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 :)
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.... :)
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 :)
I have to thank my incredibly supportive friend Chelsea for the picture below. She posted it on my facebook a few days ago and it's perfect for the way that I'm feeling this morning! It's almost time to head out the door to the venue and get show day started! I'm a bit fearful, a tad nervous, and a whole lotta hungry :) but I'm flipping the switch and......
Yep....that bitch Aunt Flo decided to make an appearance EARLY and I'm so frickin' bloated, I'm going to start calling myself "Sponge Tenecia Square Pants" (that was lame...I know...blame the depletion...lol). I'm trying not to freak out about the fact that things do not appear to be progressing as they should be but I'm worried, bottom line.
On a more positive note, two of my Figure idols have confirmed that they will be competing this weekend at the Border States Pro show that is being held in conjunction with the NPC Border States show that I am doing. I told Tom he better take pics like a stalker!!! (that was a joke, San Diego Police Department. I swear my husband & I aren't stalkers!!) The two ladies I'm talking about are none other than:
IFBB Pro Teresa Anthony
IFBB Pro Krissy Chin
Last night as I was struggling through my final cardio session, my ipod decided to play the two best songs that could have served as this prep's wrap-up!
I'm done with prep...it's time to rest and wait for show time...yyyeeeaaahhh bbuuddddyy!!!!
Let's all agree that it's a bit ridiculous that I haven't written a post in a week - completely unacceptable but let's forget about the past and I'll pinky-promise to do better :)
Last week was our anniversary and since it was so close to the show, Tommy & I had initially decided that we would hold off "date night" until after the show. Little did he know that I had already booked a hotel and reservation at a foo-foo (yes, that's a word..lol) restaurant in Scottsdale. I told him Saturday morning about our plans and off we went. The food at Tanzy was delicious and I enjoyed every bite of my off-plan meal! I had the risotto, a glass of bubbly, and a few bites of the chocolate cheesecake they gave us as a gift for our anniversary. It was wonderful & I did not regret having the meal at all! Tommy and I had a lot of fun & it was nice to spend a lovely evening together without worrying about "can I eat that?" or "there's laundry in the dryer that needs to be folded".
Work has been super busy but I'm still lovin' every minute of it! I have been assigned a mentor and she has been a Business Librarian for many years. She has been training me on the various business resources we have in our library system in addition to inviting me to workshops in the community where she is a presenter. Yesterday was my first day as the presenter for our Information Power for Small Business workshop. I was soooo nervous - I hate to speak in front of groups - ugh! But all went well and all of the participants were very complimentary in their evaluations!
It's peak week and that can be one of the hardest weeks of a prep for me. I catch myself saying "I'm not going to make it!" or "I can't keep this up!" but I know that I CAN & WILL!!! Since I am more familiar with my worksite and how the daily schedule works, it will be easier for me to get my meals-water-workouts done during the work day. It's going to be a long week but I'm going to keep my eyes on the prize...... BORDER STATES IN SAN DIEGO!!!!
And I leave you with this....this is my pretend "This is so yummy even though this is the 4th time I'm eating it today" look.... :)
Cropped my head out of this pic because I was making a
weird "I think I smell a fart" face!!
Happy Friday!!! I had today off so the hubs and I hit up some stores earlier, plan to watch some movies, and just do nothing! The pic above is the outfit I'm sporting today :) My shirt says "I Wear Pink For My Grandma" - my sister bought one for me, my mom, and herself. I love it! Check out my very cute bow flip-flops....a $10 purchase from DSW at the start of summer...love love love them!
I went to MAC to turn in my empty containers and left with a bag of new makeup! That wasn't the plan but at least one of the items was free! lol! I did buy one of the colors in their new fall collection (which has some creepy advertising goin' on....even Tom said the pictures in the store scared him a bit...). The color is Three Ring Yellow and I can't wait to try it out! I also bought some items from the winter collection (which isn't even out yet!!!) and I can't wait to share them with you in a couple of weeks!
