Moment of Weakness

Yesterday, I was exhausted...I mean...I was so tired, I was delirious. My body is sore. I'm running on empty. I want to eat a cookie. I want to skip cardio. I want to do everything that I haven't been able to do for the last however many weeks.

I want to quit.

There - I said it.

I want to be done with prep.

Last night I was lying in bed, half asleep, when I said to Tom "I can't do it". He calmly asked, "What the f@%k are you talking about?" to which I replied, "I can't do it. I'm not going to make it to the end of this prep". Tom then said to me "Yes, you can. You've made it this far and you're going to make it to the end". I whimpered and said something about being a quitter and he lovingly patted my arm and told me to shut up &  go to sleep.

Obviously it was what I needed to hear because I turned over and fell right asleep.

When the alarm went off at 4:45 this morning, you want to know what happened? I got up, I put my workout clothes on, and I hit up round 1 of cardio...like a boss :)

Why?

Because my husband's right, I am going to make it to the end. I'm anything but a quitter. I had a moment of weakness & self-doubt and that's ok. It was a moment and now it's behind me.

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Booty Like Serena....

I am probably the world's crappiest blogger. Seriously. I have been doing, as my mother would say, a piss poor job of consistently blogging about what's going on with prep and life!!

I'm not making excuses but this pretty much describes how I feel when I get to the end of my day....

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My days are pretty busy as you were able to see in my daily schedule post! Some days, I crawl in bed and wonder where the day went! However, I am not complaining! Life is good and I like being able to keep busy :)

I've also been feeling like this.....

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 Don't judge me! You don't know how deep my love for burritos runs!!! :)

Let's talk prep, shall we?

Guess who completely messed up the countdown to their shows...AGAIN?? Yep, that would be me! I posted something on Siouxcountry (aka best website ever!) in the 2012 State & Local Shows section about being 4 weeks out from the NPC Terminator and one of the other members informed me that the show was actually in 3 weeks not 4!!  Talk about a smack to the forehead! I did have a HUGE small breakdown after learning I was closer to my shows than I thought but I'm ok now...I think... ;)

My last check in with The Boss went really really well! She used the term "practically ready" in her reply to my progress pictures and that has NEVER EVER happened before!!! The Boss did tell me that for the next two weeks my mantra is "booty like Serena...caps like Dwight..." My job is to continue tightening up & rounding out my glutes and building those boulder shoulders. I also need to work on my posing. I had a list of things she wants me to work on and nail before I step on stage.

I have a pretty hefty to-do list of things I need to take care of before both shows...important things like scheduling waxing appointments, picking up new eyeshadow...oh yeah...and maybe sending in my registration forms for both shows!

Three...count them...three weeks until my first show of this year...oh snap...it's almost time to do the damn thang!

Sweat to Street Sunday's #15

Welcome to Sweat to Street Sundays!

Each week my fabulously fit co-hosts and I will link up with one everyday outfit AND one fitness outfit that we love!

Meet Your Hosts! 

Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily) 

Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte) 

Running and Cupcakes (Samantha) 

MCM Mama (Erika) 

Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

***IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW SWEAT TO STREET ON TWITTER OR PLAN ON TWEETING YOUR POST, PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #SweatToStreet***

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.

Every week we spotlight one awesome blogger who links up with us in the previous week! Our way of thanking you for sharing your fabulous/fun/fitness style!

We need you to link up so we can feature your awesomesauce blog 

and your B.A. fashion sense!

SWEAT!!!

Excuse the ridiculous look on my face as I was attempting to a front pose while snapping my own photo :)

Shirt: Lucy

Capris: Central Park Yoga (purchased at Ross) 

Shoes: Nike

Accessories: ipod, Livestrong bracelet, and baby Dwight Howard shoulders!

STREET!!!

Dress: no tag but I know I purchased it at Grand Central Clothing in Tucson

Shoes: Dollhouse (DSW)

Accessories: earrings from Tilly's, cuff (gift from my mom), Livestrong

and Coach bracelets, Fossil watch, Coach purse

Link-up Suggestions:

• follow the hosts on twitter: @FamilyNLifeLV, @Char__Latte, @MrsFitLibrarian, @MCMmama, @RunCupcake
• Feel free to follow us all via RSS as well so you never miss a Sweat to Street post!
• Snag a button and share the fun!!
• Sharing is caring! Be sure to visit pages participating in the link up!
• Feel free to share this link up on your own blog by grabbing the code here! get the InLinkz code
• HAVE FUN!

Remember if you don't link up, we can't choose you to be next week's featured blogger!

We are so excited to see all the fashions that are shared each week!

A Day In The Life...

