This is the debate I am having with myself. Yes, 2 and a bit days out. I am contemplating pulling the pin. I do this every comp season - get to comp week and feel so not ready to get on stage but it's normally carb depletion talking, not being able to see myself realistically and feeling flat, bloated etc...but I really think this time that I am being more realistic than ever before. I really don't feel like I should be getting up on that stage this weekend, I really, honestly don't feel ready. I don't know if it's cos I feel so headf*cked from the Central Coast comp but I don't feel I am looking stageworthy (or stage-ready). I don't want to be that girl on stage that people are talking about that isn't in comp condition. I do also know, though, that whilst in a state of depletion I shouldn't make any rash decisions, and therefore I will hold out until I am carbed up, tanned up, and water depleted to make a final call.
It has clearly been a week of ups and downs (mostly downs unfortunately) and I think I am also very exhausted. Being on a diet of pretty much nothing but chicken and green veg, with up to 2 hours cardio + 45ish mins weights a day I feel like doing nothing but sleeping - and given the chance would do so quite easily at any given time!
Anyway I am sure I will start to feel better tomorrow when the carbs make a reappearance in the diet and the tan starts to bring out some definition in the currently pasty, white bod...
OK rant over. Just needed to get some of this off my chest...
As for my decision, stay tuned...Vic
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Can I interest you in some chicken and asparagus?
WARNING: PRE COMP RANT AHEAD!!
Some days it's just harder to push through than others. So far this week, every day has become increasingly harder to push through. I am struggling to get up of a morning and do my cardio, struggling to get to the gym after brekkie to train, struggling to use my dinner break to do some more cardio, and then to stay back and do even more after work. Mostly - I am struggling to keep my bloody eyes open most of the time!! One more week and ahhhh...relax...
I have been managing 3-4 cardio sessions plus one weights session a day (don't worry the cardio isn't like an hour long each time, in general it's between 30-40 mins and totals about 2 hours a day...I just find that to fit it into my day, and maintain sanity, I need to break it up into smaller spurts...plus I physically can't do more than that at a time with all the freaken stair runs I have been doing every day, my legs are not in their happiest state at the moment!!)
Anyway the finish line is now in sight, this is the bit (believe it or not) that I love but also the bit I find most challenging. Living on a diet consisting of eggwhites with cauliflower (thanks Steph for that idea!) for breakfast and then 5 meals of chicken and asparagus brings out a new form of discipline in me, and while water loading I try to remember how bad it feels to be dehydrated come comp day so I try to enjoy drinking so much water. I might throw in here though - last year when I did the asparagus thing for a week straight, a lot of my PT clients referred to 'asparagus wee' and made loads of jokes about it. I had no idea what they were on about - apparently only about 40% of people have the smell receptors to pick up on the scent that is asparagus wee. Well, people, let me tell you...I have discovered that it is possible to develop those smell receptors later in life. And boy have I developed them. FUCK ME. Nothing could have prepared me for that shit - it's in a class of it's own. It is rank. And drinking like 7L of water a day, one can imagine how many times a day I have the pleasure of smelling this shit.
On that note, I am off to drink some more water...
Til next time, train hard and be good, Vic x
Some days it's just harder to push through than others. So far this week, every day has become increasingly harder to push through. I am struggling to get up of a morning and do my cardio, struggling to get to the gym after brekkie to train, struggling to use my dinner break to do some more cardio, and then to stay back and do even more after work. Mostly - I am struggling to keep my bloody eyes open most of the time!! One more week and ahhhh...relax...
I have been managing 3-4 cardio sessions plus one weights session a day (don't worry the cardio isn't like an hour long each time, in general it's between 30-40 mins and totals about 2 hours a day...I just find that to fit it into my day, and maintain sanity, I need to break it up into smaller spurts...plus I physically can't do more than that at a time with all the freaken stair runs I have been doing every day, my legs are not in their happiest state at the moment!!)