Teavana recently opened here and since I had previously heard many good things about the tea they sell, I decided to stop by. I did buy their Youthberry White Tea which they say supports healthy skin and promotes body hydration. It was very light and wasn't too sweet. I won this tumbler in a raffle the store was having so I'm using that to justify the dollar amount I spent while there ;)
The picture below is from a couple of days ago (I apologize for the lack of progress pics this prep!) so this is where things stand with 2 weeks until showtime! Not horrible....not fantastic either! Bring on the cardio...this girl needs to drop some lbs & tighten things up!!! :)
Erin Stern looked A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!! When I saw her walk out on stage, I was just blown away not only by her physique but also by her quiet confidence. She looked comfortable and in her element. I am extremely disappointed that she did not walk away with the title. I'm not a Nicole Wilkins hater (I'm a fan actually) but I just feel like Erin is the definition/picture of "figure".
I was also disappointed that Teresa Anthony and Alicia Harris didn't place higher but finishing in the Top 6 at Olympia is not too shabby :)
I spent last night jumping between the live webcast and Siouxcountry. It's always fun to "talk" with the other members of the forum during shows and this show was no exception. Quite of a few of us stated that if Phil Heath did not win the Mr. Olympia title, we were going to riot. I may or may not have threatened to eat everything in my refrigerator, starting with the mayo, if he didn't win!. Well, there were no riots because Phil Heath is the 2011 Mr. Olympia!!!!! Let us take a few moments to leer gaze at him and his yumminess....
Dear Phil Heath, I love you and want to touch you.
Kai looked awesome this weekend and I'm pleased that he was awarded 3rd place (even though I had him in 2nd and Jay in 3rd).
It's now 6 weeks out from Border States! This past week went well...I managed to get all of my cardio sessions completed except for one....it was a pm cardio session....that night I changed into my workout clothes, sat down on the bed, then laid down on the bed, and you know the rest of that story! :) I've upped my water intake and there are a few extra trips to the restroom during the work day & in the middle of the night. I keep walking into the foot of the bed while making my 2:00 am potty break and have the bruise on my thigh to prove it!
Even at the hair salon, I'm a faithful member of Jug Nation :)
No huge changes to the plan right now....just keeping an eye on things and we'll see what next weekend's pictures look like. For now, this is what I'm working with......
The Princess, my mom, and I went to get our hair cut yesterday. The Princess had asked me about bangs earlier in the week and I suspected that once she got in the chair she was going to ask the stylist to give her bangs. Sure enough, the word "bangs" was mentioned and the next thing I knew Nana (my mom) was telling The Princess she could have them! Just as an fyi, when Nana is around I do not exist and am not in charge....lol....
Here's how I feel about The Princess getting bangs.....
Here's how The Princess looks with her new 'do.....
I will admit....she looks cute....but I swear if she asks about dying her hair, I'm running away! :)
I started my weekend off by squeezing slipping into my NAU booty shorts so I could cheer on the Jacks as they got the crap kicked outta them played against the University of Arizona Wildcats. This is the ONLY time during football season that I cheer against the Wildcats. I had to cheer for Northern Arizona University...I graduated from the school with a baby, baby daddy, & a Bachelor of Science degree...and isn't there some unspoken rule that no matter where you live you always have to cheer for your alma mater??!?!
The Princess and I hit up a couple of stores yesterday. I pretended that we needed to go to the Nike Outlet and she giggled when I told her that sometimes a girl just needs to buy herself something that makes her smile. Hey, it's true and she needs to learn this lesson before it's too late!! ;) The shopping trip was a success! The Princess snagged a cute pair of black & pink tennis shoes and I scored a couple of "yes, I'm better than you" t-shirts! Here's a pic of one of the shirts I now own....
