I've got a Bug...the Competition Bug that is!

sometimes when I think about the upcoming season of competitions I get so excited about what I'm working towards. I look forward to that feel the night before - the possibility of the upcoming placement, the smell of the tanner, the shiny bikini laying out waiting to be worn and shown off!

The diet is restricted and there are many hours spent in the gym and many more hours spent "zoning out" - anyone who has gone through it knows what I mean by this, that time spent where you barely know what planet you are on. Sometimes you don't know how you did whatever it was you just did- how did I drive here? (yup...seriously), how did I just go through my day? When people ask you how your weekend was - it stops you in your tracks because for the life of you, you can't remember there even being a weekend.

But it is all worth it. So incredibly worth it.

To step out on that stage, under the lights, and show off all that hard work, to strut your stuff and for a few brief minutes be one helluva diva!

I love it - I can't help it! The offseason is fun - indulging in foods that you only get for that brief time period, lifting weights heavier than last season - being stronger than ever before and feeling powerful in your movement, but there is fun in season too. As the competitions get closer you feel little by little weaker, the amount of work you can do in the gym varies more and you find yourself dragging yourself , well, everywhere. But you still do it, you still put that time in on the cardio machines, you still do all those reps and never settle for second best. You do what you possibly can do, leave nothing to chance - because in the end it's a judged sport. You can't control your competitor, you can't control the judging, but you sure as hell can give it your best shot!

I sit here just under 11 weeks out from my next competition. I constantly battle with myself that I'm where I should be. I want to be leaner already, but coach keeps me grounded and sane. It's all part of the game - everyone sees what we put on stage but the true sport is what you do daily. Everyday you push yourself to the limits of what your body can handle. Everyday you say no to indulgence, no to normal, and yes to rallying up the energy and motivation to exceed your expectations.

I have to admit, part of me loves that tired feeling. It feels like such an accomplishment, when I lay down in bed at night and feel every muscle in my entire body relax because it simply has to is a wonderful feeling. It may hurt at times, aches and pains come and go, but you forget all about them when your name is called to step out into the lights.

And, boy how I love those lights. I got told once, that I need to show more life on stage. I'm too comfortable up there. Truth is, I'm just having fun in that moment, I'm at home on stage. It's funny that this shy little girl grew up to love being in the spotlight.

Baked Egg Whites

I know this is already out there on the internet, but I also know I was frustrated in trying to find out the tips and tricks to making them.  So here is a run down on the basic idea - I'm still fine tuning my recipe :)

Baked Egg Whites (aka Egg White Puffs)

 Base Ingredients: (for the amount shown in the pic)

1/2 c Egg Whites (I used from a carton)

about 1/2 c or a little less of Stevia (experiment with this because the amount greatly depends on the type            of stevia you use - I use Stevia in the Raw which is very fluffy and light)

1-2 tsp of vanilla (again I eyed it instead of measured)

Optional Ingredients: Try these additions for a little change up, I divide up the whipped egg whites and make different flavors from the same batch

 1 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa

or

1-2 tsp Cinnamon

Other ingredients you could try (but I haven't yet) are different spices - think like what you would put in a cake or pie, ie Apple Pie Spice, Pumpkin Spice, etc

Mixing:

I used my whip attachment on my Kitchen Aid Mixer and whipped the egg whites til they formed stiff peaks. Then I fold in the rest of the base ingredients. Then separated out about a third and folded in some extras!

Baking:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Scoop onto a cookie sheet spritzed with Pam in tablespoon portions
Bake for 14 min or so depending on  your oven (look for the peaks to turn golden) - the cocoa ones take a bit longer

You can eat them warm but I like them cooled

Enjoy!

Sorry - Does My Concentration Bother You?

such fragile egos at the gym.......

Does it really bother you that I wear my hat low and have headphones on? My true friends at the gym understand what I'm doing, what I'm training for, why I train the way I do and don't take offense if I don't run up and greet them like an excited little puppy. I'm not there to socialize, I'm not there to date, I'm there to work - to lift, to do my job and to do it well. I take the occasional minute at the beginning or end of my workout to 'meet and greet' but once the set starts - it's all business. What is wrong with that? Technically, the gym is my office. And although you may like distraction at your office - they aren't allowed at mine.

I've come to the point where I just look down at the stopwatch. Keep my focus always on what I'm doing, why I'm doing it and what I'm trying to achieve. I don't ask that you work the same way I do but I do ask that you respect my work ethic. Don't be offended that I don't acknowledge you, chances are I don't even know you are there. Don't be offended that I don't chit chat or bullshit, I'm there to do a job. I enjoy my job but I have to work damn hard to do it. Sometimes I get time to talk , but in season, a lot of things go by the stopwatch and when it's time to lift you gotta be ready. And you have to focus - the diet is taxing, the regimen is taxing, the energy is low and yes at times I can be grumpy. So what? my body is tired and fighting, some days are a struggle and the focus has to be there - injuries can happen if distracted because the body is on the edge, the brain is on the edge. This is competition, this is what I do. It is not your normal workout, it is not your normal routine. I don't get to go home and have pasta or pizza, I don't get to go home and even have ketchup with my steak. I go home have a protein shake and prepare for the next round.

I count myself lucky that I do have friends that understand, that are able to have 'gym' conversations, the kind that last only a minute and don't distract from the workout. But I can't help if you take offense to my not wanting to take part in 15 minute conversations about the weather, if you get offended because I don't talk during my set, it is not my fault you didn't notice I'm hanging on to some heavy-ass weight and could risk neck injury if I turn to look at you while you are waving your arms at me.

My focus has to be 100%, to do that requires that I take up a "No Bullshit" zone around me. I make it very obvious when I'm training that I'm in this zone. The hat is pulled low - you can't see my eyes - you don't want to see my eyes, they are the eyes of a fighter, glaring down at a goal. The headphones are on and the music cranked, I can't hear you - I don't want to hear you- I only hear the music and the thoughts in my head that propel me to make every rep count. Sometimes my hands never leave the weight, never unwrap from the bar. 100% focus....it's what I do.