Post Show Ramblings…

I always have good intentions of posting my daily entries.  But Friday was insane.  There was way too much to focus on for one person to control.  And to top it off I was worn out and knew I needed a nap.  So the day was spent shaving, doing some light cardio, a haircut, packing my bags, getting in my food, checking in to the hotel, getting spray tanned…oh and somehow managing a 3 hour nap!!!  I got everything done that had to get done.  Obviously posting to the blog was left off the list.  I was also able to attend the evening show and see a fellow competitor strut her stuff.  The figure girls all looked great and I could tell that the show was well put together.  I rushed home afterwards in my freshly tanned skin and crawled into bed.

The day of the show was filled with all the hype and excitement that I expected.  I woke up, ate my rice cakes and peanut butter, triple checked my bag, and headed for the competitors meeting.  I didn’t see too many of the other guys at the tanning session or at the polygraph…so this was my first chance to see some of them.  No massive freaks…whew!  After the meeting I met my family and found my trainer.  We had hours before pre-judging!  There was really not much to do.  Talked to some fellow competitors, talked to the trainer, sent and received 1,000 text messages.  The time was dragging on…

Suddenly the time was there.  I went and touched up my tan.  Some of it had rubbed off on my clothes.  And there were a couple of spots water had dripped.  We went over a couple of last minute posing adjustments and tips.  I ate a handful of chocolate covered almonds and a swig or two of water.  Next, I ran and got shined up by the tanning girls.  And then just as they called us to line up, I ran over and pumped up with curls, lat raises and pushups.  I knew I was depleted beyond all get out when I picked up the 25lb dumbbells and struggled to do sets.  Ugh!

Pre-judging could have lasted 5 minutes or 50 minutes….we were up there a long time.  I focused as much attention I could on each pose and trying to transition from one to the next.  Above all the cheers and people yelling out, I could hear my trainer’s voice.  He just had to say a word and I knew what needed to be adjusted…’Spread’…’Legs’…’ABS!’  It was finally over as we walked off the stage.  It was such a feeling of relief and excitement all at once.  I had no clue how the other guys did…I just knew that I did my best, looked my best, and left everything out there.  There was a mistake here and there, but otherwise I was happy with my performance.  Here is a couple of pics from backstage after pre-judging:

I needed food in a bad way and we headed to get steak and sweet potatoes…along with 20 ounces of water.  I was so depleted and water deprived that it could easily be written in the history books as one of my favorite meals of all time. 

The rest of the afternoon I relaxed in the hotel room.  I had a few hours before the competitors meeting.  And then I knew it would be 4-5 hours before I had my night routine.

Here is a pic of my brother and I backstage before the night show:

Everyone has different methods backstage.  What they eat?  How they tan?  How they shine, stretch, pump, practice posing…?  Everyone did things just a little bit different.

At about 10pm…I finally was lined up and ready to go.  I didn’t have a flashy routine.  No smooth, coordinated moves.  Just some simple poses…well executed.  That was my plan.  We only had 60 seconds, so it was going to be quick.  I chose Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’ as my music.  It was upbeat and got me to block out that I was standing on a stage in a not so modest pair of posing trunks, trying to entertain the crowd and win over the judges.  It was the perfect music for just that. 

In the end, I didn’t  place.  DNP!  I learned so much from the whole experience.  Lots of takeaways for things I would have done differently.

We went out for dinner afterwards.  It was 10:30pm and I was STARVING!  I ended up eating 4 slices of pizza and 3 frozen margaritas.  I had planned all along to have Mexican afterwards, but they were closed.  Pizza and margaritas was just as good.  Oh…and I also had 2 gatorades and LOTS of water.  I didn’t really want or need the food.  I just wanted some liquids!

The next day I woke up as if I had been asleep for 6 months.  We went out for starbucks for breakfast.  No more black coffee for me!  I had a grande pumpkin spice latte and a scone.  Soooo good!  I then drove back to my apartment, stopping to get a pizza to eat while I sat on the couch and watched Sunday football. 

Finally, I headed over for hands-down…the best meal I have had in 6 months!  Chicken in a red wine sauce, potatoes, butternut squash risotto, green beans with mushrooms, bottles of wine….and then the meal ended in a crescendo of wholesome goodness…..:  POW!

The picture doesn’t do it justice.  The smells, the flavor….mmmmm!  One bite and I had forgotten all about contest prep…it seriously erased the last 6 months of my memory!  It’s a chocolate soufflé with Haagen-Dazs ice cream, homemade whipped cream, and some hard chocolate swirls to add some crunch.  Bravo!!!  

