Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Post Competition

It has been two weeks since the competition, surprisingly I haven't had the post competition blues.  I expected them to hit me hard again and thankfully this time has been way different.

I'm sure it helps that I have had my half marathon to continue training for, which is already this Saturday!  I've been enjoying have my evenings open to get our house in order, hang out with Bella and just relax.

I have gotten in some lifting sessions, mostly circuit training and have of course been running.  Eating wise I've been off and on, some days I'm great, others not so much.  This weekend will be the time to really get back on track and get meal plans done for some "clean" bulking.  I have not stepped on the scale and I don't plan to anytime soon.  My jeans I wore when I was at my smallest still fit, so I'm good :)

The competition date in October got moved to the end of October, I have to admit I was tempted to say I would do it because they moved it.  But then I thought to myself, WHY?  I have already decided to work really hard on myself over the next 7-8 months focusing on building muscle and that will stay my goal.  I'm sure I will go watch the October competition though :)

I finally got my photos uploaded :)

Very happy with my posing, but you can see how much lighter I am than the other competitors.  Lesson learned!


Gotta build up that back and tighten up the booty some more.  Love the progress I made since last October though!




My abs were not there like they were in October, I think it did make a difference obviously not being able to train my abs the final three weeks.

My beautiful cousins/sisters Stacy and Angie drove from Cedar Rapids that morning to watch and support me :)

This little sweetie right here is my #1 supporter, she pushes me, encourages me and makes me want to continue to be a better version of myself.

Blessed to have some of my sisters and brothers there to support me as well.  I truly have the most supportive family in the world!

My amazing parents, they will never miss a competition and both times I saw them after competing I just had tears in my eyes.  So thankful to have them supporting me in everything I choose to do.  Now dad just has to be more "ok" with his daughter not placing as high as he thinks she should ;)

Kyle and Bella are my everything.  Kyle pushes me like no one can in the gym and he is beyond supportive.  Doing more when I have to do less in the final weeks of competition prep.  So fortunate that he understands the process, supports me throughout it and I love seeing how proud he is of me :)

My David, another person I could not do this without.  He is the best workout partner, stylist and best friend.  Throughout my craziness he understands, supports me always and encourages me when I need it the most.

Carley and Zach have made me even more excited about competing.  I cannot say enough how much fun it was to do this with Carley!!!!  Such a different experience having someone you love doing the same sport and stepping on that stage with you.  I really can't wait for next May when myself, Carley AND Zach all compete!!!

The finals were so much fun, long, but fun.  Again lucky to have such awesome people there to hangout back stage and help pass the time :)

I can't think of any other word of how I felt at this moment other than euphoric.  I was so flipping proud of myself, had some bumps during the final weeks of prep, still presented a better package and earned my spot :)



I did what I went to that competition to do, I presented a better ME, I was more confident and really enjoyed myself.  Still nervous on my t-walk but that will get better with time.

I can honestly say that competing in this sport is not all about winning a trophy.  I did win one, yes, and it was the most amazing feeling getting that 3rd place.  But there were two other categories that I didn't even get called out for.  Rather than feeling like I would burst into tears and being disappointed in myself, I was honestly still very happy and proud to have stood on that stage with such amazing women.

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog, supports me from near and far even if you don't quite understand this crazy sport that has become a part of my life.  Without my supporters this would be so much harder.  I love being a healthier me, a more confident me, in the end it makes me a better person all around.

Here's to the next year of intense training, making gains, getting stronger and continuing to really enjoy this life.  We don't have much time here, do what you love and live a happy, full life! 

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Judges Notes

I got the judges notes and they said pretty much what I expected, nice to know what I need to work on.

