Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tuckered out.

After a great week of training I found myself extremely tired yesterday and still sluggish this am. This past weekend was pretty packed as I really wanted to go and visit my friend and her little bambino. I had a great time visiting but the 3 hour drive up Saturday afternoon and then 3 hours back on Sunday really tuckered me out. When I got home, I was a little pooped and had hit Costco on my way home to grab asparagus and egg whites. The day wasn't over yet. It was 5:30 and I still need to bump out 45 minutes of cardio. Dragging my feet a little, Brett said he'd accompanied me to the gym. Once I got there I was fine and we did a workout and had dinner, watched a movie and the next thing I knew it was 10:45! Crap.
Needless to say Monday morning came pretty quick and I met Jill at the gym at 5:30 and she put us through this crazy stair climber workout and I'm feeling it today for sure. Last night I did back and biceps and tonight I'm doing legs and shoulders. Having two workout buddies has definitely helped and Jill is always at the gym training which has definitely motivated me and helped push me and its nice to have someone to talk to at the gym. I always found myself being quiet and going in and leaving because I didn't know anyone. Being able to chit chat is a nice change.
Tonight is date night and we are going to watch the Dark Knight. I'm pretty stoked but not being able to eat any of that delicious white stuff is going to be hard. I'll pack a little snack with me so I don't get hungry just from the smell. Tomorrow I get to "sleep in" and then I'm going to do spin class Wednesday night and an ab workout before. The spin class is super intense and is a great way to change up my cardio and push through with the motivation of the people around you. It is going to be my cardio on Wednesday and Fridays. On Friday's I am going to get to the gym and wake up by walking on the treadmill and then training weights in the morning.
My food so far is good and I had mentioned that I was feeling hungry so my coach added in an extra shake when I get home from the gym because I get back by quarter to 7 and if I have my first meal so early I get really hungry through out the day. Oh! And my new latest pre workout meal is something I really look forward to and have never done before. I mix my quarter cup of oats and a scoop of protein with water and put it in the micro wave and you have protein oatmeal! Spinkle with a little cinnamon and wa-la, deliciousness. I am subbing the oats for 2 plain rice cakes. The oatmeal is a little more exciting and something I look forward to while I still have it in the my program.
Since my last weigh in I haven't dropped any more weight...I am still sitting at 137 but I have to stay focused and remember the goal I set for myself was to be 130 by the end of September which is totally do able. Staying focused is crucial and with all the support I have around me it makes it easier.  Sometimes I feel guilty about being at the gym all the time and leaving Brett at home and he says he's fine and that I should go and that it doesn't bother him. He is so supportive, I just don't know how to accept it and not feel bad. I need to get past it and realize that's the way he is and he wants me to do well. I'm so lucky to have met someone who loves me enough to let me train and do the things I need to do to reach my goal. Anyways, we have date night tonight and that will be fun to get out of the house and just hang out. We went for a nice walk last night which is one of my favorite things to do together besides golf because we just talk without distractions which is so important.

Feeling loved today! High 5 people!

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.
Nic out

xox

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Down three.....yippppie!

Well, I've almost completed a full week of my training program and my body is sore. First my bi's hurt, today my tri's hurt and my quads still hurt from my workout on Saturday. That is not a good sign. I obviously over worked them and tonight I am suppose to do a leg plyo and back workout so it will be interesting. I am loving my 5:30 cardio sessions so far...I have found the balance this week pretty good of doing cardio early, being home for 7 and working and then heading back to the gym for 5:30 to get my weights in. I found I was super hungry because I was having my first meal at 7 and would be starving for my second meal so my coach added in a protein shake after my morning cardio.
I have started to meet a few more people at the gym and it's so great having a cardio buddy! Knowing that other people around you are training and doing the same thing your doing is very calming and creates a very good circle of support. I love Odysessy. It is such a great gym and everyone is really nice and helpful and the same people are there every single day. Talk about commitment.
My meal plan has been good so far and I am happy to have that extra shake. I'm already down three pounds and I am hoping to kill another 7 by mid September. Then I will be around 130 when things kick into high gear.
I don't know if I mentioned this but I finished by vision board weeks ago and it is in my bedroom with the calendar. I have lots of photos of people I admire and what I am working towards. Things that are reminders that I can do this. Here is my vision board.
It's funny how our minds can play tricks on us. I am going to train as hard as I can so that I place at Sandra. It was such a surreal experience winning last year and I am striving for that again this year but it's a weird feeling to image putting in all this effort and leaving without another Sandra but that is all mental and something I don't have control over so I have to work on the things I can control. I can control what I eat and how hard I work out and if I do all my cardio sessions. Everything that I can control is in my hands and the rest is up in the air but all I can do it try my best and hope that it's enough. Positive thoughts!

