Week 3 of getting ready for the US Open and Figure Competition was bust! It was my worse week yet. I was supposed to be training hard for both and eating clean for breakfast, lunch, and post-workouts. Well it was such a crazy week that I don't feel like I really had time to figure out the lunch thing. I barely got any Taekwondo training in. I am not happy with the way my stomach looks and I am feeling weak and tired.
So, I'm starting week 4 as of yesterday. This week I am going to continue to train and all 5-6 of my meals need to be clean. By clean, I mean that they need to be high in protein, lots of fiber, complex carbohydrates, low sugar, and low fat. I am really struggling with the protein because I am so picky with meat. I also have to find ways to add more time to train for Taekwondo. I am losing the space I was using at the gym to practice forms, and I really don't have a place at home.
Today I ate pretty good. I finally found some quinoa, now I gotta learn how to make it taste good because as is is nasty. The problem is, I am really hungry right now. I know I am getting enough calories and protein, so maybe not enough fat...I have not idea. My morning workout was legs and swimming. I'm getting a little stronger with my legs, but today my back was really bothering me, so I was limited on going low on squats and presses. My swim went well, nothing out of the ordinary. Because it is Memorial Day both of my Taekwondo schools were closed. Luckily, Jim was home and held paddles for me to kick for about an hour. YAY!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Dog Beach
Today I took my dog and kids to the Ft De Soto dog beach for our first dog beach experience. None of the major beaches in the Tampa area allow pets on the beach, so I was happy to learn that not only was there a beach that allowed dogs, but a beach FOR dogs.
The dog beach is part of the Ft De Soto Park which is near St Petersburg Beach. I had never been to Ft De Soto, and now that I've driven by, I really want to go camping there. Camping on the beach! The dog beach is on the north beach and there is free parking. Because it is a holiday weekend, the beach was packed, but there was still parking available on the grass across the street from the beach parking lot.
The beach was UGLY! I don't think they ever rake the beach, so its not the pretty soft white sand like the surrounding beaches. It's kinda a grayish broken shell yuckyness. But hey, its for dogs, right? The beach was small, full of people and dogs. Dogs that were just running around greeting people and other dogs. I'm a dog lover, so I thought this was awesome. All the dogs were under voice command or on a leash, and every dog and person was really nice.
Dogs crack me up! They were all so cute and fun to watch. I witnessed at one point a line of dogs waiting to pee in the same spot. It was like a doggy bathroom line. That was great. Dogs were playing with owners, other dogs' owners, and with each other. Fetch, sniff, and chase all over the beach and in the water. It was a blast!
My dog, Titan, is a very social dog. He loves all dogs and people and he loves to swim, so I thought that he would be really happy. I think maybe it was a bit too overwhelming for him because when we first got there he was scared of the other dogs. Eventually, he was able to ignore the other dogs and just enjoy swimming, digging holes, and playing with me and Faith.
Cross, my 5 year old, is as much a dog lover as I am. So he had a blast petting and playing with hundreds of friendly dogs all day long. He was in the water the whole time just playing with the dogs. I had a harder time keeping up with him than I did Titan.
Christian, my 7 year old, could care less about the dogs. He got excited about seeing some really cute puppies and pugs, but he was more interested in playing with other kids. He turned out to be an awesome sand dollar hunter. He was finding sand dollars for everybody at the beach. He came home with 3, plus one for his sister.
Faith, my 9 year old, was scared of swimming in water that dogs had pooped and peed in. She still had fun playing with Titan and all the other dogs. She liked to throw frisbees and balls in the water for the dogs to jump in and fetch. She liked watching the dogs chase her shadow, chase each other, do the back scoot in sand, and other silly dog antics.
Overall, I had a blast! It was a completely different beach experience, and I was happy to get to have an outing with Titan.
The dog beach is part of the Ft De Soto Park which is near St Petersburg Beach. I had never been to Ft De Soto, and now that I've driven by, I really want to go camping there. Camping on the beach! The dog beach is on the north beach and there is free parking. Because it is a holiday weekend, the beach was packed, but there was still parking available on the grass across the street from the beach parking lot.
The beach was UGLY! I don't think they ever rake the beach, so its not the pretty soft white sand like the surrounding beaches. It's kinda a grayish broken shell yuckyness. But hey, its for dogs, right? The beach was small, full of people and dogs. Dogs that were just running around greeting people and other dogs. I'm a dog lover, so I thought this was awesome. All the dogs were under voice command or on a leash, and every dog and person was really nice.
