Still here

Despite appearances (or lack of), I am still here. I have been reading in the background but not really posting much as my internet connection at home is stuffed, so my only access to all things online is at work or at my parents' place, neither of which are overly conducive to blogging. Hopefully my home net will be sorted once and for all tomorrow as I am having serious withdrawals.
Training has been coming along well. I am still keeping up the cardio and it seems to be doing some good stuff for me...so fingers crossed. Diet has been tweaked again as of today so will see how much progress is made in the next week. I am still undecided about what comp/s I will be doing and am just going to make my decision about INBA NSW closer to the date (like, that week most likely!) 2 days ago I would have told you that I will 100% be ready but I have had a very flat weekend and am feeling crappy about how I am looking at the moment.
I have had a fairly low key weekend as I worked at 2 gyms yesterday - my normal one from 8am - 4pm then another one I just do casual shifts here and there for, basically straight after I finished at the first one. I was finishing at 8.30pm last night there so on Friday I figured it was probably best not to go having a big night. In saying that, I did a 6pm RPM class then went to a friend's place and hung there til midnight. Woke up bright and early and went for a walk before brekkie, then headed to work. After the 2nd shift went to a mate's place, her and her boyfriend were having some friends around for drinks and a Wii session. I managed to sit there eating my spinach and Kanga Bangas while they ate homemade bbq pizza (smelt divine!!) and drank beer. Then onto the Wii for a Monopoly game. I bankrupted them all and ended up with about $110mil in the bank on my first go at it!! hehe I am officially the Wii Monopoly champion of the world! (OK maybe it's not official as such...but let's not get into technicalities...)
Legs training and posing practice this morning with the girls...and now just visiting my mum (OK alterior motive was to use the net lol) and catching up on blogland. Gonna have an early one tonight, I am feeling pretty sleepy for some reason.
Anyway on that note I will be jetting off, til next time train hard and be good ;)
Vic x

Still here!!

Gosh it feels like forever since I blogged but it's only been 3 days. I think it just feels like so long cos I am on limited internet access so I'm only even reading blogs sporadically (read: while i'm at work!!)...my home internet is buggered at the moment and I haven't had enough time lately to sit and listen to Vodafone's 'hold' music for long enough to speak to them about the problem. So I sit here at work (just taught spin and now eating my brekkie) blogging before I wander over to the gym floor to annihilate my legs.

I have been kicking some major training goals this week. Hitting cardio three (yes, THREE) times a day the last few days but feeling great for it. I have learnt my lesson about listening to my body with that damned sickness I couldn't shake so I will pull back when I need to and don't intend on doing 3 sessions every day. In fact I will be going for a massage after this morning's training so I am definitely treating me right now :)

Aside from training I don't have much else to report on - it's been heads down, bums up this week, between gym and work and food there hasn't been time for much else. Work is still driving me a bit mental, but unfortunately there isn't much out there these days. Oh well suck it up til something comes along. I am just hanging for the weekend at the moment...mind you I don't have anything planned but I can feel it's gonna be a good one?? Go figure! Just intuition.

Anyway just thought I would drop in to say I'm still alive and sorry for being a bit quiet but MISSION DROP THE BODY FAT AND COMPETE is in full swing!

So til next time, train hard and be good.
Vic x

Stepping it up

I think it's safe to say that my mojo returned in leaps and bounds this week. I haven't been spending much time on here as I have been absolutely tearing it up in the gym, making up for lost time from being sick. I have been caning the cardio this week, loads more HIIT sessions than normal (I am normally a steady state girl but I needed to take A.C.T.I.O.N if I want to make the INBA NSW...which I seriously do...) and been upping the reps on the weights to lean out more. To say it's been a ripper of a week is an understatement.
I have seen some good changes this week and have had loads of positive comments from quite a few people. Unforunately I had a bit of a downer comment today...I went into a supps shop that one of my mates works at to purchase some more thermogenics, and a man I know who competes too was there...he said to me "you not competing this year?"...which made me feel bloody lousy for a while, but then in thinking about it he has only ever seen me compete at a much lower weight than I intend to be this season and am guessing that's what he figures I would be doing again if I were competing. Nope, no little, sinewy muscles for me this year...nice muscle bellies is what it's about in '09 for this little black duck. And the question has made me more determined to smash the next 5 weeks and get up on that stage looking awesome.
I have made a few changes to my diet for the next week and then again for the following weeks leading into comp week. So this week will be stepping it up a notch with the diet and should see some good progress.
Have had a great weekend too. For once, they got me to work on Friday and have Saturday off so I actually got a full weekend (2 consecutive days)... Got 3 cardio sessions and one leg workout into the day yesterday and in between that hung out with my bestie and went shopping. Last night I went to a surprise 30th and caught up with some friends I haven't seen in ages...I had a ball. Latest night I have had in ages too I might add hehe...I have certainly turned into a nanna this year lol.
Today I went off to teach posing and then to a shoe and handbag party...mmmm I LOVVVVE shopping :) I refrained from buying more shoes for my collection (last count I had more than 60 pairs!) but did order a hot hot hot handbag, can't wait to get it!!
So weekend is over (well as over as it gets) and have prepped food for tomorrow. Gonna be an early morning to fit all this extra cardio in. Woman on a mission!! LOOK OUT!!
Til next time, train hard and be good,
Vic x

hungry HUNGRY hippo!!

