Go Figure

So in case all five of you are interested, here's the scoop on what I've been up to. Aside from job-hopping, and deciding I would truly love to finally do something with my design degree, I've taken on a new challenge. It's called 'Figure'. Think body-building, but on a lesser scale. It's fully natural and I won't look, well, scary! I learned about the sport, if you will, a few years ago, and since then have learned of several people I know doing it. Isaac thought it would be perfect for me. We started going to a gym a couple of months ago, mainly for Isaac to strength/endurance train for racing, and discovered that several members, along with the owners, also do body-building, power-lifting, fitness, figure and bikini shows. So finally about 6 weeks ago, I decided I would go for it! Since that day, my schedule has been overhauled into strictly regimented meals and workouts. I took on a trainer, who mapped out a very specific diet and workout plan. I eat five or six times a day, and hit the gym 5 days a week to do weight training, 3 of which are also cardio. It's definitely been a bit overwhelming at times, but already very rewarding! The diet is tweaked specifically to lean out my body (lower body fat percentage), and encourage muscle growth. Sticking to the diet has been the most difficult part!

I'm a really good eater. My mom, dad, and husband all know this to be true. I can hardly stand life without pasta, bread, milk, cereal, chocolate, cheese…cheese with pasta…
Even the idea of having a banana is extremely appealing at this point! Now just to clear it up, I do eat, and I do eat very clean & healthy. This has nothing to do with starvation or deprivation or anything of the sort. My trainer sort of weaned me off of my normal everyday diet at first, and my choices included things like whole grain bread with natural peanut butter, all kinds of lean meat, several types of fruit, whole grain cereal with soy milk, nuts, and hummus (yum!) All things I love! Inevitably though, the diet must change as I go. My meals now consist of egg whites, whole oats (oatmeal), and unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon for two, then white meat (chicken, tuna, or fish) with romaine salad and sometimes steamed broccoli for three. I also do one scoop of whey protein a day. As my event approaches, more things will change, and this will allow me to lean out gradually. Yes, of course, it is tough to watch people around me eating pizza and ice cream! However, I have a specific goal to reach, and achieving goals always requires some sacrifice. Twelve weeks is the time frame in which I will have taken on this challenge, which is relatively short, considering any other three months would seem to fly by without much notice. It's only when there is a struggle of sorts that time seems to drag its heels.

The date of my Figure Show is April 24th (mom's birthday! - which means we'll have a big double celebration after and we can both enjoy whatever food we'd like!), and it is in Flint, Michigan. Admission is $25/person. I am super excited about having something just for me, to set goals, and strive to be better at every day. I've really missed having that, so this could be my new thing!

~Emily

[You can find some information on this particular show at http://www.michigannpc.com/.]

Racing Renegade

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

The racing world is so unpredictable. That, combined with the thrilling speeds, is precisely why my husband loves it so much. This past season has proved to be just that; fast one day and slow the next, smooth handling the first lap and evil around lap 200, in the running for a championship one minute and the next your chances are kaput. In the seven or so years that Isaac has been officially racing snowmobiles, he has grown in so many ways. His knowledge, courage, strength, endurance, patience, humility, and hunger to learn and strive for perfection…all are extremely greater in his character than even those few short years ago. Isaac displays such a great attitude when it comes to his successes and even his failures. Both of which he endured throughout the 2010 season.

Isaac decided last fall to put together what they call a "champ" sled. Pretty much it means even crazier, faster, and more modified (not stock) than even the typical mod race sleds. He and his dad spent hours during the week building his beloved Arctic Cat breed sled, making deals for used parts, applying the painting and graphics themselves, and altogether doing everything they could to make an awesome, yet somewhat inexpensive, speed machine. Spending time in the shop is something he really enjoys, so it was good for him.

I was thoroughly impressed and a little surprised at how well that piece of equipment did when put to the test in a race. He entered two classes, one in which he dominated completely and the other he was able to, most every time, fight his way to the front by the end of the short 5-10 lap sprint. Each weekend he took home the checkered in all the finals, until the last weekend at Lincoln. When all was going so well, the worst thing that could happen did…the motor died. But…..even after having blown the motor on the last lap of the last final that would wrap up his total wins, giving him second after being in the lead, and then literally grabbing a completely different sled for his back-to-back race and driving it like a madman to get even fourth, he earned himself two overall points' championships based on the averages. He totally earned them!

The enduro being what he loves the most, has also always been the most unpredictable. Our first time out in Caro, Michigan was awesome. Isaac drove 300 laps and placed 2nd, which was such a great start to the season! The following weekend was the Soo I-500 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It turned out very well, with Isaac and his co-driver, Gordie, finishing 7th, finishing being the first major feat! That is another story entirely. We left Drummond Island two weekends later, after the motor went kaput halfway into the race, so that was very disappointing. Finally, at Lincoln, most everyone's favorite track, the sled was still not cooperating, so Isaac picked up a ride with a different team for the day. He rode harder than ever, on a sled he'd never ridden before, and helped that team to a 5th place finish. Both drivers had the fastest laps of the day!

To wrap it up, Isaac's quest for a Pro-Enduro championship with #33 Skid Row Racing has yet again evaded him. However, he had a blast this season (he always does!) doing what he loves, and there is always next year. I see him as the best, and believe he can be the best, so hopefully soon the rest of the world will know he is the best!

Thanks to Dave, Michelle, Rusty, Lance and the rest of the Skid Row crew, and also to all our friends and family who came to watch and support Ike. Especially Ted, Shane, and of course Andrew for always playing a huge part. Check out our website www.wolfgangmotorsports.com, where I put all the updates and sponsor recognition and such, and I'm always working to make it better! We even have fun apparel with our logo which is not displayed yet, but will be soon. Keep checking back for the upcoming Sprint Car racing!!!