Anyway the finish line is now in sight, this is the bit (believe it or not) that I love but also the bit I find most challenging. Living on a diet consisting of eggwhites with cauliflower (thanks Steph for that idea!) for breakfast and then 5 meals of chicken and asparagus brings out a new form of discipline in me, and while water loading I try to remember how bad it feels to be dehydrated come comp day so I try to enjoy drinking so much water. I might throw in here though - last year when I did the asparagus thing for a week straight, a lot of my PT clients referred to 'asparagus wee' and made loads of jokes about it. I had no idea what they were on about - apparently only about 40% of people have the smell receptors to pick up on the scent that is asparagus wee. Well, people, let me tell you...I have discovered that it is possible to develop those smell receptors later in life. And boy have I developed them. FUCK ME. Nothing could have prepared me for that shit - it's in a class of it's own. It is rank. And drinking like 7L of water a day, one can imagine how many times a day I have the pleasure of smelling this shit.
On that note, I am off to drink some more water...
Til next time, train hard and be good, Vic x
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Decisions, decisions
Gosh, I have to start by saying thank you to all for your positive feedback / responses to my last post. It's sometimes hard to pick yourself up and keep going but having support like that which I get here makes a massive difference.
I am currently cardio-ing like a bloody madwoman and my legs are getting a caning. I have hit the stairs/sprints Mon/Tues morning, Spin this morning, trained legs Monday and today, and managed to squeeze so far an additional 6 cardio sessions in on top of the stairs/sprints/Spin class. And it's only 10am Wednesday!! I have never used Deep Heat so much in my life, my poor Spin class got a great wake up with it this morning!
So I have been tossing up a few options in the last few days. My first and foremost thought was to throw in the towel for the year and focus on next season, but the fighter in me tells me I can do this. My next debate with myself has been in regards to which comp to do next weekend. I was originally going to do IFBB then switched to ANB (same weekend) due to costs etc, and only having to pay one federation registration. HOWEVER I think that looking back on the comps I have been to and participated in, ANB tends to lean towards the overly lean girls, who are shredded to bits and don't have a lot of meat on their bones. I do not fall into that category. Experience also tells me that the IFBB comps (in particular those run here in Sydney) tend to go for the more solid girls, who are not overly hard (they mark you down if you are toooooo lean as in IFBB terms, figure girls should not be as hard as physique girls) and of late are placing more emphasis on fullness and symmetry. Which is kind of more what I have. So after double checking rego/entry fees for IFBB, it is cheaper than I had in my head (for some reason I thought it was $99 rego and $50 comp entry....it is $50 rego and $25 entry...BOO YAH!!) SO...I am now leaning towards IFBB. I hate being soooo undecided...is it just me or do any of you competitors out there find that your decision making ability turns to jelly when dieting??? lol
Anyway better jet, just thought I would get a quick post in to get my thoughts out of my head and into writing, and to thank you gals for your support :)
Til next time, train hard and be good...Vic x
I am currently cardio-ing like a bloody madwoman and my legs are getting a caning. I have hit the stairs/sprints Mon/Tues morning, Spin this morning, trained legs Monday and today, and managed to squeeze so far an additional 6 cardio sessions in on top of the stairs/sprints/Spin class. And it's only 10am Wednesday!! I have never used Deep Heat so much in my life, my poor Spin class got a great wake up with it this morning!
