Are you ready for a recap?!!? I know....I know...you're saying to yourself "it's about damn time!" (yes, Mom I'm talking to you..except I know you didn't curse...lol!)
The start of peak week went rather smoothly. I am the Queen of Lists so I had started lists of what I needed to pack, what needed to go in my show bag, what needed to go in Genie's gift bag, what The Princess needed for her stay at Nana's house, and a schedule of tasks. All of the the lists help me when I have cloudy diet brain and can't remember what needs to be done! Before I knew it, it was Wednesday and time to drop The Princess off at my mom's. Our flight left at 7:00 am on Thursday so we my mom decided that it would be best for her to spend the night Wednesday night. Despite all of the lists, I still felt extremely disorganized! I kept remembering things that needed to be done like running the dishwasher, setting out the garbage cans, and cleaning the bathroom (yes, I'm one of those weird people who cleans their house before they go on vacation because I don't want to come back to a dirty house!). I finally finished packing and climbed into bed around 3:00 am. Before I knew it, it was 5:15 am and the alarm was beeping.
Tom's mom drove us to the airport and we quickly checked our bags. Can I just say how much I love Southwest Airlines for allowing you to check in 24 hours before your flight and not charging you to check luggage?!? I was nervous about going through security with my cooler/backpack but I had gotten some really great advice from different competitors about what type of bag to use and how to pack my food.
Waiting to board the plane
We made it through security with no issues and parked ourselves at the gate. It was time to eat so I pulled out my first meal of chicken & asparagus while it seemed like everyone else enjoyed coffee, bagels, and breakfast burritos. Tom wasn't feeling so well but he was a champ. He took the large ziploc bags I had brought with me and had one of the airport bars fill them with ice so I could get my meals frozen. (this was one of the great travel tips I received from Kari over at Figure Girl World!)
Tom & I had talked about where we wanted to sit on the plane and since I knew I might have to make multiple trips to the bathroom, we chose the second to the last row on the plane. We both made ourselves comfortable and went to sleep. I felt a little funny having to get up every 3 minutes (ok, that's an exaggeration) to use the restroom but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. I often joke that I know that it's peak week by the fact that I will use a public restroom without giving it a second thought. Any other time, I will hold it and hold it if I have to! I'm pretty sure the flight crew thought there was something wrong with me given the number of times I was in that teeny tiny bathroom :)
Almost there! And tell me the look on the guy's face next to Tommy isn't hilarious!
As I took this picture I said (out loud!) "Chicago....I am in you!" :)
The flight took just over three hours and before I knew it, we had picked up our luggage and were walking to pick up location for the shuttle we booked. I was so shocked at all of the green things I saw...trees with green leaves....grass....we don't have any of that kind of stuff in the desert :) Tom commented on how flat it was - we're used to looking out of the window and seeing mountains all around us.
The drive to our hotel (Springhill Suites O'Hare) took less time than Google Maps had calculated so we arrived at the hotel before the check in time. Luckily the staff were really accommodating and they let us check in early with no hassle.
This hotel was top notch! The staff were so nice and answered all of our ridiculous tourist questions. There was a free breakfast each morning that was incredible - I'm not talking about nasty orange juice and mini bagels, folks! Anyway, we got settled into the room and then the waiting game began. When the heck was Genie gonna get here?!?!
Yes, I actually wore this in public as I waited for Genie to arrive :)
She was texting me updates about her progress (or lack thereof!) and I anxiously waited! Three years this woman has been taking care of me, coaching me, supporting me, you name it and I was finally going to meet her in person. Tom kept teasing me because I was glued to my phone and fidgeting as I kept an eye out for a white Prius. Then I heard Tom say, "Is that her?". I looked up and guess what?!?! Genie was here!!!! In front of the hotel!!! She was H-E-R-E!!!! I think I might have squealed and yelled out loud "She's here!". Tom told me to calm down but it was too late - I was already on my feet and running out the front doors to meet here. I walked right up to her and hugged the life out of her.....and then tears started....yes....I cried...don't believe me...watch....
There was no way you could wipe those smiles off our faces!
Tom was included in the hugging - he didn't cry ;) but it was so awesome for the three of us to be in the same space. Genie parked her car, we grabbed her stuff, and headed up to our room. I was a little worried that it would be awkward between us. We've only communicated via telephone calls, text messages, and instant messaging so face to face would be new for us. Guess what? From the second we laid eyes on each other we were talking, laughing, teasing one another, and laughing some more!
The note The Princess wrote for Genie and the black & yellow blanket my mom made for her
Love her!!!
Before heading into check-ins!
