Part 4 - A Schedule is Set

Welcoming the audience to one of many
events Larry and I ran together.

My ultimate goal was to compete in the Ottawa Championships on November 5, 2011. It's the event where it all began in 1981. Wouldn't it be sweet to be back on that stage 30 years later? And even sweeter to win it!  I don't pretend to be an expert before I even begin. Just because I was successful in bodybuilding doesn't mean I'll ace figure. A warm-up is definitely in order. I bring the calendar of events up on my Mac and review my options, targeting events offering the grandmaster division. The only on the Ontario Physique Association (OPA) schedule in my time frame is the Ontario Natural Championships which is slated for September 24 in Hamilton. Would be nice, though I'd need to qualify and I don't have time to get ready for anything earlier.

But wait a minute! My investigation uncovers a glitch. Even if I wanted to qualify for the Ontario Naturals as a grandmaster, there are no qualifying events offering the division. I contact the President of the OPA, Ron Hache, who informs me that because it's a new division I don't have to qualify. Wow, that's fantastic...I'm in!

I apply for my OPA membership card and register for the event on-line. This is fast becoming reality!

The OPA is the organization I'm loyal to. My relationship with them is not something I'd want to jeopardize by competing with any other group. Besides that, it's the link to the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB), the most powerful organization in the sport,with 173 countries affiliated. The IFBB was co-founded by Ben Weider who headed it for decades. His brother, Joe Weider, is best known as "The Master Blaster, Trainer of Champions" (including Arnold Schwarzenegger) and creator of the Olympia contests. Joe is also the publisher of Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Men's Fitness and Shape Magazine. To let you know to what degree I wasn't following news on the industry for years, I just now learned that Ben passed away in 2008...R.I.P. Ben :(

In the mid 80s with Larry Champagne (left)
and Winston Roberts (center)

Reflecting on my experiences with the IFBB brings to mind a story. In 1983, I bought tickets to a pro show being held at the St. Denis Theater in Montreal. The promoter of the event was my dear friend, Winston Roberts. These were not inexpensive tickets and I was early purchasing them. I arrived at the event to find that the seats were tucked away behind a pillar. What? How can a top priced seat be in such a terrible location? I had to move to an unoccupied cheap seat to see the event. Upon telling Winston of my unfortunate dilemma, he assured me that he would make it up to me somehow. The following year, he announced that he would be bringing the 1984 Ms. Olympia to Montreal. I contacted him and requested front of the line to buy tickets when they went on sale. No problem. I bought tickets for Larry and I in advance and they soon arrived in my hands. As we took our seat in the second row right behind the judges, we realized that we were sitting smack dab in between the mighty Ben and Joe Weider, with the beautiful Betty Weider seated beside Joe. As Winston took his position at the podium to welcome the audience to this spectacular event, he looked down at us with a grin of satisfaction on his face. I nodded back and blew him a kiss.

If you have intentions to compete, it's important to understand the tier system so you don't get caught preparing for an event without being qualified. The OPA has two streams of competition...the open stream and the natural stream. There are two provincial events, the Ontario Championships and the Ontario Natural Championships. There are also two local events in my area, the Ottawa Championships and the Ottawa Classic. Each has the same tier system but it is not permitted to carry a qualification from one stream over to the other. For example, the winner of the Ottawa Classic does not qualify for the Ontario Championships, rather they qualify for the Ontario Natural Championships. It's confusing, I know. It's helpful to see a visual, so I've provided diagrams which I hope will shed some light on it.

Now that a date has been determined, it's time to put my plan into action. It's mid-June 2011, so I have three months to prepare. My weight is 110 and people are noticing the changes in my physique. At this point, the only people who know I'm preparing for a competition are Ed and a few friends within the OPA.

I'm accustomed to eating strange food, my cardio workouts have been bumped up and my metabolic rate has increased. My biggest diet tip to someone wanting to increase their metabolism is to eat often (have food prepared and ready to grab). I eat about every 3 hours, including a snack before bedtime. No I do not wake myself up to eat, but if I happen to wake up during the night I might take a gulp from my protein shaker. The experts advise against eating in the evenings. If I were to listen to that and make dinner my last meal at say 6 pm, go to bed at 11 pm, then get up at 7 am, I've gone 13 hours without the nutrients necessary to repair my muscle tissue. So if the experts also recommend eating 4-5 small meals rather than 1-3 big meals, how can they turn around and suggest not eating for 13 hours. Think about that. Oh there's absolutely no question that our bodies burn fewer calories when we're inactive or sleeping but the body does continue functioning. For sure you don't want to eat anything heavy in the evening. Have something nutritious and easy to digest....yogourt, cottage cheese, banana. I nibble on air-popped corn seasoned with vinegar and cayenne pepper when I feel the urge to be a couch potato. Depending on my mood, I may use curry or basil. The vinegar kinda makes the popcorn soggy, but then so does butter. Also, though not scientifically proven, vinegar helps speed the metabolism, as does hot sauce. And drink cold water as it takes energy for your system to bring the temperature down.

Next on the agenda is to shop for the required shoes and sparkly jewellery, decide whether to order tanning product or get a spray tan, and make arrangements for my hair and make-up..........