Should I compete?

Bodybuilding competitions.

I've been thinking about bodybuilding competitions lately. Should I do them?

I am obviously not ready for them yet, I probably won't be for at least another year, year and a half or so.
But when the time comes, should I do them?

First of all, I need to decide which event to do.

Bikini competitions are less muscle definition, and more for beauty.
This is the 2010 Miss Bikini Olympia winner, Sonia Gonzales.



Figure Competitions, generally have a lower body fat percentage and are judged more for the more "ripped look"
This is Erin Stern, the winner of IFBB Figure Pro and Ms. Figure Olympia 2010


Fitness competitors not only compete for physical appearance, but also are tested with strength activities . This is Tanji Johnson.
 

And lastly, Bodybuilding competitors usually go for the extreme muscular look.
This is Cheryl Myers in 2010.



I would be most likely to compete in Bikini competitions, since it seems to be the easiest. I can also see me doing figure competitions as well. But I am still not sure if I want to do them or not.

Why?
1. It is a huge commitment! Your diet, exercise, training is so intense and takes a lot of time and hard work. Not to mention the fact that if you suddenly decide to stop doing competitions... well... you just don't do that.
2. You might not win, and in general, bodybuilding isn't anything you can really earn money off of. Some people strike it lucky and win competitions and prizes, some get sponsorships, but usually sponsorships are more like a lot of free samples, rather than actual money.
3. It is a really "public" thing. You are showing off your body, and it can be really intimidating. I don't think I would mind this so much, but it is still the type of thing to take a lot of confidence and charisma.
4. Expensive. With travel, bathing suits, tanning, food, the gym, shoes, and EVERYTHING it really adds up. There isn't a big payoff as I said before. So it is extremely expensive. Plus if I am really going for it, I should probably invest in a professional trainer.

There is one more thing, that I thought was a bigger deal than in all actuality: Tanning.

If you have seen me, I am EXTREMELY pale. I have the whitest skin ever. I was stressing thinking "If I do bodybuilding competitions, I have to tan a lot more" which is true, I am going to have to tan to create a base coat. But obviously, as you can see from those images above, they are super tanned. This is from spray tanning. Bodybuilders usually spray tan once the night before and once in the morning of competitions. The reason why bodybuilders tan so much for competitions is because the lights on on the stage are really bright, and darker skin + the lights creates more muscle definition.

So in all actuality, the tanning really isn't THAT much of a big deal. The spray tan takes a few weeks to wear off, but other than that, it's not an enormous detail.

So will I do competitions? Well. I can't answer this question at this time. I want to wait to see where my fitness route takes me. If I develop a good physique, than I think it wouldn't hurt to do a couple of competitions. But as I said, it is going to be at least another year or year and a half before I achieve that body.



Sources:
http://blog.bodybuilding.com/fitnessprincess/2011/07/06/an_introduuction_to_some_of/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdzzANd3leA
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ramsey19.htm

Nerves/Anxiety before a run

I get ridiculously anxious before a running event/competition.

On the day of my half marathon, I was so nervous I could barely eat. I had cereal (only like half the amount I usually have) and then I grabbed a muffin. I ate the muffin from like 10am-3pm. It took me 3 hours to eat it. It had a lot of carbs, which is why I forced myself to eat it. But I was alone from this time, as well, because my mom was hanging out with her friend during the day. So I didn't eat anything else. Later around 4/5 we had an early dinner of some pasta stuff and a couple of raw veggies. I could barely eat there either. Then my run was at 7. I had some pre workout and water and stuff before the run. It turns out I didn't do so poorly on so little food. I think it's because I probably ate mostly carbs, so at least that was good.

Before runs in cross country I would get so nervous I wouldn't want to eat. I specifically remember it was Bay of Quinte, and I was ridiculously nervous. My time was worse than the last run I had in cross country. At BOQ I swear I was like shaking. Standing/warming up at the starting line was the worst feeling ever. I felt like I was waiting for hours. Then at COSSA I was a little nervous, but nowhere as bad as BOQ.