Have a great day :)

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

xo

Nic

Monday, August 20, 2012

12 weeks out BABY!

Today I got to the gym at 5:30 and there were a few people I'd never seen before. I guess that's what happens when you arrive before daylight. I new crowd of people emerge. Then the gym started to get super busy and it's Monday?! Anyways, today I start my prep for the Sandra Wickham Fall Classic. It's two days after my 27th Birthday so needless to say a trophy would be a nice present to myself. My goal is to place top 3 in bikini tall so that my trophy from last year has company on the shelf.

My training right now is 40 minutes of cardio 6 times a week which I will commit to doing in the mornings at 5:30 because it leaves me lots of time to stretch and cool down and get home and make my first meal and relax before the day begins. My weight training is broken down into a five day split. Today is my back and bicep day and I think I might have company...we will see. I'm pretty excited if he does decide to come with me.

This week will be a good test to see what training is going to be like with my work schedule and balancing my home life. As you all know when you are really tired it can be hard to make the effort needed to show someone you care or to go out of your way to do something nice for them but in this case making sure I'm happy and that he's happy is very important to me. Training is something I really enjoy but the challenge of eating what I need to eat and training the right amount is what get's me hooked. I'm a competitive person by nature and now that I am at the gym training I just have to focus on the end result. I've done it before but the circumstances were a lot different than they are now so I am going to take it day by day. The most important thing is that I know I can do it.

Tonight I'll hit the gym and then Costco to grab the rest of my food that I need for the week. I'm going to try and do my prep on Saturday's because I have the house to myself and knock out my food for the week and have it weighed and bagged so that when Brett comes home we can go golfing and hang out. Brett is going back to school full time and working part time so gym dates might be our only kind of dates but it will be a test of time. Training will only pick up as the weeks get into single digits. There is lots of time in a day and I just have to utilize every moment. Good thing we got the PVR hooked up last week....this at least saves me 15 minutes in commercials!

Anyways, it's time for me to switch gears and get to work! What is on your plate today?! Training? Resting? Make the most of today, it's the only thing that matters right now.

Here we go, 12 weeks out!

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

xo
Nic

Friday, August 17, 2012

Found: One morning cardio person - check!

Today my alarm went of at 5:15...am...and my plan was to be at the gym by 5:30 so that I could have a little company while doing my cardio. With the Sandra Wickham Fall Classic less than 12 weeks away, it is time to get down to business and that means early morning cardio. Lets just say I have a little extra love in places that I need to work on but I've done it once and know I can do it again.

When I first start at Odyssey, my gym in Victoria, I was quiet and kept to myself. The gym is quite the community of people and everyone knows each other. It's kind of like Cheers but instead of a bar its a gym. I recognized some people from the competition world and a few weeks ago, a lady I had wanted to say hi to, came and said hi to me! She is always at the gym and placed 1st in the Sandra Wickham last year in Figure Masters. We were at the same competition and didn't even know it. Needless to say we have A LOT in common and A LOT to chat about. Jill is currently in her off season but works out like a beast and is in great shape. She is very motivating and a friendly face and will be a good person to know in the gym. She is the one that gave me the motivation to set my alarm clock for 5:15. The other reason I was up before sunlight was I have to be in a very small bikini in less than 12 weeks...

