Portion Control

Happy Monday Gym Rats! The BEST time to start a new diet or workout plan is always NOW. Maybe you are feeling guilty for over-indulging this past weekend or skipping the gym because the warm weather is FINALLY here. Well, my advice is to not let yourself dwell on your past mistakes – you can’t change what is already done – but you can push forward in a better direction. That’s what I’m trying to remind myself this morning as I sit here thinking about some minor setbacks I experienced over the weekend and what I can do to offset them in the coming week.

On Saturday I arrived at the gym nice and early to embark on my scheduled run and “madness” workout. Well, three minutes into my run I felt something snap in my left quad and the damn thing was not taking any impact after that! In pain, I immediately got off and limped over to the stretching area where I rolled it out for a few minutes until the pain subsided. It’s odd since a) I hadn’t done a run in a while so it’s not like it’s been over-worked lately and b) I did my usual quad-stretching and walking warm-up before embarking on my run. Anyway, I guess it’s my body’s way of telling me I’ve been slacking on the stretching and need to get better about taking care of the muscles I spend so much time ripping-up! I proceeded to finish my cardio session with some light elliptical work as it didn’t seem to bother me any and then went on to complete my weight workout, eliminating all lower body exercises from the plan. All-in-all it was a reasonably good workout, just not the insanity I had planned.

Then on Sunday I woke up contemplating the idea of going to the 11:15 am yoga-lates class but opted for a last-minute fishing trip with my Dad instead. It was so nice out and I’m not quite sure what “yoga-lates” is (maybe a combination of yoga & pilates??) but I get very frustrated when I show up to a class that ends up sucking so it honestly wasn’t worth the chance to me when I had better options. My quad was still bothering me so I decided to skip a weight workout for the day and instead give my puppy some extra exercise which he’s been in dire need of. I think we walked nearly two hours yesterday (broken up into 3 separate walks) so at least one of us was a happy camper. Plus, I did get to dine on a delicious fresh brown trout for dinner!

That brings me to my next topic and primary reason for writing this blog entry; portion control. As each day goes on post-show I feel the need more and more to jump back on a show-prepping diet as I feel like my portion sizes are increasingly out of control. According to my weekly weight-in Saturday morning, I only gained 1 lb post-SOA. However, my bloated abs tell a different story. I also went out to eat Saturday night and while the Salmon dinner wasn’t exactly my worst menu option, the bread basket and glass of wine probably didn’t help matters. Plus, this exceeded my rule of one cheat meal / alcoholic beverage per week since I had already dined out 4 days prior. In general I’m still measuring and tracking my meals and eating clean but I think it’s time to set some stricter guidelines before I blow up like a hippopotamus.

Anyway, this is why I say that the best time to change is the present time. Forget what happened yesterday or last week and move on. So far so good today – I’m striving to keep my carbs sub-200 grams per day this week and we’ll see how I feel come next weekend. My quad is feeling much better today but I think I’m still going to give it one more day of rest and do some light elliptical again tonight, followed by a back and chest workout and then some serious foam-rolling! I hope all of you gym rats got in some good fitness activities and stayed on track with your goals this weekend. Feel free to share below how you plan to stay motivated as the weather gets warmer, the gym becomes less appealing, and the idea of a margarita on a patio is seriously calling your name! ‘Til next time gym rats, happy gymming!

Clean Bulking

Well, it’s been nearly a week of being off the competition diet and I haven’t noticed any changes yet physique or energy-wise. My calorie intake has been averaging about 300 additional daily calories due to an increase in carbs and healthy fats and this seems to be sustainable for my energy needs. My macros are about 42% carb / 32% protein / 26% fat compared to last week’s (peak week) ratios of 36% carb / 41% protein / 23% fat and the week prior’s (general competition prep diet) ratios of 40% carb / 37% protein / 23% fat.   I have to say, I am so happy to be able to indulge in my post-workout Syntrax Mint Cookie whey again! It may cause mild bloat but not enough to bother me; especially when it tastes so heavenly hehehe J

I can also happily say that I’m back to sleeping through the night! The week before a competition is just so stressful mentally that I was constantly waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep because of all the random thoughts running through my head. Not to mention needing to pee 24x7 due to trying to reach my suggested fluid intake of at least a gallon a day. Competing is a full-time job and while I am eager to jump back on the band-wagon and start prepping for my next show, my body is very thanking for a break!

