Renae94’s BodyBlog

So after much debate and contemplation I finally decided to give it my best shot at Europa. Well wouldn’t you know it circumstances decided for me that Europa was not to be. Long story short an unplanned surgical procedure for my father and a mini van that needed $1500 in repairs made the trip to Dallas nearly impossible. Anyone that has planned for something and set their heart on it knows how devastating it can be to have those plans change and there’s literally nothing you can do about it. Well there were some things but it crossed the line of what I was willing to sacrifice so I sulked for a couple of days, took the kids to six flags yesterday and today I’m back at it. This time there will be no stopping me and this time there will be no doubt in my mind as to whether I’m ready. I’m shooting for about 5 weeks from now. I’m in the midwest and there’s a show in Detroit and a show in Cleveland that I’ve got my eye on. I’ll keep you posted once I  make a decision. Oh yeah the other thing that sucked about not doing the Europa show, I lost a ton of money. $80 registration, $150 tan and $144 hotel room since I didn’t cancel 24hrs prior to arrival. Oh well, it’s over and I’m officially moving past it. Thanks to everyone that has shown me love!! I won’t disappoint, I will take the stage!

So, I’m 1 week out from my very first figure competition. Registration has been mailed, suits are in, tan is scheduled, hotel is booked. Leave it up to me to unknowingly sign up for the biggest pro/am in the US! Legs are looking better although they could use another 2 weeks of conditioning IMO. I’m still working them hard until about Wednesday then it rest and drying out.

I’m not sure what my expectations are of this competition. Competing in Figure started off as a small personal goal that I set for myself almost 2 years ago(I quit the first time around). It was supposed to be this quiet thing that I trained for in my "extra" time and then I would compete at a small local show. Well it has evolved into so much more than me. There are so many people invested in this competition one way or another other that it’s crazy. My family obviously because they’ve been the closest to it all and sacrificed so much. Then you have my friends that have supported me, the staff at my gym, and of course my co-workers that have watched me pass on lunches and after work events and offered words of encouragement and admiration. Most of all my 15 year old daughter. I can’t put my finger on why this means so much to her but she is so emotionally invested in this that I can’t even explain it. The first time I tried on my 1 pc suit she cried. She was so proud of me and I was just overwhelmed. I’ve told people before that I wanted to lose weight this way specifically to set a positive example for my daughter but the funny thing is I never told her that. Yet, I see her making positive choices with regard to her health. Her eating and excercising habits have definitely changed without me even pushing her so bottom line no matter how things go in Dallas, I’ve already won.

Two weeks out. Legs are show a little improvement and I do mean a little. I’m very nervous but at this point in the game I’m determined to see it through. I didn’t practice my posing as much as I would have liked to so I feel as though I’m forgetting everything that I learned. I’ve swithced my cardio from Elliptical & Glute Shredder to Stairmaster & Glute Shredder. I’ve switched my diet to all whole foods, no more Sludge. Tilapia, almonds and veggies. The family is very excited about the trip, I’m looking forward to funnel cake at Six Flags the next day. However, I don’t plan on going all out with a post comp binge. I’m looking at a local show in October depending on how Europa goes and there’s no way in hell I’m starting all over again. My goal is to stay within 5-10 lbs of my comp weight at all times unless i’m doing a lean mass bulk. My posing suits have not arrived yet BUT they are on the way!! I can’t wait to see them. Sleeping is becoming a little more difficult. I odered some Knockout from Primaforce, we’ll see if that helps.