Well, thought it was about time for an update….here I am at 61 days out of the Olympia 2015 (9 weeks). Wow, where has the time gone?
I’m 11 weeks into my 20 week prep… started this one nice and early. I have an odd body, not a “typical” response to prep I would say. Generally, I grow into a show meaning I put on muscle as I lean out. I started this prep pretty heavy, made some great progress during my very short off season but my body fat was about 16%… not bad, considering the amount of candy I consumed, haha!
Physically, things have been challenging. The first weeks of prep can be the hardest as you adapt to a cleaner diet and see relatively minor changes. It’s tough. For me, it’s been really tough. Seeing progress motivates me, I’m not gonna lie… but at the same time, I was eating quite a bit of food still and getting stronger and stronger. I’m currently lifting the heaviest I’ve ever lifted and I LOVE it! So much fun to challenge myself that way, which is what I have tried to stay focused on. Non-Scale victories go a long way.
My body is resisting the process a bit, but at last things are starting to change. This is where consistency, putting in the hard work and keeping the big picture in mind comes into play…this is what can make or break a competitor in my opinion. Mind set. It’s everything.
This prep has also been a mental challenge… I had a short break from the structure, but mentally it wasn’t long enough perhaps. Now I generally love structure and routine but this level of intensity is a totally new game to me. I’m very fortunate to have a supportive husband, amazing coach and few friends who really push me to keep challenging myself further. I’ve struggled to stay positive…a lot of the time, I’ll be honest. My biggest downfall… I’m human. This is when I give my head a shake and think of how fortunate I am to be doing this… oh, poor me, I have to train because I’m going to stand amongst the best of the best. Ya. That puts it back into perspective really fast!
Things are coming together slowly……music almost done, suit is ordered, travel all booked, choreography coming. Now the REALLY hard work starts, pushing your body past it’s limits. But that’s what this is about… seeing how we can challenge ourselves and grow from it. To think I’m competing in the OLYMPIA blows my mind still… I don’t think I’ve fully wrapped my head around it quite yet.
On that note, I really believe in timing and signs, last week I came across something at the perfect time. I was not having the best week, feeling pretty tired and not enjoying the process. When I turned Pro in 2006 and started plans for the 2007 season, I had one goal on my mind: the Olympia. A good friend and mentor gave me an “O” pendant with diamonds on it, to keep my goal in focus and near my heart. Well, after my body decided it had had enough and shut down, I was devastated. I had no idea who I was without the stage and continual competing, but I had to find out in a big hurry and develop strength I didn’t know I could posses (another blog in itself). My goals of competing came to a screeching halt and I embarked on a new chapter of life… and the O pendant got put away. It physically hurt to see it daily.
So the other day for some reason I got out an old jewelry box… and my O pendant was the only thing in it, right on top. Talk about timing. Something clicked at that moment, all the drive and passion I used to have for the sport came flooding back tenfold. My goals became clear again and I began to get excited… funny thing, that’s when my body really started to respond.
I look at that pendant every day and express my gratitude to be able to do this.
A lot of people have been asking what my thought process is like during this prep, where my head is at. Honestly, it was buried in the sand up until recently… I was just putting in the work and waiting it out. Doing my best to stay focused and positive. It’s a daily challenge to not let the negative thoughts and self doubt creep in, but that makes me no different from anyone else. I haven’t fully processed what I’m doing but am starting to… to me, this is the same as any other show I’ve ever done, requires the same amount of work but a lot more heart. This show just happens to be the biggest of my sport and on my birthday. How’s that for timing?
I’ll update again next week. Till then, peace out…. do the work, earn the results.
J.