No turning back...

Well, as of today there is no turning back!!

When I started this process, my thought was - I *may* do a show.  I never voiced it aloud to anyone that I was not close with or who knew me well that this was my target or goal.  I thought, what's the worse case scenerio?  I can end up with a good body and be in better physical shape than I was in September, but it could be the start of my goal.

My personality does not allow me to do something half ass.  I have to go hard or go home.  I am one of those people that needs the accountability tho.  If I am accountable to someone or have obligated myself to something, I will follow thru,

As the months have progressed - I have found still that I live within the weeks.  Each week is a *new* week.    I don't know if the changes in my body are subtle or dramatic.  The pictures show the change, but at times, I still have a hard time seeing this change.

I tried on a pair of jeans this weekend.  I used to wear a size 8.  As I stood at the rack, I grabbed a size 8, (just in case), a size 6 and a size 4.  I have long legs which is always a challenge to find long pants.  Too my surprise, the size 4 was too big!  Holy Shit!!  I was disappointed that I left the store with no new jeans, but at the same time, elated that I was a size 4?!?  Really??  What is reality when it comes to sizing?  Different company's, brands, all fit differently.  Reality? I like the size I have gotten to at the moment.  I am going to drop more weight before the show - but that will not be a weight that I will be able to stay at - so maybe I am safe to buy new clothes.  :)

Looking at the calender I am 12 weeks away from the show, May 18.  Today was the day that I have mailed off my entry form and registration for the BCABBA.

Signed, sealed, mailed...there's no turning back now!!

Recovery week

What a recovery week from the marathon ~ it was interesting how my body reacted.  I thought my recovery and energy were good with exception of the sore leg muscles in certain spots of my legs ~ until I did cardio  My legs were tired, but I persevered, the eliptical helped me with the tightness between my calf and my ankle.  Thanks to rolling out my legs on the roller they were not as sore as I believe they probably would have been.  My hip flexors and IT bands were the tightest but again the rolling pin and roller helped those too.  These are the problem areas that I have a chronic issue with.
Boot camp was a little tougher until the Thursday class.  It was still taxing but I felt that I had recovered better, and by Friday I felt like I was back to my old self.  My eating stayed regimented but it was a chore to do.  For two days after the race, I ate, but actually had to force myself to eat - I wasn't hungry - to the point of feeling nauseous.  But by Friday again, I was definitely hungry, right on schedule!  This was a good thing as we didn't want the marathon exercise to impact the metabolism of my body.

Blake took quick caliper measurements on Wednesday and found that I was up 10 mls in fat.  :(  He wasn't worried about this as he said there could be a lot of factors in this, water retention, having just done the marathon, and he had also reduced my cardio to once a day down from two to give my body a break.
For me the thought of going up 10 mls was painful,  knowing that I was still eating the same and having just ran the marathon and I was still up.  This coming week will be interesting to see where the numbers fall.  Blake told me no weights for Saturday just moderate cardio and as of Sunday I have now started back with my cardio this week as double cardio during the week.  I missed doing my squats and lat pulls; I can't believe I am even admitting that!  I think I know how important it is for my butt to be doing those squats!

This week has been a week of practicing posing in the mirror every chance I get.  Everytime I am in the bathroom, getting ready for work in the morning, walking around the house at night.  I want to make sure that it shows I have been practicing when we do our next posing session.  You tube has been rather interesting as well; however different associations want different poses I have found.

Roberta has given me a sequence from Yoga that will help strengthen and give me the arch that I need to have while standing and posing for how ever long it happens to be I am on stage.  Having the flexibility is crucial.

Sunday evening I filled out and printed out the entry form for the show.  It is signed and in the envelope waiting to be mailed tomorrow.  There will be no turning back...was there even a question of that?  Reading the form was a challenge as there are different catagories and having never done this before it can be a little confusing and overwhelming.  I could either do Figure Only which is done by age, from my understanding, or Figure Open Only which can include a number of ages and possibly heights?  I have decided on doing the Figure Open Only at the encouragement of my trainer - who seems to think I have a good shot at being judged with a larger number of women and placing in the top five.  We shall see....its all in the experience, right??

Bring on Wednesday, measurements, scale and pictures!  Can you believe it - I am curious to see if there are any changes within my body from last month.  I'm sure there are, but again, we are our own worst critics.  I just see the work that needs to be done...

Posing & Suit Fitting Time

Never thought about all the incidentals when I chose to do this figure competition.  I knew there would be costs but I never thought about all the minor details that would need to be looked after.  Rooms booked, registration for show (which I haven't done yet), hair & makeup booked, tanning booked, posing classes and suit fittings and shoes.  I'm sure there will be other things that come up in between now and competition time.

This past Saturday two of those listed above were accomplished.  I can't lie, it was a little exciting. I admit, it takes a lot to get me excited, I try to hold myself in reserve and watch what transpires as not to be disappointed.  But trying on shoes and suits was fun.  Finding the color for the suit that was the right choice for me and seeing all the pictures of all the suits that Colleen has done was amazing. She started sewing in 1999, and started with the professional suits in 2004.  She has made some amazing suits, my mum would have loved to meet this woman!  After seeing what she can do and trying the suits on to get a size that would be right, I will be excited to see my suit when it is finished.  Next fitting will be 6 weeks away from the show.

