimes VERY difficult to get out of bed at 4:00am to get in my cardio, I always feel SO great when I get it done. Right now I'm at 30min of cardio every morning. Depending on how I'm looking closer to the show, my trainer Pete will adjust the time accordingly. One thing that has really helped me with my training is an idea that Bryan Clay shared with my Church a couple weekends back. For those of you who don't know Bryan Clay, he won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in the Decathlon event. He came to my Church to speak on Father's Day and gave an inspiring message. Not only was he named "The World's Greatest Athlete", but he is also a strong and faithful man of God. One thing that he mentioned, in regards to his preparation for the Olympics, was his "Theme Song". Every morning heading into the weight room, he would listen to his theme song. He said it helped him stay focused on what he was going to accomplish. So after that, I decided to pick my theme song. My theme song is "My Deliverer" by Mandisa. This is one of those songs that really hits home for me and keeps me motivated. Every morning I listen to this song right as I get to the gym. It reminds me WHY I am training. It gets me focused on my goals for the day and reminds me that I do it all for the glory of God. I will listen to this song everytime I step into the gym in prep for the Ironman. If you don't have a theme song, maybe think about picking one out. Pick a song that really pushes you to work hard and reminds you why you do what you do. My day will be a busy one, but I think that motivates me to work harder to get everything done. I'll be working a full day, then off to the gym I go. Today will be Chest and Biceps. Gotta build that muscle ;) Most likely I'll always end with a great quote or bible verse I've found...It's just something I do. "You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction." -- George Horace Lorimer I believe we all have to focus on our goals all day long. What a better way to start your morning then to review your goals and get started. If we can start each day with drive and determination and go to bed statisfied with our efforts that day, WE WILL REACH OUR GOALS. Stay Strong and Focused. Let the Lord's Light Shine! Diane
Tags: Bikini | Washington Ironman | Bodybuilding | Ironman | Determination | Goals |