Dos Mas! Only 2 More Days!

Plenty to discuss today…and it all started with sleeping through my alarm.  I sure hate the feeling of being behind or running late.  I knew it was possible.  I couldn’t fall asleep again!  Didn’t fall asleep until after midnight.  Having the alarm go off at 5:30am was a bad idea.  So I hit snooze…so sue me!  It happens.  I moved through the apartment at lightning speed…banging my knees into every bed corner and door jamb in my apartment.  Apparently I have the grace and composure of a 800 pound gorilla when I am tired and hungry! 

At the gym I cranked out my cardio.  The book got me through it.  I couldn’t tell you if I was pedaling backwards or forwards.  I was sweating at the end, but that is all I remember.  I wasn’t supposed to lift weights today, but posing last night left my chest, arms and shoulders in a lot of pain.  I hit the incline press machine with a vengeance….only to find that I had zero strength.  I mean ZERO strength.  I haven’t dropped weight on a machine so fast.  It was pathetic.  Mentally I was ready to max out…but physically I could barely lift the Smith Machine bar.  The rest of the lifts suffered just the same.  I finished with my abs.  They cramped and turned into knots.  Such a feeling of defeat!  Regardless…I was feeling great!  I wasn’t about to let one bad workout ruin my day.  ONE…I didn’t have time to sulk….and TWO…I am extremely excited for what lies ahead in the next two days.  Moving on!

Breakfast included two packets of oatmeal and 4 eggs.  I didn’t stutter…oat…meal!  I inhaled it!  At my desk I was focused on work.  My brain was in a fog…or perhaps mud is a better term.  I would start typing an email, then I would get side-tracked by something else…and forget about the email completely.  Not only did I get oatmeal today, there was also some rice mixed in with the day.  Just small amounts, but it gave me tons of energy. 

Back at the gym for my afternoon session.  Another 50 minutes on the bike and reading my book.  I finally caught myself constantly touching my stomach…yep still there…abs! 

Tomorrow I am off from work.  I knew I needed a day to relax and pack and schedule appointments for tanning and a haircut…and running to the grocery store for last minute food.  There was a lot to keep in order.  Not to mention who knows what sort of mood I am in on limited water.  Could be a total bear! 

And Then There Were 3 Days…

Again, I’m a day late for getting this post out.  Another 5:00am wake up call ended with me falling asleep around midnight.  Part of it was my schedule…but the other part was that I couldn’t fall asleep!  Was it nerves?  Excitement?  Hunger?  Stress?  No idea, but I tossed and turned trying to fall asleep. 

On this day, the trainer came back from his vacation.  It was a welcoming site to see his mug at 6:30 in the morning anxious to see where I was.  We touched base, came up with a plan for the next 3 days and then he turned me loose on the gym.  It was just what I needed.  Not having him around…my mind started to wander helplessly.  So quickly he drew up a defined plan that was soooo detailed that every question I could come up with…it was explained right there on a sheet of paper (actually 2 sheets of paper). 

The rest of the day was just like the last 3.  Same eating plans.  Same workout routines.  I felt fine for most of the day.  I started concentrating on what needed to be accomplished each of the next 2 days.  Like I said…having a written plan or to-do list is all that is keeping me going right now.  Plus my brain is foggy.  I’m getting back to where I was a few months ago…constantly forgetting some of the most basic things.  I actually drove right by the entrance to my office building.  I saw it.  Thought to turn.  But then just kept driving.  Whoops!  Part of the written plan includes carbs for tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to it!

4 Days and Then What?

I now have 4 days until the show…Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then BAM!….Saturday!  I woke up this morning and weighed myself.  It was more curiosity than anything else.  23 weeks ago I stepped on the scale and saw 232.  Today…182.  50 pounds exactly….hello peak week!  I had been hovering the past month or two around 186-189.  No ups or downs.  But I could see differences in the mirror.  So clearly there had been some serious progress just in the last week.  And we haven’t even started to deplete water!  I was starting to feel worried last weekend.  But the last few days have shown all the hard work paying off. 

I woke up with an even worse sore throat.  I wasn’t happy, but didn’t know what to do.  So I did what any insane person would do…I put on my gym clothes and got my butt on the bike!  Nothing beats a good sore throat and runny nose like sweating your tail off!  It actually helped.  By the time I got ready and headed to work it was mostly gone.  Still a runny nose…but I knew it was just allergies….nothing serious! 

