Nonstop Champion....
It’s one thing to set a goal - it’s quite another to know how to connect your actions to that goal. I had always enjoyed working out and aspired to being fit, but if I am being honest, I also wanted to look the part, to look like I worked as hard as I did. I enjoyed running and taking classes, and in 2010, I began training with a triathlon team to attempt to conquer my fear and dislike of swimming. To some degree, I succeeded - I’ve managed to complete several triathlons, but near constant panic attacks in the water always meant I was last out of the water and I could never make it up on the bike or run. I am a competitive person, and constantly coming last was tough to take. The other thing that was frustrating - not looking like I wanted to look. I felt a bit shallow admitting it to myself, but I wanted to look fit, cut, not skinny-fat as I seemed to, no matter how hard I trained.In February of 2012, I tore one of my hamstring tendons playing ice hockey and spent the following months trying anything and everything to avoid surgery - to no avail. Having surgery meant I would have to give up running and biking for months while I went through rehab, and I honestly wasn’t sure I could handle it. But by spring of 2013, it was clear I didn’t have a choice, and I was going to have to put endurance training aside temporarily and find a new aspect of fitness on which to focus. As I was getting ready for hip surgery, I happened to read an article in the Wall Street Journal by Elite Heat team member Alyssa Cendrowski, who wrote about training with Malenna for her first fitness competition. I had never thought of trying this, and thought I’d never have the nerve, and was much too old, to take the stage in a bikini. I had never owned a regular bikini, much less a tiny, sparkly one. The only bathing suits I ever wore were of the one piece Speedo variety. But I wanted to look the part. I contacted Malenna and began setting new goals - if I couldn’t run, bike or do much lower body exercise, I could learn to do pull ups. I was really worried about gaining weight, not having all that cardio to fall back on, but the fact was, the cardio wasn’t getting it done anyway. Working with Malenna, I learned you can’t out-train a bad diet. Starting with the Advocare 24 day cleanse, I became much more aware of what I was eating and what it was - and wasn’t - doing for me. Gradually, I let myself believe that I could prep for a show, and in May 2014 I competed at Fitness America. It was easily one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, and while I didn’t place very high, I ended up a better and fitter athlete as a result. In fact, the day after the show, I raced a duathlon - a run/bike/run event, a triathlon with no swimming. No swim meant no panic attacks and no anxiety - and thanks to focused strength training, I am much more injury proof than I used to be. Many runners and endurance athletes skimp on weights and it’s a mistake. But it took training with Elite Heat to take it to heart. I’ve been focusing on endurance sports this year, and have qualified for the age-group Duathlon World Championships in Australia this year and Spain next year. My running has improved greatly as well, and I am hoping to qualify for the Boston Marathon. As I turn 50 in two months, I’m in better shape than a decade ago, and looking forward to what’s next. I’m not the best, the fastest, the most talented - not by a long shot. But I keep showing up at the start line.
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