Workouts this week have been great. I’ve cut-back significantly on cardio, doing it only twice this week and for only 20 minute segments. Oddly, despite not having run in a while, my shins have been bothering me again so I’d prefer to save my legs for weight sessions for the time being. Here was the breakdown of this week’s workouts:

Monday: elliptical, back & chest

Tuesday: legs

Wednesday: core

Thursday: stairmaster & shoulders

Friday: bi’s & tri’s

Tomorrow I think I’ll do another cardio session, maybe a run, and then embark on that “madness in the gym” workout I mentioned previously. It’s a long one but since its Saturday I won’t be so pressed for time. Then I’m contemplating using Sunday as an “off day” and may do a yoga class instead of my usual routine. My body is just in need of some serious TLC and I think a little yoga will help to stretch out tight muscles and maybe even help my mind to relax!  I’m wrapping-up the April CSF workouts right now and then I’m going to design my own plan for May. I’m finally done with the CSF program. The more people I meet in the bodybuilding community, the happier I am with my decision to leave. Unless you “drink the CSF water” (or Isagenix to be more precise!), they have no interest in helping you succeed. Additionally, as someone who already has a solid basis of knowledge when it comes to both training and nutrition, they really had nothing to offer me. If ever you are debating trying out this company, please contact me and I will give you the low-down in detail!

Also, doing a little marketing here, don’t forget that FitFierceFun.com is now up and running and now that I have a little more free time I can take on some new clients! I have a few people I’ve developed monthly workout plans for lately but it’s all been for friends/colleagues as I haven’t had any time, energy, or money to spend on marketing. Word-of-mouth is probably the best way to build a good reputation so please share my website with anyone you know who may be interested in starting a new workout plan but who maybe doesn’t know what to do or where to even begin. I seriously love designing workout plans and coming up with exercises specific to what an individual’s goals or needs are makes it even more fun for me!

I’m writing this entry on a tiny little window that I keep switching to when no one is looking as I’m sitting here wasting away at my desk on this beautiful sunny day LOL. It’s Friday and I so don’t want to be here! In a few minutes I’m stepping out to enjoy some sushi lunch with the maXtreme creator to talk business. Mmmm my tummy is growling thinking about it! I’ve allowed myself a few clean treats this week (and one very un-clean treat Wednesday night when my parents took me out for a celebration dinner of Truffled Lobster Mac & a glass of Pinot Grigio) Yummy!!! All-in-all though week one of “clean bulking” is off to a good start and I’m ready to keep rolling!

Just Breathe

For the first time all year I feel like I can just take a deep breathe and relax. This should be a good feeling but instead I feel kind of lost, wondering what I should be working toward now. I know my body needs a break from the intense dieting and training, and I intend on giving it one, but I also know that I am the type of person that always needs something to look forward to, a goal in mind, and sitting here stagnantly is going to drive me crazy pretty soon!

This weekend was of course the OCB Spirit of America pro-qualifier where I competed in both the open and novice bikini categories. It was the second and last competition I plan on doing this Spring, held in Carver, MA. I have to say, I am very glad that for my first show I chose a small, local one as this was a totally different breed. Not necessarily better or worse as there were pros and cons to each, I just think that my first show will always be my favourite.  I drove down early Friday morning anticipating travel delays due to the horrible Boston terrorist attacks that occurred last week. However, the roads were smooth sailing and I made it to Plymouth an hour early for my 10:20 am tan appointment. Luckily the lady in charge was a bit of a drill sergeant  running a very tight ship, and was early herself so she got right to it when I arrived. The tanning product used was a bit different than the last show. Con: it wasn't as dark as the last one and I prefer a darker color on stage; pro: it dried quicker and once dry didn't get on your clothing (or anything else for that matter) so there were no nasty messes to clean up.

