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Stats:
34 years
old
36D
26
36
My weight varies depending on a lot of things, so I try not to focus on
it.
Competition
Experience:
I competed in the 2005 Gopher State Classic in Plymouth, MN, 1st place
tall fitness, 4th place tall figure.
Favorite exercise:
YOGA, I also like dancing, pushups, deadlifts
Favorite body part to train:
Probably abs
Training philosophy:
I try to find balance in life, living a healthy lifestyle without
becoming too obsessed with my looks, my weight, etc. and without giving
in to disordered eating. I've seen so many people who compete and/or
model who forget that this is supposed to be healthy and worry too much
about body fat percentage and get so lean. They make themselves sick in
order to compete. I need to remember I do this not only so I look good,
but so I live a long, healthy life and feel good. I love fitness
because it gives me the energy to do well at the other things I have to
do in my life. Healthy is beautiful and I love my natural given curves,
so I work to find a balance
between lean and voluptuous. |
"I enjoy
natural bodybuilding and feel the human body is a work of art." |
What a Difference a Year Can Make
Two
thousand and four was a very difficult year for me. I began the year
having orthoscopic knee surgery, which took longer to heal from than I
expected. After the surgery, due to my inability to go to the gym and
not feeling well for quite a while following the procedure, I proceeded
to gain almost twenty pounds. I was the heaviest I have ever been (I
weighed more than I did when I was nine months pregnant).
In April I cut off almost a foot of hair and donated it to Locks of
Love, which was not a bad thing, however it was a huge adjustment for me
after having long hair for most of my life. In May of 2004, I ended a
long time relationship in which I was not happy. Again, not a bad
thing, but a major adjustment. Then in June of 2004, the company I had
worked at for four
years was downsized and I lost my once-secure job. In August, my
beloved seven-year-old cat, Mat, suddenly suffered from kidney failure
and died. I thought that was more than I could handle.
Then the unthinkable happened. On September 5, 2004, I was leaving the
gym on my way to meet some of my girlfriends for a night out, since my
son Jordan was visiting with his father for the Labor Day weekend. As I
left the gym, I received a message on my cell phone. It was Jordan's
aunt telling me that my fourteen-year-old son was in a terrible
motorcycle
accident and was being flown to Gillette Children's Hospital in a
coma. Jordan had been riding on the back of his dad's motorcycle, when
they slowed down to turn into a driveway to go to a family cookout, they
were run over by an SUV. Jordan was dragged 205 feet under the truck
before the driver stopped. The vehicle caught on fire, but Jordan was
pulled from beneath before the flames reached him. He was in a
coma for
eleven days and in the rehab department until October 8. I stayed with
him twenty-four hours a day while he was at the hospital because he
needed me there and I did not want
to leave his side.
The good news is that he has recovered wonderfully and went back to
school October 6, 2004. He just finished his sophomore year of high
school, and recently got his driver's permit. During our stay at the
hospital, I needed to try to keep myself healthy so I could be there for
Jordan. While I was by his side, holding his hand and talking to him
while he was in a coma, I needed to keep myself focused on something
positive throughout the most difficult time in our lives. There
wasn't a gym to use at the hospital, but I modified my exercise program
to things I could do while I was there (including using hand weights in
the physical therapy room while Jordan was doing his PT, running in the
parking ramp, yoga and tai chi) and I had a friend bring me my protein
shakes and bars so I had some healthy food with me to avoid eating all
of the junk food
our well-meaning visitors brought to the hospital.
When we were finally able to go home, I was determined to make a greater
commitment to health and fitness in my life. Because I have always
loved to dance, and wanted to start dancing again, I had planned on
competing in a fitness competition once I got in shape. Once I was
able, I began to focus on that goal. I spent two and a half months
working very hard, keeping focused more and more on my training and
nutrition, and learning everything I could about what I needed to
accomplish to be successful at a fitness competition. I made great
strides that year and became a stronger person both physically and
spiritually.
I
competed in the Gopher State Classic in Plymouth, Minnesota on April
2, 2005 as my first competition of my life. It was not only my first
fitness competition; it was Jordan's 15th birthday as well. I dedicated
my performance to him, in gratitude for his amazing recovery, and to all
the people who got us through the most difficult time in our lives. I
could not think of a better reason to celebrate
health and fitness!
Since that time, I took home a first place fitness trophy and a fourth
place figure trophy from the Gopher State Classic. I have continued
training, taking time off on occasion when I feel like it. I began to
teach yoga, which is one of my favorite fitness activities. I'm off
from teaching for the summer and I went on a trip to New Mexico to see
my older brother and
took a variety of yoga classes while I was there. My favorite
exercises, besides yoga, are push ups, dead lifts, and dancing.
I currently work as a Quality Assurance Administrator at an electric
motor company in Woodville, WI where I live and I'm working on my
master's degree in Organizational Leadership at the College of St.
Catherine on the weekends (similar to an MBA, but with more focus on
ethics and leadership). I spend my free time on motorcycles as much as
possible and enjoy garage sales and shopping at second hand stores. I'm
currently working on a writing project about mentoring teen parents and
how mentors are so important to young women, especially young women in
tough situations. As I approach my 35th
birthday, as I take stock of my life, I keep a positive outlook, yet
keep striving to improve certain areas of myself. I will always be a
work in progress, but I enjoy the journey.
Life is good.
Liz Jones
ladyliz10@hotmail.com
Natural
Bodybuilding at its Finest - Lift for Life.com |
