Desire, dedication, inspiration, and oxygen

Here we are, about two month’s out from my first stage competition and I have to say that I am extremely excited… It’s crazy to think that just a year ago I was no where close to where I am now… The progress I have made from then till now is like night and day, oil and water…

There is something great about the human spirit and its ability to overcome, to achieve, to strive for… A year ago I was about seventy or so pounds heavier and covered in more fat than a prime-rib… And I think it has been this transformation over the last year that has taught me, short old bald guys can still achieve a level of intensity and focus that younger full haired guys are known for…

I might not be the youngest or tallest guy on that stage come two months from now, but I can promise you I will be the most focused, determined, and efficient man standing there… And no matter the outcome of the show, I will leave the stage with my head held high…

It’s crazy to think that I have worked so hard and so long on sculpting my body… I guess you could compare this experience to that of a man climbing the tallest mountain… Two years ago when I thought about taking on this endeavor it seemed impossible, almost down-right ridiculous… And if it weren’t for the help of Dusty I am not sure I would have been able to reach this mountain top, and I am humbled that I have had the opportunity to have Dusty in my corner …

Now, to be clear, even though I have done a great deal of talking about having achieved such a feat, I want it to be clear that I have not peaked… For those of you who have climbed the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, you know that there are two false peaks before you reach the final summit… This first show is like the first false peak…

I am by no means finished… My body is not maxed out, my mind is not emptied and my will is not dry… I have never in my life quit something before I have fully finished it and I am sure as oxygen not going to start now… Everyday at the gym is another stop at the gas station… I continually find a stronger love for the feeling I get when I work out… I guess it’s fair to say that there is something spiritual or other worldly about forcing my body beyond its previous restraints…

I hope by show time this love will be greater and my experiences will intensify, for this is not something I have taken lightly… I will not succumb to the pressures of success and I will destroy anything that gets in my way of my desires…

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Half way home, and Cheatings ok!!!

Being that my last blog was extremely heavy-hearted, I have decided to make this one a little less intense… One, because I am emotionally drained and two, the current going-on’s merit such a response…

A few weeks ago I talked about an “injury” I developed and its apt presence humbling my ever-growing body… Well, anybody remember the quote from the movie The Shinning where a crazed Jack Nicholson shouts through a broken wooden door “Here’s Johnny!” I most definitely heard that screaming in my head the day my shoulder pain beat down my wooden door, for a second time…

Oh, and what perfect timing! I have added on a second show November 5^th, 2011… The NPC Western Regional in Mesa, Arizona… and I have to say, I am extremely stoked…

I am not sure if it’s karma’s way of getting back at me, but I feel the same humbling sense coming over me again, which could be a blessing in the sky… Because of this reoccurring pain, I have added a weekly massage on top of Active Release Therapy (ART)… or in laymen’s terms… deep tissue massage… and let me tell you, these practices have shown me that rest and relaxation is extremely important… or, that I am not as young as I used to be…  aka “the old man needs his rest”…

 I feel as if in order for me to succeed at my next two shows I have to enter each one with a level head and clear expectations… How does one go about entering a show level headed and with clear expectations? THEY HAVE A CHEAT DAY!!!!

That’s right ladies and gents, this coming Friday I will be gorging myself of foods that most people take for granted… and one of the best parts about this cheat is the fact that the man, the myth, the legend Dusty Hanshaw okayed it. A moment that ALMOST brought a tear to my eye… and I say almost, because I am a man of little emotion…

My mind is full of thoughts that would make Willie Wonka jealous! In-N-Out, McDonalds, Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, Burger King, milkshakes, pie, ice cream, brownies it’s like a never ending dance of deliciousness running through my mind… What is the front-running destination for this cheat day you ask? The land of the pazookie! That’s right Oregano’s is the leading vote getter… Following closely behind are Huston’s and Deluxe-Burger…

Together, both ART and Jeff’s being fat day have shown me that the level of dedication needed to participate in two different shows is a lot more intense then first thought… There are so many different intricate parts of the body, eating plan and work out plan needed to succeed that I really feel that as I get closer to these shows my level of focus and intensity increases to the necessary levels…