I have been asked on numerous occasions about what my daily schedule looks like and how do I find the time each day to get done all the things that I need to. Explaining my daily is a tad complicated so I'll get to that in a moment. The question about how I find the time to do what needs to be done is easy to answer - the truth is, I don't. Some days, the dishes in the sink don't get washed. The clean laundry sits on top of the dryer and doesn't get folded.The dirty laundry sits in the hamper, waiting to be washed. The mail from three days ago sits on the counter, unopened. Bottom line, I know some things can wait and so they do! :)

My daily schedule varies depending on the time of year (summer versus school year for The Princess), whether it's a work day for me or not, and whether Tom is working or off-duty. Tom is a firefighter so he works what is called a "five-six schedule". He works a 24 hour shift and then is off for 24 hours. After working five 24 hour shifts, he gets 6 consecutive days off. I'm a public librarian and usually work during the week however I do work occasionally on Saturday and/or Sunday.

Here's an example of my weekday schedule during the school year on a day that Tom & I are both working (did you get all of that?!?!)

4:45 am                        Wake up

5:00 am                        Cardio

5:45 am                        Shower

6:00-6:30 am                Meal #1, pack lunch for The Princess, make 

                                    breakfast for The Princess, etc

6:30 am                        Wake up The Princess

6:30-7:00 am                Breakfast time for The Princess, get dressed,

                                    get The Princess ready for school, pack up 

                                    gym bag & her backpack

7:05 am                        Put bags into the car, last check of the house

7:10 am                        Pulling out of the driveway and off to school

7:20 am                        Drop The Princess off at her classroom, 

                                    check-in with her teacher

7:30 am                        In the car and off to the gym

7:45 - 8:20 am              Work out

8:20 - 8:45 am              Get ready for work 

8:45 am                        In the car and off to work

9:00 am - 6:00 pm        Work, work, work 

6:30 pm                        Pick up The Princess from my mom's

6:40-7:30 pm               Make The Princess dinner, review homework,

                                    talk with her about her day, etc

7:30 pm                        Bedtime for The Princess

7:30-8:00 pm               Iron clothes, unpack gym bag, feed dogs, etc

8:30 pm                       Last meal of the day & bedtime

I try to ensure that my prep "stuff" doesn't interfere with my time with my family. Some of the ways I accomplish this is doing cardio before my daughter wakes up, working out while she's at school or during my lunch hour, or finishing any lingering necessities after she's gone to bed.

I attempt to keep a tight schedule as often as possible but I'm also realistic. Things happen (or don't!) so I have to be willing to shift & adjust as needed. The one thing I will not do is sacrifice time with my family for time at the gym or on the treadmill. Family is first, competitions-cardio-lifting are all secondary. I'm all about balance and you can read more about how I create balance between family, work, and competing in my guest post for Mother Fitness entitled "Creating The Balance and Making It Work". While the post is from 2010, my feelings have not changed :)

Sweat to Street Sunday #14

Welcome to Sweat to Street Sunday's!

Each week my fabulously fit co-hosts and I link up with one everyday outfit AND one fitness outfit that we love!

Meet Your Hosts! 

Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily) 

Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte) 

Running and Cupcakes (Samantha) 

MCM Mama (Erika) 

Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

***IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW SWEAT TO STREET ON TWITTER OR PLAN ON TWEETING YOUR POST, PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #SweatToStreet***

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.

Every week we spotlight one awesome blogger who links up with us in the previous week! Our way of thanking you for sharing your fabulous/fun/fitness style!

  This week's featured blogger: Nancy from: Little Fancy Nancy 

SWEAT!!!!

Tom wanted to film our workout on Monday so
I made it a point to make sure I looked
less like a hot mess and more like a normal
human being than I usually do :)

Shirt: Forever 21
Shorts: Lucy (new purchase & I love love love them!!)
Shoes: Nike
Accessories: earrings from H & M, Livestrong bracelet, and the sweat
on my shirt was courtesy of Tom's brutal arm workout :)

STREET!!!

I've been posting a lot of work outfits so I thought

I would share one of my "casual" looks. I had

to make my weekly trip to Walmart to stock up on water,

buy a new loofah, stare at the ice cream, you know..the

usual stuff...so this is what I threw on!

Ignore the beer behind me...I tried to...lol

Shirt: Flag nor Fail 

Capris: Danskin (so comfty!!)

Shoes: Puma flip-flops

Accessories: earrings from Tilly's, Livestrong bracelet

  Link-up Suggestions:

• follow the hosts on twitter: @FamilyNLifeLV, @Char__Latte, @MrsFitLibrarian, @MCMmama, @RunCupcake
• Feel free to follow us all via RSS as well so you never miss a Sweat to Street post!
• Snag a button and share the fun!!
• Sharing is caring! Be sure to visit pages participating in the link up!
• Feel free to share this link up on your own blog by grabbing the code here! Get the inlinkz code!
• HAVE FUN!