After my tan I drove over to the host hotel to register and pick up my number tags and goodie bag. To save money, I stayed with my Aunt in Kingston (the next town over) who had to work that day but luckily I have a lot of family in the area so I headed over to my Grandmother's house to visit for a while as I now had a ton of time to kill. Boy was she surprise to see her Oompa-Loompa Granddaughter show up at the door LOL!

Saturday morning I awoke at 5:00 am to start getting ready. I didn't need to be at the venue until 8:00 but I knew my lacking hair & makeup skills would require some serious prep time. Thank goodness my Aunt brews some especially delicious coffee...she even grounds fresh beans every morning! Off I went around 7:00 am. Being one of the first to arrive I snagged a great spot to both set-up and view the stage for the day. For the next few hours I mingled with the other competitors, had a brief competitor meeting around 10:00 am and then it was showtime at 11:00! There were I think 7 different bikini classes this time with approximately 60 competitors (147 in the entire show). I was in novice class C and open class B. The classes were supposedly divided up by height but no one ever asked me how tall I was and there were a few girls out there with me who literally towered over me! This time around I was not that nervous for the group comparisons. The stage felt a lot different than the last show though. The lighting was such that you could see the entire audience, not just the judges, and there had to have been at least double the judges there were at the last show. I got very worried when I was up there though as my former method of trying to make eye contact with each judge didn't seem to be working. I felt like they weren't paying me any attention and my attempts to change positions and wiggle around weren't helping either. When I exited the stage for the last time people asked me how I felt it went and I honestly had no clue. Time to wait.

For the next few hours I sat in my camp and socialized, touched-up, ate, and watched the other groups. The day was both long and exhausting. Luckily one of the other competitor's friends who was there for support and prep-help made a Dunkin' Donuts run for us mid-day. That may have been the best iced coffee I've ever had LOL! Around 5:00 pm it was time for our individual stage walks. Supposedly the judging is already done at this point but I still have insane stage fright and would pay extra to be able to skip this part! I also wasn't feeling very confident as I had only practiced once since the last show and the class I had planned on brushing-up my skills in on Friday had been cancelled last minute. My anxiety rose as I waited my turn backstage and as competitor #55 I was about the 20th person to go. Once out there I kept it simple, following the same routine I had done before, but I think I went too fast and felt like I probably looked as un-confident as I felt. Again, I felt like the judges weren't payment me any attention, despite being the only one up there this time, so I exited stage with a queasy feeling. At this point I waited around backstage as unlike the first show, here they posted the results of the top 5 in each class (supposedly in random order) immediately after the walks were complete. I'm glad they did this as it was a couple more hours at least before award time and if you didn't place it was nice to be able to leave early. Here's a pic of the placings:

That might be a little hard to read but I made the top 5 in both of my classes! I had told myself not to expect to place since there were so many other competitors so at this point I was on cloud 9! However, I do have to say that each class was smaller than the group I competed against at the first show (7 in open and 9 in novice) so I feel like placing at the Pine Tree was a much bigger accomplishment. The next hour or so I spent watching the other classes and categories perform their individual walks/acts. I have to say, the bodybuilders were beyond entertaining to watch! I highly recommend attending a pro-qualifying show next time you have the chance just to see the talented and often hilarious performances. One act involved 4 competitors all out on stage at once doing a group act that combined both traditional poses with expert dance moves; another competitor did an act including a full costume to a country song I wish I could remember the name of and several other competitors were just so much fun to watch for either their confidence, attitudes, or hilarious song choices. These people definitely knew the meaning of "owning the stage"!

