THE BIKE:
There were 3 loops to the bike course, about 37 miles each, along the southern half of the island. I’d already read about and was told by my coach, Dawn Monroe Eastwood, (www.coachdawnelder.com) where to expect the hard winds on the course. I figured for the first loop, I’d familiarize myself with the course. I started out slow trying to get a feel for my arthritic knee and if it was going to act up. It was not bad, but I didn’t want to risk a flare up, so I rode very conservatively and focused on enjoying the gorgeous scenery. Riding along the ocean on the east side was breathtaking. 


By loop two, at 38 miles, I was feeling strong and I started to push it, moving my speed up to about 16-18 miles per hour. Mind you, that is considered pretty slow for a race like this. I could tell people were passing me left and right, well, mostly on the left. I had to remind myself constantly that I was racing my own race, just to finish. I couldn’t let anyone dictate how fast I would go. In my mind, maybe I’d to catch a lot of these people on the run. HA !


The “windy” side of the island went from about mile 53 to 65 on the second loop. About halfway into that windy section, the arthritis in my knee started to flare up. I’m sure I popped another Advil plus a Hammer Enduralytes pill. By this time, I’d had 2 Lara bars, but I couldn’t stomach having any more. Solid foods no longer felt like they were being processed by my body, and my digestive system was stopped up. Sorry, TMI there, but it’s a real issue with me. I would not eat anything else for the rest of the day and that’s unheard of. So I kept drinking. I didn’t feel a need for food which kinda scared me. 


Heading into the last 5 or 6 miles of loop two through downtown were bumpy, lots of turns and a bit slow, but at least this time, I maneuvered refilling, emptying and unloading my water bottles much better. 


Starting the last loop at about mile 74 near Chatakanaab Park I felt strong, but not as strong as the last time around and I was starting to feel uncomfortable in my seat. So I did a lot of shifting around, some standing and just changing up my position to try to find a less compromised spot on my tush. Somehow I muscled through that last windy stretch and took the left turn, heading west to the city center. I was in the home stretch!!! Although it felt like forever until I started to see the familiar traffic intersections, cheering sections of local folks and traffic police stopping cars to let us through. In case you’re wondering, I only stopped once on the bike when another cyclist blocked me at a water station. I had to stop to keep from crashing into her. So I did, just for a second, refilled gatorade and kept going. But I never stopped for a restroom break which seemed unreal for me since I’d been taking regular bathroom breaks during my training. And usually, no bathroom breaks (some triathletes just “go” on the bike and don’t stop) means you’re dehydrated. I just hoped I wouldn’t pass out although it didn’t feel like dizzy in any way.


I just kept going and going until it seemed like all of a sudden, volunteers were waving me into the finishing lane and I was about to dismount. That’s when I heard my name, I wasn’t sure from where, but all of sudden I saw my hubby sitting on the curb, taking photos with his iphone. Oh my gosh, that was hilarious and so sweet because he hates taking pictures, being in pictures and anything to do with social media. So I smiled, waved and called out to him, too, as I rode into the second transition area. 


As I was getting off the bike, I thought to myself,”Okay, this could be a great day. I don’t need to do anything else to feel like I’ve had a great day of exercise…….But…. there was still a marathon left to run. Ugh! Whaaat??! This is insane. Can I do it?” 

​

It took me 28 minutes to get this look done. Stage make up under bright lights is very different from your day to day application and even from an evening look. Especially when you have to make it somewhat match with the mega tan they apply to us fitness competitors.  Have a look! I like a glam yet natural look for the stage. Nothing overdone. 

So I’m winding down to the last few weeks of training before prep goes into crazy overdrive with depletion workouts and nutrient manipulation to get to that final shredded state and stage ready.
​
I’m working on the details of my posing routines for two different divisions in the fitness competition, that being bikini (or beach body) and figure. What I’ve learned from my coaches is that I have the body type that, for now,  can compete in bikini and, also, figure, which is a more developed muscle physique. What that means, though, is that I’ll be a smaller figure competitor, for sure. But judges look for balance and symmetry and how your body shows that. You don’t want to have overly huge thighs or even shoulders that don’t match the rest of your physique. So, with that in mind, I’m gonna go for it. Why the heck not? You only live once, right? Might as well do as much as you can.  Sink or swim. I plan to swim, even if to have to hold on to the side for a little bit. Plus, I bought a frickin amazing posing suit that I am determined  to wear more than once to get my money’s worth out of it.

Today I did a shoulder and triceps workout before hitting a session with my posing coach, who, by the way, is amazing. I’ve learned so much from Brittany Rice about  what to bring to the stage that’s going to set you apart from other competitors. I can’t even begin to tell you how far I’ve come. She’s really helped me bring my “sass” out on stage, which you definitely need to make an impact on judges, as well as the tight glutes, abs and overall muscle tone and conditioning.
This year, my challenge has been to build my shoulders. It’s been really difficult.  My coach says I must be an ectomorph. That sounds horrible but it’s basically a long, lean person who has difficulty building muscle. That would be me. (Not sure about the long and lean part at my age.) But our plan is for me to lift heavy for another week before depletion supersets start and then peak week, of course. My coach, Helen Horton, says continuing to lift heavy should keep me full in time for the stage. (You don’t want to look “flat” Read all about ectomorphs here and what body type are you www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm )

That brings me to the next progress mention. Today I went in for body measurements and even though I knew the scale had not been moving in a downward direction much I felt a lot leaner and tighter in the midsection and all-around. I was on average about a half a pound lighter throughout the week, but at this point I’m not trying to lose much weight. It’s more about how my physique is looking overall.

