Breaking the Rules

July 7th marks a half-century in my life.  I have always wanted to somehow write my story mostly to leave it for my children. But, if I can help one person through encouragement or inspiration I will be blessed.  I'm not a writer, I don't even really like to read. This blog is one giant experiment.  First, to see if I can handle the commitment and personal goal of coming out of my closet and sharing more of my heart to those that might want to hear . Second, to tell some of my story, lessons learned and share my progress as I experiment with breaking some of my rules through my new fitness goal.

Laying the Foundation

Personal Hang-Up #1: Living my life by certain rules that have absolutely no explanation but come from some strange vortex in my head.  I know certain types of people are wired to be driven by rules and regulations and maybe I am one of them.  But I have learned through my own healing process that rules have served a purpose but have not always been good for me now.  As a child, they gave me a framework or a necessary security.  But as an adult I have learned that some rules need to be broken because they hold me back from forward movement and healthy change. They can feel safe, but for me, they have really been a hindrance from receiving ALL that God promises me.  I call it sick-safety.  Sick but familiar, safe but sick. 

My childhood did not allow for safety and security.  When I chose to face my fear and my past, I made a conscious decision to become aware of when those rules are in operation, evaluate if they need adjustment and make changes accordingly... not an easy process.

Changing the Middle-Aged Rules

When I began triathlon my rules were challenged: Rule: "Middle-aged women cannot do triathlon."  I am thankful for Tanya Maslach (check out her organization here) and Sara Landolt (follow her blog here).  I met these two beautiful women through technology - the Internet.  They helped me understand that it is never too late and that I could do it!  Another rule that changed... Rule: "You need to be an athletic super-freak and be super fit and thin to compete in triathlon".  That is also not true.  Baby-boomers are realizing age is just a number. As I read and research I am finding out many people my age are doing things never thought possible.

At 155lbs in 2009 (I peaked at 165lbs in 2004) I thought that I had to settle with how crappy I felt. When I met Todd, he helped me work through my rules about food. I had been living in a world of calorie counting and restriction.  I didn't trust him and his way of thinking.  The scale and the NUMBER on the scale is not absolutely necessary, only to monitor progress.  Todd taught me that the two things that really matter are:  What you put in your mouth and what you see in the mirror.

It was a difficult process trusting a completely new way of eating.  I had to challenge all of my beliefs I had about food, nutrition and managing weight.  I replaced my old beliefs with a new statement: "Why not try it, what else do I have to lose, my old ways weren't working" It sounds simple but as I embarked on the new process I was telling myself this over and over.

Breaking the Rules

After the weight came off and saw that I could gain strength and put muscle back on I remembered that my 50th year was the year I had wanted to do a full Ironman triathlon.  But I also knew that my life had taken a turn.  I had been given a new health & wellness department to build and manage which required a lot of my time.  Over the past year and a half, I have enjoyed assisting and teaching fitness classes.  I became a certified Les Mills Bodypump instructor.  I was enjoying and living life to the fullest.  I realized that there was no way I could train for an Ironman (a full year commitment). I had to let that dream go - for now.

I blame my husband for my new goal.  He was the one that introduced me to bodybuilding 30 years ago.  When I met him, he brought me into the gym at Concordia College where we met 32 years ago!! He began teaching me about weightlifting and building muscle.   Our first years of marriage were spent in military weight rooms.  I learned to squat and bench press.  I loved the feeling of pushing heavy weight, I loved the look of muscle on the female physique.  It symbolized strength and beauty, and back then broke the rules of femininity as being "skinny."  These women were strong and beautiful. I was hooked. 

Rachel McLish

Cory Everson

I learned about Rachel McLish and Cory Everson, two female bodybuilders in the early 1980's that shaped the future for women and bodybuilding.







LIFE LESSON   Using other people's stories of change can help you break the rules that dictate and hold you back in life.

Four years ago Tanya Maslach and Sara Landolt helped me change my rules. Today, Ernestine Shepherd is helping me change my rules.  She is in the Guiness World Book of Records as the world's oldest bodybuilder at age 76. Check out her website Here

Wha? 76?!! Are you serious?  I read her story.  At 56 she started her metamorphosis.  I then started thinking... hmmm. Could I?

My internal dialogue goes something like this:

Voice #1 "You can't do this, you are too old." 
Voice#2 "But this is something you wanted to do when you were younger but life got in the way"
Voice #1 "What will people think?" 
Voice#2 "But what if I just try, I really want to see if I can challenge myself and have the self-discipline"
Voice #1  "What if you fail, what will people think?"

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU: Do you have goals, dreams? What rules hold you back from acheiving a goal or a dream?

So I end this blog by sharing with you my next risk, goal or maybe dream? October 27th, 2012 I have chosen to go to San Diego, California for my first women's figure competition.  Why there? They have a 50+ division!!

Click  Here to check it out. 

 Am I crazy? Probably.  Will I fail? I might. 

Stay tuned...