Now I have my 30k in 13 days. I am nervous for it now. But it is in the morning, which is good so I don't have as much time to be nervous throughout the day or waiting. The thing I am the most nervous for is the fact that there are 8,500 people running it. What the fudge? I'm also nervous because there are 3 corrals and I am not in any of them. I'm with the "other" runners. I'm not that slow! Grr. Whatever.

I hope to run it in 2:45:00. But if I get an adrenaline rush, I might be able to run it in 2:30. Somehow I doubt this. I'll hopefully not go over 3:00.

Usually my pace for 30k is between 5:00min/km-5:46min/km

So that means that my time will be 2:30-2:53.

Ahh! Stresss.

To calm down, I usually just wait it out. The nerves go away about 1-2km after I start running.

I am a little more nervous for my half marathon, even though it is 21.1km. It's because I am really going to try to get a really good time! I want to try to get it under 1:45. The fastest I've run a half-marathon distance is 1:47. But that wasn't an event. So in the toronto half-marathon, I really am going to push it.

I'm going for a run today. Probably going to be somewhere between a 18-22km run. I ran 30k on Thursday.

Let's do this!

Do you get nervous before you run?

Bigger, faster, stronger. Part 2!

I experienced two things today that made me feel amazingly strong.

1. You know those windows in classrooms and on buses that are insanely hard to open and close because you have to pull in the tabby things? Well, today in class some people couldn't shut a window. Someone said "Sarah is strong she can do it" and I just kind of looked at them. I said I'd try it. I walked over and it took me barely any time to shut the window. It made me feel awesome because they couldn't shut it, and I remember as a kid being unable to open and shut those windows.

2. I was at home and my mom was on the couch next to the dog. I charged at the dog and started goofing around with her when my mom said "pick her up!" as a joke. I haven't been able to pick her up since she was a puppy, and she is a full-grown lab now. So naturally, effortlessly, I picked her up. I wasn't expecting to be successful picking her up because I remember about 4 months ago trying to pick her up and being unable to. Later, I decided to pick her up again and weigh her. So I did, and she weights 79lbs. This makes sense because sometimes at the gym I walk around with a 90lb barbell to do deadlifts with, which is essentially lifting it up and putting it down (not quite, but you catch my drift). So this made me feel amazing too.

This is a picture of my dog, Sadie from about 2 years ago. She is a chocolate lab. She is considered overweight, and is probably 5lbs lighter in this picture than she is now. But ain't she cute ;).

Have you ever experienced something like this where you have noticed an extreme difference in strength, agility, speed, etc.?

Eating... And shoes!

First of all, I apologize because I am typing this blog post on my iphone. Therefore, it will be short.

I feel the need to talk about something serious.

I used to have eating issues in grade 9/10 and for the most part after that, I've been fine.

But recently I've run into some trouble.

I've been trying to eat healthier lately, and it is really not working out well. It did for a while, but I've been so hard on myself. I'm trying to eliminate all bad foods. For me, this essentially means portion control and eating less baked goods, like cookies, muffins, and any desserts my mom makes.

I've been so hard on myself that I am overly concerned about my weight, which is weird.

I'm trying to hit 130 lbs and I usually get excited when I gain weight. But I bought this scale that tells me my body fat % which is what is freaking me out. My weight is going up, but so is my body fat %! I'm honestly starting to think that the scale is inaccurate, but I have no way of telling.

The problem is not that I am not eating well, it's just I am so concerned about it I am getting anxious about my weight more than I should.

This has been going on for 2 weeks ish.

I just had to step back and really look. I came to the realization that even if I har gained body fat, that I am still extremely healthy and fit. Sure, I can't let it get too high, but gaining 1% isn't that much of a big deal, especially if I am unsure whether or not he scale is actually working.

Although, there is good news! I've been wanting some hi tops for the gym, just for training, and I finally bought some. But they are special because I customized them! I wanted customized Adidas but they don't ship To Canada, so. Got reeboks. I got to pick the colors and I am getting them personalized with something else.