Oh.My.God. I cannot believe how starved I have been feeling today. I have really ramped up the interval training the last few days to make up for all the training I missed recently and try to bring the body fat down a bit quicker. The flipside of that is that my tummy is like a fricken inferno, burning up everything like crazy. Today my appetite has been insatiable...probably due to doing 35min hard intervals in the morning after weights (normally I reserve interval training for my second daily cardio session, which is generally at night after work)...and then I went for a half hour hilly power walk late morning before starting work. So all afternoon I was ravished. I would literally eat and then be hungry, oh, half an hour later. I threw in a third cardio session tonight after work just for good measure...another 30min hard intervals...and then sat in the Detox Box for 10mins before coming home to eat for the 12th time today (ok *slight* exaggeration but I did eat a little more than usual today, nothing bad, just more than I normally would).
Been training like a machine since getting back into it, I really do have a bit of work to do but I am pretty positive it is all coming together finally. I am teaching Spin tomorrow morning bright and early and then training legs...and then going for a massage!! I have found a student clinic at a uni near my house where they charge...get this...$25 for an hour and a half worth of remedial massage (I loooooooooooove deep tissue massage...the harder the better I say), I cannot wait. My body is sooo sore after having so much time off training! Will be bliss and am thinking it may even become a weekly thing. I used to get them done weekly but stopped a little while ago when I moved out of my old area and didn't know where I could go around here.
Anyway not much else to report on at the moment. Food has been good, training has been AWESOME and water intake has been right up there. I have cut my coffee down a fair amount too (I used to drink about 8 cups a day - no joke) so big tick there too :)
OK nuff for me tonight, this little black duck needs to get herself some sleep, early start tomorrow!
Night all.
Vic x

SHE BE BACK!!

Yep that's right....back in the game.
The last few days have seen a significant improvement in my health so on Friday I decided that I would do an upper body workout and a lower body one on Saturday, plus a bit of cardio, just to get the ol' bod warmed up to hit it again properly from Monday. I figured if I did lighter weights, higher reps it would be a good prep after having nearly 2 full weeks out of the gym.
So off I toddled on Friday night. My 'light' warmup workout turned into a full on upper body smashing session, followed by 40mins on the stepper. The DOMS pretty much set in during the workout!! Yesterday I took myself to work early and trained legs before opening (I did keep this minimal though, all I did was leg press, leg extensions, hammy curls and calf raises, with really light weights and really high reps) and half an hour on the stepper. After work I stayed back with the intent of doing another 30-40 min cardio but ended up doing 20min incline power walk, 20min treaddy intervals (30sec hard run / 1 min jog), then 10min 30:30 intervals on the x-trainer. OMG I was drenched by the time I left, but God I felt awesome. My legs are a *little* sore today!! Today will be cardio only (steady state today I think, don't think my legs can take intervals again today) then back to my normal training split from tomorrow.
I have to say though, the time off training has done me the world of good. My body has thanked me by actually leaning out a bit while I have been perched on the couch watching movies. Although I had pretty much assumed I would just turn to jelly by not training for so long and therefore was convinced I would be pulling out of INBA NSW (6 weeks today) I am actually thinking I may still be in. I am catching up with a girlfriend today who has competed a couple of times before and is very honest with me and she said she will give me her honest opinion on how I am looking, which is what I need right now. But I can say that in the last 4 days I have had 7 people who see me pretty regularly tell me that I am looking thinner so that's a good sign :)
OK it's that time again - movie review. Can you believe I am STILL watching movies!! haha I am still pretty tired from being sick so haven't really felt like doing anything that requires too much energy (need it to train lol). Friday night movie was 27 Dresses...LOVED IT!!! Reminds me of me...I have been bridesmaid 6 times in the last few years, and if you count all my stints in bridal parties as jnr bridesmaid and flower girl I have clocked up 12 (YES, TWELVE) weddings!! I have vowed that from now on, I will be charging for my services - 'Professional Bridesmaid' - God knows, I know how to organise a hen's night/weekend, have strippers numbers in my phone (no joke - I have become friends with these guys) and know how to throw a shower tea party (and all the associated games lol). Might have some business cards made lol...
Anyway off the track there...another movie review. I went to see My Sister's Keeper with mum this weekend. OMG it was so sad (but beautiful) - I definitely recommend. I also recommend you read the book, I read it a few years back and it has since been one of my all-time faves...Jodi Picoult writes so well. But big thumbs up for this movie.
OK time for me to jet. Picking the newlyweds up from the airport today after their honeymoon in Fiji (ooohhh how jealous am I!! I want a holiday!!) and then off to World Gym for posing class, can't wait to see how the girls are looking :)
SO til next time, train hard and be good...
Vic x

RED BELLY BLACK WHAT!?!?!