The tan was not dark enough, I knew it wouldn't be.  For sure I will do the spray tan they offer next May, it is more expensive but less time consuming, less stressful and I will know for sure that I will be dark enough :)

 CM Figure Novice Tall
Judge 1-  nice calves, more stain, leaner, shoulder caps needed PLACE-5
 
Judge 2-  too light, leaner, tighter, more muscle PLACE-3
 
Judge 3-  leaner, more color, nice leg size, back size & shoulders for symmetry PLACE-3
 
Judge 4-  nice delts, lean up lower body PLACE-3
 
Judge 5-  nice muscularity PLACE-4
 
Judge 6-  darker tan, leaner PLACE-2

Judge 7-  N/A PLACE-6
 
CM Figure Tall
Judge 1-  more stain, leaner PLACE-8
 
Judge 2-  leaner, darker color PLACE-8
 
Judge 3-  need shoulder size, darker, leaner, great potential PLACE-7
 
Judge 4-  lean up lower body PLACE-8
 
Judge 5-  get leaner PLACE-8
 
Judge 6-  good glutes & overall symmetry, leaner next show PLACE-8

Judge 7-  get leaner & darker, tighter glutes PLACE-8

I will really be working on building up my back and shoulders, my legs and glutes don't necessarily need a lot more size they just need to be leaner next time.  I plan on continuing my running throughout the summer and once the cold months hit I will transition to the step mill for steady state cardio.

I went for a four mile run this morning, I felt really good.  Although my tummy was a bit upset, eating what I want has given me some issues this time around.  I'm happy to be back to eating healthier, have lots of salad ideas for this summer and ways to satisfy my sweet tooth with healthy dessert recipes.

This is a lifestyle, planning on sticking with the 90/10 rule from here on out.  Doing lots of research on IIFYM (if it fits your macros) to incorporate with the Fighter diet.  Too much restriction causes me to binge, it's true and I just can't have that again, too hard on my tummy!

So back to the run, I have to end this with something funny.  Well it wasn't funny to me, but my tummy was rumbling.  I felt fine until my final mile and then the dreaded feeling of having to poop hit me.  That is seriously the worst feeling when you are out for a run, my final mile was faster than the first three though ;)

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

What A Weekend!

What a whirlwind of a weekend!

We all had a blast!  Friday when we headed out we were just going non stop, polygraphs went well, check in went well, tanning went not so well.

We had the same issue with the tan as last time, after two coats it was like it wouldn't absorb into the skin anymore.  Carley and I both could have been a lot darker and next time I will get the professional spray tan, but our color was nice and brown :)

I didn't get much sleep Friday night, maybe half an hour.  We were up at 3:50am for our first meal, then it was hair and makeup at 5am.  It was so much fun getting ready together and we looked gorgeous :)  The area back stage at the competition was CRAMPED, seriously it was crazy.

The competition went so smoothly and was a great experience.  I didn't place in Central Midwest Open or Iowa Open, I was blown away by some of the competition.  So many insanely awesome physiques, women who have been at this for 5-6 years and they were so nice.  The overall winner was phenomenal, I talked to her for quite a while, such a sweetheart and super encouraging.

I did place in the Novice class, I got 3rd!  I was so pleasantly surprised :)  2nd was within my reach but I'm pretty sure my tan scored low and that could have been the deciding factor that got me 3rd.  I am anxious to get the judges card to know where I need the most improvement.

Carley was the only Teen competitor and got her 1st place :)  She looked beautiful and I think she really enjoyed the entire process.  I couldn't be more proud of her and can't wait for us to compete together again.  It really was a tiring day, going that long and waiting to go on in the finals when you are so ready for some yummy food afterwards, it is tough!


I will have more pictures to post on here, I just haven't had time to get them all uploaded yet.  We have a LOT, I am so happy to have pictures from pre-judging this time around.

The past couple of days I've enjoyed eating pretty much whatever I wanted, I have to admit I am already more than ready to get back on track, lol!  I have a five mile run planned for tonight, looking forward to it.  I may lift tomorrow, we'll see, just depends on my energy.  I like easing back into it though!

I made the decision to take the next year and work on building muscle, I won't be competing again until next May.  I feel really good about it, October seems so close and I really have a lot to work on.  Rather than rush through and do competition after competition, I'm doing what is right for me.  Looking forward to improving over the next year, getting stronger, more muscle mass and bringing a better me to the stage next year!

