Busy

We moved Tosh into her apt last night and today. She is working pretty much non-stop so her place is a mess and no time to put things away in sight... oh well - thank goodness you are only young and getting established once!

We went to Kansas City over the weekend to an amature and pro sho and it was great fun. A couple of my friends did their first show and both of them did amazing! Another of my on-line friends won her pro card which was also really great! One of my other friends looked really great and came in at her personal best thus far - however, she has many more competitions to come so it will be fun to see her growth. It was a 7.5 hour trip one way so a lot of driving but worth it.

I found this on another board and thought I would post it.


"I'm training a girl right now, and I told her I wouldn't let her prepare for a show until she knew deep in her heart she was ready...and that wasn't just physically ready. There are emotional and mental aspects that walk hand in hand with the physique when choosing to step onto a stage.

You do have to be prepared to pull out your food anywhere, anytime. And prepared is the key word. I don't even go to the mall while I'm in contest prep without my cooler and gallon-jug of water unless I am positive I'll be back home within an hour of my last meal. When I run errands during lunch at work, I take my entire cooler with me. If anything were to happen and I couldn't get back to my office, I wouldn't want to be without my meals.

This is a lonely existence. In the end, it's up to you. No one can do this for you. It's your legs running up and down those bleachers, your arms curling the dumbbells, your mouth taking in the chicken and asparagus for the sixth time that day. It is all you. It's particularly lonely when everyone around you says, "Don't you have any fun?" This is my fun (well, one huge aspect of it). I think a part of my soul would die if I didn't incorporate this lifestyle into my existence.

The emotions ebb and flow. You have to be able to monitor them, reel them in, anchor them. Everything little thing can stress you out on some days. Other days, you feel like you're on a total high. But you can't let your emotions get the best of you and distract you from the constant entities in your life.

Your body will go through so many changes. Some you'll like. Some you won't. You have to learn to appreciate your body for what you were genetically given. Accept what you can change and set out a plan to change these areas and then accept what you can't change and go with the flow.

There will be disappointment at some shows. Subjectivity reigns in this sport; your effort, time, and dedication do not factor into the judging. Just because you busted your butt harder than you have for anything else in your life, it doesn't mean that you will get the trophy. And it doesn't mean you didn't deserve that trophy either. Understand that winning takes many shapes and forms in this industry.

Drugs are only a factor if you make them one. When you realize that you will not go that route, then you have automatically decided to take another route. Walk that path all the way, then. Don't harp on what other girls do; instead, understand that you are natural and then devise a plan so you can see the same results as those girls do.

Finally, be aware that this is all up to you. By making a decision to compete, you have made a thousand other decisions for you to follow. The moment you complain about your food, the workouts, the lack of sleep is the moment you have to realize you can fix this by simply changing the original decision. Something tells me, you won't.

In the end, it's all worth it. Every tear, every bit of hurt, every second of loneliness, every pound of fat dropped and pound of muscle gained, every weight increased in the gym, every stone glued onto a suit, every dollar given to the grocery store, every bite taken and every bite avoided. All...all...all worth it if this is what you truly want.
by JodiLeigh