New Release Tuesday

I heard this on the radio last night...ummm....it was just another reminder of why I insist Jennifer Lopez should stop trying to make music and find another hobby ;)

#fitmascansuckit

We all know that I'm in lazyville off-season so I've had no set workout plans. It's actually nice to wake up, decide to blow off the gym, and promptly fall back asleep but this can't last forever...boo! I knew that I needed to get back to the gym so last Monday I decided to man up and do the Eighth Week of Fitmas challenge Donloree had posted. 

The challenge was a squatting challenge where you could select from the different workout options that were listed or possibly create your own. I decided to try this challenge because I need to work on my hammies & glutes during the off-season and this seemed like the perfect way to kick that off. 

I decided to go with a combo of Workout Option #1 & Option #2 and it looked like this:

Lying leg curl

50 x 6

65 x 6

80 x 6

Hack squat

90 x 12    4 sets

Leg press

180 x 20   4 sets

Bulgarian split squat

20 x 15 per leg   3 sets

Deadlifts *(neither option listed this but I decided to throw it in there)

95 x 12

115 x 10

135 x 10

155 x 8

I ended the workout with 10 minutes on the Arc Trainer followed by 5 minutes of stretching. 

I knew that I was going to be sore the next couple of days but I had NO idea how sore!!!! I told Donloree that there was a point on Wednesday while I was at work that I admitted defeat, stopped taking the stairs, and just used the elevator :)

Head over to Bikini or Bust for past Fitmas challenges - they're a nice way to add flavor to your workouts & DOMS to your life!

Wiggle Wednesday

Since I didn't post a new release yesterday, today I'm posting a song you can wiggle your behind to.

Bottom line, no one can touch Jessie J. She's a rare talent - love her voice - love her style - love everything about her!!!

C'mon....I know you want to dance....just do it.... :)

Ramblin' & What Not!

Last Saturday, Tom filmed me giving an update on what's on the schedule for next year, feedback from the judges, etc. It's a 9 minute rambling session....view at your own risk! :)

Exhibit B

And because the pictures from the show's photographer

weren't enough....

We have Exhibit B - cue the video.

I would like to point out that the song playing

in the background is completely

appropriate for a figure competition, don't you think?? :)

Oh...and they totally mispronounced my name...

totally ruined my moment to shine ;)

Wrong Again

So Tom is always giving me crap about the fact that I always

look down when I'm walking.

I've explained to him numerous times that I only look down

because I'm a klutz and I'm trying to make sure

I don't trip over anything.

After finals of Border States, he scolded me because he

said I looked down the entire time of my 

individual presentation.

I called him a liar, told him that I knew I looked up at the crowd,

and he should stop exaggerating.

From the show's photographer


In every single photo of my individual presentation, 
I'm looking down at the ground!!!


I hate it when my husband's right
and I'm wrong! 

I Need Answers

Over the past couple of weeks, I have come up with several questions that I require answers to. I have yet to come up with the answers on my own, so if you do have an answer - please leave it in the comments section!!!!

1)  Why does Cafe a La C'Art make my inner fat girl so happy??? The Sonoran brisket sandwich, a chocolate chip cookie, and the current book that I'm reading are the makings of a perfect lunch. This cafe is about a 5 minute walk from the library that I work at and I just know that if I'm not careful, I will eat here at least 3 times a week. If that happens, how will I fit into my date jeans?!?

2) Is it ever wrong to drink your dinner versus eating it? I'm not saying I'm a boozer but I would be a big fat liar if I said I wasn't happy that I can have "Big Kids Juice" now that prep is over. Sometimes, I would rather chug sip my dinner versus chew it. #cheers

3) Explain to me why there isn't a place in Tucson that sells super-size cupcakes. I'm tired of spending $3.00 on a cupcake that I consume in one bite. Wait....maybe most people don't shovel whole cupcakes into their mouths....whatever....that's not the point! Somebody needs to give their cupcakes steroids so my cupcake craving can subside!

4) What's the deal with Lululemon?!?!?! I went to the showroom they have here in Tucson because I had heard so much talk about their workout pants & how fabulous they were. Is it just me or is it kinda crazy that I have to go up a size in order to purchase a pant that I will be wearing while trying to go down a pant size?? Oh, and why is everything so frickin' expensive?!?! I saw the cutest shirt and bag but when I checked the price tags, I almost screamed. However, don't get me wrong - if I save enough of my allowance, I'm totally going back for them :)

5) Is there anything wrong with inhaling enjoying an almond croissant from Frogs Bakery while waiting at a red light?? If you say yes, then shame on you!!! There is nothing wrong with refusing to wait to enjoy the freshly baked goodness that is filled with a simple rum infused syrup and topped with almond cream & almonds. #stopjudgingme

Recap of Border States

Tom and I left Tucson on Thursday afternoon after sending The Princess off to school, straightening up the house, and packing up the last of our stuff. We were heading to Yuma to stay overnight with my sister-in-law Crystal. It was nice to stop at her place, hang out, and just rest a little bit before finishing the last leg of our drive. One thing I can tell you about road trips while getting ready for a show - lots of eating cold food out of Ziploc bags. Oh....and quite a few potty breaks...it's amazing how my hatred for public restrooms disappears days before a show :)

Meal #3 out of a Ziploc?  Don't mind if I do

On Friday, we stopped at the Viejas Outlets in Alpine, CA. I love that we weren't in a rush to get to San Diego and could stop because I whined made a comment about needing to stop at the Coach & Nike outlets. Tom, being a very smart man, stopped at the outlets after purchasing a bag of large Hass avocados from a roadside booth for $5. It's the little things that make us happy....avocados for him....$4.79 Nike running shorts for me!

