Thank Goodness!!!

Phew!

So I’ve been MIA because the post competition crash hit me. Not everyone does, some stay right on track, but many competitors crash post contest. You now, don’t want to go to the gym, eat complete crap, gain just over 5 lbs in barely 2 weeks. Ok, that was me =)I have been in the gym some. Getting back on track more this week, even am cardio empty-stomached at 6 am twice this week. I had a leg day late last week that left me ridiculously sore for over 3 days, yay! The last 2 months headed to competition I wasn’t getting any DOMS at all anymore. I did back, chest, and mini biceps today and am hoping to feel that tomorrow too.

I’ve been worried about diet though, big time. Worried that I was not ever going to get back on the proverbial horse, but rather keep eating one!

Then tonight, while coaching this REALLY cute guy on contest nutrition who has been coaching me on new lat and shoulder stuff, I got it back! I actually WANT to eat clean again. Thank freaking goodness or I was going to be in major trouble in another month. So I packed up 3 meals for school tomorrow: 1 pb Think Thin Bar, 5 oz. Isernio’s Italian Sausage with ½ cup sweet potato, and another 5 oz. Isernio’s Italian Sausage with 1 cup broccoli. So excited for oatmeal with whey for breakfast and those meals on campus, plus 2 more clean meals at home. Phew, my motivation is back!!!

(I was getting pretty damn worried it wasn’t going to return!)

Oh, and if you ever wondered Give Me Everything Tonight by Pitbull and featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer is the absolute best song to dance around your house to with an iPod late in the night. Also great in the weight room or for cardio =) I can't find the actual official music vid on YouTube just lots of random ones so no embedded vid tonight unfortunately!

The Emerald Cup

See the "Ecup Pics" posts below / in the sidebar for additional pictures. (Blogger limits how many I can put in each post.)


Let’s just get the disappointing part out of the way first. I was last in my class, barely, but I was. Based on how they score I wasn’t last in Figure, but I was last in my class and that’s what gets recorded. Each judge rates you based on what place they think you should be out of the group on stage, all seven judge’s choices are tallied up and that’s your score. The higher your score the worse you place. I was one of 14 women in Open Figure Class D (5’4” – 5’5”) and I received the following: 14, 14, 12, 13, 14, 12, 14. I’m thankful that at least two judges put me 3rd from last, but my total score was 67 against two other girls at 65 and 64 so it was very close, but I still came in last. Ecup is a big show, the biggest around these parts, and it is untested. Laura had warned me back in the beginning that it was a somewhat crazy choice for a first show and that was true, but I did it, I don’t regret it, and I’m proud of it. I also now know exactly what I need to hone to become competitive.

Even if you don’t actually know me in person you know me a little from reading my blog so that means you know I always find a way to put a positive spin on everything, right? =)

So here goes! I’m glad I competed. I handled my stung pride smartly. I waited around until the very end of the show so that I could go talk to the judges and ask for feedback on my top weaknesses. If I hadn’t done that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn and improve for my next competition. What cost me in placing?

1) My lat spread. This was no surprise. I knew going in that pulling out my lats was my biggest weakness. I did not have the back quarter turn nailed and my lats are still small to begin with. I simply have not been weightlifting or practicing posing long enough yet. The really great thing though was that a woman bodybuilder was standing right there and she showed and helped me try a method of pulling out my lats that I hadn’t seen before. It worked well for me and I’ll keep practicing it. She was really nice too. I have a ton of respect for women who do full bore bodybuilding. Figure is intense, but bodybuilding takes it up a few more notches beyond.

2) They want to see more shoulders on me. I need to rip out my delts to the point that they are visibly differentiated from my biceps and triceps when my arm is unflexed. Like three separate big bumps of beautiful muscle per arm.

3) I’m not lean enough. They’d like to see me shed another 3 or so pounds and I need to get down to around 11% body fat.

4) This one is the kicker. My suit hurt me. The style of bikini top I was wearing has thicker neck straps than the other girls were wearing (see pics below) and it covered up muscle. The judge told me that when it is a really close call small details like your suit can hurt you. I’m definitely getting it altered before my next show, no question.

This entry has been so slow in posting for two reasons. I needed to allow my stung pride to dissipate before I was willing to publicly say I came in last in my class and I went and spent the rest of the weekend with some of my best friends. My friends mean the world to me. I’m an only child which I believe gives me license to call family as I see it. Kelly has been in my life since 4th grade; Eli has been in my life since 7th grade. Interestingly we’re all only children. So is Eli’s girlfriend, Krysta, who grew up with us as well and our friend Quinn who now lives out of state was too. Funny how we all flock together. But Kelly and Eli are really family to me. They’ve always been there through the good, the bad, and the ugly and I love them dearly for it and also just for all that makes them who they are. We’re still quite new in each other’s lives, but my friend Darene also always has my back and is a beyond awesome inspirational strong person. I love her too. In the last year after moving I’ve been lucky to meet some wonderful new friends at school and at my gym. You know who you are =) I feel so lucky to have been supported by everyone in this experience. All your kind words kept me up and meant the world. The people in it are what make my world beautiful.