Remember if you don't link up, we can't choose you to be next week's featured blogger! We are so excited to see all the fashions that are shared each week

Progress Report

Last Saturday marked 6 weeks out from the Tucson show and 7 weeks out from the Phoenix show! Per the set Saturday morning schedule, I hopped outta of bed and headed outside to take my progress pics.

I'm only sharing one pic in this post because the rest of them were CRAP!! Ok...fine...I'm being dramatic...they weren't crap...they just weren't as awesome as I had hoped they would be. I blame Mother Nature and frickin' TOM for that! Moving along, despite retaining water like a mofo I did have a slight scale drop so can I get a "woot woot" up in here?? :)

I'm also giving y'all a sneak peek of my new suit! I didn't tell you that I was ordering a new suit?? Oh...oops....my bad! I ordered a blank suit from Ellen at Crystallini Bikini and it was such a great experience. She let me ramble in emails about the colors I wanted, sent me a buttload of swatches to consider, and had a suit that fits like a glove in my hands less than a week after placing my official order. I'm 100% certain that I will be ordering more suits from her in the future. Stoning of the suit is being done by a creative genius - I don't know what the design will be but I do know it's gonna be sparkly & awesome!

After checking in with The Boss, there were some adjustments to my workout schedule. It seems while I thought I was being careful about lifting too heavy & putting on muscle, I wasn't being careful enough! She noticed that I have gained some muscle in my legs so we will be focusing on streamlining my legs over the next few weeks. No diet changes which is great and no additional cardio is fan-freaking-tastic!!

I've received some questions via email about what my daily schedule looks like so I'll be doing a post about that in the next few days. Are there other questions you might have that you want me to answer? If you do, feel free to leave them in the comments section or if you would rather email me, you can do that as well!

6 weeks, folks! Let's get it!!

New Release Tuesday

Technically, this song isn't a new release since it's been out for a few months but I just discovered it a couple of weeks ago so it's new to me! :)

I'm totally ignoring the fact that Justin Bieber is featured on this song and focusing on the other cool aspects of the song such as the great beat, the fact that LMFAO is in the video, and the dance choreography!

This has been a great addition to my cardio playlist and you may or may nor catch me dancing on the treadmill when it comes on :)

Enjoy and get your hands up in the air like you're livin' your life!!

Sweat to Street Sunday #14

Welcome to Sweat to Street Sunday's!

Each week my fabulously fit co-hosts and I will link up with one everyday outfit AND one fitness outfit that we love!

Meet Your Hosts!

Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily) 

Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte)

Running and Cupcakes (Samantha) 

MCM Mama (Erika) 

Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

***IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW SWEAT TO STREET ON TWITTER OR PLAN ON TWEETING YOUR POST, PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #SweatToStreet***

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.

Every week we spotlight one awesome blogger who links up with us in the previous week! Our way of thanking you for sharing your fabulous/fun/fitness style!

  This week's featured blogger: Sarah from Sarah Learns

 

SWEAT!!!!!

 I decided to hit up the gym VERY early on Friday morning.
I was there by 5:20 and hitting my first set of leg presses by 5:25!
Here's what I wore for my early morning gym date!

Shirt: Morera Activewear (purchased at Ross)
Shorts: Champion (I'm so in love with these shorts - real talk!
Only bummer is that as I creep closer to show day, they are starting to get baggy!)
Shoes: Vibrams - Bikilas
Accessories: Livestrong bracelet, Fuji camera :)

STREET!!!

I seem to be featuring a lot of dresses in my "Street" outfits!

I guess we can blame the AZ heat for me not wanting to wear

heavy clothing items like jeans or dress pants ;)

Dress: Express (clearance section!!)

Shoes: Gianni Bini (they look black but are actually dark blue!)

Accessories: Coach sunglasses & bracelets, Fossil watch, 

Livestrong bracelet, cuff (gift from my mom), big shiny forehead

is courtesy of genetics :)

  Link-up Suggestions:

• follow the hosts on twitter: @FamilyNLifeLV, @Char__Latte, @MrsFitLibrarian, @MCMmama, @RunCupcake
• Feel free to follow us all via RSS as well so you never miss a Sweat to Street post!
• Snag a button and share the fun!!
• Sharing is caring! Be sure to visit pages participating in the link up!
• Feel free to share this link up on your own blog by grabbing the code here! Get the inlinkz code!
• HAVE FUN!

Remember if you don't link up, we can't choose you to be next week's featured blogger! We are so excited to see all the fashions that are shared each week!