Woke up this morning feeling slightly better than yesterday. Had some brekkie, cooked my meals up for the day (riveting stuff) and had a bit of a catnap on the couch (wow, this is becoming quite a feature). Then got up and figured I would take myself for a bit of a walk. I was feeling pretty good in the fresh air so turned it into a one minute fast jog (wouldn't call it running but was the best I could manage for the moment), two minute walk recovery. Towards the end of the walk/jog track I got to the park where I normally do my stair runs. Now having not trained for what, nine or ten days I was keeping in mind that I am not quite ready to throw myself full pelt straight back into 45min stair running sessions, but thought I would do just a few laps up and down to get the old heart rate up a little (and set my quads on fire, but hey that's another story). I left my red sugar-free cordial bottle at the bottom on a hedge and did a few laps up and down. Went up again and as I am jogging back down, I look down to see this:

Aah yes - you are seeing correct. A red belly black fucker sliding across my staircase, from one side of a step to the other, and into the scrub on the other side. Now not sure if I mentioned it before but my stairs (yes, they are MINE) are in kind of bushland. Not thick bushland where you would expect to see a fricken killer snake, it is like suburban bushland, ie an estate that is about 15 years old and not fully developed yet. I grew up in this area and not once in my time here have I ever even heard of a snake in the area!?! WTF!!

Anyway having NO idea where the snake went (didn't make a peep so couldn't locate it via sound) I didn't know if it was safe to come back down the stairs. And had no idea what happened if you continued along the path at the top of the stairs - I had always assumed it lead straight to a street as you sometimes (very rarely) get people coming down or up the stairs...and they have to lead somewhere, right? Well I wasn't going to risk going back down as I didn't have my mobile on me and imagine getting bitten with no way of calling someone...I did contemplate it though as I REALLY wanted my cordial...but decided to walk to the top and find my way home. Top of stairs reached...path reached and followed a short distance...no street in sight and more bushland ahead - which just freaked me out cos then I kept thinking about the fact there was likely to be more snakes in there...I had to keep telling myself that people walk through there EVERY day quite safely, and that of all the many million times I have done stair runs there (hell I have even taken clients there for stair runs!) this was the first time I had seen a snake. Anyway needless to say I will be finding a new set of stairs *pronto*.

Anyway to cut a long story short I found my way home. I already have severe cramps in my quads (OUCH!!) and great idea to do running when you aren't better yet, Einstein - my sinus cavities now feel like exploding!! Oh well.

On that note I better get myself showered and off to work. So til next time, train hard, avoid deadly snakes, and be good.

Vic x

NOT another movie review...!

Sorry to disappoint you all folks, but it's not another movie review. I never ended up watching Quarantine, and returned it to the store today. Which was just stupid and a big fat waste of one of my 4 for $10 new release movie choices as it was a 3-nighter, and I only hired it Monday. So today, being Wednesday, meant I returned it a day prematurely. That's how far removed I have felt from society and everyday living, people, that I don't even know what fricken day it is!! I even frantically rushed around today to get it back on time to avoid the overdue fee!! Ludicrous. So if anyone out there has watched Quarantine (new enough to be included in the New Release rental specials but not so new that it warrants single night rental only), please feel free to leave a movie review via my comments section. One sentence (hell, even one word) is fine.

OK so onto other news. Let's see. My loungeroom looks the same. My TV is going fuzzy from overuse. I got up early this morning and went for a walk before breakfast and my drugs from last night must have still been in effect as I felt fine, aside from the DOMS like feeling in my gluteal region. I don't think I have mentioned that - this illness has left me with muscular aches scarily resemblant (is that a real word?) to DOMS, especially in my ass. Not sure what that's about - if I am going to be suffering DOMS then I would like to actually be doing the training and getting the associated benefits? WTF?? Anyway back to the walk - it was only half an hour, but hey I'm not complaining - that's 30 mins more exercise than I have done in over a week. So I get home and chow down on my brekkie (mmm egg-whitey-oats with chocolate essence and raspberries), feeling pretty damn good. So good that I have a coffee and then throw on the old training gear, and head off to the gym for my first session in what feels like a bloody eternity. Now for those who don't know, my gym (also my place of work) is located approximately 3mins drive (or 10min walk, only cos it's uphill) from home. Now I am not sure what the fuck happened in the 3 mins between my house and the gym but by the time I got there I felt like that Mack Truck from last week had come and knocked me over again. I walked in and our lovely morning receptionist takes one look at my puffy face (complete with swollen, watery, red eyes) and says "You don't think you're training, do you? Look at you!! Go and sit in the detox box!" And I knew she was right - there was no way I could have trained. I grumpily took myself up the stairs, iPod and current edition of Hardcore Aussie Muscle in tow, and fell asleep in the detox box (for those who aren't familiar with said box, it's like a sauna but run on infra red, GREAT for releasing toxins from the body and brilliant post-training to help get rid of lactic acid) for half an hour. Went home after that and had a massive nap.