My arm candy & I ;)
Once Genie got settled in, we started to get ready for athlete check-ins which were being held at the host hotel/show venue. My friend Jenny (who is also from AZ) was also competing and since she was staying at the host hotel, said she would meet up with us. Check-ins went quickly and I tried not to focus too much on the other competitors that I saw (in the past I've talked about how I have a tendency to psych myself out once I see other competitors).
Jenny! I met her at my first show and my "The Tan Rule" post was inspired by her!
Yep...competitors...and dorks :)
It was nice having friends that have competed at the national level because they were able to "guide" me through each step of the process. Once we checked in and had a chance to chat with Jenny, we headed back to the hotel to eat and rest.
I'm going to stop here because I still have a TON of things to share with you and I don't want to make your eyes bleed! :)
I'll leave you with a few more pictures from Thursday in Chicago!
This post is sponsored by Under Armour through FitFluential. Now that the FTC compliance obligation is out of the way! *I totally stole that line from my fellow FitFluential Ambassador Jill :)
Almost a month and a half ago I shared with you in my "What's Beautiful? I'll Show You!" post that I was going to be participating in the Under Armour What's Beautiful challenge.The goal I declared for myself was -->
"I will be a force to be reckoned with.
I will finish in the top 10 of my first national figure competition.
I WILL."
Now, I knew the goal was a lofty one. Top 10?!?! At my first national show?!?! C'mon now! The biggest class I had ever competed in was 16 girls. Classes at national shows are 25 plus. I had never won an overall title, let alone my class yet here I stood. Declaring that I would finish in the top 10 of my first ever national competition.
I dieted....I trained...I had dates with the treadmill...lunch dates with the StairMonster....and then I trained some more! As the countdown on my phone went from triple digits to double digits to single digits, I knew that the moment of truth was approaching.
Then the countdown said "TODAY" and there was no turning back. The stage, the competition, the scrutiny by the judges were waiting.
I was competitor #337. When they did the first round of callouts and I didn't hear my number, my heart did drop a bit. The judges excused the first group and began calling out the second round of numbers. #337 was not among them. My heart didn't just drop - I think my lip trembled and I felt like I might cry. If I wasn't in the second group of girls, that meant I wasn't in the top 10. In the end, I was in the third round of callouts...possibly 15th or 16th place.
In the end, I didn't meet my specific goal of making the top 10 but I accomplished other goals that I am super stoked about.
* I finally competed in a national competition
* I nailed my posing
* I wasn't afraid to ask for feedback
* I finally visited Chicago!
So what's next? Well, I am still participating in the challenge with a "revised" goal! I am still determined to be a force to be reckoned with! I have some things on the horizon and I'll share them with you soon. Just know this, I might be down but I'm definitely not out.
To quote a line from my favorite poem by William Ernest Henley,
I'm back from Chicago and slowly getting back to my "real life"! It's hard shifting gears after goofing off & having no responsibilities for several days but that's what happens when you're a grownup :)
Chicago was AMAZING! What a great city. I honestly can't wait to go back! But you don't care about the city right now, you want show results :)
In the end, I placed 16th out of 22 (or 25...I can't remember the exact number) girls. I am honestly happy with this placing. I had never stepped on a national stage before or competed in such a large show.
I held my own. I didn't get lost in the crowd. I didn't come in last. #winning
I have so much to share with you guys about the show...about meeting Genie for the first time (I cried. I'm serious. There's video proof that I will share!)...about my competition plans....but I have to get back to work.
Head over to Genie's Journey to read Genie's the first part of her show recap! Before you do, enjoy some pictures :)
Black & Yellow's Excellent Adventure!
Gotta get the girls in place ;)
There's my Genie Beanie!
Before stepping on stage for prejudging. Ignore the weird look on my face!
Black and Yellow's Excellent Adventure is officially in effect!!!
This happened! I met my Genie Beanie (aka Yellow) face to face for the first time today and it was, in a word, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!
We conquered athlete check-in at the show venue and are now relaxing at the hotel. I'm pretty certain there will be lots of chatting, giggling, and little sleep. In other words, we're (yes, I'm speaking for both of us!) are having the time of our lives ;)
As I shared with y'all in my "What's Beautiful? I'll Show You!!" post, I am participating in the Under Armour What's Beautifulcampaign! I have begun looking at the list of challenges and since Sunday, I have completed 3! Can a girl get a "woot woot" up in here?!? :)
One of the challenges I'm working on is the "Give It Up" challenge. The challenge is simple - post a photo of something youʼre willing to sacrifice in order to meet your goal.
At first I wasn't sure what I could post...I mean....I'm in prep (Black and Yellow's Excellent Adventure sound familiar to anyone??) so I've pretty much given up everything...lol! I've given up carbs, sweets, booze, even coffee so what else is there to give?!?!