So I have been tossing up a few options in the last few days. My first and foremost thought was to throw in the towel for the year and focus on next season, but the fighter in me tells me I can do this. My next debate with myself has been in regards to which comp to do next weekend. I was originally going to do IFBB then switched to ANB (same weekend) due to costs etc, and only having to pay one federation registration. HOWEVER I think that looking back on the comps I have been to and participated in, ANB tends to lean towards the overly lean girls, who are shredded to bits and don't have a lot of meat on their bones. I do not fall into that category. Experience also tells me that the IFBB comps (in particular those run here in Sydney) tend to go for the more solid girls, who are not overly hard (they mark you down if you are toooooo lean as in IFBB terms, figure girls should not be as hard as physique girls) and of late are placing more emphasis on fullness and symmetry. Which is kind of more what I have. So after double checking rego/entry fees for IFBB, it is cheaper than I had in my head (for some reason I thought it was $99 rego and $50 comp entry....it is $50 rego and $25 entry...BOO YAH!!) SO...I am now leaning towards IFBB. I hate being soooo undecided...is it just me or do any of you competitors out there find that your decision making ability turns to jelly when dieting??? lol
Anyway better jet, just thought I would get a quick post in to get my thoughts out of my head and into writing, and to thank you gals for your support :)
Til next time, train hard and be good...Vic x
Monday, October 12, 2009
1st one down
SO....first comp is officially done and dusted now. I am not overly happy with how it went, I missed the mark on my conditioning. I am trying to work out how it went wrong as I was very happy with how I was looking on Saturday night. Unfortunately I woke up (if you can call it that) Sunday morning looking flat and watery. NOT what I wanted. It didn't get any better either - if anything probably got worse. I had a very bad "sleep" on Saturday night, and in fact I use the word "sleep" very loosely as I probably got a total of one hour in if you add all the broken bits up together. I have since heard this can make you hold fluid? Anyway no matter what it was, I wasn't in form on Sunday and I knew while up on stage for prejudging that I was not in the running for a place. My initial reaction when I got off stage was to be a bit upset - but at the end of the day I knew I wasn't at my best, and if I can't learn from the not-so-good times then I am in the wrong sport. So onwards and upwards, I need to focus hard on the next comp, in 2 weeks. I need to hit the cardio hard and harden up more. So I got up this morning and hit the stairs for a 45min killer session. Home for brekkie (and to post this of course) and back to the gym to throw a few weights around and follow it up with some more cardio. Then I plan on doing a HIIT session after work tonight. This is it baby - FOCUS TIME!!
I have posted some piccies from around the traps, and my cool "i have a new massive back" shot hehe....
Shot 2 - me and the other Vicki (one of the most fun women I have ever met!!):
And finally my new back...hehe...
I have posted some piccies from around the traps, and my cool "i have a new massive back" shot hehe....
First pic...me and my fabulous friends Cathy and Timmy:
Shot 2 - me and the other Vicki (one of the most fun women I have ever met!!):
Probably the only stage photo I don't feel like a heiffer in hehe:
And finally my new back...hehe...
Til next time, train hard and be good!
Vic x
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Slack ass
Man have I been a bit of a slack ass lately in blog land. Seems like I never have a chance to sit down for more than 5 mins at a time and do it, between comp prep (training like a trooper), dieting, cooking, working and traipsing around the place watching shows (call it research / inspiration / obsession / whatever!!)
So I headed down to Melbourne for the long weekend. I literally finished work 9pm Thursday night and my good mate Cathy 'Buddha' M'Gee met me at work at closing time. We went to my place, I threw together a suitcase (literally - I packed an entire suitcase and wore about 3 things from it the whole time I was away), got about hmm, 3? hours of shut eye, then got picked up by my mum at 2.30am for the roadtrip to Melbourne. What a trip it was. With me water loading and both me and Cath comp dieting - let's just say we stopped pretty much every hour on the hour for a food and wee break!! Must have been a sight at 6am at Maccas with the two of us pulling out our Tupperware container, oats, measuring cup, protein powder, Glutamine and asking for a cup of boiling water to cook the above with hehe...
We made it safe and sound and dropped Cath off to where she was staying, before heading off to my brother's place. Was nice to get out of the car and stretch (and use a non-rest area bathroom!!) Didn't do much on Friday night apart from DVD's with mum, my brother and sister-in-law, and dinner of course. I was doing another trial run for comp week so got to have a nice big glass of red with dinner - OMG I felt DRUNK halfway through!! Was a great drop too, which made it even better.
Saturday morning got up nice and early and headed out for brekkie with mum and Joe (Rachel had to work, poor thing - some fire training crap she had to go in for)... I had decided to give fat loading a trial so got to have a BIG BREKKIE...mmm bacon, eggs, sausage, grilled tomato, all mopped up with a hash brown...can't tell you how good it was!! Back to Joe's and did about 40mins of upper body resistance to see what kind of pump I got from the fats...didn't work as well as the carbs do for me. Oh well, it was a tasty way to find out!!