Despite my boss calling me to make sure I was ok to go to work (in her words, 'Mary saw you this morning and said you looked like crap, are you SURE you want to come in?') I toddled off to work this arvo/evening and while I felt like trash being there (and I'm pretty sure it's the longest I have actually been awake in one hit in the last 2 weeks) it was so nice to get out of my house and be around people!! I have been feeling rather hermit-like of late and felt I was starting to grow roots (get your minds out of the gutter!) on my couch.

Anyway it's been a rather long day for me, (God do I sound like a bloody nanna or what) so I am going to go and hit the sack. I have decided that I will take the rest of the week off training as clearly my body is fighting me hard at the moment. My aim is to get a daily walk in though, so that come Monday when I hit the training properly again, my body doesn't go into complete shock. Bad enough that I have butt DOMS without having done anything - imagine when I start again!! lol

So off to bed for me. As always, train hard and be good!

Vic x

Starting to feel human again :)

OK - the moment I know you have been waiting for?!?!
Today's movie reviews:
Marley and Me - I rate it...it's a cool, cool movie, 'specially if you are a dog lover...but even if you're not. Confession is that I have already seen it, while I was down in Melbourne at Easter time I watched it, but have been dying to watch it again. Since I have still been on couch duties and mum is on holidays at the moment we had a movie night last night and watched it. Mum hadn't seen it before but loved it :)
Seven Pounds - I watched this one today, and OMG - tear jerker, even for a toughie like me lol. It was such a good movie, and Will Smith - gosh does one ever get sick of looking at that man?? hehe
So I know I am such a good movie critic but I have a sneaking suspicion that you won't be reading too many more in the near future from me, I have some serious training to catch up on. I still have one movie to go (probably watch it tonight), Quarantine. But I (fingers crossed) will be going back to work tomorrow so between that and (fingers still crossed) my twice daily training sessions resuming there won't be much movie time anymore.
I am starting to feel a little more human this evening so that is great, although I am so fatigued it's not funny, this bout of germs has really knocked me. I am not sure how I am going to go back at work and not being able to nap every couple of hours because that's what I have been doing the last week - my routine has pretty much been eat, tv, nap, eat, internet, 1/2 movie, nap, other 1/2 movie, eat, nap....repeat. All day, every day!! I haven't slept so much in I don't even know how long. I am so looking forward to getting back into training and normal daily pattern again it's not funny - hopefully will help with the energy thing.
OK well that's it from me for today. So til next time, train hard and be good :)
Vic x

Bad Mum!!

BAD MUM!! Me, that is. Not that I have human children, I have 2 gorgeous lil puppy dogs. Who can't talk, but if they did, they'd be telling you what a bad mum I have been for the last couple of weeks.

So I have 2 little furball babies, both pomeranians. Felix is 5 years old and is a toy pom, so is very small (as in 2kg, wringing wet). He is very timid, painfully shy at times. But he is gorgeous, the sweetest little doggy in the world. In 2005 I was working in Canberra and Felix (who was an only child at the time) used to make the Sydney-Canberra drive with me every Sunday night. I remember once I got so sick with bronchitis while I was down there, that I made myself a bed on the loungeroom floor - doona underneath me and a doona on top - right in front of the big-ass built in heater, and in prime TV watching position. Felix had a little doggy matress in the loungeroom that he used to love snuggling on when we were watching TV. The matress had a little blanket on it. Felix also had this little teddy that I bought him when he was a puppy, and he used to carry it around in his mouth, like everywhere. He would bring it to bed at night (he used to sleep on my bed with me). Anyway there I was, pretty sick, coughing my guts up (pretty much like this week, really) lying on my new-made loungeroom floor bed. Felix did the cutest little thing the day I made that bed - he wandered over to his little matress, picked up his blanket in his mouth, dragged it over and put it on the pillow next to my head. Then he went back to his matress, picked up his little teddy bear in his mouth and dragged it over to his blanket. And he perched himself right next to me, and stayed there the rest of the week, like he was looking after me. That's the kind of cuteness I am talking!