After this all bikini top 5 placers got called back stage for award time. It was a bit chaotic as they seemed to be rushing everyone out on stage as fast as possible and there wasn't much glory involved in receiving your trophy. It was all so fast that I couldn't even tell you who the other girls up there with me were. I must say though, and I know this will piss some people off but hey, it's my blog and I'm not going to censor myself, I am very discouraged with the judging at this show. Being a large show, yes there were many more competitors but I didn't feel like the competition was any harder than the first show. In fact, I felt like there were a ton of girls there who came straight off of OOB and never trained or dieted a day in their life! As I stood there on stage after receiving my trophy for the open category (I got 3rd Novice and 4th Open), I remember this one girl come out having placed ahead of me who I kid you not had the sagging ass of my 93 year old step-grandmother! I don't recall which place she got but I was beyond disgruntled. As I looked around backstage I realized that given how small the classes were, at least half of the girls got trophies which made placing even less of an accomplishment. If it were my show I would have had half the classes, making them each twice the size so it was more of a true competition. Don't get me wrong though, I am of course extremely happy I placed in both categories. I just feel like I don't know what they are looking for anymore. The advice I got from the judges at the first show made me think they wanted a little more muscularity. I was so excited to be bringing way more shredded abs to the stage this time and spent my entire time up on stage flexing my quads to make them look more defined than they are. Apparently these judges wanted the soft Sports Illustrated cover model look. Oye Vey! Anyway, here's a pic of me and my two trophies after the awards were given out:

The overall winner definitely had the body type of a SI girl. She was tall, thin, had a great figure and was extremely confident (and disgustingly rude and cocky backstage I must say) but she did not have much for visible muscle tone. I guess I just feel lost as to what to do to improve my scoring next time. I personally like the more muscular bikini look way better and I'm going to continue to train that way. One girl recommended I try NPC (another organization as opposed to OCB) as they look for a more muscular bikini physique. For now though I think I'll continue with OCB for the rest of the year, see how things pan-out, and then maybe change things up next year. I haven't yet decided on when I'll compete again but right now I'm considering a show in July. The next month however is all about a more normalized (but still clean) nutrition plan and building more muscle mass.

I stayed until the end of the show which was around 10:30 pm as I had plans to grab dinner with the other competitors on my new team, Team Maximum, which I was invited to join last week. Most of the team members don't live in Portland (or Maine for that matter) but it's great to say I'm on a team now and know that I'll always have a network of people for support at future shows. We went to a Mexican restaurant in Plymouth and I had a delicious skinny margarita and fish tacos, both of which I'd been craving for months! The service was terribly slow though and being beyond starving I think I ate about 3 baskets of tortilla chips myself before we got our food. As a result I spent the next 12 hours with a massive stomach ache!

The next morning I got up early and headed home, making it from Kingston to Portland in only 2 hours. Mapquest says it's supposed to be a 3.5 hour trip...apparently I have a lead foot LOL. I was beyond exhausted yesterday after the long day on Saturday and then only getting 4 hours of sleep. Luckily I took today off from work so I can recover. It will be my first day back in the gym since Thursday and I'm ready to bust some serious ass! I'm cutting-back a bit on cardio and going hard on the weights for the next month. Bulking season here I come! 

Mind Games

What happens when you get up extremely early, finish your entire workout before any of the usuals arrive, prep all your food for the week, walk the dog, shower, eat and look up at the clock to see that it's only 12:30? Being ready for bed at lunchtime, that's what! It's no joke that living off of a low-carb diet is exhausting. Peak week #2 begins tomorrow and I plan to tackle it a bit differently this time around.

I'm cringing as I sit here and try to type without any typos as these claws I still have on my fingernails, yes CLAWS I say, are driving me insane! Never will I get acrylic nails again. I know they look best on stage but aside from feeling like a cheap whore they make it impossible to type, text, write, or do really any task requiring a detailed touch. I left them on from the last show because they are expensive and I figure better to get two shows out of them since they are bonded to my real nails so tightly they surely aren't going anywhere! The first thing I do when I get back though will surely be having them taken off!