That's What's Up Thursday

source

I have been a fan of this particular competitor for quite some time!!
Remember when I first featured her on "That's What's Up Thursday"?
Or when I shared with you how I met her backstage at the Border States show?

Show after show, she was overlooked and 

critiqued by the judges for her physique.

Show after show, she brought an incredible package to the stage 

and refused to be defeated.

Last weekend, she finally received a win that was long overdue.

Last week, she qualified to step on the Olympia stage later this year.

Last weekend, she proved that determination and 

perseverance will pay off in the end.

Last week, she proved all the haters wrong.

IFBB Figure Pro Rosalind Vanterpool - now that's what's up!!!

Signs of the Times

When I prep for a show, I usually say that the sh!t starts to feel real when the countdown of weeks changes to single digits. In addition to the countdown, there are other signs that tell me that show time is thisclose to being here!

Oops..should have taken the picture before tearing open the envelope :)

Receiving your new suit in the mail is a clear indication that your show is right around the corner. Trying on said suit and feeling like a sausage in it is also a sign that you need to kick it into high gear so you don't look like a hot mess while on stage!

I'm pretty certain that our mailman hates us but...that's not what we're talking about right now! Another sign is packages of peak week and show day items you need arriving at your doorstep. I love receiving mail that isn't a bill (who doesn't!??!) and I also love adding all of my necessities to the shelf in the hall closet we've designated at the "Show Zone"

Tickets to the "gun show"!

Tickets!! The theatre where the NPC Terminator is being held is actually right down the street from my library branch. Last week during my lunch break I took a stroll to the box office and purchased tickets for Tom and The Princess. The Princess decided that she would like to attend the evening show because "I need to see you get your trophy, Mom"...from her lips to God's ears :)

Last sign that I'll share today is the number of meals eaten post-workout in the gym parking lot increases exponentially! I honestly don't know what it means to enjoy a meal at my kitchen table, on a plate, eaten with a fork as my show draws nearer. I think I should probably add this to the "You Know You're A Figure Competitor When..." list, shouldn't I?

The signs are all around me!!! It's almost here!!! Eeek!!! I'm scared and nervous....more than I've been for any of my past shows. I'm not sure why this is but I keep looking at the picture below to help me keep my fear in check.....

source

New Release Tuesday

I remember the first time I heard my baby brother playing Linkin Park. I thought he was having an identity crisis - I teased him that he was forgetting that he was half Black...I'm a mean big sister...I know...lol!! I told him it wasn't music, it was just some guy screaming.

Fast forward a few years and now we both love Linkin Park! My brother made me sit in his room and actually listen to the cd he was playing and I had to admit, it was really really good! Since then, I've been a fan.

This is a great song and a beautiful video (even if I don't completely understand it!)

Enjoy!

Sweat to Street Sunday #13

Welcome to Sweat to Street Sunday!

Each week my fabulously fit co-hosts and I will link up with one everyday outfit AND one fitness outfit that we love!

Meet Your Hosts!

Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily)

Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte)

Running and Cupcakes (Samantha)

MCM Mama (Erika)

Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

***IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW SWEAT TO STREET ON TWITTER OR PLAN ON TWEETING YOUR POST, PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #SweatToStreet***

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.

Every week we spotlight one awesome blogger who links up with us in the previous week! Our way of thanking you for sharing your fabulous/fun/fitness style!

 

This week's featured blogger: Casey at CSWFit Yoga

 

SWEAT!!!

I have no sweat picture from this week...boo! Honestly, I completely

forgot about taking pictures. 

I've been a tad forgetful lately but that's another

post for another time..lol! 

STREET!!!

It's summer in Tucson...not officially...

but when it's 107 degrees on any given day,
I think it's safe to say it's summer! 

To me, that means more sleeveless shirts and skirts. 

That also means having to shave my legs consistently...ugh...but

let's not talk about that right now ;)

Shirt: Merono ($5 on Target clearance rack last summer!!)

Skirt: H & M (purchased from Buffalo Exchange)

Shoes: Jessica Simpson

Accessories: earrings from Charlotte Russe,
cuff from Creations (local boutique), 

Fossil watch, Coach bracelets

 

Link-up Suggestions:

• follow the hosts on twitter: @FamilyNLifeLV, @Char__Latte, @MrsFitLibrarian, @MCMmama, @RunCupcake
• Feel free to follow us all via RSS as well so you never miss a Sweat to Street post!
• Snag a button and share the fun!!
• Sharing is caring! Be sure to visit pages participating in the link up!
• Feel free to share this link up on your own blog by grabbing the code here! get the InLinkz code
• HAVE FUN!

Remember if you don't link up, we can't choose you to be next week's featured blogger! We are so excited to see all the fashions that are shared each week!