Last time I checked in for body composition measurements, I was 9.4% bodyfat with 113 pounds of lean mass. Today, two weeks later, I was down to 9.1% bodyfat with 112 pounds of lean body mass. I’ve gone down only about a half a pound, but it all adds up to some nice gains over the two weeks.  Less fat plus I’m slighter lighter in weight is a great thing!

It to give you an idea how different women’s bodies can be, some figure competitor teammates and even bikini competitors on my team, have gone on stage at about 7% bodyfat. In fact, one of our teammates is currently at 7.4% bodyfat and she’s also 3 weeks out from competition. But everybody’s body shape and where you hold your weight, is so
different that 7.5% body fat on stage may look perfect on one women but that would make another competitor look like Skeletor.

For me, much of my advantage (if I do it right) will come from my posing routine, conditioning (holding the flexed pose) and angles I show on stage. Of course, the nutrition has to be on point, and with Helen’s guidance, I shouldn’t have any problems there.

All in all, this prep season has been amazing, my best one so far! I eliminated some stressors, got better sleep and was able to focus better on my nutrition. I’m not saying I didn’t feel like just quitting at some point during this training because I did!! But every time I was feeling defeated, I went through some significant turning point that kept me on the path.

So, what I’d like to share and stress to you is to never be afraid to put it all on the line. Face the scariest things in your life with staunch determination and don’t stop even when you’re at your weakest moments and you want to throw it all away, find that small grain of strength and pull yourself out of your funk and march on! It worked for me for 26 years as a TV newscaster and now as a developing fitness competitor.

This Saturday marks 15 weeks until I hit the stage for my first fitness competition this season. I have been excited about this prep frankly because I was tired of overindulging during the holidays and I was craving some clean, natural and non processed foods. So, as I have discovered after 3 years of preparing for fitness competitions, there are ebbs and flows in the training. For example, just when you think, you’ve got the whole process figured out, you get a curveball thrown at you.
  
It happened to me last year in my third year going through fitness competition training. I was finally “free” of the time constraints of a full time job. I had “more time" to devote to prep and “less stress” from a demanding career. Or so I thought. 


The red flags? While prepping for the two competitions I had in 2018, my body wasn’t responding the way I expected. I mean, in my mind, I had figured out how to manipulate macros to help me lose weight and build muscle the year before, but I just wasn’t seeing the progress as quickly as the other competitors on my team and I couldn’t explain why.  My body seemed to be at a standstill for almost 2 months with very little progress in my physique development. My body fat was barely creeping down as the weeks went by. I started my prep in May and, still, at the end of June, I felt stagnant. I couldn’t see the progress in the mirror, the scale or my body measurements.


Should I quit? Well, that wasn’t an option, but I was preparing myself to face failure if my body couldn’t get its act together. I tried everything I could to figure out what was hindering me and  couldn’t pinpoint it. I took extra digestive enzymes, probiotics, special teas to help with digestion, but nothing worked. It was so strange because everything I had done the year before to get stage ready, didn’t seem to be working this time around.


How zany is fitness competition prep? I am the first to admit, being stage ready for a competition, can be extreme. It’s wild to think a woman will diet down to 8-9%t body fat and in the process lose about 10-15 pounds to get there. Some competitors may lose more, if they start out heavier. But what I enjoy about competing is, not only the challenge of getting “stage ready”, but everything I have learned about eating clean. Learning to meal prep has made all the difference in my knowledge about weight loss and maintenance. Plus, even after I am done competing for good, there are so many things I can take with me as I transition into a less restrictive lifestyle so I don’t spiral into the weight gain trap.


What did I learn? Well, I learned that when you make major life changes, as in your work schedule, changes careers, or leaving a career, it will affect your mental state and ability to reach weight loss goals. At least it did in my case. But my body is like that — I’ve heard others are like this, too, But, seriously, any change in routine, even traveling, throws my body out of whack. 


What else changed? Not just the lack of a structured day where I had every moment figured out, but I started a new business as a fitness & nutrition coach, and that was taking  a lot of my time, cutting into my sleep and generally adding a physical workload that I wasn’t figuring in to my prep. When I finally started counting the calories I was burning during the boot camp classes I was holding, it turns out I was burning as many as 300 to 400 calories per class, just setting up weights, and teaching it!! So maybe I wasn’t eating enough or eating too many protein bars because I didn’t have the time to stop and breathe and get in regular foods. Maybe, as my nutrition, aka, life coach, told me I was building up cortisol which was interfering with my physique goals. (Check out what too much cortisol does here: www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037 )


What am doing differently now? I have realized I have to remove some of the stressors in my life if I want to reach a new, bigger and better personal goal. So, just as I have preached to my clients, I have had to apply the advice to my own life. I have to slow down. We all have to slow down, to be able to focus on priorities and reach your goals. If you are a notorious multitasker with a little bit of ADD in your personality, like me, that is really hard.


