Bourbon Will Put Hair On That Chest...

I WANTED TO share some of my pictures from the RunTheBluegrass Half Marathon in Lexington, Kentucky this weekend.  I beat last year's time by 3 minutes which is highly impressive considering last year was 60s and sunny.  This year, it rained the entire time, and there was SIDEWAYS RAIN from Mile 7 on.  SIDEWAYS!  What.the.fuck.

OF COURSE, I got my beer AND bourbon after the race at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.  Carlee and I went around to a couple different breweries and hung out.  Our favorite was Country Boy Brewing.  We drank beer and played cards.  They had a beer called "Cougar Bait" and it was really good!  If we would have been older, we could attest to it working.  We got hit on awkwardly by the same guy three different times.  When he was leaving with his friends, he came up another time and wished us luck with our "prison card game."  Exit Stage Right.  Cue the studio audience. 

 

 

IN SUMMARY, I had a great time and I already signed up for next year's race in 2015!  Speaking of races, I actually have a 10K Trail Run tomorrow morning at Allerton.  A friend of mine wasn't able to run, so she asked if I'd be interested in running in her place.  I ran this race last year and it was pretty fun.  the only thing I didn't like about the course was that it was really hard to see the course paths.  I remember passing a lady who was in the half marathon event and accidentally ran a good portion of the 10K course.  I felt so bad for her!

 

WELP, it's Friday night.  I am getting organized for the start of prep on Monday.  I CANNOT wait for the first few weeks.  That shock to your system causes me to lean out so hard.  The only part of the process that I am less excited about is carrying around my water jug.  YES, I feed into that stereotype.  The thing is, it's the best way to track your water with the smallest amount of effort.  I did see a female bodybuilder advertising this "fanny pack" kind of holster for your water jug.  It made it look less...douchebag-esque. 

 

UNPACKING my scale is important.  I also am thinking about buying a second one.  I would like to have a back-up scale available--especially packed in my 6Pack Bag that I got for Christmas.  I am going to change a couple of things in my routine for this prep.  I am absolutely 86-ing bread in my diet for the next 5 months.  I held on to "bread" last year for too far into my prep.  I really don't have anything against bread (Of course not; I'm a runner!), but I want to lean out as much as possible.  I feel like last year, I could have been leaner.  I could have had that peek-a-boo rib cage shot if I cut out bread.  I also want to increase my water intake by half a gallon. 

CURRENTLY, I am still debating on competing in Figure or Bodybuilding.  I guess it depends how lean I get in the beginning.  I am not sure I want to compete at the same show.  I think it would be exciting to compete in a different state.  Well, I'm going to finish my grocery list planning and my training schedule.  It's going to be rough while I am still taking a class this semester, but I think it is doable.  I just need to put my head down and stay focused. 

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Civil War Day

Apparently, today is Civil War Day--meaning the Kentucky v Louisville game. :)  I'm running a half marathon tomorrow. My friend Carlee sprained her ankle last weekend, so I'll just be running it myself. I'm not too excited about the weather though. It looks like it's going to be cold and rainy. I might need to drink some bourbon before I run.

I moved out of my ex-boyfriend's house yesterday. Hauling all of that furniture was not a good idea when I have 13.1 miles to run tomorrow!  I also fell down the stairs when I was carrying a TV. I don't know how, but I managed to not break the TV...even though it fell on me and then tumbled down the stairs lol. 

I have a gnarly bruise on my thigh, so I'm hoping it won't give me too much trouble tomorrow!  

I ate this delicious pimento cheese and ham sandwich with slaw today when we arrived in Kentucky:

It's from Wallace Station which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We sat outside and enjoyed the 70 degree weather. We are back at the hotel now, being lame and studying...lol Well, I'm blogging because I'm too tired to look at my chemistry notes. 

Getting ready to watch this Civil War go down. I've got Louisville winning it all in all of my brackets, so I am rooting for them, but I'm also a fan of UK. Let the battle begin! :)

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What I Need Most:

Through these past few months, I've come to realize that the hardest thing about this situation is that I'm still in the process of moving on, whereas he has moved on.  I don't want him back. That's one thing I do know.  I just don't understand how someone can wipe their hands and call it a day.  I guess it helps when you are seeing someone else already.  

So, I started wondering how I could crawl out of this empty-heart kind of feeling. When I thought to myself about what consumes all of me, the answer was bodybuilding.  In all actuality, bodybuilding had a lot to do with the demise of my relationship. Instead of working on "us", I was more interested in working on "me".  Was I selfish?  I'm not sure how to answer that, but what I do realize is that I found valid happiness during that time. I found a direction to follow that provided a purpose in my life that aligns who I am with what I am passionate about.  