Anyway, the past week has been excellent as far as training goes. I went back on my pre-peak week diet plan so I have had plenty of energy to own my workouts all week. Thursday was my "off" day when all I did was an hour of core exercises but every other day was a solid weight training and/or cardio workout. Being in the gym each day this week, especially last Sunday and Monday has done wonders for my confidence as most people have been really nice, asking me how the show went or congratulating me if they happened to have been in the audience. Unfortunately my low-carb brain paranoia is still lingering and I feel like I'm getting the stare-down by other competitors. I have always had the tendency to read way too much into things so I'm sure it's partially just my crazy mind playing games on me but it's such a slap-in-the-face reminder that this really is an individual sport and no matter how friendly people may be on the surface, when it comes down to it everyone wants to win. You're always going to be sized-up for comparisons, what you have to try to do is stay strong and focus only on yourself. It doesn't matter what the other competitor's are doing. What matters is that you are improving each day and ultimately the physique you bring to the stage is better than the one you brought last time.

Yesterday morning was unusually busy for a Saturday and I felt very uncomfortable with the group of  un-usuals in attendance. This morning however was the perfect gym experience as barely anyone was in there during my entire workout! I started today's workout with a run which I haven't done in at least a couple of weeks. It was moderately painful as usual (I think new running shoes are in order again) but I pushed through it and felt great afterwards. I did my usual 10-7-5 minute running intervals with 2-minute walks in between and decreasing incline throughout the 30-minute duration. Then for weight training I did a workout that is new on my plan this month called "Madness in the Gym". It's really just a sequence of about 9 different exercises hitting all major muscle groups. Not super intense as the name implies but I liked it!

Going into peak week I feel much better knowing what to expect this time around. I plan to follow the CSF diet on Monday and Tuesday but then from Wednesday to Friday I am increasing my carbs by at least one additional serving per day (likely sweet potato with dinner) so I don't start getting dizzy and unsafely weak like last time. My coach gave me a couple changes she wanted me to make this week but I don't agree with them so I'm not doing them. It really annoys me when I am told to do something and not told why and then when I ask what the reasoning is, it's pure cookie-cutter BS. Anyway (ending rant now), some of you have asked me about protein requirements lately. Honestly it depends on the individual but to put things into perspective here's a pic of the meat I'll be consuming over the next week:

...and this isn't even all of the protein since I still have my egg whites (12!) with breakfast each morning LOL. As of yesterday I am a 110.5 lb. girl so I guess I have a super turbo-charged metabolism these days! Everyone seems to be under the impression that bodybuilders starve themselves. Seriously, it is nothing of the sort. It's the carb-depletion when we diet down for the stage that is the torture. Food consumption is still a-plenty, quantity-wise that is.

This entry is getting too long again so I'll try to wrap it up here. I'll be driving down to Massachusetts on Friday to get my base-tan done and possibly attend a posing class that the show promoter may put on. Then on Saturday it's judgement day all over again! I'm feeling great about the physique I'll be bringing to the stage this time around. I've leaned-up quite a bit more from a week ago which I didn't think was possible. I don't think I'll place in this show even if I do exceptionally well simply because it's a pro-qualifier, bringing in talent from all over New England and possibly beyond. As of yesterday there were over 140 competitors signed-up! There's always hope though as I know I'll be much more confident on stage and I've received some good feedback from the judges. So far, three of them have responded and all had nice things to say about my presentation, smile, color, suit, accessories, and poses. One judge did say that she could tell how nervous I was but that that's understandable for my first show. Another judge said I should work on my ham/glute insertion for upcoming shows (obviously not much I can do about that now since it's an area I'll have to work on over time during the "off season"). All-in-all though it was more praise than critique so all I have to say to the rest of the bikini competitors is "bring it on ladies!" haha

Well, that about sums it up here. Tomorrow brings my last hardcore leg routine before the show and the start of my peak week diet. Here's to staying strong both mentally and physically this week and a successful presentation at my first pro-qualifying show! 'Til next time gym rats, happy gymming! 

Pine Tree State Re-Cap

I don't even know where to begin right now. I had intended to write a blog post on Friday going in-depth about the absolute torture I experienced during peak week but I simply didn't have the energy to think straight when I sat down to write. Now however, all the torture seems completely worthwhile as I sit here going over the events that unfolded yesterday at the 2013 OCB Pine Tree State bodybuilding championships. First of all, it was an experience unlike no other and one I'll never forget.

