hurdlegirl’s BodyBlog

Wow, after 3 weeks off my competition diet I feel great! It’s amazing how different…better your mood is and your energy levels are when you have some quality carbs in your system. After about 2 weeks of eating endlessly, and 1 week of eating somewhat endlessly, I’m back in a healthy eating pattern again. I got all the cravings out of my system and now I physically & mentally want to eat healthy again…not competition eating, just clean with some flexibility. I actually gained about 10lbs in the 2 weeks immediately following the show, but about 4-5 or that was just rehydration. Just by eating better though I’ve already lost 3 so I’m about 3lbs away from my normal/off season weight.

I took about 2 weeks off from lifting as well. I continued with my cardio but instead of 60-90min a day, I only do about 30-45min. I weight-train "mildly" but I’m only consistent with my glute/hamstring work and my core/abs. I’m trying to decide what I want my approach to be with my strength training. I’m leaning towards a more athletic training style (jumps, dynamic movements etc) but I havent decided yet. I want to achieve a very lean physique….leaner than I’ve ever been, but I dont want to be on a competition diet….I want, no I need fresh fruits, cold cereal in my regular diet, as well as pizza and chocolate occasionally

So, now begins my brainstorming and planning process….we’ll see what i come up with!

So last weekend was my final show for the time being. It went o.k. I placed 4th in the Open Figure Tall class. While I dont think I should have won, I also dont think 4th place was accurate either. But its over and I’m very happy for the break. The show itself was pretty interesting. Good competiton, friendly competitors & event staff…just not the best scheduling, well at least not from a Figure standpoint. Being the VERY last group to go on stage for the entire program made for an extremely long day. Figure was spreadout thru the entire show. Master’s at the beginning, Novice in the middle, and Open at the very end with Bodybuilding and Fitness between. Shows are long by nature, but a 3.5hr prejudging and a 5hr nightshow completely drained me phyically & emotionally.

Anyhow, it was nice to have a lot of family and friend support. Thank goodness my good friend Emily tagged along with me all day. I’m pretty good about entertaining myself, but 12hrs is a bit much. I think being a "new face" at a show/organization that I’d never competed for before hurt me again, but the only way to change that is to keep competiting…..and thats something I’m not sure of. I may compete this fall at 1 or 2 shows or I might just hang up my hooker shoes till next year.

For now, I’m enjoying eating again and working out for fun. My morning runs are so much more enjoyable now and much easier with carbs in my system!!

One more stage appearance for the summer. I’m competing back home in Toronto. I’m looking forward to it because I have several family members coming to watch, some I haven’t seen in years. I’m also looking forward to taking an extended break from the diet. I only plan to go a little crazy for a day or two, I really just wanna be able to eat yogurt, cheese, pasta, and fruit again. (although the cheese may be on a pizza, and the fruit might be in the form of a pie).

I feel pretty good going into this show. I dont really feel any pressure. The one thing I’ve learned is that all I can do is prepare the best I can. The judges will do whatever they want. I want to win but I also want to have fun, and I didnt at my last show. So I’m hoping to end this competitive season on a good note.

I was in a commerical for a local casino this week. Just a background part which in all likelihood will get cut out, but it was fun and hopefully it leads for other opportunities. Training has been going well. The 6-mile runs feel relatively easier, but I’ve been running at 8am before it gets too hot. I purposely backed off the weights leading into this final show, hoping to achieve a slightly different look. I choose some Beyonce music for my individual walk at the nightshow. I’m looking forward to letting my personality show a bit during that walk (assuming i make top 5 in my class). Anyhow, thats all for now.

This was by far my worst on-stage experience. I didnt fall or anything, I just felt INCREDIBLY uncomfortable on stage. I’m not sure what it was. I was fine on the drive to Rochester that morning, and even while I was getting ready for the pre-judging I felt pretty good. However, once I got on stage I felt like someone had just given me bad news or something. I felt completely deflated and emotionally flat. Even while I was on stage I kept telling myself to lighten up & enjoy the attention etc. I’m sure my smile looked completely fake. I placed 4th in the F class. The tallest class of the day. It was a good competition so I’m disappointed in myself. I learned a lot this weekend about myself and I won’t let this happen again.

I’ve got my final show of the season coming up in 3 weeks. I’m looking forward to getting in 2 full weeks of good training before I got into my final week reduction week. I ate happily on saturday night and sunday, but I’m actually happy to be back on a training diet. My training focus for the next 3 weeks is cardio, sprints, abs & glutes.

Showtime (again) tomorrow. I’m glad I decided to compete again this weekend. This will be my final tune-up before the IDFA show on June 30th. Having the show tomorrow motivated me to adhere to the diet. I have to admit, that has been the hardest part for me (big surprise). With the great weather, I love getting up early and going for a run, and sometimes the evenings are so nice that it’s a pleasure to do another short run or workout in the evenings. I’m stuck inside most of the day at work, so any excuse to be outside is a blessing, even if I have to workout.

I’m looking forward to getting back into a regular strength training routine. With 2 shows back to back, its been about 9 or 10 days since my last hard lift. I miss that feeling.

I’ll be alone again at this show. My coach is away on buisness and with it being last minute decision to compete, I didnt bother to ask any family/friends to come watch. I’ll hopefully get some stage pics this weekend.