Friday, May 9, 2014

One Day

I am so glad this day is finally here.  It has been an up and down week that's for sure.

I took Bella to visit my Grandma yesterday, she still hasn't been able to eat anything but she was able to drink some 7up.  She is one tough lady, we were able to actually talk yesterday and she just loved seeing Bella.  I love how sweet Bella is with her and loving, it warms my heart.  I truly feel we will be seeing her on Sunday when we get back from Des Moines and we'll be able to tell her how Carley and I did.

Last night was the big shaving night, we all know how horrible that was last year.  Kyle had to work until 9pm so I had all this free time, like two hours!  I made my steak and asparagus that I get to eat for dinner tonight, packed up everything I could.  We look like we will be gone for a week!  I can't help it, taking all the food I will need, supplements, food for Bella, snacks for the ride home, oh I can't wait to dive into some sweet chili Doritos!  Lots of clothes, I have no idea what I want to wear on Sunday, the weather is ever changing here.

So back to the shaving, this time I took a nice hot bath and it made the process so much better!  Although I just noticed a little patch of hair on my arm, that will get shaved when I get home, too much not to!  It was a relaxing experience this time around, still took a while but it gave Kyle and I time to chat about the amazing progress I've made :)

Today I am slowly carb loading, only 55 grams of carbs today though.  I was beyond happy to devour my protein waffles this morning and am so looking forward to a Cookie Dough Quest bar tonight, YUMMY!!!!!

Tonight will be a bit crazy.  My polygraph is at 4:30, check in is at 6:30 and Carley's polygraph is at 7:30.  We'll get one coat of Jan Tana on before we go to check in and get two more coats on tonight.  Hopefully we are ready for bed by 11pm, although I know we won't sleep much.  It is hard to get the mind to quiet down at this point, I slept horribly last night.  Good thing we'll have so much adrenaline running through us and coffee to keep us going all day :)

So blessed to share this experience with Carley tomorrow and my amazing family.  Really looking forward to the next 48 hours!!!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Week of Good and Bad

So far so good with peak week!  I am so much leaner this time around, crazy amounts of muscle definition, very flat tummy, everything is coming together nicely.

Low carbs this whole week, about 15 grams per day and tomorrow is about 7 carbs.  Friday I will be able to have some carbs to help fill out my muscles.  We are taking things slow though, I will have about 50 carbs and we'll see how I look Saturday morning.  If I need more I will have more, if not then I will stick to mostly protein.

I am really looking forward to my snack about an hour before I step on stage.  A rice cake with peanut butter and some turkey jerky, yummy!!!!!  It is a good ratio of fat/carbs/protein and sodium, yes I said sodium.  Keeping in the sodium and water is making me even leaner, the changes each day are so crazy.

I did get some bad news this week, my Grandma, who is 98 years old, is not doing well.  Hospice has stepped in and they took her off of all of her medications on Tuesday, she hasn't eaten in two days and is down to about 98 pounds.  I went to see her yesterday and she looked so tiny in her bed, she did open her eyes for a moment and when she saw me she smiled and nodded, then went back to sleep.  She looked so peaceful while she slept.  I've been struggling with the idea of being gone Friday and Saturday for the competition, I expressed that to my mom.  She and my dad of course told me not to worry about it, there is nothing I can do, she will pass on when she is ready and it may be in a couple of days or a couple of weeks.

My Aunt Karen called me last night after being with my parents to tell me to please not feel guilty about competing this weekend.  She said everyone knows how hard I've worked for this and to be able to compete with Carley, this is just such a big deal and they are all so proud of me.

That phone call meant the world to me.  I will compete on Saturday and will be thinking of my Grandma while I give it my all.

Yesterday was just such a roller coaster of emotions.  Zach and Carley got here, it is so, so great to have them back!  We had a good workout and then we did a long posing and t-walk session last night.  Carley looks amazing and we really got the posing down, I'm glad she got here ahead of time to be able to have Kyle and I help her with the poses.  We changed up her t-walk too and she is going to rock the stage!