Sitting here writing this knowing that my cardio is done for the day is a great feeling.  One I am going to enjoy. Today when we were chatting away I mentioned that competing and staying fit in general takes two things. Patience and commitment. If you are committed to your goal and have patience to go through the motions you will see results and that is what I know I need to do. After competing in 2 competitions last year I have a better understanding of my body and what works and doesn't work. Stressing doesn't work so I have learned to have patience and respect the process. For my body it takes at least 2 months before I will see results and then in the last month I lean out like crazy. I can ever pin point the exact day when I know my metabolism has kicked into high gear. I know because even with 7 meals a day, I'm still peckish.

Now that I have someone that I know will be at the gym definitely helps whether we do our cardio side by side in silence its great to have a partner in fitness. I would definitely recommend finding one. But the thing to remember is that whether that person is going to be there, I still have to believe and rely on my own strength to get out of bed when its the middle of October and pitch black. It is going to be a process but with my support system and everything around me I am ready to train again. Last week I didn't think so because I had gotten so pumped and anxious to start that when I kept waiting to start I lost my motivation for a minute until I realized that I should just enjoy my time off and training will start when it starts. Working and training will take some balance but I feel confident I can make it work.

Having a great support system helps and Brett has been very supportive and understanding of my dream to continue competing. He joined the gym with me so he can come when he likes and do his own thing or we can workout together and is going to help me stay on track with my meals but eating healthy with me. Obviously not to my extreme but within reason. He jokes that if I don't do it then he is going to go into the Sandra Wickham because someones got to represent. I'm really lucky to have someone that is as supportive as he is and with him working and going to school the gym might be our weekly date night. I'm actually kind of excited about it!

Anyways, here is to 12 weeks out on Saturday!

Eat. Sleep. Train. Repeat. Happy Friday everyone.

xoxo
Nic

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

How did I get here?!

Today I was at the gym and in the middle of my cardio, I had a thought. How did I get here?! My alarm had gone off and the next thing I knew I was on the treadmill. It's like a teleported myself to the gym. I felt like I was still half asleep which isn't a good thing when you are working out. You should be fully involved and feeling the muscles are you are in the moment. I guess it is more important to be awake when you are doing weights vs. cardio though.

I haven't started my training yet. On September 1st I will be 12 weeks out but I asked my coach Leigh Brandt if I could start a few weeks early to get back into a routine and one that I am comfortable and that works with my schedule. I really like routine and now that I feel that I am ready to start competing again, my mind is slowly starting to mentally prepare as well. When I am at work and feeling kind of tired I start visiualling myself at the gym doing my workout and I start to get more and more antsy and motivated to get to the gym. The same goes for when my alarm goes off in the morning. I think how comfty my bed is and how 15 more minutes would be amazaballs, but missing a workout isn't worth it. I feel so good after I go to the gym and once you start going and get it a habit it's hard to stop.
Yesterday I did an awesome leg and butt workout and when I was stretching a lady I see all the time at the gym came up to me and said "I hope you don't mind, but I am going to steal that last move you did. I always have trouble activating my glutes and that looked like a great workout!" It was such a nice gesture that she came and told me that and it turns out that she competed in Sandra Wickham last year! What a small world!? We talked for awhile about competing and I think I made a new friend. She is always at the gym. Morning or night. She trains at 5:30 am so there is no excuse for me not to be there...talk about motivation! We are going to have morning cardio dates at 5:30 and run stairs together.
Now that I have my morning cardio buddy, I am even more excited to start training. This week I will be sending my photos to my trainer as a starting point. I'll send her my weight, what I've been doing for training and what my food has been like. I'm nervous about taking my photos at this point. I know I have a lot of muscle underneath and after a few weeks of clean eating and a regular routine I will start to see my body change. The thing that is different for me this time is that I am so relaxed about competing and I know that I have lots of time to prep and that I will be ready because I have lots of support at the gym and at home and that my coach will be there 100% of the way.

If 100 people like this, I will post my first batch of photos.........

Happy Hump Day!

Yours in health and fitness,

Nic
xoxo