The food today wasn’t bad.  Another busy day that I didn’t have time to think about how hungry I was.  I am trying to drink plenty of coffee and water to keep my stomach full.  And of course there is plenty of gum…in my car, in my apartment, in my desk drawer at work, in my gym bag, and of course always one in my pocket.  

And then came my afternoon cardio and lifting routine.  The first sign of being depleted showed up with a vengeance.  Suddenly I had no energy to do anything.  Pedaling on the bike was not easy.  I kept looking at the clock thinking that I could use some internal mind power to speed up time.  But to no avail.  It was the longest 50 minutes of my life.  I kept reading the same page in my book, getting to the end and then having no clue what I just read!  And then reading the page again and again and again..still clueless about what happened.  Lifting wasn’t bad.  I just got in and out…no wasting time! 

There are plenty of ideas of projects I want to complete after the show, all of which will take months or years.  But I did spend some time today thinking about the minutes, hours, and days immediately following the show.  I need a plan!  I’m too tempted right now to go crazy…eating all of the food I so desperately crave.  Skipping my workouts!  Giving up on my morning fasted cardio sessions!  I’m now a creature of habit and having a plan helps me stay focused.  I have ideas in mind of what I want.  Slowly adding things back in…carbs, rest days, etc.  This would be much easier than going from this extreme to the other.    

5 Days! But a Day Late…

Yesterday was chaotic.  The schedules.  The eating plans.  The workouts.  The running from meeting to meeting.  The not getting home until 10pm.  It was good in one way…my mind was not thinking about food all day.  From the time I hopped on the bike and began reading at 6:00am…to the 4 eggs I ate right before I crawled into bed…my mind didn’t have time to even consider cravings or hunger pains or anything else for that matter. 

I did spend a considerable amount of time on posing though.  So much so that I was worn out.  Cramps!  Ouch!  You know you are depleted when you start getting cramps just laying in bed trying to fall asleep.  I sneezed typing this post and every one of my abs decided to flex and hold and never let go!  Ouch!!!! 

I went to bed with a sore throat…hoping it was just allergies!  The last thing I need is to be sick.  I laid in bed wondering if I could even have nyquil or tylenol or any other medicine if I actually do get sick.  Everything has been regulated for quite awhile…but now everything I eat or drink is carefully calculated.  No ‘just one bites’ for me!  It isn’t worth it at this point…all of the hard work is clearly staring at me in the mirror.  All I can hope for is several nights of good sleep to get rid of whatever my body is battling.  

6 Days! Only 6 Days!

If there is anything I needed right now, it was a day to relax.  To decompress, to process where I was at and what I needed this week, and to catch up on anything I’ve neglected lately.  Today was that day!  I awoke at 10:00am (went to bed around 11:30pm) and felt like I had slept for a week.  I physically couldn’t sleep any longer.  I was awake just in time to catch some of the 9/11 memorial stuff on TV.  Ten years ago I was in college and received a phone call from my mom saying I needed to get out of bed and turn on the TV.  It was 10am on a Thursday…of course I was still in bed…she knew me too well.  Suddenly word spread through the fraternity house what had just happened and 30 guys rolled out of bed to sit and watch.  That was all we could do.  Sit and watch.  I think we all know where we were that day.  I’m definitely one of those that can tell you what my life was like before that day…and then how my life has been since.  Not taking life for granted…living life to the fullest…and living as if today could be my last…no regrets…that is how I have lived since. 

After sitting this morning (almost in the same sense of shock and awe as I did 10 years ago) I got my day started.  I cooked my chicken, did some laundry, cleaned up my apartment, and then got settled in for 3 hours of some of the worst football in Chiefs history.  It was terrible.  Not inspiring.  The complete opposite of what every fan had hoped for since the playoffs last year.  The only positive of the whole game was that it gave me time to bang out my ab routine. 

I ate my next meal and then headed to Starbucks to sit outside in the nice weather and read my book.  Again, anything just to relax and conserve energy.  And now I am back at home updating my posts, finding some recipes I want to try in a couple of weeks, and then watching some more 9/11 specials.  The perfect way to end the day.   