Trixie on the other hand, well - if Felix was the chalk, she'd be the cheese. She is 4 years and 2 weeks old, and is very very cheeky. I think I have mentioned previously, she has epilepsy and ADHD. Interesting combo, especially seeing as her eplileptic meds make her ADHD worse - she is a bundle of energy, and then some. Very cheeky but also very, very cute. Example of cheekiness - she has taught herself to take Felix's collar off. Not by pulling it over his head. Not by ripping it off from his neck. She has actually taken the time to learn how to unbuckle his collar and take it off neatly. How do dogs even do that? I have trouble doing it when I am giving him a bath!! And it wouldn't normally be a problem, seeing as normally they are at home. But she managed to do it once on the same day that Felix discovered he was small enough to fit in a miniscule gap under the fence and take himself for a walk, and get lost, when I wasn't at home. So of course when I returned, I had no idea how long he'd been gone for - and it was also a public holiday so I couldn't even call the local vets or shelters!!

Anyway back to the story. 2 weeks ago today I had an epiphany. It was a Monday. Trixie's 4th birthday was on the Saturday that had just passed. And I forgot it. I know many of you will find this insignificant but to me, it is a big deal!! These are my children (and at this rate the only form of children I'm likely to have!!) and I have NEVER forgotten either of their birthdays!! Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people that throw my dogs a birthday party (could be fun though?) or lashes out and buys diamonte-studded collars, or includes them in my will, leaving them all my imaginary fortunes. But I like to buy them a new toy or new coat or something to signify that it's their birthday. Anyway I forgot. And I think she knew I forgot. She is a very clever dog after all. She had her first seizure in ages on the Sunday and it makes me wonder...was she punishing me??

Anyway so this week the bad mother thing has continued. As you guys will know I have been sick for the past week (still there, we have a chest infection now...FUCK OFF ALREADY, GERMS!!) Well last night Miss Trixie started with the sneezing. At first it's very cute. Seventeen sneezes in a row later...not so cute. I am starting to feel bad. And now Felix has started!!! I am very tempted to crush up my antibiotics and mix them into their food!! (OK maybe not). So now my house is full of bloody flugies. Mine and canine.

Anyway back to the point. Hmm actually I am not sure there is a point. Just that I feel bad about my babies being sick now too - my house is in bloody quarantine and we are all sharing doona space and giving the dvd player a better run than it's had in AGES. Speaking of which, don't rent 'Confessions of a Shopaholic'. It sucks.

Ok got some more movies to watch. Adios amigos.

Til next time, continue training hard for me (7th day people, I am gonna turn into marshmallow) and be good.

Vic x

Another day, another box of tissues

I wish I was posting to tell you all how much better I am feeling but sadly, me and my box of Kleenex are still having intimate relations. While Friday and yesterday were spent with the feeling that a Mack Truck had run over my face (fricken sinus problems...did I mention that I have polyps in my sinus cavity blocking the entrance to my nose on one side, and therefore any infection is hard to dislodge. I have had surgery twice to remove them but unfortunately the lil fuckers just keep growing back). Well last night after my 4th or so nap in the evening I woke up and the stupid infection had travelled to my chest. So while my head isn't as stuffy as it was, it now feels like a lung is going to come hurling out my mouth every time I cough. Charming visualisation there, I know.

Anyway I am really hoping that this shit clears up overnight so I can get back to training. My body is feeling great for the rest but mentally I am going fricken insane. I can't do this no training shit for much longer!!! I am actually scheduled to cover a Spin class tomorrow night during my shift at work as the normal instructor is OS at the moment so being able to breathe through a 45min high intensity cardio session would be very helpful, like NOW!!

OK rant over.

I have spent lots of time doing not much of anything but had a couple of outings today which was nice. Not that they were massive but sooo good to get out of the house. The first was to the grocery store. Not much of an outing I know. I needed eggs and some other assorted bodybuilding staples (OK chicken, broccoli and rice to be exact) and while I am in the fruit n veg section I bumped into none other than my mother. So we finished our shopping and then went to a little cafe at the shopping centre for a coffee. As I said nothing special but nice to have coffee outside of my loungeroom!

Next outing was to World Gym to do the posing workshop. The girls showed up and the changes are really starting to show on them now. They are leaning out at a quicker rate, and their posing is getting much much better, and more natural. Caught up with Mark (the manager) while I was there, he competed in the CCI last weekend and took out the Mens' Novice category, he looked sensational. Well we got talking about what other comps he is doing this year and he is going in NABBA and the IFBB (same one as me) - turns out that NABBA Nationals are in Sydney this year for the first time in forever. NABBA/WFF haven't run shows in Sydney in a few years now...it is 2 weeks before IFBB...and I am contemplating doing it. I think I would definitely have to go for WFF though as I am so not big enough for NABBA...but will have to look more into it as I am not sure what the height/weight ratio is for WFF Figure and I may struggle to make the weight I think. Anyway something to research.