Got picked up by Cath and another friend Mick to go to the comp and due to me having worked at the NSW comp, INBA were nice enough to give me VIP reserved seating at the show. WOOT!!! It was an amazing show, such a high standard across the board (it is a nationals though!) and was sooo awesome to meet some of the ladies from blogland/Lindy's Forum (eg Lia and Rae), plus some of those infamous Facebook personalities. I helped Cath with her tanning and pumping up (threw in a little karaoke backstage, thought they needed some entertainment) but aside from that got to watch the entire thing from start to finish. And it has PUMPED me baby!!
Anyway the show went pretty late and afterwards me, Cath, Mick, my friend Luke and two of his mates headed out for a bite to eat - the boys had been talking about a place on Lygon St that does 1kg steaks (exactly what you want to eat after 3months of dieting!!) so we headed there. The boys got their steaks, Cath got a well-deserved parma, and I ate my grilled chicken and salad!! hehe can tell who didn't compete on the day! Afterwards we found a little gelato shop (or maybe not so little? had about 100 flavours!) and Cath got her dessert. I didn't make it back to Joe's til after 2am...and that's only cos I didn't realise it was daylight savings!!
Anyway I won't bore you with the rest of the Melbourne details (not boring for me but I am sure you have read enough already). I am back now and in full swing of Peak Week...I can't believe it is 3 days til I am on stage. I have water loaded and am now dropping it...down to 1.5L today from 6L yesterday. I am sooo thirsty and could eat a horse...my eating intervals just don't seem to come around quick enough!! Oh well not long...carb loading starts tomorrow and I CAN'T BLOODY WAIT!!
Anyway better jet...am at work ;) so better actually do some of that!
Til next time, train hard and be good xx
So I headed down to Melbourne for the long weekend. I literally finished work 9pm Thursday night and my good mate Cathy 'Buddha' M'Gee met me at work at closing time. We went to my place, I threw together a suitcase (literally - I packed an entire suitcase and wore about 3 things from it the whole time I was away), got about hmm, 3? hours of shut eye, then got picked up by my mum at 2.30am for the roadtrip to Melbourne. What a trip it was. With me water loading and both me and Cath comp dieting - let's just say we stopped pretty much every hour on the hour for a food and wee break!! Must have been a sight at 6am at Maccas with the two of us pulling out our Tupperware container, oats, measuring cup, protein powder, Glutamine and asking for a cup of boiling water to cook the above with hehe...
We made it safe and sound and dropped Cath off to where she was staying, before heading off to my brother's place. Was nice to get out of the car and stretch (and use a non-rest area bathroom!!) Didn't do much on Friday night apart from DVD's with mum, my brother and sister-in-law, and dinner of course. I was doing another trial run for comp week so got to have a nice big glass of red with dinner - OMG I felt DRUNK halfway through!! Was a great drop too, which made it even better.
Saturday morning got up nice and early and headed out for brekkie with mum and Joe (Rachel had to work, poor thing - some fire training crap she had to go in for)... I had decided to give fat loading a trial so got to have a BIG BREKKIE...mmm bacon, eggs, sausage, grilled tomato, all mopped up with a hash brown...can't tell you how good it was!! Back to Joe's and did about 40mins of upper body resistance to see what kind of pump I got from the fats...didn't work as well as the carbs do for me. Oh well, it was a tasty way to find out!!
Got picked up by Cath and another friend Mick to go to the comp and due to me having worked at the NSW comp, INBA were nice enough to give me VIP reserved seating at the show. WOOT!!! It was an amazing show, such a high standard across the board (it is a nationals though!) and was sooo awesome to meet some of the ladies from blogland/Lindy's Forum (eg Lia and Rae), plus some of those infamous Facebook personalities. I helped Cath with her tanning and pumping up (threw in a little karaoke backstage, thought they needed some entertainment) but aside from that got to watch the entire thing from start to finish. And it has PUMPED me baby!!
