More contest-prep updates....

Aug 19

Eye yeye yeye.......(how the hell do you spell that?). More time passing, some (read:slow) progress being made. Still holding steady in limbo...but

I found a new coach! She's been recommended to me by a few people so I thought I'd give her a try. After out initial meeting, she said I was too small for physique! Can you believe that??? I've spent all this time convincing myself I should do Physique, thanks to my last coaches recommendation. Her (new coach) rationale: the Physique girls are way bigger framed than I am and I'd have to pack on a LOT more muscle and get extremely lean. Basically, one very small step down from the Bodybuilidng class. She said I should definitely do figure. Go figure (no pun intended)! It's ok. I don't really want to get bigger, per se...just leaner and more defined.

Incidentally, I did the BodPad body composition test last friday; 13.7% body fat, currently. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't know I had dropped so low. Hopefully, I will achieve around 10% for show time. 

My current plan, with the new coach on board, is to bust my ass until Oct 19th and if I'm ready, I'm ready. If I'm not, no loss of progress and on to a later show. I just could not wrap my head around waiting....to dangerous, and the thought of it was messing with my head. One of my biggest hurdles will be sustaining the intensity through pain and injury, and not letting that waylay me! Plus, I have a busier schedule now that rehearsals have started....(two performances in Sept) and busy days at work.

So.....I'm all in (again/still) for 9 weeks. Let's hope my next post is about measured progress!

Aug 27

Whew..back on track. I met with my new coach for my assessment yesterday. I'm way more stoked about the process now! She's so much more engaged and I think I'm really going to like her. Waiting for her to send me workout/diet instructions, hopefully by tomorrow. 

Also, had a suit fitting today. I LOVE my suit, it's gorgeous! Red and blingy and shiny! 

Big challenge now is to lean out more, esp. glutes and upper thigh/glute tie-in and hammies...yikes! Upper body is in good shape and abs are leaned out. I'm pretty sure at 13.7% body fat, it's all in my lower half! Damn gender/genetics!

Renewed sense of dedication: Sacrifice, purpose, determination.

Sept 11

Pause to remember the 9/11/01 tragedy and the lost lives, brave hero's and a nation united under duress. Bless the victims, survivors, and rescuers, as well as all the everyday American's who stood together in compassion and sympathy. What a great nation, despite all it's governmental flaws.

Now on to business.....Less than 6 weeks to go! I'm continuing the hard work of LEANING out. Geez!! I'd like to thank the powers that be that granted me such an efficient metabolism. I'm pretty sure I could live on 20 kcals/day and not lean out, nor die for months. I will be the last one standing after the Zombie Apocalypse! My coach took away my egg yolk, 1/4 cup of black beans, and 1/3 cup quinoa salad in an effort to bump fat loss. Seems like such a tiny amount to make a difference, but the careful diet/exercise manipulations have an amazing way of affecting the physique with precision. It's crazy. We'll see how it goes this week; if I lose anything...Again, I am surrendering to and trusting the process. 

Had a great experience last weekend, first during a private posing session with my coach, then during a group posing session the next day with the "team". My coach has created a group of competitors that she encourages communication and support amongst the members. We have our own private FB page wherein we can chat and share common concerns, obstacles, and cheer each other on. I already feel a part of a community of women who understand this whole process and that I can connect with, commiserate with, workout with, etc....It is such a night-and-day experience from my last coach's approach!

I'm getting excited and can visualize what the stage is going to feel like, what I will look like and how I want to present myself. 

As I continue on this journey, I am becoming stronger mentally, more convicted and committed to the lifestyle and more confident, not just about competing, but there is an improvement in my overall confidence level in everyday life. 

Here's the scary thing: I feel really good today. I mean, REALLY good: in fact, somewhat manic...I have a shit-ton of energy (no drugs involved)! This happens to me from time to time and when it does, I feel invincible. I, of course, know that this feeling is fleeting and I will soon be tired, or discouraged, or depressed, but until then I am unstoppable! Get out of my way (and by that I mean keep your negative shit to yourself) because I will crush you (and by that I mean, you will hit a brick wall of stoic strength that is impenetrable)!