I especially want to thank my trainer, Laura. More than all she taught me in the gym she has been just amazing at playing moral support while I was at The Emerald Cup feeling intimidated. I’m so thankful / happy to have her as a friend and resource. Also, I’m totally proud of her! She took 4th place (tied for 3rd and then got 4th by 1 judge) in the tall bikini class at The Emerald Cup. Woot woot! She works REALLY hard and deserved that trophy big time =)

I’m going to keep blogging, but no longer on a daily basis, probably weekly or as bloggable interesting things in my training strike me.

Oh, and The Washington Ironman, September 24, 2011? It’s on ;)

Ecup Pics 1 of 4

Ecup Pics 2 of 4

Ecup Pics 3 of 4

Ecup Pics 4 of 4

T-1 Day

Day 96

Thursday, April 14, 2011

I’m at the host hotel. I think I’ve practically already written a blog post in the form of my numerous excitable / freakoutable FaceBook updates, lol. I’m waiting for my ‘Seared tuna, balsamic grilled vegetables, mixed greens and pesto vinaigrette” from room service. As this is the host hotel they have these snazzy little extra “Emerald Cup Menus” printed up that purport to be prepared without any salt or oil so as to pertain to our competitor diets. Crap, I just reread the menu and I totally should have ordered the “bay shrimp, crisp romaine, boiled egg whites, avocado, corn and sundried tomato vinaigrette.” Damn that sounds even better, ah well. I’m surprised that there is so much broccolini on the competitor’s menu; don’t they know broccoli makes you bloat? Sheesh. I avoided the tasty dishes that had brocolini as I’d feel silly abandoning a veggie on my plate.

I am very very tan right now. It is entertaining. I also have the green armpits my trainer warned me about. I didn’t wear any deodorant today, but it happened anyways. Luckily they don’t show onstage!

They just brought my food and it was the wrong thing. The salmon with mashed sweet potatoes and broccolini. Having been formerly in the restaurant business I like to roll with the flow on mistakes, but I can’t eat the broccolini and my carbs are too high already for the sweet potatoes so I called to have it replaced. I hate doing that, but well, yeah.

I am so thankful and lucky to have Laura, my PT. She has warned me about so many things that if she hadn’t I might freak out about. The green armpits are a good example! She also warned me that you are butt naked in little not very private tents when they airbrush tan you so you see a lot of your competition naked and they see you. I must say that was intimidating and threw me off my game. A lot of these women are so sculpted that they make me look flat and fat. I realize that I look great and am my no means fat and that my body fat percentage is 13.1%, but apparently some of these women have single digit BF%s. I don’t know that I would ever be willing to do that. Then I was chatting with a guy who does nutrition for competitors and mid-conversation he said “not for me to take any offense, but that I currently looked like his clients do walking around regularly.” As in, not going into contest. He’d also said that he keeps his client’s 30 days out from contest consistently in terms of look so it wasn’t totally insulting, but gee, way to throw my confidence, thanks!
When I went down to do the early check in tonight I found out that I’m taller than I thought! I had registered way back for the over 5’4” to 5’5” figure class, but I got bumped up to the over 5’5” to 5’6” class because they got me at 5’5 ½ “. I’m feeling positive about it though. I like to think that I will look more muscular in a taller class. Sounds good anyways right? That's my competitor goody bag in the picture at the top.

I can’t wait for Kelly and Eli to arrive. It’s a bit lonely being here by myself and makes it easier to get disconcerted. I’m excited to see them too, just for the sake of seeing them, living 2+ hours apart we don’t see each other in person as much as I’d like to.

Here are my macros before the seared tuna salad coming from room service:

98.6 grams Protein 113.4 grams Carbs 54.7 grams Fat

Cal Tally

1,340.3 Ingested
(1,448) BMR

The tuna will delete the prospective net loss, but will accrue the protein I’m missing. Here’s hoping it arrives soon. I’m starved! I have a mini fridge full of chicken, round eye steak, asparagus, oatmeal and strawberries that I packed from home, but I wanted to try the special competitor’s menu for fun and a little variety from my own cooking! I’m not going to stress about perfect tracking tonight. T-1 day out = I think I’ve earned a tad of relaxation =)

Update: The Tuna FINALLY arrived and the pesto vinaigrette is F-ing DELICIOUS!

Hehe ;)

(Inspired by my friend Darene and my own mind too - we think a like!)

Love her mucho! Wish she could be here =)

Next competition she will!