7 More Days!

A Saturday morning and my alarm was set for 6:20am!  My last Saturday for awhile where I have to set an alarm!  So why was I up so early?  Local competitors had the opportunity to schedule the polygraph exam a week ahead of the show in order to get it out of the way.  My exam was scheduled for 7:30am.  I still needed to complete 2 hours of cardio and a full leg day…and did I mention my gym closes at noon on Saturdays?  So setting my alarm and getting the polygraph out of the way was a good idea.  I was nervous long before I arrived at the office building.  What would they ask?  What if I fail because I’m so nervous?  What do you wear to a polygraph exam?  Ugh!  I walked into the office and could smell McDonald’s.  The guy doing the exam was eating McDonald’s…bigger ugh!  So I was asked all the questions I figured they would ask….Is today Saturday?  Am I sitting in a chair?  Have I ever taken any of the banned substances?  I was told right away that I passed…so I got that going for me! 

I was at the gym with plenty of time to get everything done.  I did start a new book, so the cardio seemed to go by quickly.  One of the girls competing in the figure portion of the show was at the gym.  We caught up, swapped our meal plans for this week, and gave each other some encouragement going into the final stretch.  It sure helps to talk to someone else that is going through the same ups and downs!  It was leg day at the gym.  I had more strength than I expected…probably from the caffeine, but I’ll take whatever I can get.

I ran home and ate my chicken and broccoli.  I had to shower and get out of the house as quickly as possible.  In addition to holding polygraph exams a week ahead of the show…they were also allowing competitors to come handle the registration process at the local gym.  It was one less thing to worry about, so I jumped at the chance.  I made the trek across town just in time before they closed.  I was able to purchase my NANBF membership card, ask a few questions about the show, and then find out the last minute details about when and where I needed to be next Saturday.  There are a lot of competitors and it sounds like it is going to be a long day!  After I left the registration I headed to get more coffee.  My ‘peak week’ doesn’t technically start until tomorrow.  I’m trying to enjoy every bit of ‘treats’ I can before then…and a hot cup of coffee is the perfect treat on a nice Fall day!

It was then time to head to the store for a few items I would need to get me through the week.  Food will stay basically the same for the next 4 days, so I bought everything I needed.  My objective for the next 4-5 days is to STAY BUSY!  Doing workouts, having meetings, writing blog posts, cooking, cleaning, getting stuff ready for next weekend, exfoliating…whatever it takes to keep my mind in the right spot.  It is definitely a ‘hope for the best, but plan for the worst’ mentality right now. 

I started reviewing other blogs and am drawn to recipes people are posting.  Everything from downright sinful….TheKitchenCookie. 

To the intriguing ideas over at…Protein PowDer. 

And then the blog that could very well affect everyone’s contest prep with some amazing recipes that fit perfectly with all of the restrictions….RecipeForFitness. 

I am definitely trying some of the recipes from these sites.  But for now the pics posted of the finished product are sure helping with the cravings!  Thanks!

8 Days

A short post to recap yesterday…

I knew the weekend was going to busy…my posts tomorrow and Sunday will cover all of the prep work I need to get done…so I started making lists of things I needed to do.  It definitely kept me focused on being productive and filling my time.  Staying focused in the gym is another story.  I’m not sure if it’s boredom or lack of energy or what, but after doing cardio it takes every bit of concentration to get through lifting.  This was one of those days.  Not having a workout partner is not helping either.  Instead it’s me, myself and I trying to convince my body to finish my sets, squeeze each rep, and to get through everything.  The only thing helping is the little words and accolades I am getting from people around me.  It definitely helps! 

After my second round of cardio and lifting, I headed back to work to finish some projects.  I headed home, ate and then was out the door.  Maybe it was the weather or maybe it was because it was a Friday…but I was in a great mood.  Just happy with my progress and knowing that I was only a week away.

Friday night we went to the circus with my nieces and nephews.  It was a great time.  The adults loved it as much as the kids.  I was great all night until my nephew sat next to me with his box of popcorn…every 2 minutes…’Hey Uncle Aaron, want some popcorn?’  I resisted…but it was tough!  Such a thoughtful kid!

Tomorrow is the polygraph and registration check-in for the show…

9 Days Until the Show…

Another great day in Prep-ville!  I’d compare my current state of mind to the weeks leading up to graduation from college.  My days, nights, weekends were packed full of activities and responsibilities.  I remember thinking and worrying what I would do with my time when graduation was over.  A 9-5 job would hardly compare to my schedule in college.  And now, here I am, waking up at 5am.  Spending every free minute and hour on something related to contest prep.  My list of ideas for post contest is getting longer.  I will certainly need to find something to fill my time almost immediately.  Right now…watching Thursday night football…I should seriously consider spending more time on my fantasy leagues. 

