Having just come from the gym - which is considered my second home during competition season, I am wondering what my fellow competitors do with their spare time now not in full-out training mode.

I am glad to have seen the end to another year of competing but at the same time feel a bit of sadness as the girls that I meet at the shows are so like myself that it would nice to have some of them around during the off season to share similiar interests, and some laughs without having to watch what I eat and when.

This year's FAP came and went so quickly that I really did not have the time to truly absorb the whole process in the short 5 days that I was in California. There is something that I observed about us fitness athletes... we train so intensely for months, only to wish to have the day of the show run as quickly as possible in order to get to the main focus of the day...eating.

Usually after the FAP I get really lazy, gain some much needed weight and become somewhat of a procrastinator, if not only for a short period of time. But this year is different. I find myself enjoying my teaching more, enjoying competing more, and like keeping myself occupied, and perhaps even more busy than my life seemed in preparing for the show. Setting goals and achieving them, even small ones, like cleaning the bathroom or doing the laundry that should have been done weeks ago, seems to give me a calming sense of accomplishment.

Even though this is the end of the season I feel strangely motivated and a sense of excitment about next year's competitive season. But for now, it is time to focus mainly on teaching, take some courses at the local university, and wrestle the oodles of shoppers in the mall until my Christmas holidays begin - two weeks vacation at Christmas time is definitely a perk for being in the business of teaching.

Stay healthy and remember..you matter. Until the new year,

AllyYou can contact me here.