Well, I wish I could say I had a great weekend, but I didnt. I thought I looked pretty good in the evening show, but as we know its the morning prejudging that really counts, and I just wasnt’ looking my best. It was a combination of blotchy tanning oil and water retention. My coach and a few friends have convinced me to compete again this weekend in Rochester, so thats what I plan to do. I’ll be taking a different approach to this show in an effort to avoid last weekend’s disappointment. I ended up placing 3rd in the Figure tall class, but there were only 4 girls. I also had to wear both a 1 and 2 piece suit for this show. 1-piece suits don’t do ANYTHING for my body type, not to mention the fact that up until midnight on friday I did not have a 1 piece outfit (long, long stupid story). Anyhow we shall see how this weekend unfolds.

Training this week is very cut back. Normal cardio, but minimal lifting (my coach says none, but i’m doing my usual glute stuff). I also dont have any pictures of the weekend. My coach once again had camera issues, this time deleting the photos before unloading them to his computer. Anyhow, instead of making me feel better this blog is getting me upset…

Tomorrow’s the day. I feel good and I’m excited to step on stage again. I’m in the process of choking down as much water as I can before my cut-off at 4pm today.  I’m wearing a different bikini tomorrow for the show, so hopefully it does me justice (or i do it justice). I did my own beading on this one, so my fingers are crossed. At least I don’t have to travel this weekend because the show is right here in town. The weather has been phenominal this week, 80+ degrees and sunny. Unfortunately I’m stuck inside at work from 11-6 each day. I did get some sun yesterday morning, and I plan to get some more today after work, especially on my back. I think the only thing I have left to do is to decide what I want to EAT after the show, lol.

I some how managed to have to fun & interesting things happen this week. I’m the "Abs of the Month" feature at http://www.sixpacknow.com/veronica.html

I’m also in a contest at http://www.muscleupgear.com/contestants.html so please vote for me

9 days til stage time. I’m making a risky move by going "home" to visit my parents for the weekend. I actually have a reunion and 2 bridal showers to attend. Just about everyone knows I’m in training, so hopefully I won’t have too many temptations to overcome. I’m not too worried about fitting in my workouts because most of my cardio is done on my morning runs, and there are enough dumbells, plates, etc in my parents basement to get a couple decent workouts in.

This week of training has gone well. I’v got up early each morning before work for a 45-60min run. I lift in the early afternoon and then finish up my training day with some sprints or stairs, or a treadmill incline walk. I’m trying desperately to target my glutes and achieve that hamtring/glute "cut".

My bodyweight is stuck right now. I’m concerned. I know its in my glutes. I guess we’ll see next week how it looks when i’m leaned out etc. My diet is going better each week, but I’m looking forward to July when I’m off of my competition diet and eating fruits, yogurt, pizza, and wine.

I plan to wear a different suit next weekend. I need to jazz it up with some more beads this weekend though. Anyhow, I’m off to finish my training for the day….legs & abs!

Just over 2 weeks to go until I return to the competition stage. Training is going well, I’m seeing good definition in my legs, but not too sure if any of that has impacted my booty. We’ve made some further changes to my diet hopefully that cuts into my glutes. Leg days are getting easier but I’m weary about increasing the weight because I don’t need added mass in my lower half. Instead I’ve been increasing reps & sets. I’ve also been "sprinting" more often too. I’m not sure if it will be evident in the June 2nd show, but it had better be for the June 30th one.

The downside to the nicer weather and training outside are my allergies. I love running in the mornings but thats also when I feel most affected by itchy water eyes etc. I’m also not a big fan of bugs either, but at least I can get a natural tan for these next 2 shows instead of having to pay of one.

Oh, this blog was supposed to be about diet. I cannot believe how obsessed I am with food lately. I dont necessarily feel hungry all the time, I just want to graze ALL day. Fortunately I’ve been making better choices since my birthday, but still. Grocery shopping is like a mini torchure session while I pass by foods I love. I think the frustrating part about this is that the foods I crave are not bad on a normal diet (yogurt, fruits, whole wheat pasta, sushi) but for the next 6 weeks, they are off limits. Dont get me wrong, I also crave things like pizza, chips, and ice cream, but those are easier to avoid. So, I’m settling into a dietary routine of eggs, potatoes, veggies, nuts, and lots of chicken. Oh, did I mention that I have food allergies too, so sometimes I’ll have a bad reaction to certain nuts, fruits, or veggies…even if I buy organic. I think its the pesticides but I dont know for sure.

Physical training is going well. I’ve started adding extra sets to my exercises and have also started to add olympic lifts back into my program. For cardio I’m doing a minimum of 75min each day. I try to mix it up each day to avoid boredom and to keep challenging myself, but somedays, I have to admit, I just do it to get it done. I put on about 4 lbs since my last show 3+ weeks ago, but I did take 2 weeks off my "clean" diet so I’m not surprised. Its on the way back down, thats why I feel like I’m "over the mental hump". All that being said, I dont feel all that fit or lean. I’m hoping its just a combination of emotions, turning 30, finances & life circumstances that are making me feel this way. I meet with my figure coach tomorrow, so we’ll hear what he has to say.

Diet…I’m back on the wagon. I’m not happy about it. I feel better about myself when i eat clean, but lately I’ve been feeling more susceptible to temptation. The weather is finally consistantly above 60degrees and sunny around here so maybe that will improve my overal mood.

Less than 4 weeks till the next competition. Wow that came quick. I’d better get my head out the gutter.