Posing class was interesting and a little scary.  Scary as it is new to me, and keeping in mind that I will be doing all this in front of a bunch of people that I do not know, and others that I know are in the audience somewhere.  Yikes!!  And of course, one doesn't want to fall on one's face in front of everyone. I must remember to channel my beauty queen walk....lol.....

For posing class I just worked in my regular heels as I had not gotten the fancy clear shoes from Colleen  http://www.suitlady.ca/ .  Posing was interesting, but I could almost relate as I could compare the analogy to karate so that helped, in regards to holding the shoulders and hip placement.  There are four poses in total, quarter turns and a walk.  All this while flexing your muscles, keeping your hands soft, and looking as natural as possible....really?  Well there is the challenge right there, try to show off your body by flexing in the pose, but look natural the whole time.

Working on the posing is crucial as it needs to be polished so it looks natural and soft.  This now means practicing in front of the mirror at least 1/2 an hour a day and walking in the heels to make them feel natural on the feet. Practicing the 1/4 turns to make them smooth adding a little bit of sass to the turns to own it on stage.
I will now be adding this into part of my daily routine as soon as I can get my feet into the shoes, after the marathon I just ran.  My calves are not liking the thought of heels at the moment.  lol....

This week or next will be another caliper test to see where my fat ratio is.  I have had a small break as I am down to one cardio a day at the moment with Sundays off, and weights on Saturdays'.  My diet has remained the same, with exception I was just told that we can not have caffeine   I didn't think I had a problem with this until I had a headache for two days after coming off of what little caffeine I do have.  I haven't found out the reason why no caffeine but I will find out and report back on that one.

Below are the posing pictures from the first session.  Next posing session, skimpier clothing so I have been told.

Never say Never...

Another check mark off the bucket list ~ was this 1/2 marathon ever on the list?  I honestly don't think so.  I have always admired the athletes that can run for miles, and hours and hours and the dedication it takes.  I had just never saw myself doing anything like that.  Well, this weekend I ran the Fort Langley Historic 1/2 marathon which is 21.3 kms.   I ran this for three reasons;
#1 ~ My trainer, the infamous Blake Venechuk of totalbodydevelopment.ca
#2 ~ Peer pressure ~ from my friend whom I work with, I knew she would continue pressuring me until I signed up...
#3 ~ Me, I figured if I had to train anyways, what better way to burn calories (see summary below)

I have and always had the utmost respect and admiration for the athletes that do these marathons ~ and more so now that I have done this one.  I was pleased with my time and my performance.  However, there is still a small part of me that wishes I had done it a little faster.  I know that I ran the hills that people said would be hard, (I didn't find them too bad at all) and at the 10 km mark, I had a personal best time of under an hour so I was happy with that. I can say that I fast walked a minimal of about 10 seconds a couple times but ran the whole thing with one pee break. The day was beautiful, sunny, cool and no rain. The organization of the event seemed fine for me, and the course was well marked.

As for how my body did ~ the last 5 km were a bit of a bugger.  I had started to get a cramp in my calf muscles, and of course my quads and hip flexors were getting tight. I persevered, that finish line was a definite welcome sight. The after effects of the body have now been the reminder of sore calves, tight quads and hamstrings and some fatigue, which I hope diminishes by the end of the week.  I can sit down on the toilet a little easier today than yesterday - so we are making progress.  :)

I had been to dinner with friends the evening before and we were discussing that how we have told all our kids, *You achieved your black belt - you can do anything*...well, as I was running, this thought actually went thru my mind.  *I did my black belt grading which took 19 hours; I sure as hell can do this*!

And that I did!!  I have the medal to prove it!!

Your Weekly Workout Summary 02/11/2013 to 02/17/2013 View Workout History / Stats 1 workouts 0 routes 21.5 total dist. 2.1 hours 9,452 burned 0 friend requests

Countdown really begins....

Wow ~ I was reminded by my sister-in-law that I had been delinquent on my posts, in a round about way.  She told me that she had read my blog, and that made me realize I had one blog sitting in *draft* from January 29th  and the other sitting in *my head*.  Nothing like a *kick in the butt* every now and then, especially when I was trying to write weekly.  Life!!

I feel my training in the last month has been great!  I am really enjoying it....even tho this last week, my legs were sore all week from the bazillion squats my trainer had me do followed by walking lunges.  The thought of strangers looking at my butt is all the motivation that I need to keep moving forward.  In all honesty, not only that, but that is the funniest.  :)

Motivation to keep me on track has been now the 120 day challenge.  This is where we mark our progress at the end of the month to see how many mills of fat we have lost on our bodies.  At the end of 4 months for every two mills lost you get an entry into the ballot box for 3 different prizes.  Great deal all around, get healthier, loose weight and a chance to win, either a trip, private sessions, or classes.

