| Focus July 1, 2003
From Good to Great
When SeriousAboutFitness.com was launched last September, I
made a promise to a reader that I would do my best to maintain the site and regularly post
new information. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve let that slip lately. Now,
I can come up with all the excuses in the world -- and believe me I have some legitimate
ones -- but the fact is, it should not have happened.
It made me realize something, though. The same commitment
needed to provide fresh editorial for this site is not very different from the commitment
required for fitness and figure competition. In fact, it’s shockingly similar because
there will always be something else you have to do: another commitment that requires your
time or attention; a family member or friend who wants to get together; or the most
infamous of all daily commitments, a job.
But, being able to fit these things into your life and
making the time to train is, in my opinion, what separates a good fitness or figure
competitor from a great competitor.
Your final placing in a show is recognition that lasts only
as far as your next show, but the results of your unwavering commitment to your training,
diet, and all the other things you do leading up to the show, are the ultimate reward.
Consider this: Doesn’t it seem that Murphy’s Law
always prevails in the weeks leading up to a show? In other words, the time just before a
show is usually the busiest of the year. Aside from intense training and dieting,
I’ve heard many competitors say that something always happens, be it a new job, a
family emergency, an injury or even (Heaven forbid!) a cold. But, when things like this
come up and you brave through them, the feeling you get when you are up on stage,
strutting your stuff, becomes all the more rewarding.
In less than a week, many of the fitness and figure
"wonders" that I’ve been talking about will be hitting the stage, some for
the second or even third time this year. And, with summer now underway, these competitors
are making their fair share of sacrifices in maintaining an on-season diet during the
wedding and BBQ season. I, unfortunately will not be in Hamilton, Ontario, for the July
5th CBBF National World Qualifier
(I’ve succumbed to another commitment - a new job!), but I want to wish everyone the
best of luck. You’ve put in a lot of hard hours and have made a ton of sacrifices to
make it there.
I also know that this year’s promoters, Sean and
Frances Jackson, have spent countless hours to make sure the experience of this show will
be second-to-none. So, before getting up on stage this weekend, think back on all the hard
work it has taken you to get where you are today. You are the true definitions of
commitment and multi-tasking mamas!
Good luck!
...Denyse Johnson
denyse@seriousaboutfitness.com |