Once I get them in (hopefully before the end of march, and likely not before the Ed of march break) ill probably do a hole blog post about them because I'll love them so much. I just hope they are as nice as tht were online!

Bigger, faster, stronger.

Do you know what the most amazing feeling is?

Being able to lift more weight.
Being able to run longer distances.

It is absolutely amazing. I've been thinking about how much physical progress I have made since I started working out, because it has been around a year since I joined the gym. I compared before and after photos and I am so happy. But it's not just the way I look, it's what I can do.

When I first joined the gym, I was doing 8lb bicep curls--- that is a really small amount. I was extremely weak. Now I am doing 22.5lb bicep curls. Which is higher than most people at the gym do. Usually I see women doing 10-15lbs.

When I first joined the gym, I did like 75lb on the back extension. Now I am doing 195 lbs.

It's so crazy.

The craziest thing is how much easier it is for me to lift barbells now. Lifting and carrying a 40lb barbell for me at one point was a little bit of a struggle. Yesterday I was doing shoulder presses above my head with a 40lb barbell.

It's so hard to explain the way it feels. Lifting a 20lb dumbbell at one point felt really heavy, and now it is so light.

Recently I ran 30km for the first time. I was so worn out afterwards. I felt that same way after running my half marathon (21.1km). Yesterday I ran 21.2km, and today I was in no pain whatsoever, and I ran it 14minutes faster as well.

It's so crazy what your body can do if you just push it a little bit more each time.

Here are some pics of my progress. It's been a year and that is crazy.

I'm so excited to begin my second year.

My 30km run + Inspiration

I ran 30km for the first time today. My time was 3:00:15. 3 hours, 15 seconds. It's funny, because my goal to run 30k is to not go over 3 hours. 15 seconds. Really? Well my 30k run is not until March 24th. I can definitely scrape off 15 seconds. I hope I can scrape off at least 5 more minutes too.

The first 22ish km were pretty... well I wouldn't say easy, but it was simple. Once I got to around 24/25km in my run, I was so tired. I pushed on though. Once I eventually got to 28km, I began freaking out. I always get delusional in the last bits of my long runs, obviously from lack of water/nutrients/etc., and my right shoe untied 3 times. I was so delusional I cried every time it untied. Then I would start running again, and I would see that I was almost at 30k, and I would start laughing because I have almost completed my goal of running 30km! Once I finished it I was smiling so much, I was so delusional.

I did do something different this run: Caffeine pills. I have caffeine pills in 200mg doses (worth about 2 cups of coffee) and I took one before I started running, and then I took one after an hour and after 2 hours of running. I honestly think they helped a lot. Caffeine has a lot of positive effects on runners-- it reduces leg pain, helps speed up recovery, and increases alertness. Studies have also been done that show that it helps to increase running times, too. I know this from an essay I wrote last semester on the effects of caffeine on endurance athletes.

Now--- inspiration! I follow a lot of "fitspo" (fitness inspiration) accounts on instagram. I follow mostly women because I will see these muscular women and want their bodies. Especially their abs! They post quotes, images of their meals, etc. I think that by going over these instagrams, that it is actually helping me to be inspired to try harder.

I hope to find, maybe not a career, but a hobby out of my fitness regime. Right now the main goals I'm working on are building more muscle, losing more body fat, and increasing my distance and decreasing my running times. I am also working on eating healthier. I really think that by the fall of 2014, that I will have a body I am extremely proud of. I hope that I can gain an audience of others and inspire them to do the same and to start a healthier lifestyle, eventually. I want to be one of these people I see on instagram. I know that there are five in particular I like Bella Falconi (@BELLAFALCONI_FITNESS), Brittni Shae (@BSHAEFIT), Savannah Rose Neveux (@MUFFINTOPLESS), Jessie Hilgenberg (@JESSHILGENBERG_IFBB) and Maizee Demske (@MDEMSKE). These girls have amazing bodies!

