Memorable Moments

This blog has been so much fun to write as I've gone through all my experiences prepping for a Figure Competition. At times, I wish this was more a video than writing, as there were some experiences that cannot be expressed through words. How I would have loved to seen some of the experiences as an outsider.

Looking back, I'm really happy with the progression of my journey. When I started working out last August, I was a complete NEWBIE in the gym. I worked out with my friend, Lisa. I hadn't had any real experience with workout equipment, in fact, my first week, I got injured so badly on a leg curl machine that it left me bruised for well over a month!

As I progressed with Lisa, I saw a gradual change. As the weight starting coming off, I felt myself pushing harder and harder to see greater results. 6 months after starting my workout, I hired a personal trainer, Kelly Gonzalez, and decided to persue my goal to compete in Figure Competition. Kelly worked with me to get me "clean eating" and working out to get a Figure girl's body. As life got crazy for Kelly (she was persuing her goal to be an IFBB Bikini Pro; which she accomplished LAST MONTH!!!!), and I got more and more serious about my goals, I sought out Blythe Alberg.

For the last 2.5 months, I've spent 4 hours a week driving to see Blythe and workout with her. She has monitored my food through www.fitday.com and I check in with her daily, sometimes several times a day, with my progress. Some of my most memorable moments with her are: flipping tires, running with sand bags on my back, jumping on to platforms (sometimes missing them all together and falling flat on my face) pushing the prowler and working out so hard I would feel like my stomach was turning inside out. There have been tears, laughs, nervous jitters, embarrassing moments, etc.

Some of my less than graceful moments include: as mentioned above not being able to jump up on a platform- my right leg refused to move so I jumped; it stayed planted and I fell HARD. The agility ladder: again, AA does not equal coordination. Ab routines that test the kegal muscles... Running while trying to jump rope and taking 10 minutes to finish 3 sit ups.

The most memorable moments through it all are really memorable feelings. Nothing compares to the feeling of living up to a commitment you've made to YOURSELF. I come off as a strong person to many, but the reality is I've always been very "weak", "insecure" and never had much faith in myself. Making goals over the last year and seeing myself reach those goals, set new ones and then reach those has just been amazing!

I read on someone's Facebook page last week about what people DON'T see in a Figure Competitor. People don't see the emotional meltdowns, the countless hours working out, the millions of times we have to resist a craving, the discipline to get out there and run/lift/sweat/you name it when all we'd really love to do is sleep, watch TV or snack on chocolate! What you "see" is our physical reward. The lean body, the tone physique, the muscles, the low body fat, etc. In truth, those are just side effects to the mental discipline, training, and commitment we've made.

"You are a figure athlete...Building an outer "you" to reflect the principles you hold dearest. On the outside, others can only see the physical manifestations of your training. Internally, you know your own iron will, your determination to do what's best for yourself, your unwillingness to "be like everyone else". You love every second of those challenging times and keep coming back for more. You live and breathe your philosophy, and it shines through in your work and relationships. You encourage others to pursue their ideals, because it takes nothing away from your own achievements. You live in the moment and appreciate that small positives in life are richly rewarding....And you look damn good, all the while. "