Not much else to report on. No more movie reviews for you, I have been watching SATC since yesterday afternoon, starting at Season One all over again. I watch the entire 6 series once a year so this may as well be it.

OK gonna jet off as have ranted enough. Need to go speak to the Universe about this waking up recovered thing :)

So til next time, train hard and be good.

Vic x

Headspace 360

I am posting today from work. I woke up this morning feeling pretty good, so made and ate my brekkie, got ready and came into work. Mistake. By the time I got here the sinus pain that I had last night (it was pretty bad last night) came back to bite me on the ass. I am halfway through my shift and am trying to survive as long as I can...which probably won't be much longer...this aircon is not doing me any favours.

So I am still off the training which I am itching to get back into but at the same time I think my body is loving the rest. But I have also had plenty of time to think over my options and goals. And I have decided the following. I will not be doing the INBA comps. There is no way that I can be ready in time in a healthy manner. It's not a dieting competition so there will be no starvation to get lean enough. And I won't get up on stage unless I am ready to get up on stage. SO...I will be doing IFBB only, which is 11 weeks away today.

I thought that I would be feeling disappointed if I had pulled out of the comps, especially since I had been looking forward to competing in the Olympia this year. But I don't - actually I am feeling really positive about doing the IFBB (NSW/Australian Titles). I like doing IFBB comps so why not? And I have 11 weeks now so am well ahead of where I need to be.

Speaking to Miss Ferny last night and I am going to be accountable to her for the next 11 weeks so that I don't feel so alone. Besides, doing my own training/diet etc, I have slacked off on actually having a SET diet plan and also taking my measurements. So we made a deal. I will now be emailing all my plans etc, and measurements, through on a weekly basis to her. And if I fall out of line, I expect her to haul my ass back in. So I guess on the 100 Day Challenge, she is now one of my recruits :)

Despite being sick my water intake has been well up - I know I need to be keeping the fluids up especially now. Food has been good, yesterday I did a bit of intuitive eating and included some bread and bananas in my meals (which I don't normally do) as I felt being unwell that it is not a bad idea to give my body nutritious food it is craving. I even managed to keep my calories and carbs within my set range, despite having bread and extra oats in my day. So thumbs up for that :)

Rest - well I can't be faulted on that for this last few days. If I have any more rest you will need to get a chisel to remove my butt from the couch!! Lol. Seriously I have definitely caught up on the rest thing.

And for those waiting on movie reviews (cos I am such an expert), well Benjamin Button never happened, but the nice man at the video store let me swap it for another movie. So I got one called The Last Word, with Ray Romano and Wynona Ryder in it. It was very bizarre. About a guy who makes his living from writing suicide notes for people who are about to top themselves, who falls in love with a client's sister. Yep, weird!

After that I watched Twilight...FINALLY! Yep, it was pretty good. Not that good that I would watch it every single day, at least once (would you believe I have a friend that actually did that, for like, a month!!) or develop some weird ass cult obsession with Edward, but pretty good, enough that I *might* consider reading the book/s. Don't hold me to that though...that's just a 'maybe'...

Anyway kiddies I best be getting back to my Sudafed and Kleenex before my head explodes (no really, I think it may).

So til next time, train hard (and do some for me, please!!) and be good.

Vic x

Update from the couch

We are now in day 3 of no training and I gotta tell ya, I have very itchy feet! The good news is that my fever seems to have abaited...the bad news is that whoever came overnight to collect it obviously ran over my head with a Mack Truck. Oohhh my sinuses are hurting today and if there are any Kleenex or Sorbent people reading this, a sponsorship would not go astray at the moment. I think I am keeping the tissue companies in business!!

I have become seriously reaquainted with my loungeroom. My doggies are loving having mummy at home all day at the moment too. I got through 2 of the movies last night, He's Just Not That Into You - which I loved, and the Stiffler movie, which is called Role Models - which sucked. I just seemed to drag on and on and on and on and I ended up using the fast forward button on a few occasions. I have tried to put Benjamin Button on this morning but the universe is against me and it won't play for some reason (which I am secretly happy about as I don't think I'm in the mood for a serious type movie?) I think I might head down and pick up Marley and Me, which I have watched before but LOVED. It was all out yesterday when I was at the video store so hopefully it's in stock today.

I have this insane feeling that because I am not training I must be getting very fat and am sure I have put on a few kg's this week. As unrealistic as I KNOW that is I can't help feeling it. I am DYING to get back in the gym.

OK kids I think it's time I got out of the pj's and headed back to the video store for some more trash to watch!

Til next time train hard and be good. And have a GREAT weekend!!