I've been thinking about getting a fitness related tattoo, but I am not sure what. If I want some form of image or inspirational quote, or what. I don't want something cheesy like a barbell or a little dude lifting or something weird like that. I hope I find an idea. I might look for some quotes later.

Wouldn't it be amazing if once I achieve my body... or even in the meantime, that I can monetize my blog and youtube videos to earn money? Once I am 18/in university, I can do this. I really hope that I can make something out of this. I don't want my life career to be fitness oriented, but I wouldn't mind working for a gym during university, part-time, or doing something online to be inspirational.

Well. Only time will tell.

Failures

Failure is such a harsh word in the fitness community.

Sure, I have failed- but really, have I? If you get up and keep trying, you really haven't failed. Maybe you did something wrong that you had to reverse later, but eventually got back up there.

It's only failure if you stop trying.

I have this rule in which on holidays and celebrations such as birthdays, that I will eat whatever I want. On valentines day this year, I ate so much candy it was ridiculous. I am not sure how much it has affected my body because I am too afraid to take my weight and body fat %. But I must've had like 3000+ calories in candy. I might've gained 1lb. Which may not seem like a lot considering it was just one day, but when you are trying to reduce your body fat % significantly, pretty much everything counts.

I am actually kind of embarrassed about it, but I will talk about this anyways.

I wasn't going to admit this, but I've been eating candy pretty much all week since Monday. It is bad because last week I declared I was going to have the toughest diet now.

I did have a few triumphs in which I denied myself crackers and white bread, which is good. I should focus on my successes, but the chocolate is haunting me.

But I can't reverse what I did, and I am definitely not going to be bulimic.

So what am I going to do? Jump back on that horse. I am getting back into the swing of eating healthy. No more candy.

I know that it's bad to deprive yourself of candy and such, because then you will crave it more (obviously), but I don't do that. I am going to try to change my lifestyle up again. I am incorporating more dark green vegetables, less protein (because I was having too much), less "bad" carbs (like white bread, crackers), more skim milk and less chocolate milk. Removing candy, chocolate, chips, general junk food.

But again, I should focus on triumphs. I have been restricting certain foods in my diet for years. In the summer of 2010, I decided I would no longer drink soda. I had braces then, and you weren't supposed to have sugar soda with braces, so I had been drinking Diet soda, which has 0 calories. I sort of watched what I ate then, and so since diet soda had 0 calories--- I could have as much of it as I wanted? Wrong. I started having 2-3 cans of it a day. But it is still extremely unhealthy for you. So I stopped.
Since then, I have cheated and had some pop, but usually it's when I'm at a friend's house. I don't know for sure, but I have probably not had more than 20 cans/drinks of pop since 2010 when I decided to stop, and no less than 8.

Another triumph I've made is my reduction of ice cream intake. I used to eat an ENTIRE bucket of icecream/week. I realized this was bad, and I stopped. Of course I still eat ice cream (well I'm quitting it for a while to lower my body fat %), but not a bucket a week.

I also rarely eat hamburgers from fast food/restaurants. I've probably had less than 10 in the past 2 years.

Funny story about hamburgers. Over the summer of 2012, I was training for my half marathon. In August I started to crave an A&W hamburger. I told myself that a hamburger from A&W will be the first thing I eat after my half marathon, as a reward for my hard work. After I ran my half marathon, I was not even hungry. But my mom and her friend asked me what I wanted to eat, so I told them. My mom's friend then informed me that she doesn't think there are any A&Ws in Ottawa. What. What. What. There weren't any. So we went to a random hamburger joint. When we got there, I felt sick, and refused to eat any hamburgers. I think that night I drank a lot of water, I ate a yogurt, some random sample things I got from my swag-bag and maybe a banana or something. I remember I fell asleep munching on a box of cereal too.

Geez.

Well, I just hope that this can inspire someone to know that no matter if it's a diet problem or a workout problem, like missing a few workouts in a row, or eating unhealthy for a while, that you can always still go back to it and start over again.

Get back on that horse!