I do know that many things will stay the same after the contest.  Food for example.  Crazy thing about me and food…I’ve been a ‘clean eater’ for almost 4 years now.  And in that time I’ve lost and gained a fair amount of weight through cycling.  Let me explain….eating clean doesn’t make you lose weight.  I ate clean and gained 40 pounds in about 9 months.  Folks….you can eat clean and still gain weight…or shall I say gain lean muscle mass.  Big difference between the two!  I can also say that I ate clean and lost 50 pounds in 4-5 months.  So what’s the difference?  Balancing macros…proteins, carbs, fats.  I posted my eating plan a few weeks ago.  Very heavily concentrated on protein and fat.  If I was to post my off-season eating plan it would include not much more food, but greater balance between the macros.  I could never buy in to a low-carb diet…until I tried it myself.  Understanding how my body responded to 25 grams of carbs compared to 150 grams of carbs transformed my shape and gave me the knowledge I needed to get as shredded as I am today.

I’ll add the disclaimer here…only because the next time I don’t eat clean someone will see me and call me out on it…I do not always eat clean (contest prep is the exception).  Having a cheat meal or cheat day or the occasional slice of cake to celebrate a birthday is certainly ok.  It can actually help you.  Eating junk once a day or every other day or multiple times in a day is not helping!  I can eat my way lean…but I can’t spend enough hours on an elliptical burning off a day’s worth of poor eating!

My guide to eating clean is pretty simple.  Here are the rules I follow:

1. Limit processed food.  Read the label – If you can’t pronounce it…don’t eat it. 
2. Know what you’re eating.  Track the food you eat in an online nutrition guide.  Start understanding how many grams of carbs are in the food you eat.  It keeps you accountable and it educates you on why those last 10 pounds aren’t coming off! 
3. Define your portions.  You can have ice cream…you can not have 3 cups of ice cream. 
4. Identify clean carbs:
1. Brown rice.
2. Oatmeal.
3. Gluten-free bread.
4. Whole grain food.
5. Identify clean proteins:
1. Lean beef.
2. Chicken.
3. Tuna.
4. Whey protein isolate.
5. Bison.
6. Eggs.
7. Cottage cheese.
6. Identify clean fats:
1. Almonds, walnuts (unsalted).
2. Natural peanut butter.
3. Fish or fish oils.
4. Olive oil.
7. Eat your veggies.  Green veggies are the best.  They are good for you and help make you feel full.
8. Find dessert.  Everyone loves dessert or some food that they crave and can never get enough.  During contest prep…my dessert is coffee.  If ever I am feeling down or want to reward myself…I head to the coffee shop as my payoff.  Find something healthy to make as your ‘dessert.’  A spoonful of natural peanut butter is like gold right now! 
9. Cheat!  Mentally I can tell myself ‘no’ to eating bad food if I know there is a cheat meal in sight.  It’s a mind trick I use to keep focused. 
10. Plan ahead!  There is only one way I could sabotage my eating clean plans….not being prepared!  Cook a week’s worth of chicken, pack your lunch each night, take an extra 10-15 minutes to think about what you need before you go to the store (and make a list) and even create a menu (posted on the fridge) of what you’re planning on eating at every meal. 
11. Don’t be afraid to eat out!  It’s almost habit to look at a restaurant’s menu before I head anywhere.  It’ll never be exactly as you want, but you can always ask for healthier versions (no salt, no butter, substitute items, etc.).  I try to eat something before I head out just so I’m not tempted by the basket of rolls or sucked in to getting dessert.  (This rule doesn’t apply to a cheat meal)! 

10 Days Left…

Today was leg day…and I realized that I only have 2 more leg days before the show…!!!! 

Morning workout:

Leg Curl:  2x10/15

Stiff Leg Deadlifts:  2x10/15

Seated Calf Raises:  2x10/15

40 minutes of cardio

Abs:  4x100 Bicycle crunches….4x25 Double crunches…4x25 V-ups.

Afternoon workout:

Squats:  4x10, 8, 6, 12

Leg Press:  3x8, 6, 6

Leg Ext:  5x10 (40 seconds rest)

40 minutes of cardio

Next is getting myself prepared for prep week.  I know a general idea of what the food will consist of, and the training will stay pretty much the same.  Now to just get myself mentally prepared for any curveballs that are thrown my way. 

My #1 to do in the next day or two…decide on music!  I need 60 seconds!

