Your best is good enough

Here we are "the gang" at the 2010 NPC Contra Costa. We all look great! We were hamming it up in the hallway killing time, arguing over who "had" to put the tanning solution on guest poser, Ray Arde (the big guy in the front). Can you believe only three of us jumped at the chance?!

I am gearing up for another competition, on July 10 in San Jose, my home town. I had debated whether or not I would be doing it, the last one got me down. I had never placed so low before. Many people think "4th place, that's great!" and it is, but it wasn't good enough. I was also tired of dieting and wanted to get bigger.

The other night I was reading Flex magazine (I know, I actually buy it for the eye candy) and I read an article about what Phil Heath had to say about placing so low at the Arnold. Now if you have ever seen Phil Heath, the guy is a beast, he looks great.

He said this" I have to realize that just because you come at your all-time best, it doesn't mean you're going to win. I had a basketball coach tell me when I was twelve years old: 'Your best is good enough. It has to be. It'll ruin your drive and ruin your spirit if you judge yourself any other way'.

Phil then went on to add more about his thoughts and how he planned to improve, when actually many people thought he should have won in the first place.

It's an extremely subjective sport.

I did my best, and it was damn good.

Yesterday I made my decision, I am doing it. I went off the diet for a couple weeks, gained quite a bit of weight and have been training hard. I am now back on the diet, training just as hard and working to drop some weight, but not quite as much as this last time. I am aiming to come in 2 pounds heavier than I did at the Contra Costa.

I have a new found enthusiasm, along with a new friend "M" who is going to compete along side me, we are going to train, pose, laugh, have fun, diet, drive our families nuts, then have one of the wildest parties afterward! I know "R" will be there too, encouraging me along the way as she does everyday. I will have lots of help and encouragement from my friends and family and even some people who email me here, although we have never met.

And "the gang" will all be there again, at least most of the women you see above, we keep in touch, encourage, whine, complain, laugh and share tips with each other. Although we compete against each other, side be side, it's always a thrill when a friend, whom you know has worked just as hard as you have, wins.

Always remember, your best is good enough.