Dogs crack me up! They were all so cute and fun to watch. I witnessed at one point a line of dogs waiting to pee in the same spot. It was like a doggy bathroom line. That was great. Dogs were playing with owners, other dogs' owners, and with each other. Fetch, sniff, and chase all over the beach and in the water. It was a blast!
My dog, Titan, is a very social dog. He loves all dogs and people and he loves to swim, so I thought that he would be really happy. I think maybe it was a bit too overwhelming for him because when we first got there he was scared of the other dogs. Eventually, he was able to ignore the other dogs and just enjoy swimming, digging holes, and playing with me and Faith.
 |
| Cross with a random black lab |
Faith, my 9 year old, was scared of swimming in water that dogs had pooped and peed in. She still had fun playing with Titan and all the other dogs. She liked to throw frisbees and balls in the water for the dogs to jump in and fetch. She liked watching the dogs chase her shadow, chase each other, do the back scoot in sand, and other silly dog antics.
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| Asleep on the floor board on the way home |
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Florida Aquarium
During spring break back in April, I took the kids to The Florida Aquarium in Tampa. My pre-schooler had been obsessed with sharks, so I thought it would be cool to take him to see the sharks. After seeing the aquarium prices, I was disappointed that would be our only big outing during spring break. It ate up our budget! Still, I wanted to go because I thought that if the ticket prices were so high, this was going to be an awesome aquarium.
When we first got to the aquarium we saw lots of ducks and turtles...much like my backyard. This was not to exciting. My 7 year old loves turtles, but they are not that exciting to watch. Then we saw some river otters. They were very cute. We stayed to watch the otter show, but we were extremely disappointed that the aquarium worker just talked about otters while she fed them. There wasn't seating, or even very much room to stand. So we were struggling to even see what she was trying to point out about the otters. What a major bummer.
We looked at some fish, more ducks, more turtles, and FINALLY my youngest saw sharks:
On the second floor there was a window in the floor that looked down into the hammer head shark tank. Really cool, and really cute to see my son face plant onto the window because he saw sharks.
After looking at some fish, we made our way down to the saltwater area. It was really cool to look at all the different sea creatures. Nothing big, but some odd, ugly, beautiful, and strange looking creatures. It wasn't anything we hadn't seen at other aquariums, but I enjoyed looking at them again. We got to touch starfish in the touch tank, and that was a new experience for us. But then we saw BIG SHARKS! My youngest was so happy and in awe of the scuba divers swimming around with them. I've never seen him sit still and listen for so long. He loved learning more about sharks.
But then, that was it! We were so upset that there was nothing more to see. It took us 2 hours to do the whole aquarium. It took all day to do the Chattanooga Aquarium, I guess I was expecting more out of an aquarium in Florida.
Outside there is a courtyard area with playgrounds, water, and water play. I thought this was probably the coolest thing about the aquarium. Unfortunately I did not know about how wet the kids could actually get, and I did not bring bathing suits. So, they only got to play for a short time in water playground area.
We got excited that there was going to be an penguin show in the lobby. I love penguins, and thought that it would be fun to watch even if penguins aren't really known for doing cool tricks like a seal or something. Well, we waited, made sure we had a good spot, and waited some more. Finally, a man came out with a wagon and two small penguins. Don't get me wrong, the penguins were adorable, but they just stood in the wagon with their heads in the corner.
In this case, you do not get what you pay for. I am very upset that we spent so much money on The Florida Aquarium. I wish we had gone to the Clearwater aquarium to see the dolphin, Winter.
When we first got to the aquarium we saw lots of ducks and turtles...much like my backyard. This was not to exciting. My 7 year old loves turtles, but they are not that exciting to watch. Then we saw some river otters. They were very cute. We stayed to watch the otter show, but we were extremely disappointed that the aquarium worker just talked about otters while she fed them. There wasn't seating, or even very much room to stand. So we were struggling to even see what she was trying to point out about the otters. What a major bummer.
