Jul’s Journey

Yes, It is official, today I have started my 40th year of life!  And, I must say, I am in the best shape of my life and can’t wait to see what the next year brings…..

Let’s see…. I am fatiguing quickly….not able to lift much weight at all and definately feeling every second of cardiol. Feel apathetic about food too… but I suppose that is par for the course.  Tonight I start putting my color on….have pictures on thursday, so I would like at least two coats for this…

Other than that…I am still excited….and thrilled to be meeting all the wonderful people on this site….

I think no carbs is taking its toll on my brain power…. very flat….(and I am not talking about my chest….though that is too!!!) LOL

HA!!!!!!!This seemed very funny at 6am….but many of you know that women’s shapes are described as fruits…there is the pear shape (which is what I was) and the apple, ummmm…. anywhoooo….this morning lovejones told me I had graduated from the fruits….I am now more of a piece of celery!!! Love that feeling! Or maybe a parsnip? Any way, This journey has been so fun and so worth it.

I have learned much about the figure culture in WNY….lots of it is scary, most people are wonderful and I am happy to have met so many wonderful men and women that have championed me.  And, of course, there are my friends and family that have had to listen to me drone on and on about food and working out and random text photos of my elusive abs (lil’ abners)….yes, I have even named them….silly me.  (Gives you a great idea of what people are putting up with.

Today was a good day, woke up late, but got some cardio in, did chest, tris and abs, but in a fun retro way. Met a new friend that was very helpful with figure info and will look at my posing to make sure I have it down, did my work, had some time with the kids and will be back in the gym for some late-nite cardio….. fun….

Lets see….taking off my color and getting everything ready for my photos on Thursday.  This should be interesting…. hope they turn out okay….maybe he can get my lil’abners on camera!  Okay, time to check homework, start a fire, get changed for gym and get some more water in me before the night is over….

Will write more later, but looking forward to catching up on everyone tonight…haven’t been visiting my some of my favorite blogs and tonight that is on my list of things to do….watch out amyrose, speckled, susanna, bodyauditor, bryangee, justdave, lovejones596, goforitnicks and of course NINJA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  oh, and a new gal shleesh…

Now, I have to tell you…i sat in a small room with my three kids and the polygraph tester (a retired policeman) and I was starting to feel the pressure…almost like a bizarre scene from meet the fockers!!! LOL… I had to then use this opportunity, of course, as a mother of three to explain that what it was I was doing….why this man was strapping wires to my body and why he was talking about the importance of NOT LYING.  Break right here….I then had to explain to my children that at times, even mommies have not been completely honest….. UGH….but they rolled with it and seemed to understand.  We even talked about how great it would be to have this test around the house when the infamous "not me" showed up and did things like scratch the car or tracked mud through the house.  LOL  can you imagine???

Well, I passed, but it was weird to be taking it.

So, my enthusiasm is turning into…can we get this over with already?? I know that sounds bad, but I am ready to move on to bulking…excited to see how much muscle I can gain over the next two months.  For those of you who don’t know…a couple of friends of mine are on this site…not cyber friends, but the real in-person type.  Love Jones 596 is one of them and her and I will be training together for a couple of shows in April…she will be doing two natural shows and I will be doing one natural and one NPC show…. should be a blast.

Well, time to resume my mommy duties…. time to get the kiddos ready for bed, get my paperwork set for the week - already prepping my food and  want to write up my cardio plan for the coming days….and maybe even try to get to bed before 10…. wow! imagine that??

Need to say that this was a great day of rest….started with an awesome message at church, moved on to a pumpkin farm and great time with the kids….stuffed them full of caramel apples, cotton candy, french fries, got our pumpkins and had fun at the petting zoo -  even got to shoot pumpkins out of a cannon… silly, but I LOVED it…. guess I am still just a little kid.

I think this time of the year is still my favorite.  Don’t get me wrong, I love spring and summer in NY, but there is something wonderful about the fall. The crisp mornings, the smell of fire in the fireplaces, crunchy leaves and fall colors…. really, is there anything more comforting?  (and don’t even get me started on the food of fall….)

And so I ramble….. tomorrow is chest and tris…last ones before the show…wow….this week is finally here…will do my best to enjoy every second of it.

enjoy your evening….

Do you realize that in one week I get to eat chocolate cake…or cookies…..or CHEEZE-ITS?????!!!!!! MAN oh, man I can’t even tell you how exciting this is.  Sooooo….it has been a bit since I have written and really there is not much to tell.  I am feeling pretty crumby, but I suppose that is all par for the course. Chicken or tilapia and a green veggie 5 times a day is real exciting.

Hmmmmm… let’s see…today was abs and shoulders & cardio….if there is one area that I have really fallen apart on it is cardio.  I really am exhausted all the time and my joints hurt and getting on the eliptical, bike, and/or treadmill is like pulling teeth.  Had a great leg day on friday, still feeling it…. In fact, I am still feeling my back workout from Wed…. I think maybe my body is not recovering….but will see how I do after a day of rest on Sunday.

Okay, so I tried to have some decent carbs last night to see if I could get my muscles to fill up…..didn’t really notice anything other than my stomach was killing me all today…..and felt yucky….was it the food???? Not sure.