Dock day at Higgins

It's memorial weekend, which means it's time to resurrect the dock here at Higgins lake. Yesterday was busy, busy with people all around raking leaves and organizing, or disorganizing, the effort to place the lengths of dock together. Our dock stretches quite a ways out into the water, so therefore it takes some time to get the project completed. It's worth the work, however, because we can use it freely today in relaxation. Mom, Dad, Maureen and I plan to take a nice little boat ride on the relatively calm, but most likely cold waters, which means it is unlikely we'll go for a nice little swim. Well, unless you consider mom...she very well might;)

Race Season

We spent our Valentine's Day in the frozen 'tundra' of Drummond Island. Most people know it as a snowmobiling attraction, but usually only the trail-riding version. We go there for one reason, and that's to race. We realized this year that we have never seen the island in the summer. We have only ever seen snow there, and it is a beautiful place, so surely it is equally as beautiful in the warmer months, when everything is green! We finished fourth in the enduro, and Isaac had a blast. Thankfully we had great weather that weekend:)

The next weekend was at Caro, so a much closer trek for us. We took 9th even after the track derailing and losing numerous laps in the process of fixing it. Isaac has never raced there before, like many of the guys in the circuit, and it was definitely an experience. Nothing like Drummond and Lincoln, but still a good race day.

Lincoln is our favorite track and like most years it was the final race. This was only last weekend and we had quite an ordeal on Sunday. The sled was in top shape and Isaac & Joel (our other driver) had the team in second or third place before Joel crashed pretty badly into the flagstand and brought it and the flagman down in a pile of rubble. It looked and seemed pretty serious until everyone was able to get the mess cleaned up and the two men to the emergency room. The flagman was relatively uninjured and Joel was lucky to only have broken his collar-bone...still, ouch! After this traumatic event, Isaac hopped on a different sled and the rest of the day went smoothly with no accidents. Thank the Lord! Unfortunately though, Isaac's team 33 wasn't able to place that weekend and therefore are unlikely to have a top spot in the overall points championship. At the very least, he had a lot of fun that last race:)

Here's a slideshow of some photos from the season:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

puppy L♥VE

awww.

The puppies are now almost 5 weeks old. They are getting so big, and so noisy:) It is really fun to watch them play, and wrestle, and altogether make a huge mess! Attention and love they crave in abundance, of course, and it is so easy to give it. It's curious how the brown ones seem to be more squeamish when I pick them up or play with them, but the black ones are more calm. I wonder why that is? Isaac's favorite is the brown male, we named Max (Maximus), which he wants to keep:) My favorite is the one with the white 'socks' in front, because she lets me cradle her just like a baby.....I call her Fancy. Yes, I named all of them so I'd have a way of telling them apart. I coincide the names with different features. However, when the families come to see their new pup and take them home, they will not know what I've been calling them, and they'll be free to create their own names. I'm pretty sure the puppies won't be accustomed to any particular name at this age. I've started feeding them small bits of rolled up hamburger, and baby rice cereal. I did lots of research online, and I've been following some tips from a breeder, so everything is very specific, and some of it I just disregard, because it seems a bit overkill. After a week or so they will begin eating tiny kibble puppy food, and gradually stop nursing altogether. Soon after that they should be ready to move into their new homes:)

My own 'littlest pet shop'

So it's been a bit crazy around the Wolfgang household lately....
and I do mean 'household': those who dwell as a family under the same roof --. Our family expanded to 14 about four and a half weeks ago;) Okay, so we've always had 3 dogs, one of which had 9 puppies early in the morning on Saturday, January 24th. Maureen rushed over to the house and we watched at least 4 of them come into the world. It's amazing to watch and experience. I am thrilled to say that they have done well from the beginning and she's been a very good mother:) Our lives have been very hectic since that day, keeping track of all the little ones, helping Chloe (momma) and being there to let her out, keeping everything cleaned up, and on and on. We've had several people that have been so helpful to come over and dogsit for us, whether once or every week even, including Maureen, mom, Mary & Ted, Jon & Taylor, Joel & Danielle, and Betty........thanks guys:) They are definitely a mixed breed, and the most adorable little pups, some brown, some black, with bits of white here and there;) I will be relieved when they have grown to 7 or 8 weeks and go off to good families. Three of them are spoken for, and another couple is a maybe, so we still have quite a few to find homes for in the next few weeks! I'm sure it won't be too much trouble, especially if people just look at their sweet little faces:)

The Greatest Event in the Whole U.P!

For anyone who may not have known, Isaac's passion, hobby, and essentially his 'life' in the winter is snowmobile racing! Isaac raced his fourth year at the International 500 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan this month. It's a 500-mile race run on a one-mile, ice-oval track. The sleds reach speeds of over 100 mph, which in my opinion should give Ike his speed quota for the rest of the year;) Our team, #33 Skid Row racing just missed finishing the race due to the sled being broken into several pieces from our third crash of the day. Don't worry, both drivers were uninjured:) The team took 13th overall, of the 26 sleds that started the race. Fewer than 20 actually finished the race (not exactly sure how many). We really have a blast racing in the winter, and I love to take lots of photos and videos! To see photos of Isaac's crash follow this link: http://www.jjpromotions.ca/Albums/Race09/index_21.htm. It starts with the center photo on the bottom row...

Isaac and his dad, Ted

Isaac & Joel

Keep checking back...three more races to go!

Check out more photos on my facebook profile:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2287052&id=21715770&l=77d72