Vic x

Me and my couch

OK so it seems my germs are not going away anytime soon. Woke up feeling like crappola again today so figured I should probably haul my ass to the doc's. I apparently have myself a respiratory infection, which isn't going anywhere in the next few days, according to my wise GP. So no training, no work, doctor's orders.

Last night I was fretting a bit about having missed some training and the prospect of missing some more. Today I have put a positive spin on it. Not that I am in the least bit impressed about being unwell, but I am taking it as an opportunity to get me some much needed rest. My taking into account that I needed to alot more time to rest during the 100 Day Challenge means that I subconsciously know I haven't been getting enough of it lately. My body has obviously come on board with this belief now, and is forcing me to take some time out. So for once, I am listening to it. I have taken myself to the local video store (why are they still called video stores anyway? do they even stock videos anymore? i haven't even noticed lol) and got myself the following movies:

* Benjamin Button (whatever the full title is, can't quite think of it and the case is a whole 3 feet away which is much too far for me to bother checking)
* He's just not that into you (which I might add, I expect to be trashy, I am in the mood for some trash)
* Twilight (I think I am the only person on earth who hasn't watched this one yet and I want to see what all the bloody hype is about...it better not have been a waste of a 4 for $10 movie selection)
* Some other movie with Stiffler from American Pie on it (see Benjamin Button excuse for not putting the name of said movie here)

So if you will excuse me, I have a date with my couch, dvd player and diet jelly to attend to.

Vic x

Missing training :(

Still sick today. Woke up to my buzzing alarm clock, which was set at 5.30am for the 6.15am spin class I normally instruct on a Wednesday morning...but knew instantly I would not be taking said class. Razor blades in the throat and coughing up lurgies confirmed that one. Back to sleep til 8.30am for me and then transferred my butt to the couch.

Mum called me after brekkie to see how I was feeling and suggested I go there for the day as she has Wednesdays off work. I eventually hauled my sorry butt over there in my pyjamas (why is it that the one day I leave my house in my flannies, every neighbour possible, at both ends of the journey, are out in their front yards. Had a few odd looks thrown my way as I walked from my house to the car and from my car to mum's house in my hot pink flannies with polka dots (do you all have a nice image), hair a mess and looking very disoriented.

Hung out on mum's couch all day watching lots of the Ellen show (on Fox, then on normal tele) and sleeping.

I obviously didn't train today and I hate that, I know when you are sick your body needs the rest (and there is NO way I can train like this, I have zero strength) but I can't afford not to if I am gonna compete in 6.5 weeks... and to be honest I don't know if I am gonna compete. I am seriously tossing up the options at the moment. The INBA NSW is on in 6.5 weeks and I am thinking that I might just see how I am looking and decide closer to the time if I am going to do it. After giving it a lot of consideration, even if I do the show and qualify for the Olympia, I won't be doing it. Realistically I can't do it financially - as the NSW is only one week before the Nationals (and for NSW competitors a pre-requisite of doing Olympia is competing at the Nationals), I would have one week to organise and fund the trip to Melbourne, entry fee, tanning products etc, and then another 2 weeks to fund the trip to the Gold Coast, pay accommodation, more tanning gear, and the massive $100 USD entry fee they are charging on top of all that. Realistically I am not in a position at the moment to do all that. SO my options are see how I look closer to the NSW comp date, and/or just do the IFBB NSW/Aussies 5 weeks later - which gives me 11.5 weeks prep time from now. Which right now is more realistic. OR not compete this season - which appears to be what my body is telling me to do. It is fighting me every step of the way at the moment. Effectively I have been comp dieting for like 10 weeks already and haven't seen that much progress, and I have been sick a few times. SO big decisions to make at the moment.

Now would also probably be a good time to mention that the diet has been very 'how ya going' today...have eaten a bit off plan in terms of food weight/meal times, plus I also managed to down 2 rows of chocolate today :( BUT it's happened, it shouldn't have happened but it did (and could have gotten much worse, I was pretty tempted to hoe into the cafe style fruit loaf in my freezer tonight and/or the jar of nutella in the pantry) and the best thing I can do is acknowledge that I ate stuff I shouldn't have and move on. So that's what I am doing.

I am hoping I wake up feeling better tomorrow, really want to get back into training BUT I will restrain myself if I am not well enough. It is meant to be legs day so need the proper energy to do that one. Wait and see how I feel in the morning.

Anyway better get this body off to bed for some MORE rest.

Vic x

Back on the Chicken Soup

I *should* be writing my 100 day challenge update but to be honest with you (and me) I have been pretty slack in this department. I have not been doing anything to earn extra skinny bones, nor do I have any idea how many bones I actually have? Or what day I am even up to? Bad form, I know. My challenges are going *OK*. I say OK because I have been spot on with water consumption and with the training rest/new split program but sleep has been a bit of a write off. I had 4 hours Friday night, 7 hours Saturday night, can't even remember Sunday night, and under 5 hours last night. Not great, I know. But it's the truth.