We reached the hotel about 2 hours before the athlete's meeting so I had time to start laying my stuff out for the next day and have another coat of tanner applied. The Doubletree Hotel that we stayed at was gorgeous! Did you know that when you check into a Doubletree, they give you a free freshly baked chocolate chip cookie?? Yea, I almost flipped out when the man at the counter tried to hand me the cookie...I wanted to scream "Damn it, man!!! I'm one day out from my show! Get that f#%king thing away from me!!!" but I didn't and Tom saved everyone from an awkward violent encounter by quickly grabbing the cookies and hiding them :)

source
Our room looked similar to this.

The athlete's meeting went well, a bit slow, but it was a smooth process. I had a chance to stop at my friend Kayla's room and pick her up so we hung out at the meeting together. Kayla and I meet last November at the check in for a NPC show we were doing so we both commented on how differently we were behaving at the CA check in versus the AZ check in :)

Show day arrived and I took a quick walk on the treadmill in the fitness center before having my first meal. A check of the physique by Tom was met with a thumbs up despite an inner nagging feeling that I was still holding water from my period and I was too soft. I threw on my suit, grabbed my bag, and we were off!

Figure was at the beginning of the show so it was time to hit the stage before I knew it. As we lined up, I got a little jittery but walked out & hit my poses!

After pre-judging, Tom & I went to grab some lunch and headed back to the hotel for a nap. Finals seemed to take F-O-R-E-V-E-R but the plus side was meeting Rosalind Vanterpool!! By the time figure awards were being given out it was almost 10:00 pm and I just wanted to eat! I wasn't shocked by receiving 5th place but I do wish I had done better. 

Me (5th) and Kayla (1st)

My post-show meal was a black & bleu cheeseburger and beer from the Tilted Kilt - it was freakin' awesome! The next morning, I finally ate the free chocolate chip cookie and we went exploring San Diego a bit. We had an incredible breakfast at Old Townhouse, waffle ice cream sandwich sundae (cookie dough ice cream sandwiched between two hot belgian waffles topped with melted Nutella, whipped cream, roasted almonds, and a cherry) from Lighthouse Ice Cream, and beers & football at The Arizona Cafe. I think I might love San Diego & Ocean Beach :)

I ate the free cookie!!!

I'm going to save the commentary about my feelings about the judges' feedback, competing in 3 shows this year, and what's next on the agenda for another post. My pictures from the show's photographer can be found here and I will be posting additional pictures on my facebook. I'm off to eat another piece of chocolate and have a glass of bubbly....don't judge me.... :)

Meeting One of the Greats

Have you ever had a moment where you wished you were like the folks on the Real World or Dirty Soap (which is my new fav show...we'll talk about that later) and had cameras following you around to capture every waking moment in your daily life?? Well, I had one of those moments last Saturday at my show.

The NPC Border States show was held in conjunction with the Border States Pro show so I knew that I might spot a couple of ladies I admire while at the venue. The list of pros competing at this show was quite impressive...I'm talkin' Teresa Anthony, Krissy Chin, Natalie Waples. However, the way the venue is set up it's not really "easy" to run into a pro and get your picture taken with them. Throughout the course of the day, I did spot some of the pros while they were walking from one area to another...they are so TINY in person...seriously...I look like Gigantor compared to them...lol!!

Finals had started and figure was scheduled to be at the end of the night. I had been laying down in the "get ready" room for quite some time reading my book & listening to my ipod. I decided to get up and walk around the expo area a bit just to kill some time. As I was walking into the expo, I walked by a woman that looked like the twin of one of my favorite figure pros. I stared at her for a few moments as I walked by and then proceeded to one of the tables where they were selling protein bars. After mindlessly wandering the expo for about 10 minutes, I decided to go back to the "get ready" room and finish reading. As I'm walking back to the room, I pass the twin again and suddenly, through my hunger & thirst I realize I'm not staring at a twin. ROSALIND VANTERPOOL IS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!!!

I decided to walk over to her & introduce myself. I was a little hesitant because she was competing and I didn't want to intrude or bug her before she went on stage. She was incredibly kind and friendly. She even smiled as I babbled on about her being one of the competitors I admire & being a huge fan (I forgot to tell her about featuring her on "That's What's Up Thursday"...ugh...) We talked at length about competing and how to keep from being discouraged when you don't do as well as you would like. She gave me some really great advice and I walked away from that conversation with a greater respect for her as a woman and competitor.

I was so giddy that I was standing next to her!

I'm so glad I had the courage to walk over and speak to her. If I hadn't, I know I would be kicking myself right now :)