11 Days To Go

Keeping my mind on other stuff is getting to be a full time job.  Fortunately I am back in reading mode and got hooked on the Dan Brown book ‘The Lost Symbol’ last week.  No idea why I never tried these…the movies were great.  Two hours of cardio just doesn’t seem to be enough.  I always hear the bike beep at 60 minutes and I want to read the next chapter.  Every chapter seems to leave you wanting more.  I checked out ‘Angels and Demons’ tonight at the library.  Reading sure does make the time fly by!

Now my day…

The 3-day weekend gave me time to relax and catch up on sleep.  The 5:20am alarm clock went off and I was wide awake…ready to hit the gym.  I am typically not awake until 30-40 minutes into my cardio session.  Sometimes I am not awake until the shower after my workout.  And then there are days I am not awake until 8am when I sit down at my desk to eat.  Today was not like that.  So far I can’t complain about the food.  Egg whites, almonds, protein powder, and coffee for breakfast.  I am typically starving by the time I get everything unpacked at my desk.  I could easily eat this every morning for another 6 months. 

Back to my day…..work was work.  Today I noticed using my office as my kitchen table was getting a bit much.  I am usually in a hurry to eat, which means I am not the cleanest.  If you look closely, there are little drops of food and protein and sauces all over my desk and computer.  My desk and keyboard would be the perfect source for a high school science experiment right now.  ICK!  I can’t even imagine what my drycleaner thinks about the food stains on my shirts.  Mustard?  No problem!  Tomorrow…I shall clean!

I went down early to lift and finish my cardio.  Having a gym on site at work makes it almost too easy.  Showered and back upstairs for tuna and almonds…I was starving!  It’s about 4pm each day that I can tell my body wants a huge meal (and yet it just gets a can of tuna and 15 almonds). 

After work I came home to eat dinner, clean up dishes and pack my bag for tomorrow.  It was super nice outside.  My allergies didn’t agree, but I wanted to go somewhere and do something.  So I walked down the street to the library to check out some more books.  Then I was headed to Starbucks to sit outside and people watch over a hot cup of coffee.  Much better than being locked inside all night!   

12 days remain

Starting weight…188.

Taking time to consider the aftermath is about the only thing keeping me focused today.  I slept in later than normal, ate breakfast, and headed to the park for a walk around the track.  It was way too nice in KC to go to the gym yet.  So 90 minutes of 70 degree weather was amazing!  I stopped at Starbucks on the way home for my caffeine fix and then was ready for the second meal of the day.  What do I like most about a 3 day weekend?  No agenda!  Next stop…the gym!  Arms and chest and abs and 60 minutes on the bike.  My normal gym was closed for the holiday and ended up spending $10 for a guest pass at another place.  I didn’t mind…much better people watching at this place (totally worth the price of admission).  And now back at home…pot of coffee, laptop, my DVR, and catching up on all things virtual.  You know you had a good workout when your abs hurt just sitting on the couch. 

Back to the aftermath…

If you had asked me 2 days ago what my plans were after the show…I would have replied…’Mexican!’  That was about as far as I had thought on the topic.  But perhaps most people want to know my plans beyond Saturday night following the show.  Surely there will be plenty of meal plans and workout schedules in my future.  I haven’t committed to any future contest preps, yet.  But above all else…I have focused every bit of effort for the past 22 weeks on training.  Every hour of every day was planned and controlled.  Strong mind, strong body!  So if I have the strength and determination to do anything like this for so long….perhaps I need to re-focus that energy on another challenge.  I’ve thought over the past few days…what is something that would challenge me?  What is something that would take weeks, months, or even years to accomplish?  How could I balance this with normal life?  Is there anything I ever wanted to do…and was told no?  What is the financial requirement?  What is the payoff in the end?  What is the risk of failure?  You can consider these questions my decision tree.  I know I’ve thought a lot about each of these and come up with some ideas of what I want to do in the aftermath of the show.  I also know what I don’t want to do…sit at home with no ambition or goal in life.  Ick! 

I guess over the past year…throughout training for the half marathon and now the contest prep for the bodybuilding show…my mantra is just as the saying goes…if you don’t live for something, you’ll die for anything.  Sort of morbid in a way, but who wants to live for nothing?  

Suggestions are certainly welcome, but here are my considerations so far (in no particular order):

• Learn a foreign language and then spend 2 weeks in that country (Italy, Brazil, China).
• Learn a new skill.  (Skiing, playing guitar, cooking).
• Become a food/wine snob.  Go 6 months never eating at the same restaurant in KC.
• Use my knowledge and experience from training over the past year to help someone else.