Faculty member prepares for the Ironman Challenge

Date: 13-10-2010 Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamUnited States

WSU faculty member Karly Gomez recently qualified for the National Ironman Championship after competing in the Washington Ironman.

After months of dedication, hard work and overcoming personal obstacles, Gomez placed first in her class. This enables her to advance to compete in the national competition, which will be held in Las Vegas this summer.

At about five and a half feet tall, most people would not think Karly Gomez could lift so much. Turns out the term "heavy-lifting" is Gomez's middle name.

This five-year shock physics assistant decided to do the Ironman because it had a great reputation of being a challenging show. Since Gomez is all about challenges, she had to tackle it, she said.

Training for the Ironman is not easy. Gomez disciplines herself to five days a week in the the gym and a strict diet that includes no processed foods, 50 percent protein, 25 percent carbs and 25 percent healthy fats. When she does cardio, she chooses to do High Intensity Interval Training.

"I think it's the best form of cardio for fat-burning purposes," she said.

Gomez has been training since last year. She started out at 115 pounds with 16 percent body fat. Today, she is 135 solid pounds with only 8 percent body fat.

Her very first weight lifting show was in April 2010 at the Empire Classic, where she placed 5th. She also competed last May in the Bodybuilding.com FIT BODY Competition in Boise, Idaho, where she placed 3rd.

"The Ironman was my biggest and last show for this year," Gomez said.

She will start competing again in the spring.

"I am my biggest motivator because I am the only one that can stand in the way of reaching my goals," Gomez said.

With the great support system from her family and friends, she will always have a cheering section to root her on. Gomez's family is very supportive of her decision to compete, she said. Her husband is her trainer and coach and is with her every step of the way.

"My kids love it, too. They are always saying, 'mommy, look at my muscles,'" Gomez said.

Aside from the Ironman competition, Gomez writes a fitness blog with her friend Andrea Farmer, called "Lives of the Fit and Perfectly Imperfect." She also enjoys cooking healthy and making up her own recipes as she goes, she said.

She is currently studying for her ACE Certification Exam so she can be a personal trainer. She also loves to read, spend time with her family and work on her house and yard.

Balancing her job at WSU and preparing for the Ironman is a big challenge, she said.

"Organization is key for anyone who wants to compete," Gomez said.

Being a wife and the mother of two boys and working full-time at WSU, there is definitely some hassle finding family time. She has her day planned and set out so that her training does not conflict with the time she spends with her family, she said.

Gomez said her advice for anyone who would like to compete in the Ironman is to "set your goals, stay on track, and don't cheat."

"This is a great competition to compete in and the people who compete in this show are very focused and driven," she said.