I am feeling a little crappy today as woke up with a bit of a sore throat. It wasn't too bad at all this morning, just a little 'how ya going' so went and did my back workout. I only squeezed 20min on the stepper in after my weights session as I had to get home to meet a PT client for outdoor training, and figured I would just make up for it tonight by doing extra cardio. Didn't happen. I turned up to start work at 12pm and the aircon did me no favours. I left work at 4pm with the pain having spread to my ears, stingy/itchy eyes and body aches and pains. I have since been on the couch and have had a home delivery of mum's famous chicken soup, which I have eaten about a litre worth of. Feels like I now have razorblades in my throat and I am dreading the thought of teaching my 6.15am spin class tomorrow morning. But at the same time I hate missing cardio. I am less than 7 weeks out and am not in a position where I can afford to have time off training so it's really bugging me. I just hope I miraculously wake up feeling awesome in the morning...but to be honest it's not looking good...

In other news...hmmm there isn't much!! lol... On that note I think I might chuck a dvd on and crash out on the couch. What is it about falling asleep on the couch when you feel sick?? Or is that just me?

Weekend wrap up

So if I learned one thing over the weekend...it's that I soooooo need to stop leaving shit to the last minute. I am such a crammer. Always have been and unfortunately most likely always will be. Following last blog post, exhausted as I was, I decided I would wrap Meegan's wedding gift, because as it was I had to be at her place at 7am and still had a gazillion things to get done. So waking up even earlier than I already had to was not going to be fun in my books. LUCKY I had this thought. The gift (I should say gifts, there were 3 separate boxes) took more wrapping paper than required. Probably because gift number one was a massive, mutant sized clock on steroids. I swear this thing is sooo huge it literally took 4 entire sheets of wrapping paper. Which was a bit of a shit, seeing as I had only picked up four sheets of wrapping paper. And not only did I run out of wrapping paper - I also ran out of sticky tape before finishing with the intricate clock-wrapping procedure. As you do. So I couldn't finish the wrapping off even if I had more paper. Anyway by the time this took place and I got myself showered and food all prepped for the wedding day, I didn't toddle off to bed til 1.30am. And my wake up time had gone from 6.30am to 5.30am as I now needed to get my ass to Coles at opening time to get some more paper and finish the wrapping procedure before presenting for hair and make up duty.
As it turned out, mission failed. Coles had no more of the paper I had picked up only the night before (yes I had even left the purchase of said paper to the last minute, and the Newsagency had closed by the time I turned up to buy wrapping paper on Friday night). Clearly I was so tired during the purchase that I didn't notice I had taken the last few sheets. So now not only was I in a mega rush, but I was going to have oddly matching paper. Meh, whatever. It was only gonna get ripped off the present anyway (lol as it turns out, when I told Meegan the reason for the oddly matching paper she laughed and told me I should have just wrapped it in newspaper. Gotta love her!! hehe) Anyway I managed to wrap the pressies with no further kafuffles (spelling?) and despite it looking like the biggest rush job in the world (it was), Meegan literally tore the paper off in 12 nano seconds that morning!
The day went so smoothly, not one drama at all. Meegan made an absolutely stunning bride (and I am not being biased, that's the honest truth!) and was the happiest bride I have ever seen...to the point where in the church service, after the 'pronounce you man and wife, kiss the bride' bit, she started jumping up and down on the spot, like a kid who just got their shiny new bike for Christmas! It was gorgeous...I have never seen her so happy. And the look in Ben's eyes as he looked at her was just priceless.
I did pretty good with the food thing. During the getting ready bit (hair, makeup etc) the girls ate brekkie (toast etc) and Meegan had organised a platter of chocolate-dipped strawberries, which looked divine and sooo juicy...but I resisted temptation (just!!) I had taken along some protein apple and cinnamon muffins that I had made for brekkie and then for lunch I ate my tuna with steamed greens while the girls nibbled on Subway sandwiches that Meegan's mum went and picked up. I planned to have my cheat in the evening and I did. I had about a glass and a half of champers during the afternoon, ate the dinner (which they had given me without sauces) and had a piece of their wedding cake and a couple of little chocolates that came out with coffee. That was pretty much it, nothing too extravagant.
Sunday was spent training, then having lunch at Mum's with the Melbournites and my grandmother and an uncle. My sister-in-law flew back to Melbourne in the late afternoon as she had to go back to work today but my brother is staying til tomorrow night, so had a scheduled hang out with him. We were both too exhausted to go anywhere so we just ordered a movie on Foxtel and had dinner and watched that.
OK I have just realised how much I have written so I better jet before putting anyone to sleep lol. I will post some of the wedding pics later tonight or tomorrow some time.
Til next time...train hard and be good.
Vic x