I made it a point to get up early this morning so I could hit up the gym. It would have been smart of me to check what time the gym opened this morning since it's a holiday but guess what? I never claimed to be smart...lol!! My home gym, Desert Sports & Fitness, wasn't open when I arrived so I had to decide whether I was going to turn around & go home or head over to the Gold's Gym where I have a second membership. I decided that I would be pissed at myself for the rest of the day if I went home so I drove to Gold's. I had a pretty decent back workout (I'm still adjusting to this gym so I'm always comparing it to my home gym) and hit up the StairMill for some "light" cardio. When I got home, progress pics were taken and let's just say I don't hate them but I don't love them either. I can definitely see improvements in my back but the rest of me is kinda squishy. I have to kill it these next 8 weeks!
So there you have it....8 weeks and squishiness to conquer....as Mr. Ronnie Coleman says, "Ain't nuthin' but a peanut!"
And before I go....I leave you with a song you definitely need to have on your ipod (it was the theme song for my prep for the Orange County Muscle Classic) & a tennis player that needs to tell me her secret to her amazing biceps. Her name is Samantha Stosur...if you don't know, now you know :)
Before I get into the reason that I need forgiveness, let's chat about a few things first!
I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Jason Adams from the Promoting Real Women blog. I've always thought the blog is a great way to learn about the different ladies that compete and Jason puts a lot of hard work into the blog. My interview isn't ridiculously exciting or enlightening but if you're interested in reading it, you can find it here!
My sister Reecie has always been in LOVE with Buffalo Exchange while I've never really been a fan. That has changed since I've started visiting the Buffalo Exchange location that is a few blocks from my work. In the last two months, I have purchased clothing and shoes for less than $50!! Remember the cute white wedges I showed you a couple of weeks ago...yep...got them from there! Yesterday, I had some time off desk so I decided to take a walk and I ended up at the store. Upon walking in, I saw it. The one thing I KNEW had to leave with me. Feast your eyes upon the newest addition to my collection:
It NEEDED to come home with me ;)
I have NO frickin' idea why I bought such a large purse....I don't have anything to put into it...but that's not the point....it needed a home and I gave it one....the end :)
When I was younger, my mom would sometimes treat us to a drink from Orange Julius when we went to one of the malls here in Tucson. My order was always an "orange julius" and I would swear that I was sipping a little piece of heaven when I was enjoying my drink. I've tried so many times to recreate the drink but I have failed miserably each time. You just can't recreate perfection. Anyway, I have discovered my Plan B when I can't drive to the mall to get an Orange Julius.....
This gum is so tasty that I've already finished the pack in the picture above....and I just bought it two days ago!! I'm addicted!!!
I had Wednesday off so I met one of my best friends for lunch and catching up. She & I haven't seen each other since I left my old job but we do talk or text every day. It was so nice to see her and just be able to talk to her face-to-face! After lunch, I treated myself to a manicure because my manly hands were in desperate need of some TLC!!
I normally pick really dark colors but decided to do something different. I figured a little red & glitter never hurt anyone ;)
So....onto the reason I need forgiveness....
Folks, I have been half-assin' it. Excuse my language but it's true. I haven't been giving 100% to my prep and truth be told, I can't really say that I'm bothered by that.
What I look like after a lunch date with the StairMill
I have been doing cardio....I've even had lunch dates with the StairMill....not consistently...but it's been happening. One thing I have been doing consistently is lifting. My back workouts have been awesome and the other day, I killed my shoulder workout. I'm still sore today from that workout! I'm not supposed to be lifting heavy but my mind says, "You're already breaking the other prep rules so just do it!". Not good! My diet has been fairly clean but let's just say that I'm not turning down the chocolate covered almonds & crepes my co-workers have offered me. There are days when I do what needs to be done and there are other days where I haven't done one damn thing someone in prep should be doing.
I talked about the fact that I have had Jessie J's cd on repeat for that past couple of weeks and there is one song that made me cry the first time I heard it. While listening to it, I realized that I'm a little tired of picking myself apart and magnifying what I feel are my physical shortcomings. I need to focus on doing what I am physically capable of and just being myself. I need to be in the moment and enjoy the changes that I have made and enjoy being me. Here's the song that I've sort of adopted as my personal theme song:
There is a Japanese proverb that states, "Fall seven times, stand up eight". I'm not sure what number this fall is but I can guarantee you that I'm definitely getting back up!