I really can't wait for both of us to step on that stage Saturday.  We are ready and we are going to have so much FUN!!!

Monday, May 5, 2014

5 Days

That's right, just FIVE days to go!!!!!

My weekend went awesome with great workouts, posing practice, t-walk change up and sand volleyball.

I had my last heavy lifts and they went really well, my last long run was on Friday and I ran just under 9 minute miles :)  I was so happy with that, knowing I won't have another long run in about a week and a half I really pushed myself.  Kyle was with me for my lifts this weekend, he really pushed me and I was proud of myself on the "explosion" push ups, pushed through and did about 30 total of those.

Saturday night we worked on my posing and t-walk.  This competition really sticks to the NANBF rules with just five poses, for the one in October you could do more than five and they weren't particular on where you did multiple poses.

It took us a little while but we got a new t-walk figured out and I LOVE it!!!!  I feel like it allows me to just have more sass easily added in, although my confidence is through the roof with how much I've improved since October.  I was so excited to show David on Sunday and he actually got teary eyed seeing my sass and confidence shine :)  Let's hope and pray my hard work has truly paid off and that this peak week goes as planned so I actually get to do my t-walk, I have to place in top 6 in at least one of my categories to be able to do it!

Sunday night was an awesome night of volleyball.  Chris and I have really clicked this year as a doubles team, we are 6-0, our best start ever, woo hoo!!!!!  Next weekend he will be out of town so Kyle is subbing for him, we'll see how Kyle and I do playing doubles together.  He coaches me in the gym, my turn to coach him for sand volleyball ;)  I teased him we gotta keep the awesome record going, no losses next weekend!

I really am so, so proud of myself and the progress I've made in such a short amount of time.  I am so much leaner than I was before, we have my peak week all planned out except for Friday.  It all depends on how I'm looking Friday but I'm pretty sure I will actually get to have some carbs, I bought a cookie dough Quest bar and a cookies and cream Quest bar to have on hand for that.  Good carbs with a good protein/fat ratio.

Carley and Zach get here TOMORROW!!!!!  I get to do my last three workouts with them, posing and t-walk practice with Carley, so much to look forward to.  I know these last five days will fly by and I'm trying to enjoy every moment, even the hungry ones ;)

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Pump = Vein

My lunch hour workout was a really good one, I got such a great pump!

And that vein was really popping, I had to get some photographic proof of course ;)

Hope to get even leaner in the next eight days!


8 Days

It really is setting in that the competition is just EIGHT days away.

Carley and Zach will be here in just FIVE days.

Oh my goodness, the excitement building up in me is about to overflow!!!!  I feel so, so good, honestly I really do.  I feel like every day I wake up leaner.  I am most definitely to the point where we can adjust my nutrition daily to get the changes we want.  That silly vein in my right bicep is there, all the time :)

I did feel a cold coming on Tuesday, thank goodness for Emergen-C and Throat Coat tea.  It has helped immensely!  I will continue taking this stuff all the way through the competition if I have to.  I do not plan on getting really sick like I did last time afterwards!

Today I am lifting arms at work, we had changed it up to mostly cable machine exercises so thankfully it works out perfectly for me to do that on my lunch hour today, I just could not get up at 4:30 this morning.  I got my hair done last night and that always wears me out for some reason.  I LOVE it!  Very dark and will look beautiful with my suit :)

Not gonna lie, I am kind of dreading my long run tomorrow afternoon.  I feel good but my energy level is pretty low.  I am supposed to run 10 miles but thinking I will cut it back to 6-8, we will see how I feel.  At least I get to go a little higher in my carbs tomorrow, woo hoo!!!  Although it does worry me a little bit, just have to keep reminding myself that if I overflow we still have plenty of time to correct that.

What a difficult process to have full muscles, but not to the point of overflowing but yet not having them look flat at all.  

I am looking forward to having some good posing and t-walk sessions this weekend and really, really looking forward to posing with Carley next week and seeing her t-walk!!!!

WE GOT THIS :)