I arrived at the venue around 6:45 am yesterday morning for my scheduled spray-tan touch-up at 7:00. Of course I was the only person there! People eventually began to trickle in and around 7:30 I was buck naked standing in a pink tent getting the spray-down! The day earlier, I had gotten my first coat as well as my polygraph done over at the host hotel in South Portland. At first I was very timid about being naked in front of strangers but I knew it would be gross to have thong-lines so I sucked it up went for it. The woman in charge was so nice and made you feel totally comfortable so it was easy to get over any insecurities pretty quickly! The stuff they tan you with is really messy and doesn't dry fast (or at all in some cases) so once you have it on you really have to stay standing in your suit all day in order to keep from getting splotchy and looking like a zebra. Let me just say, peeing is an art! Lesson learned: bring a stack of solo cups to pee in to all future shows. Despite my talented squatting efforts, I did have a little white line going down my orange leg by the end of the day LOL!

After tan came hair & makeup. The show promoter managed to get all competitors free hair & makeup service which was fantastic as a) I suck at doing my own hair and makeup and b) I already broke the bank with the tanning service. I had more makeup on me than I've ever had in my life! They sprayed me with some sort of make-up setter though so it stayed perfect on me all day. They also put fake eye lashes on which I've never had before and now I'm hooked! Here's a pic of me having achieved full Oompa Loompa status and getting my hair done:

At noon all of the competitors met for the competitor's meeting where the promoter went over all the rules and introduced us to the judges. I was so happy so see that the head judge was one of my posing instructors.  Not that she would give favorites or anything but it made things a little less stressful. At this point my anxiety level was beginning to rise and I was trying my best to keep my cool, take deep breaths, and remind myself that the first round was just group comparisons so I wouldn't be out there by myself. I had brought a mini bottle of Pinot Grigio to sip on, hoping it would loosen me up a bit but not having drank in so long I was hesitant to drink too much and look tipsy on stage. The wine was a waste of calories as it didn't help me one bit. By the time we were lined up to walk out on stage (bikini was first), my legs were shaking uncontrollably!  Once out on stage though it was game time. There were 13 of us competing which being more than I had expected I think added to my stress level that morning. Apparently my shakiness was not visible to the judges though. I think we were out there for about 5 minutes. I kept telling myself to smile and stare out in the crowd and at the judges the whole time. I made a point to stare each of the judges in the eye at least once, hoping they would notice and remember me. I heard my number (#2) screamed out from the crowd a few times but the way the lighting was in there you couldn't tell who it was coming from. After being shuffled around a few times and brought to my final resting spot in the middle of the stage we were told to walk off stage and that was it. At one point I was sure I screwed everything up as two of us were asked to move to the middle and being so nervous I followed the other girl despite the fact that she was walking in front of the other contestants which I know is a huge no-no! We left stage in a sort of discombobulated line while trying to wave back at the crowd. 

Thank god, now I could breathe haha! For the next couple of hours I took turns between watching the other classes get pre-judged from the auditorium where my family was, and hanging out back stage where I munched on my minuscule portioned meals and socialized with the other contestants. In all I think there were 55 contestants which was double what the show had last year so it was really a great turnout! Around 5:00 we had another contestant meeting and at 5:30 we were lined up again for our individual T-walks. I truly thought I would die at this point. I sipped probably double the amount of wine I had had earlier in the day and despite feeling a little blurry-headed it still did nothing to quench my nerves. I also had a case of the nervous pees...this is when you feel the need to urinate every 30 minutes despite having unintentionally drank nearly no water all day long! Being contestant #2 I had to go out on stage second so at least I could get it over with quickly and be done for the day. The MC was kind of annoying and said exactly what I didn't want him to say during my introduction but at least he got my name right which is more than I can say for most people. Once out there I knew all eyes were on me. I took my time and probably went over my 60 second allotment  but I had to concentrate so hard to be sure not to forget any of my poses; especially since we were instructed to go to the right side of the stage first rather than the left as I had practiced. Again, although I knew the majority if not all of the scoring had been done earlier in the day I still made an effort to make eye contact with all of the judges and wave with a "thank you" as I walked off stage as the head judge had alerted us that there were a few ties so your individual performance could be what made or broke you. 