Anyway the show went pretty late and afterwards me, Cath, Mick, my friend Luke and two of his mates headed out for a bite to eat - the boys had been talking about a place on Lygon St that does 1kg steaks (exactly what you want to eat after 3months of dieting!!) so we headed there. The boys got their steaks, Cath got a well-deserved parma, and I ate my grilled chicken and salad!! hehe can tell who didn't compete on the day! Afterwards we found a little gelato shop (or maybe not so little? had about 100 flavours!) and Cath got her dessert. I didn't make it back to Joe's til after 2am...and that's only cos I didn't realise it was daylight savings!!
Anyway I won't bore you with the rest of the Melbourne details (not boring for me but I am sure you have read enough already). I am back now and in full swing of Peak Week...I can't believe it is 3 days til I am on stage. I have water loaded and am now dropping it...down to 1.5L today from 6L yesterday. I am sooo thirsty and could eat a horse...my eating intervals just don't seem to come around quick enough!! Oh well not long...carb loading starts tomorrow and I CAN'T BLOODY WAIT!!
Anyway better jet...am at work ;) so better actually do some of that!
Til next time, train hard and be good xx
Thursday, October 1, 2009
INBA NSW / Aussies
So - post comp report from the INBA NSW Titles.
It was a bloody huge day, and loads of running around involved. I turned up at 10am to help set up and drew a short straw somewhere, as I got the share-job of taping plastic to all the walls and floors backstage - SUCKY job!! hehe Aah well someone had to do it, may as well have been me. The show was due to start at 1pm and competitors started arriving at about 12ish, along with some spectators. Which would have been fine, HAD THE RSL STAFF SET UP THE REQUESTED AMOUNT OF TABLES!! Noone had noticed prior to then, though, given how busy everyone was, and because they had also neglected to put the table number signs on the tables - so we didn't realise there weren't enough tables til it was too late. Man, what a shamozzle. I tried to remain calm, despite being yelled at by unhappy spectators about their lack of table...just kept taking a few deep breaths and trying to set some more up as quickly as possible. Got there eventually but given it was a sold out show (plus people who didnt get seats and had to stand) it was a bit frustrating. Then there were a few competitors who either turned up late, or didn't realise they actually had to come get their name ticked off at the registration desk to say they had arrived (and hand their routine music in)...
There were soooo many competitors - about 90...I think by comparison the same show last year pulled about 30 competitors...hmmm could it be the looming Olympia?? lol... It was great though - in the Sydney titles in May, there was one female physique competitor - this time round there was NINE!! which was awesome to see!! The standard of competitors across all of the divisions was awesome - lots of hard work had obviously been put in by all in the lead up. Unfortunately due to the new one-show format (it's always been 2 shows in the past in NSW/Sydney comps) and the high number of competitors, the times for the running order of the show had been underestimated and it ran WAY behind schedule. But it's all a learning curve, and all in all it was a great show. Congratulations to EVERYONE who got up on that stage, everyone in the show, no exceptions, was in prime condition.
Unfortunately given that my job was to make sure the competitors got on stage and also cue the music people for all routines/posedown music etc I was stuck backstage the entire day and only got to see the show from the side of the stage (was a great view point though but didn't make for good pics) so I only managed to get a few backstage shots, not actual competition shots. And also unfortunately for some reason I can't locate my bloody USB cable to upload them!! BUT - I am off to Melbourne this weekend (WOO HOO) where I plan to take more shots, and my brother who lives there has the same camera as me so will use his cable and make sure I get some piccies of both the NSW and Aussie titles on here!!
SO I better jet, got lots of cleaning to do as my cousin is house and puppy sitting for me...
Til next time, train hard and be good,
Vic x
PS - 9 days til my stage day!! WOOO HOOOO BRING IT ON BABY!!
