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

07.02.2011 13:49:33

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

Diane

What's Your Gremlin? Attack It.

08.10.2009 07:59:22

According to Gary Mack, author of Mind Gym, there are 10 gremlins that prevent athletes from performing at their best.

I think it's crucial to go through his list and find which one may be preventing you from doing your best...

From Mind Gym, here is Gary Mack's list of gremlins:

FEAR: In reality, most dangers are not threatening to life or limb. They are physchological threats to self-esteem and ego.

Get over it. If it's not going to kill you, just do it.

ANGER: We have to learn to control our emotions or they will control us.

It's easy to get emotionally caught up in show prep or sports - Pull yourself out of your prep emotionally and just get it done.

ANXIETY: A sense that something bad is going to happen. This only leads to trouble.

What you think about is what you get...Think positive thoughts - You'll get positive experiences.

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS: Some athletes are afraid of looking bad or embarrassing themselves. They focus on the image of how they look instead of the task at hand. "You can't peform well if you're afraid of embarrassing yourself"

PERFECTIONISM (My personal weakness): Self-critical, negative perfectionists can never do enough. They are fueled by fear of failure.

Be Fueled By Goals and Success - Not Fear

STUBBORNESS: Some athletes are stubborn, unwilling to learn. They aren’t open to change. They aren't going to take the risks that will help them reach their next level.

Especially with prep, be willing to learn and be open to change. You never know what will work best for your prep until you try it.

LACK OF MOTIVATION: Some athletes simply lack the drive to become the best they can. You can’t buy motivation.

“Others can help motivate you, but it basically comes from you, and it must be a constant desire to do your very best at all times and under any circumstances” – Joe DiMaggio

COMPETITIVENESS: We are all competitive. We all want to grow and succeed. Many lose their competitiveness though. Many athletes have plenty of natural talent, but they thought they could get by on talent alone but later admit that they couldn’t.

DISTRACTIONS: Some athletes lead conflicting lifestyles. They aren’t willing to discipline themselves. Stay Focused.

PERSISTENCE: Remaining optimistic during difficult times isn’t easy. But the most successful people are those who look at setbacks as opportunities for comebacks. They are persistent. They refuse to lose.

You will succeed, IF you keep trying.

OVERALL: It’s important to look at yourself and identify your gremlins. In sports, as in life, the first step to success is getting out of your own way.

Attack your gremlin. You will never achieve your full potential if you can't overcome your weakness.

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: Mind Gym | Gary Mack | Weakness | persistence

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