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