It was a bloody huge day, and loads of running around involved. I turned up at 10am to help set up and drew a short straw somewhere, as I got the share-job of taping plastic to all the walls and floors backstage - SUCKY job!! hehe Aah well someone had to do it, may as well have been me. The show was due to start at 1pm and competitors started arriving at about 12ish, along with some spectators. Which would have been fine, HAD THE RSL STAFF SET UP THE REQUESTED AMOUNT OF TABLES!! Noone had noticed prior to then, though, given how busy everyone was, and because they had also neglected to put the table number signs on the tables - so we didn't realise there weren't enough tables til it was too late. Man, what a shamozzle. I tried to remain calm, despite being yelled at by unhappy spectators about their lack of table...just kept taking a few deep breaths and trying to set some more up as quickly as possible. Got there eventually but given it was a sold out show (plus people who didnt get seats and had to stand) it was a bit frustrating. Then there were a few competitors who either turned up late, or didn't realise they actually had to come get their name ticked off at the registration desk to say they had arrived (and hand their routine music in)...
There were soooo many competitors - about 90...I think by comparison the same show last year pulled about 30 competitors...hmmm could it be the looming Olympia?? lol... It was great though - in the Sydney titles in May, there was one female physique competitor - this time round there was NINE!! which was awesome to see!! The standard of competitors across all of the divisions was awesome - lots of hard work had obviously been put in by all in the lead up. Unfortunately due to the new one-show format (it's always been 2 shows in the past in NSW/Sydney comps) and the high number of competitors, the times for the running order of the show had been underestimated and it ran WAY behind schedule. But it's all a learning curve, and all in all it was a great show. Congratulations to EVERYONE who got up on that stage, everyone in the show, no exceptions, was in prime condition.
Unfortunately given that my job was to make sure the competitors got on stage and also cue the music people for all routines/posedown music etc I was stuck backstage the entire day and only got to see the show from the side of the stage (was a great view point though but didn't make for good pics) so I only managed to get a few backstage shots, not actual competition shots. And also unfortunately for some reason I can't locate my bloody USB cable to upload them!! BUT - I am off to Melbourne this weekend (WOO HOO) where I plan to take more shots, and my brother who lives there has the same camera as me so will use his cable and make sure I get some piccies of both the NSW and Aussie titles on here!!
SO I better jet, got lots of cleaning to do as my cousin is house and puppy sitting for me...
Til next time, train hard and be good,
Vic x
PS - 9 days til my stage day!! WOOO HOOOO BRING IT ON BABY!!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
ITCHY FEET!!
MAN are my feet itchy...in a good way. Today is the INBA NSW comp and I am heading there this morning to be BACKSTAGE BIATCH (official title, I asked Rab the organiser if I could actually have a t-shirt made up and he told me he was onto it already!!) To be honest I am DYING to get up on that stage today...I did a trial depletion week this week, as mentioned in my previous posts and as of last night I was actually contemplating packing the bikini and dream tan and maybe giving it a crack today...I am hanging to get up there again!!!
This week has been a mixed bag of feelings...the biggest one being bloody exhaustion. I can't believe I forgot how tired depletion week makes me. I was bloody glad once Thursday's training was over as I knew I had the next 3 days off the weights and my body felt like it needed the rest. Friday was my day off and I took myself into work and sat in the detox box for 20mins before getting too bored and going home. Was nice to just chill though! I then went and got a spray tan in the afternoon and God it makes a difference - instant leanness!! Got them to do the darkets possible - to be honest I think that's what has put me in this "I wanna get up on stage NOW" mood. Bloody tan!!
Anyway I can't blog without mentioning Friday night. HOW GOOD ARE THOSE EELS GOING!! ON FIRE!! We had a bbq at my friends' place for the game and one of the guys is a MASSIVE doggies supporter, and me being a MASSIVE eels supporter gave it to him all night. There was a lot of friendly banter, ending with a bit of friendly decorating of the die-hard doggies fan's windscreen with shaving cream!! Lots of childish fun!!
OK better jet on that note, have some more carbing up to do (I love this trial run, I get all the added benefits, eg oats for dinner Friday night, glass of wine last night - went down a dream!! - chocolate today...the only thing that sux is that i am bloody thirsty as a MOFO!!)
Will post some piccies of today later on :)
Til next time train hard and be good...
Vic x
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