Then it hit me.
I have slowly been giving something up over the course of the last 12 weeks. It wasn't a food item, or a beverage, or the love of my life green olives. No....it was something else....something B-I-G!
There's still time to join the challengeso if you've been debating about whether you should join in the fun or not, stop thinking and just do it! Christine over at Oatmeal in My Bowl put together a great post entitled "@UAWomen #WhatsBeautiful Navigation Site Tutorial" to help you create a profile and navigate the site!
I don't have any. Gym swag, that is. What is "swag" anyway? I guess I could look it up in the Urban Dictionary (because really, the Merriam-Webster dictionary just isn't as fun...lol) but I think I'll skip it for now....anywhooooo.....
I have been asked about where I shop for my workout clothes, what brands I like, and the such. Here's the bottom line, I kinda (or not really "kinda") hate to spend a lot of money on workout clothes! I would rather spend $90 on a pair of Steve Madden shoes than a pair of workout leggings I know I'm going to sweat like a pig in. Is that sad? I also know that it's possible to buy cute, great fitting workout clothes without spending all of my allowance - you just have to keep your eyes open and consider stores you haven't in the past!
I didn't always consider Old Navy a store that I would buy my workout clothes from. I love their dresses and shirts but their workout clothes....ehhh....I was a bit leery. But...and a big BUT here...they have really stepped up their game over the last year or two. The quality of their workout clothes is so much better than it has been in the past and the selection is great. Their options are reasonably priced but I love when I find their workout clothes in the clearance section. I found the above Women's Active compression capris on the clearance rack for $9!!! P.S. In case you're wondering, my top in the above pic is from JC Penny and I got it for $7...holla!
A brand that I recently discovered in the past year and really like is X2X Training Gear. While the women's selection isn't as large as the men's, it is slowly growing. I purchased their Ladies Burnout Tank (in black & purple) while I was at last year's Olympia Expo and I love it. The cut is flattering and the fit is amazing. I highly recommend following them on Facebook and/or Twitter - they use both to share info about sales, giveaways, etc.
Lucy Activewear is another brand that makes my heart...and wallet happy! I stumbled upon their clothing about 5 years ago when I was in Richmond, VA visiting family. We were at an outdoor outlet mall and I walked into their store just to browse for things I might be able to wear to bikram yoga. That day, I left with a bag full of clothes and have been shopping with them ever since! I don't normally wear shorter, tight fitting workout shorts but there's something about Lucy's Perfect Booty shorts (in both pictures above) that make me feel like my bottom half is bangin'. Now Lucy's prices are a bit high but they have phenomenal sales so consider them the next time you need need gear.
Other stores that I have success finding clothing at include Walmart (I love Danskin Now!!), Forever 21 (make sure to try their clothes on before you buy - it can run small), and Ross (be prepared to really look through each rack. This store requires time & patience).
There you have it...some of the brands and stores I like. Remember, you can find awesome clothes at reasonable prices - you just have to look!
Now, if I could just find a brand that would help me not look like a hot mess while at the gym.... ;)
Welcome to another week of Black and Yellow's Excellent Adventure! We are now 7 weeks away from taking Chicago by storm! Can you believe it?!?!? 7 WEEKS!!!!
My "Oh hell naw" face
At my 8 week check in, The Boss made some changes to my diet and cardio schedule. While no competitor loves to add more cardio to the rotation, the amount of cardio I have been doing is relatively minimal so I didn't freak out about having to do more. What I did freak out about was the removal of green olives from my daily food selection! Now, my current diet doesn't really make me do my happy wiggle but there were pieces of my meals that helped me keep my diet sanity (see my Out of Whack Tastebuds post). Green olives were one of those pieces. I anticipated that I would have to say goodbye to them at some point but I thought it wasn't going to happen for another 2, possibly three weeks. With that said, The Boss did send a follow-up email saying I could have ONE serving of green olives and I almost wept like a baby ;)
One of the things I find myself over-thinking is posing. I feel relatively confident in most of my poses but my relaxed or "model" poses cause me to have a bit of heartburn. I am currently leaning toward a bent leg pose (see the 7 weeks pic above) but I have done the straight leg pose (see the 9 weeks pose above) in past shows. Hopefully, I'll pick one soon and practice it until it feels perfect!
My stress levels have decreased over the past couple of weeks and I have been sleeping a lot better. These are things I know affect me physically so I am happy to have them "under control" :) I, by no means, feel ready to step on stage but I feel like I'm moving in slow motion towards the finish line. I would rather be moving in slow motion than not at all!
Before I go, I would like to wish a "Happy Peak Week" to Melissa, Kari, and any other ladies who will be stepping on stage next weekend! Wishing you ladies the best of luck!