 For me this is just an added bonus as I have to keep accountable to myself as well.  I have committed to this show in May and I have now told people about it as they keep asking me about my body and its changes - so it is definitely full speed ahead.  With that being said, we are now about 16 weeks away!!  Yikes!!

My last weigh-in demonstrated that I had lost 1 pound of fat and *gained* 3/4 of a pound of muscle!  This is good from what I was told.  My weight now sits at 148.6 with 9.6 body fat.  The body fat percentage will drop closer to the show but for the time being Blake does not want me losing anymore body fat.  My cardio has now dropped from twice a day, to once a day, and we have switched up Saturday's to be a weight day - which is squats, and lunges, assisted pullups and chest press.  And....surprise surprise, a day off on Sundays'.  My body is still in a bit of shock.  It is looking for that extra cardio that I have been doing for so long, and on  Sundays' is again feeling like it should be doing something other than the usual chores around the house.  I guess I should enjoy this while I can - I am sure it won't last long.

My trainer is wanting to see how this month progresses with my body and the change in cardio.  The diet is remaining the same at the moment.  Nothing has been cut back or out.  He also has had me looking at figure suits and we have now booked an appointment with the www.suitlady.ca in Langley to discuss suits.

As each week progresses ~ I believe the changes are there.  For me, it is hard to see still see how far I have transformed, but do I like where I have gotten to thus far?  I think I now can say - Yes, yes I do!!  Can't wait to see where I end up.....

September 2012

January 2013

September 2012

January 2013

                                                                    

If we have our health...

I had the opportunity this weekend to surprise a very good friend on her 40th birthday.  Myself and another good friend made the trip via ferry to surprise her mid morning at her front door!  It was a success - and a great surprise for her - she had absolutely no idea we were coming.  Credit has to go to her husband who called and asked if we might make it out for her birthday. It truly was a moment!!

I need to share a few things about my friend.   She is high spirited, speaks her mind, caring, considerate, smart and articulate, and a fabulous mother to her three girls and wife to an adoring husband.  She's one of those people that has an opinion but can choose when to express it or say it like it is.  She is one of those friends that tells it like it is....doesn't bullshit - and gets to the point.  Her and I have a special connection as we became friends thru my business when she was first a customer living in our town. We also graded for our Black Belts in Shotokan Karate together as well as worked together teaching an adrenal stress training program.  For a short time she was employed with me too.  Our friendship is one of those, we may not see each other often as she has moved away and there is a ferry between us. We may not talk on the phone every day, month or six months, but when we see or talk to each other - we pick up where we left off....no accusations or recriminations on who didn't call whom.  This is what true friends are all about.

I give you this explanation as yesterday I saw a different person.  Physically to look at my friend ~ the *regular* acquaintance or person on the street might say, *Wow, you've lost weight*; *You look great, I wish I could do that*, *You must feel so good*, or *Wow, you have three kids*?
Yes my friends' physical appearance could be deceiving for those who do not *know* her.  But for those that know my friend may have noticed some subtle or noticeable changes....

Remember I said she just turned 40!!  She's slower in her movements and speech.  She still articulates well, but struggles to find the right words.  If its a struggle to focus, that seems to exhaust her.  As her friend, I can see how she tries to hide her frustration.  What made me sad was what looked like the sign of defeat in her eyes.  My friend has MS.  Years ago there were symptoms but it was diagnosed as Lupus, another autoimmune disease.  Could it have been MS?    There were signs, unbeknownst to any of us, while she was training in the martial arts, or some of the trips that we went on where her body could not handle the heat, where she had problems with her eyes.  Whether she was trying to be a martyr or just trying to take the focus off of her because there were  too many other things more important - who knows.  She has always been pro-active in what she has done and anything that pertained to her children or family.  To almost see a resignation in her personality was a harsh reality - possibly a depression that she is trying to ignore?  I am not a doctor - I can only assume, and/or guess what these might be.  But knowing my friend - I did see a difference.

I am so glad that I went and had a visit with her.  Selfishly I still go back to my anaology - if we have our health we have everything!!  And Thank God for where I am in my life, I don't have a disease that may take my independence away, make my spirit and drive diminish, and have to deal with the fatigue every day that it is painful to just get dressed in the morning or do my hair.  I worry about my friend ~ at the moment I understand her condition is like peaks and valleys.  There are high days when she can be in remission, and low days when, as she calls it, an episode will flair up and she doesn't know when that will go away.

Looking after ourselves, being pro-active in how we eat and the exercise that we adhere too can only be a proactive choice that we make in our lives.  It all can lie in cards with what we were dealt at birth - why some of us develop a disease there is no cure for or contract an illness that is either untreatable or can be treated.  Choosing to live a healthy lifestyle can only add to the positive side of our quality of life. Living life to the fullest is all that anyone of us can ask for - the question is, *Do we choose to do this*?  *Are we thankful for our health*?  Heaven only knows...if we have our health....we have it all...