Part 23 - The Journey's End

Post competition fun in the country. Hats off to you, can't wait to do it again!
(Nikki Boudreau, Chantal Borg, Kierston Fu, Anouk A, Meaghan Kesteron,
Rosanne Neddo, Sue Champagne, Debbie Laurin-Leclerc...and Mavi the baby driver)

It's been over two weeks since the Ontario Championships and I'm pretty much recuperated. I've said adios to my definition and plan to enjoy my summer. Training continues, of course, but it won't be as much of a priority over other activities. And I'll still follow a proper diet except in a social setting. Once fall approaches, it'll be back in the saddle for this old gal.

The results of the competition have been released and I've had some time to analyze them. In Part 18 of my blog, I predicted that the judges would concentrate on the top placings and not so much on the rest. For a while, I thought I'd been wrong about that because the prejudging wasn't as rushed as I thought it would be. To save time, they instead sped up the finals by only allowing the top 5 of the physique and bodybuilding divisions to do their individual routines, and cutting out the introductions of the figure and bikini competitors altogether. That was okay with me because those 5 inch heels just about killed me. Not so good, however, for some of the audience who may have been there to see one person in particular. Oh well, you can't please everyone!

It also makes a good doorstop!

However, now that I'm reviewing the results, my prediction seems to have been somewhat accurate after all. Either that or the judging was just plain inconsistent. I can only hope that the latter is not the case. Having judged these events myself in the past, I know what a difficult and thankless job it is. It's a real challenge to scrutinize each and every physique. Sometimes it's like comparing red delicious apples and granny smiths. Which type do you like more? Perhaps you want the red delicious one minute, then you want the granny smith the next. Or would you rather go for the banana? The only thing you can be sure of is that the pear is off the menu completely...unless you turn it upside down! (Thanks for that analogy Ken.)

So here's what I'm talking about. In Figure Open Class 5 (5'5 1/2" to 5'7"), Renate Fournier-Belanger placed 7th and Sharon Knox was 11th. The same ladies also competed in Figure Grandmasters (over 45, no height division) less than an hour later. There the placings were much different. Sharon placed 4th and Renate was 7th. How is it possible that Sharon jumped from 4 placements behind Renate to 3 ahead of her? It just goes with my theory that once the judges determine that you're not in the top 5, it gets all mixed up. It's not that Sharon suddenly changed her physique, but rather that in a different mixture of competitors she shone. When she was in the Open, she was out-muscled by competitors who were not in the Grandmasters. Once she slipped below 5th place in the eyes of the judges in the Open, it was anyone's guess where she might end up. Remember, the main concentration is in getting the top 5 correct.

Another example is in Figure Open Class 1 (under 5'1") where Teresa Heron placed 3rd and Laura Finocchi placed 4th. When they competed together in Figure Masters Short, they were reversed. Laura was 7th and Teresa was 8th.

And that's the way the cookie crumbles at the upper levels folks!

Some of the ladies got together for a rehearsal prior to their competitions.

This past weekend, June 16th, the other ladies from my gym participated in the Serious About Fitness (SAF) and Physique Canada competitions in Hull. At the same time, other friends of the sport participated in the Ottawa Classic which was part of Fit Day. Congratulations to every one of you!

Just a few members of Team FFA at their competition on June 16th.
(Gina, Rosanne, Anouk, Ken, Meaghan, Nikki, Chantal)

The following day, a member of Team FFA hosted a brunch in Cantley which Ed and I attended. What a blast we had! Even though I'm the lone ranger competing with the OPA, I'm glad to be included. Thank you Nikki and Rick for sharing your beautiful home with us. Thanks also for stuffing that extra cupcake down my throat to chase the peanut butter cream pie and cookies. And thanks to my favourite 73 year old marathoner who kept my wine glass full to wash down the meatballs and chips. Yes, the food was certainly amazing. Oh and let's not forget the wonderful hike to the waterfall and the tractor photo shoot. It will be a day I'll remember for a long time. Loved it! I stepped on the scale later weighing...well, let's just say more than I was before the gathering. The party included a nice mixture of people as partners and family also joined in to celebrate the ladies' accomplishments.

I'd like to make special mention of one person in particular who attended the brunch. Nikki's mom. I never did get her name, but being called mom seemed to work for her. She is one amazing woman. At the age of 70, she ran a full marathon...incredible! She's an example of why I vow to stay in shape for as long as my body will allow.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes my journey. If my blog has helped at all in your own fitness goals or your entertainment pleasure, please let me know. If so, I may consider starting a new blog for my next adventure or changing the name of this one and continuing on.

I'm still waiting for photos of the Ontario Championships from Liana which I'll share just as soon as I get them. The ones I posted earlier weren't of the best quality and were taken from a bad angle.

Until then, remember that 80 percent of success is showing up. Consider showing up at the gym or on the bike path. At the very least, do a couple of laps if you find yourself at a pool party this summer. Make it fun and you're more likely to stick with it!