Recently, I admitted to a friend that I started feeling lonely and that it scared me to call "it" that.  I don't have a problem being alone; it's living in a state of loneliness that scares me.  The gym is the place where I face myself. The iron is always there to witness all of these self discoveries from the mirror's reflection.  My successes and failures are always there for me to pick up on.  The gym provides me with an opportunity to self evaluate who I am from the inside out.  

In simple words, it's where I need to be at this point in my life. It's what feels like home. It's what makes me feel whole. 

It's time to get serious about competing again. :)  

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Mustering Up The Perfect Words To Say...

Well, my blogging has slowed to almost nonexistent due to my 7 year relationship ending recently. Ummm...I'm not really sure what to say other than the fact that I know I'll be alright. You know, when things come to an end--whether it is a job, friendship, or relationship--we think there's going to be this black hole that will exist in it's place or sometime in place of ourselves. But, people move on, and we eventually move on. 

Maybe this is unique to me, but I am the type of person that needs to have alone time. I have to push others away when I'm going through something painful like this because it's what works for me. It's hard when friends don't understand that and think what I need is to be in constant contact with people. I do my best thinking when I'm alone. So, that's where I'll be for awhile. Alone at home, alone at the gym, alone anywhere I feel like being alone. 

Bare with me, guys. I'll be back to me soon. :)

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If you IF...

Yes, I can understand your confusion. 

"But Stevie, you said 6 meals a day is the way to do it..."

I fully believe in the 6 meals a day model. But, I realize that making the time for your meals can be complicated. If you're not married, no kids, have a flexible job schedule, etc, then 6 meals is easy!  That was me. No obligations to hold me back from eating when I need to. HOWEVER, this is not a normal life for people. As I've been going back to school, I've realized that eating every 3 hours is becoming a challenge. 

I've decided to look into Intermittent Fasting (IF). I was introduced to the concept by Sara Solomon. She's one of the major supporters of IF in the bodybuilding community. 

Needless to say, her body is flawless. She actually really funny and silly. She has a down-to-earth quality about her that I really like. 

So, IF can vary in how you approach it. Some people do 24 hour fasts/cleanses, and others follow a block schedule of some sort. Sara follows a 16/8 schedule, where she fasts for 16 hours and has an 8 hour eating window. It's helpful to use a portion of those hours sleeping. 

One of the positives is that you can create your window of feasting to be anytime that's convenient for you. One of the major drawbacks from 6 meals a day was that my eating schedule didn't always jive with everyone else. I spent a lot of days sitting there with no food while everyone else is eating. It was awkward, but you get used to it and people stop asking you questions about it after awhile. 

With IF, you can set it up so that your eating times are near "normal". So, I started Monday and did the 16/8 model. I stopped eating Sunday night at 9 PM and didn't eat my first meal until 1ish. So, I can eat between 1 PM and 9 PM, which covers the most social meals for most people--lunch and dinner. 

Your first meal should be after exercise, and it should be a fairly large meal. You still have to hit all your macros though, but feasting days are a little more forgiving. So, I'll post my schedule after I'm done with my first week. 

I'm currently on my 24 hour fast that I built into my schedule. Water is allowed, but nothing else. It wasn't hard while I was at work. I can usually dive into something and ignore hunger pains. But, I will say coming home is much harder. I know I'll survive, but I feel like if I caved, this is what I would look like:

EASILY. :)

There's a lot of science behind IF. I'll post some articles at another time. 

Oh, and a lady from my worker gave me a sample of some protein powder that she bought. It was really good, actually. 

It's flavor is Orange Creamsicle. She got a tip to mix it with orange juice and I loved it!  And yes, chopsticks are really good stirrers when your blender balls are dirty. 

Well, let's hope that I don't get too many urges with this fast! :)

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I'm Back, Bitches! (I wish I sounded as cool as I feel when I say that)

WHOA, Nelly!

It's been so long since I've blogged.  I recently went through ALL of my posts and realized the following:

1. I miss competition prep.
2. I never wrote a summary of my experience.
3. I think I'm a pretty funny.

So, I'm going to keep this short and sweet, but here's my synopsis:

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT AM I PROUD OF? I'm proud of training even when I was tired. I'm proud of eating clean even when my mind was craving junk food. I'm proud of that last rep I didn't think I would finish. I'm proud of not listening to negative people who doubted me. Above all, I'm most proud of what I've achieved and for being humble enough to know that there's no perfection and there's always room for improvement.  I did not come here to win or place. I came to beat the person I was 15 weeks ago.

