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Writer's pictureErika Mitchener

My Various Training Journeys



BODYBUILDING 

Always eager to challenge my own discipline, I signed up for my first bodybuilding show in December of 2010.  It was the NPC Grand Prix in Los Angeles. Over my 12 week transformation journey, I lost a total of 15 lbs. I gain an incredible amount of muscle and became the strongest that I've ever been. I also cried more than once at how hard it was to train daily, be on a very restrictive competition diet, work full time in retail, and still be running my personal training business on the side. I almost quit, but I didn't. I stepped on stage in the best shape of my life physically and mentally.  I placed in the top 5 out of 20 competitors in my category, and was nationally qualified to compete for my pro card. Pretty good considering  my first show in the LA NPC federation, they were some of the top competitors in the world.  Although I knew I was not interested to compete at the pro level, I did get "the bodybuilding bug" and a year later, I competed in my second NPC LA show on my 32nd birthday. 

The next year I moved back home to Massachusetts and I competed through the INBF and OBC bodybuilding organizations. 

One of the main motivations to compete in bodybuilding shows, ( besides wanting to be in peak physical strength) was to put myself through the mental challenge of adhering to an extremely intense fitness regimen and meticulous diet.

I knew that I had to experience for myself what I ask of my clients. 100% effort and dedication. A complete lifestyle change. The mental mindset to get up early day after day to workout when you are sore and tired and you just want to quit. What it is like to make food choices that are completely different from your friends and family.  To make small sacrifices day in and day out, knowing that at the end of the 12 weeks it will add up to a HUGE transformation. To surrender and TRUST THE PROCESS. To believe in yourself when there is a constant voice in your head that is doubting yourself. 

It is crucial to understand that even if you might not look exactly like you can compete in a bodybuilding show at the end of your own personal transformation journey,  the fitness and nutrition program you are on will demand just as much from you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It will challenge you in ways you have never been tested before. And for that, you need an experienced coach who has been through it themselves.

TRIATHLONS

The first time I decided that I wanted to do a triathlon was when I was 27, right after I had moved to Santa Barbara, California. I was outside all day enjoying the mountains and ocean, and there was a big community for it, so it was only natural to want to accomplish that goal. My roommate was on the UCSB cycling team and was on the swim team in high school so we set to work training. My attempt at one swim lesson ended in tears because I was shocked at actually how hard swimming was when you technically had never trained in swimming before. The bike came easily to me and was the most fun. I could put in 30-40 miles easily. But my attempt to buy my own bike ended pretty quick, because I barely was making enough money to pay my rent and buy food. 

Fast forward to when I met John a few years later, and BOOM - all triathlon gear supplied! Now, no excuses.

I trained for and completed a triathlon sprint in 2016. I did it with my best friend, Doreen, and it was really hard. My body felt like a bag of sand in the water and I struggled to finish. Then on the bike an INSANE storm came through, the sky turned black, high winds, driving rain, and the temperature dropped 20 degrees.


The next year my first Olympic race was the 2017 NYC TRIATHLON. I was part of the first Farm Sanctuary triathlon team, which gave my race great meaning. 

Here is what I learned about myself from this experience:

1. Yes, swimming in the Hudson was super gross. And I had a panic attack and it took me 3 times as long as it should have to complete the swim, but I didn't die and so I got on the bike and kept going. 

2. I went from not being able to swim 1 lap in a pool, to doing open water ocean swims 1.5 miles! Apparently swim training is fun, but I found that swimming in a race is actually the most terrifying for me. ( I did almost drown when I was a kid, so I'm sure there is some deep seeded fear there. )

3. Triathlons are super expensive because you need expensive gear for three sports. If I didn't have an Ironman boyfriend who is a total gear head and gave me everything I needed, I don't know how I would have afforded it. 

4. I still really love cycling. Cycling is absolutely my favorite exercise to do for fun, even if I'm not training for a race. I was into cycling as a teenager, and I got into mountain biking when I lived in Park City, Utah after college. I know cycling will remain a part of my life as I age.

5. I hate running more than a 5K, and that is okay. ( In 2023 at the age of 43, I learned that I do not have an ACL in my left knee, sustained from a karate injury when I was just 19 years old. Thus, insane knee pain when I try to run.)


Overall, I will never forget how proud I was of myself when I crossed that finish line in Central Park.  It was a surreal moment etched into my memory forever.  I was so happy, and so thankful I had John coach me though the process and to have such awesome teammates. My time sucked. I was the last one on my team to finish. But I didn't care. I overcame wanting to quit during the training process about 50 times. I pushed through my injuries that were causing me pain. And I never want to do another triathlon again. I learned that I am 100% NOT BUILT TO BE AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE. I am so glad I did it because it was on my life goal list, but boy oh boy,  I am so happy I never have to do another one ever again. I had finished, and that meant I won.

MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING


These days I've turned my focus back to my first love, martial arts. For about 10 years I had the opportunity to live in NYC which offered access to some of the best martial arts instructors from all over the world. Now as a resident of Northwest Florida, I have the good fortune to live close to a few, very top notch traditional Japanese martial arts schools.


I never feel more alive and in tune with the true essence of my being than when I am in the dojo. The path of a sincere martial artist is truly a life-long journey, and despite all the twists and turns life has thrown at me, I am committed to stay the course.  Perhaps someday I will have a little piece of land in the country and out beyond my house, in a converted barn, I will have a secret dojo.

One of the best things about training hard with a dojo again, is that has inspired me to keep on weaving that energy and philosophy  back into my business.  I want people to know that you don't necessarily have to practice a martial art to be considered a modern day warrior. Everyone had the potential to be a warrior. It is exemplified in the goals you set for yourself, and how you choose live your life day by day based on those goals. 

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