The Prep Chronicles- 16 weeks out
She said…
WEEK 3
Well, here we are, 16 weeks out from the WNBF Vancouver show, and 20 out from WNBF Winnipeg. When the itch to compete again became more of a constant, I started dropping comments to Vince to get his input. There were questions that needed to be considered. Is it the right time? Can we commit to this? Do we really want to go through a prep again?
His response, “If it’s something you want to do to, do it! I’m behind you.” This is not a surprise for any of our readers that know Vince. He is unwaveringly supportive and one of the greatest hype people you can have in your corner. Through his ever supportive commentary, I can’t help but appreciate that his inner-voice was likely saying…”Ugh…no!” paired with flashbacks of the emotional rollercoaster we all went on, whether we bought tickets to the ride or not!
Even with his support, there were a lot of things to consider. Work, the kids activities, time with Vince, my social life.
So how did I end up here today? Easy, drunk registration one early December evening…(kidding). Once I have decided I want something, it’s really difficult for me to walk away from it without it constantly nagging at me, challenging me to take on the task and prove to myself I can do it. And, to be honest, I never really had a social life. A trip to Costco once a week does not a socialite make.
Prep isn’t just about the athlete. Bodybuilding is a selfish sport. It’s true. You spend hours in the gym each week, your diet is even more important than the weight you lift, and has to be incredibly dialed in to achieve success. The final 4-6 weeks of prep is where you see the mental struggle set in. It isn’t an easy process for the athlete, or their families.
I’ve painted quite the picture here. My intent is not to make contest prep sound horrible, it isn’t. But I do want to be honest. It’s hard, but, it should be. It’s also an incredible opportunity to push yourself and commit to a process that takes you out of your comfort zone, and, I love it.
So how is it going so far? Well, I’m 3 weeks into prep and can confirm the following:
1) I really miss Swedish Berries
2) No alcohol isn’t really an issue, but it’s -82 outside, so I’m not really itching for a cold one just yet
3)I’m trying to stay positive to limit the material Vince has to write about in his section of the blog
4) #3 is really hard some days
5) I really do miss Swedish Berries
My food is still plentiful, so I’m not hangry…yet. Well, at least from my perspective anyway.
He Said…
Well, here we are. At the precipice of one of two things:
A fantastically hilarious blog that shows the perspectives of “supportive husband” and “competition-preparing wife”, or;
A step-by-step guide to destroying a perfectly wonderful relationship.
Truth be told, I’m really gunning for option #1. It’s too early to tell and Gillian still has a lot of food options, a reward meal each week and the option to put back a nice rum, scotch or glass of patience. So the footing is good.
The last couple of weeks have been a walk in the park, to be honest. Nothing much to complain about and there isn’t any cardio routine happening at the crack of dawn so my current alarm clock doesn’t sound like hardcore rap. Yet.
There isn’t even much to blog about other than setting the stage for the weeks to come. Neither of us are drinking but it’s early and I’m not overly interested in keeping this up for the duration of the next six months. I have two cabinets that are overflowing with wonderful whiskies, tantalizing tequilas and some majestic mezcal. Granted we normally only have two or three drinks a week so I’m not really missing anything at this point.
Gillian and I do not eat the same food. I don’t know that we’ve been on the same plan for a long time now that I think about it. There is the odd meal that we would share but I gave up counting calories and measuring portions a long time ago. In fact, I laughed to myself when Gillian tossed 0.28 grams of chicken back in the container while she made her lunch today.
Meal prep work is always a tad more fun when you’re a spectator. Gillian’s plain-Jane diet would be painful to the average person and in the coming weeks it will become more and more… fishy, if I recall correctly. I love fish, but there’s only so much I can handle. Oh gosh. The smell of the house… This place is going to smell like a coastal city market.
But I’ll focus on now. Things are good. The two of us still sit together and watch shows (down the road Gillian will be either doing cardio or sleeping); there are no signs of ‘hangry’-wife as the food is plentiful (down the road Gillian will become enraged with limited amounts of food)… You know what? I’m gonna end this here. The more I blabber on the closer I come to being prematurely tossed into a Sarlacc pit.
And you thought I’d finish a blog without a Star Wars reference…
