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| Honored and excited to take part in such a great show! |
It’s here. Peak week! I know I have written about this week time and time again, but each of my experiences with peak week has been so different.
I am just home after another great Team FITBODY meeting. It was the final one of the season and the exact mental push I needed for these next 7 days. My last show was about 5 weeks ago, the NPC NKY, and while I did place and showed well, I knew going into the NPC Derby I would need to make considerable improvements. Throughout these past 5 weeks I constantly examined my arms, my abs, my glutes for progress – one day, I would see great gains, the next day I felt like a balloon. But today, looking in the mirror, working on posing, I could see it. I have made good progress. My body fat is also down, while my lean muscle mass is up! I am beyond excited! Carb cycling, heavy lifting, tabata filled cardio, rowing, and yoga seem to have worked extremely well!
So, peak week is here! I have focused too much on who else will be up on stage, what progress they are making, etc. While this is normal human competitive nature, it is not healthy in this sport. You never know who all is going to show up, you don’t know how peak week will run its course, you don’t know what specifics the judges are looking for – all of these are out of my control. All I can control is my path these next 7 days. I will follow the plan laid out before me, I will do my absolute best to not compare myself with others and focus on how happy I am with me! Just me! I look forward to pampering myself with a beautiful manicure and pedicure, getting my roots touched up, and a nice dark tan on Friday!
I have prepped my food through Tuesday, and have the rest ready to go. I think since it is nice out I just may be able to grill up some of these burgers and steak! What a nice treat. Yes, burgers and steak, peak week, lean cuts of course. Veggie choices this go around are zucchini, asparagus, and lettuce. I’ve got my grapefruits ready to be peeled and sweet potatoes ready to be chopped and cooked! Oh, and the gallons of water sit in the trunk of my car. It’s about time to bring those into the house!
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| Getting ready to PREP! |
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| Simple – ground turkey, Mrs. Dash, lettuce |
Last prep was so easy. Almost too easy. This prep, workouts were my best yet, but mentally it was rough. I wanted to give up on myself so many times, full of doubt and uncertainty. I think going into peak week I am in a good space, mentally and physically – maybe a better space then I have been this entire prep. I got a great surprise goodie bag of yummy treats like a Diet Mountain Dew, Butterfingers, and almonds from Nora, one of my teammates and friends who has dealt with and supported me throughout every step of this journey! All of those are to be enjoyed after the show of course. I’m excited to compete with Lauren, who I have not competed with in almost a year and we had a blast in Louisville last year, so I know this year will be just the same! I cannot thank Hyla enough for all of her guidance and support. I couldn’t ask for a better role model in the sport. The entire team has just been absolutely incredible. Then, there is my family. Goodness, I wouldn’t even be close to where I am without their love and support, and dealing with me and some of my craziness. But I digressed…(I never claimed to be a great writer, just throw my thoughts out here!)
I wish I could hop up and go to the gym right now for my final leg workout, but that must wait until tomorrow. I knocked out cardio on my way home from the Team FITBODY meeting and the rest of the day I am focusing on me – relaxation and preparing for the week ahead!
So the excitement of Peak week is here – putting finishing touches on months of dedicated work and watching your body transform, constant challenges with too much water then not enough, fun times with friends and family, the SHOW, and everything in between. Oh, and UMP goo on show day! So excited and ready!
Training for a competition has its ups and downs. But, I am so happy and thankful to have this opportunity. Louisville is a fun city and to compete at the NPC Derby will just be another dream come true. They give out swords instead of trophies here, and I hope to come home armed and dangerous. But if not, I know I gave this my all, am so happy with who I am and who I am becoming, and wouldn’t change any of this for the world!