Done. Finally! I walked off stage exhaling a sigh of relief and became overwhelmed with the happiest of thoughts as I realized I could now indulge in my favourite tahini oat cookie I had picked up at Whole Foods the day before LOL! After watching the other bikini contestants from backstage I scooted off to grab my snack and watched the remainder of the classes perform from the audience. Unfortunately I could not see the other bikini girls very well from behind the curtain so I don't have a good basis for who did what well. I do have to say though that confidence is key when you're out there. Watching the figure ladies go was different from what I expected. I didn't realize that they were more similar to bikini than bodybuilding...maybe that's something for me to strive for in the next year or so as I get more comfortable with being on stage and build more muscle. The bodybuilders were exceptionally entertaining, especially the ladies. I don't think I can see myself ever doing that class but they were really remarkable to watch! 

Finally at the end of the individual performances there was a short intermission and then it was award time. Again, bikini was first and we all lined-up back stage in case our number was called. Contestant #5 was called first. It was a girl who I felt had much better stage confidence than I so my heart sank a little as I figured my chances of scoring any higher than her were slim-to-none. Contestant #4 was called and again, it was a girl whom I knew had a stellar standing pose. I started to get dizzy and overwhelmed when all of a sudden I hear "Third place goes to contestant #2"...or something like that. I don't really know what they said other than they had called out my number! I walked out on stage, shook hands with the promoter who handed me a massive trophy and beamed with pride and pure joy out into the crowd toward where I knew my family was sitting as I took my stance and awaited the last two winners to be called out. Here's a pic of the 5 of us on stage:

Not my greatest look right there...I blame it on the post-judging carb-load LOL. I was just so happy to place, I didn't care which number got. I've never won anything of substance, especially athletically, in my entire life! However, thinking back on it last night I realized just how amazing an accomplishment 3rd place was: The girl who got #1 was on her 6th or 7th show having won the last OCB show in March and the girl who got #2 is a former Miss. Maine and Miss. America pageant contestant. Then there's me who's never been on a stage in her life, and has horrible stage fright! I hope this doesn't come across as conceited, I'm just so elated right now it's all I can think about. The rest of the competitors I think were all first-timers like myself (except for the girl who one 1st place last year) and definitely brought some fierce competition. There's even a couple who I think deserved to be in the top 5 so I'll be interested to hear what the judges have to say for why they placed people where they did. Here's a pic of me with my parents after the show. Think they felt a little awkward standing next to me there? :P

Sorry for the long entry today; there's just so much to talk about and this only covered the major parts! All the competitors who coached me along the way and inspired me to embark on this journey in the first place told me that once you get one show under your belt you become hooked. They weren't kidding! I just signed up for the OCB Spirit of America (SOA) on April 20th in Carver, MA and can't wait to hit the stage with some new competitors, a few of the same competitors, and be competing in an International Federation of Physique Athletes (IFPA) pro-qualifying show. I splurged and signed-up for both the novice and open bikini categories as this is a much larger show with more competition so the more chances I have at placing the better.

After enjoying some fantastically delicious sushi last night I jumped back on the training wagon and hit up World's this morning for a shoulders and core workout. It was so great to be able to share my story with all the inquisitive gym regulars who weren't in the audience yesterday. This week will be a re-fuel week. I'm back on my pre-peak week meal plan so my energy levels will be up and I can get in some hardcore weight sessions. then it's peak week #2 before the SOA. I plan to do peak week a little differently this time around now that I know how my body responds to carb depletion (not well!). It will still be torture but hopefully not quite as bad LOL.

Anyway, thank you to all who stood by me over the past few months of training. I'm not going to name each one of you (don't want to leave anyone out) but you know who you are. I'm so happy I took a chance at this sport; I've definitely found my calling! 'Til next time gym rats, happy gymming!! xo