Hmmmmm….. did I mention I get to eat chocolate cake?? LOL

Ok, so I have the schedule all set up with lovejones596 for the show in April.  We will begin our building phase the last week of Oct. and go through the first week in Jan.  Then we will have our 12 weeks or so of competition prep.  Fun!!! My goal is to put on between 5-7 pounds of muscle.  Would love to do 10, but want to be realistic too.

Okay, enough babble.  Time to try and get some recovery sleep.  Tomorrow is church and hopefully pumpkinville with the kiddos…. loving the fall!!!

nite

I love the way my body is changing…in just one day of this crazy no carb diet, my body is changing….yet again… how weird.  I remember the days of stringing day after day together in hopes of seeing some little change in my appearance, and now I can see then daily.

Now, I have to tell you….. physically, I am toast.  No, I am more like a crumb. a toasty little ball of cruchy yuck on the counter….  Not sure if it was my killer back workout yesterday or the 2 and a half hours of cardio..or the diet, but whatever it is….I am dragging.  Sore, tired, headache… thankfully my kids are keeping me focused on what is important.

So, today, i did something I haven’t done in a while.  I listened to my body.  I did not do my morning cardio or this new shoulder routine I was excited about.  I am home, getting ready for my work day, going to do cardio later….maybe a trailrun outside??  or perhaps something in the gym… will have to see…. but I will do that later today. Oh, yes, and posing….lots of posing…… First things first…. the workday.

And tomorrow, i will be back at it….legs with focus on hammies and glutes, and cardio…

10 days out and the stressed out girl of yesterday is starting to really get excited!!!  I think this is the way it is supposed to be….

I said that yesterday to my kids…apparently, I didn’t heed my own advice. So sorry for all that actually read the last few blogs. You are truly amazing people to deal with me…especially since many of you have no idea who I am.

I think through this experience, I have lost sight of a few things….1) What made me decide to set this goal. (It was a pre-40, learn-about-it experience that would allow me to transform myself and if all went well, get to see my ab muscles for the first time and to set a fitness goal - if you look at my before pic it is obvious I spent much more time watching Survivor than being one….  2) That my body is only temporary, but what is inside is eternal… 3) That friends are amazing and my particular crew are even more amazing than the average bunch - I mean they listen to this whining 24/7 and they still pick up the phone when I call….  if you ever read this, you know who you are….and I love you all for it!!!! 4) Training like this is not a balanced way to live, but in 12 days, I CAN restore some balance… yes, all my kids will have clean clothes again, neatly folded in their drawers and not warm from the dryer as they are running out the door for the bus! 5) God is faithful….even when I haven’t been - 6) Cake, candy, ritz crackers with Jelly, peanutbutter and cheeZe-its will all be there after this show is done.

So, today I am going to do my best to stop whining, to stop chickening out and enjoy this….have fun with it…not worry about the day, but worry about not enjoying it enough….

And finally….NO MORE WHINING!

can I just wait to do this thing??  stop now and try for it in another couple of months….??? maybe???? Oh, this is just crazy…. I kind of feel like you have to feel 100% about what you are doing in order to do it… so, I am wondering…should I just table it and wait until I have more size?  Or do it, get it done and move one??? Alright…let me let you all in on a secret… I usually do well at the things I do…in this arena, I know I have ALOT more I have to do, more size specifically, less body fat???  and just more conditioning. So, to know this and still do this show, I am feeling like I am not giving myself a fair shake…. at the same time….I realize that I did set a goal and that is the important thing,….. setting the goal and meeting it…this is a toughy… and I don’t like to be a whiner or on the fence, but I also have to be true to myself…. ugh…..shoot me now.

That’s what I want….dominion over my abs….last night, at the very end of the day I was so suprised because when I changed clothes - there - right before my eyes - were…..my abs…. you could see the muscles….. live and in person!  I have to tell you , I went to bed so happy, so thrilled and when I woke up….I had a flat stomach, but no matter how I tried they were a no show…..   I think it was frog princess that said her abs were coming out to play….well mine did and apparently didn’t like my game and went back in!!!!!!   So, what do I do to get dominion over these little pesky muscles?  My diet is clean, my water high, body fat low.,…how can I keep them consistently out????   Actually, more importantly, how can I guarentee they will be out for my competition?

Feeling tired, little sleep, lots of work and definately feeling a bit stressed from all the realization of what is coming my way in 11 days…. (but who is counting).

Today, I think I might just get my legs done and then focus on just being a mom and not worry about all this contest stuff…. is that possible??  Heh, it is so consuming…. but I do feel I need a new balance with it all… will see….

life seems so crazy right now and I definately feel like the choices I make today could have everlasting impact on my future and of those around me…. need to focus on what is good and right….need to stop rambling….need to be kind to you (the reader) and just end this crazy post!!!!

May your day be filled with peace and love!

jul

Deep breath….. breath in…..breath out……breath in…..breath out….. I think I must be CRAZY>>>>> what on earth am I doing thinking I can put myself on a stage and do this thang?????????   breath in……breath out……

Quick post…had a good workout, chest, tris and shoulders (love these)! Only able to get 25 min. of cardio in, but guess it is better than nothing. Will shoot for longer tonight to burn some more calories. Also will try to get some  extra ab work in… will have to see what the day allows.

Of course, as luck would have it, I have a crazy/busy week this week and my husband is traveling. Not that it is the end of the world, but it clearly changes my weekly routine.

Let’s see …. 12 days until the big day!!!  Oh, my!