So, moving forward, the goal in 2019 is to declutter physically, emotionally, and digitally! Focus, take your time, be patient and work hard! Now, get after those goals! Hope all your aspirations for this year and beyond come true!

​

\    Every week gets better and has its high points and setbacks. Week 2 went just like that. Sunday through Thursday were amazing. I followed the diet plan well, I came much closer to hitting my calories and macronutrients like I am supposed to. I got back into the swimming pool for laps. This is my steady state cardio much like what many of my 8 Week Get Lean Challengers are required to do for their cardio. It used to be really hard to step back from my running to swim or jump rope or cycle instead, but now I enjoy the rest I give my knees by switching gears in the cardio department. 
     I dropped down to 130 pounds but then came Friday and my husband's charity golf tournament and I blew it on the diet end. I'm pretty mad at myself for not having more self control, But as with all fitness journeys, it takes time to get to your goals. Thank goodness I have 16 more weeks to go. (But when you are on an 8 week challenge, it doesn't give you much leeway for slip ups.)
    Anyway, I'm back on track, I am expecting to drop my calories again this week. Not sure by how much yet. But I have been having trouble eating all those calories on most days anyway  (except the weekend when I blew it!) 
     So, new week, slightly adjusted nutrition goals, positive attitude and, boom, let's get it done!  

Week one was tough. I got all the workouts done, and actually Monday through Wednesday were great. I even lost a pound in those 3 days, and hidden ab muscles were beginning to make a reappearance.

The hard part is that I am planning my food a little differently this year since I don't have to be at an "office" for eight to nine hours a day, so it's not necessary to pack my food for the day. I can prepare it with a little more flexibility and creativity. However, as a result, I haven't gotten into a groove for when to eat my food, when to have a snack versus a regular meal. I'm basically all over the place as a mom who works from home now scheduling my day around the kids and the hubby.

That's where having a set routine, where you do work and have to be somewhere from a certain time to a certain time helps if you are meal prepping or trying to stay on an eating schedule. It gives you that routine and stability of knowing where you are going to be at some hour of the day. Even if you travel in a car for your workday, at least you know where you will be and how to plan your food.

My calories are down to 1883 for a few days a week and 1663 for the rest of the time. So I have been logging my food meticulously and looking at the grams of protein, carbs, and fats that I am eating. 

My biggest challenge has actually been getting all my protein in and sometimes the carbs, too. What happens is by 8:30 or 9 I am still supposed to eat more, but I just can't handle eating anymore chicken, beef or fish! I haven't wanted a protein shake, either. I am going to have to change my routine somehow. I bought some bone broth recently. Maybe I'll have to force myself to drink my protein in a broth that's not so heavy for late in the evening. I need to try a few recipes with it. I might just add some lo carb toast to it or add the broth to another dish. One cup has 50 calories and 10 grams of protein. (<-insert creativity here)

So where am I starting in this competition prep process ? I managed to keep my body fat between 12-15% during marathon training, but in the last 4 weeks of training and in the 2 weeks post-marathon, I popped up to  19% body fat. Not good. But that's what's been happening during the longest portions of my endurance training. (That's why I got into bodybuilding!) I think my body goes into "reserve" mode or "safety" mode and starts hoarding calories because it thinks I'm going to die running all those miles! Lol But, seriously, I think that's what's happening. It's like a self preservation mechanism. But the good news is I didn't get up to 23% body fat which is what happened last year. And I attribute that to following a macros plan all year. 

One documented theory for why this happens to endurance athletes is explained in an article by Gale Bernhardt, an Olympic triathlete and cycling coach, on TrainingPeaks.com, According to the piece, nearly 25% of American adults have Metabolic Syndrome, a disorder that "causes calories to be stored instead of burned. If you have Metabolic Syndrome you’re not good at using calories from sugar for energy....You can’t get sugar into the muscle. Sugar gets moved to the liver and converted to stored fat." So how the body uses sugar, or carbs, is affected. Your body is processing the carbs you eat for energy and instead is just hoarding them on your body. You can read more about this here www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/metabolic-syndrome-gaining-weight-during-endurance-sports-training/

But now for the positives of the week! I recently discovered a new breakfast item/snack I love thanks to my coach! Mashed sweet potatoes and a scoop of any favorite protein powder. I like to add fruit on top! I keep the sweet potatoes to 100-120 grams. So it comes out to about 270-280 calories per serving and at least 20 grams of that is protein. Win!! 

Seventeen more weeks to get this new round of prep done right! The Texas Shredder is September 8th! Not letting one set back knock me off track. Just gotta focus on starting the week fresh and doing the best I can. That's what I hope my Get Lean Challengers take from this, too! One bad day or week isn't the end of the world. 

​