I really didn't know what all of this entailed when I started.  I didn't know that competing would become much more than walking from one side of the stage to the other.  This experience made me love who I am and who I've become. 

WOULD I DO IT AGAIN?  Absolutely!  HOWEVER, I have to say when I compete again, I will probably compete in the female bodybuilding category, rather than Figure.  For three reasons, really.

1. I met an amazing woman named Rhonda Shereda, a female bodybuilder competing at the same show.  She took the time to explain things to me as a newbie, and was just all-around friendly.  She was the only person that I bonded with.  The other girls in my division were unfriendly in a friendly way, if that makes sense.  They did not care to talk about our impending epic cheat meal, how exciting this was, etc.  NOTHING!  This was a major disadvantage for me because I'm all about the experience.  I'm not trying to compete against anyone, but myself.  Rhonda is stunning, genuine, and meeting her is one of the top highlights of my experience competing.
   
2. Body-structure wise, I was not as lean as the other girls.  I don't claim to be "big boned" or anything like that, but my muscle structure was just more dense than the ribs sticking out of the other girls' torsos.  Although, one Figure competitor gave me a piece of advice that has stuck with me.  She said, "Don't compete for the body type you have; compete in the division you want to compete in--the one you enjoy."  That is true!  While I have nothing against Figure, I just feel like bodybuilding is better suited for me on all levels (physically, mentally, etc).
3. In most organizations, the bodybuilding category requires a 60 second posing routine.  It's...soooooorta a dance, but not really.  Rhonda talked to me a lot about the routine portion.  I told her I would love to compete in that division, but the routine scares me.  That's when it clicked...I MUST do it, because performing on stage is a fear of mine that MUST be conquered. 

SO, this leads me to why I'm here now.  I will begin my prep in a couple of months...Yep!  I said it!

 

WHAT HAVE I DONE SINCE THE SHOW, YOU MAY ASK?

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I learned shortly after the show, that my mother was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer.  She kept it a secret from me because she knew that I would have fallen off-track with my training and contest preparation.  My whole family knew, except me.  It was a MAJOR shock.  While I realize she made the decision to keep this secret from me for my own benefit, it hurts to know she was going to appointments all by herself.  Ever since, I've been by her side at every chemo treatment, doctor's appointment, and her surgery.  I wouldn't have it any other way!  Before I get all teary-eyed from my mum's selfLESSness, I better move on...

In the past few months, I have:

• consumed many margaritas and beers with my friends
• competed in a Triathlon (only a sprint, but I loved it!)
• been surprised on my birthday by an amazing group of ladies
• ran the Denver Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon with a 7.5 month pregnant woman
• set a PR at the St. Louis Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon a week later
• signed up for a full marathon in my hometown
• gone back to school, took two classes in the Fall, and got A's in both of them (taking only 1 this Spring)

MAN, I feel like I've done so much more, but I can't think of anything else...Anywho, I'm flagging the wagon down and I'm jacking whoever's in it.  Call your neighborhood watch; I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

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Dark As Night

Whoa, baby. I look like I'm from Africa. I would take a picture, but I am so tired.  I didn't get to pick the color...there's only one color for bodybuilders and it's called Black Out. Hahah...

Basically, I look like I rolled down a muddy hill naked. No lie. 

All this black stuff will come off when I take a light shower tomorrow morning. Then, they apply another layer of it and go through with some contouring. She said she will watch me pose (yep, naked...) and then see where I need some emphasis. 

They did spray my face. I had the option to go lighter or as dark as my skin. I decided lighter would be best and I'm glad I did that. 

Earlier today, I got my nails done. Due to a mishap and possibly the whole language barrier, I didn't get fake nails. The whole time I thought to myself, "I should say something..."  But, I started thinking that there's less of a chance for me to break a nail if they are my real nails. 

(Before tan...)

I've been cut off of all water as of 1 PM today. I'm feeling ok about it. Choking down chicken with no water is not fun, but the bell pepper's natural juices make it better. 

I added to my suit bottoms; however, I'm not finished yet. I haven't done the back yet. I need to find some energy and get it done!  I also wanted to lay around for a bit since I feel sticky. 

I haven't even packed yet. I'm currently cooking all of my food and making a checklist. Maybe after I have my baked potato, I'll have some energy from those carbs. 

I'm still pretty calm. Every once in awhile, the nerves flair up, but I'm more excited than anything. I'm just ready to EAT THAT WAFFLE!!

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