We looked at some fish, more ducks, more turtles, and FINALLY my youngest saw sharks:
After looking at some fish, we made our way down to the saltwater area. It was really cool to look at all the different sea creatures. Nothing big, but some odd, ugly, beautiful, and strange looking creatures. It wasn't anything we hadn't seen at other aquariums, but I enjoyed looking at them again. We got to touch starfish in the touch tank, and that was a new experience for us. But then we saw BIG SHARKS! My youngest was so happy and in awe of the scuba divers swimming around with them. I've never seen him sit still and listen for so long. He loved learning more about sharks.
 |
| He's banging on the glass, trying to make the shark mad...ha |
Outside there is a courtyard area with playgrounds, water, and water play. I thought this was probably the coolest thing about the aquarium. Unfortunately I did not know about how wet the kids could actually get, and I did not bring bathing suits. So, they only got to play for a short time in water playground area.
We got excited that there was going to be an penguin show in the lobby. I love penguins, and thought that it would be fun to watch even if penguins aren't really known for doing cool tricks like a seal or something. Well, we waited, made sure we had a good spot, and waited some more. Finally, a man came out with a wagon and two small penguins. Don't get me wrong, the penguins were adorable, but they just stood in the wagon with their heads in the corner.
In this case, you do not get what you pay for. I am very upset that we spent so much money on The Florida Aquarium. I wish we had gone to the Clearwater aquarium to see the dolphin, Winter.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Making it Work
This has been such a crazy week, and I have been very worried about keeping up with my workouts. I know that if I took 3 days off, I would lose motivation and be stressed about losing my gains so far. So I had one choice: Make It Work! I am really happy with myself for working so hard so that I could get in my workouts and keep up with my eating plans.
Monday was a crazy day because I had a doctors appointment in the morning and I had to leave early for Taekwondo in the evening. My appointment was mid morning, and I was really tempted to just forget working out because I also had to pick up and drop off the pre-schooler in the morning. Instead, I stopped by my old gym on the way to appointment and got in my weightlifting workout. After my appointment I knew that I did not have enough time to swim even though I usually swim on Mondays. Instead, I parked my car at my son's preschool and ran in the preschool area. I got done with my cardio just in-time to pick up the preschooler. In the evening I arrived a little early to Taekwondo so that I could practice my form before I needed to get ready for demo team.
Tuesday was a scary day. My daughter fainted at school and I had to pick her up, take her to doctor's and keep and eye on her all day. There was no way I could workout in the morning. I was really bummed about this until I learned that the YMCA childcare opens at 3:30 in the evening. Once my daughter rested, and my son finished his homework I rushed them out the door. I got there with 1 hour before my youngest needed to go to swim lessons. So, I lifted weights and then swam laps. I cut my lap time down so that I could get the kids ready for swimming. Once swim lessons started I walked around and swam around in the pool for a bit. Not much cardio, but still something. When I got home after dinner I practice my Taekwondo while my boys took showers.
This morning I felt so exhausted after the past two days that I have had. I just wanted to crawl back in bed and sleep while the kids were at school. Instead, I forced myself to get my big breakfast and then went for a bike ride. The ride felt good. I came home and started to do abs. My body won...I fell asleep on the floor once I finished abs. I guess my body needs time to repair.
Monday was a crazy day because I had a doctors appointment in the morning and I had to leave early for Taekwondo in the evening. My appointment was mid morning, and I was really tempted to just forget working out because I also had to pick up and drop off the pre-schooler in the morning. Instead, I stopped by my old gym on the way to appointment and got in my weightlifting workout. After my appointment I knew that I did not have enough time to swim even though I usually swim on Mondays. Instead, I parked my car at my son's preschool and ran in the preschool area. I got done with my cardio just in-time to pick up the preschooler. In the evening I arrived a little early to Taekwondo so that I could practice my form before I needed to get ready for demo team.
Tuesday was a scary day. My daughter fainted at school and I had to pick her up, take her to doctor's and keep and eye on her all day. There was no way I could workout in the morning. I was really bummed about this until I learned that the YMCA childcare opens at 3:30 in the evening. Once my daughter rested, and my son finished his homework I rushed them out the door. I got there with 1 hour before my youngest needed to go to swim lessons. So, I lifted weights and then swam laps. I cut my lap time down so that I could get the kids ready for swimming. Once swim lessons started I walked around and swam around in the pool for a bit. Not much cardio, but still something. When I got home after dinner I practice my Taekwondo while my boys took showers.
This morning I felt so exhausted after the past two days that I have had. I just wanted to crawl back in bed and sleep while the kids were at school. Instead, I forced myself to get my big breakfast and then went for a bike ride. The ride felt good. I came home and started to do abs. My body won...I fell asleep on the floor once I finished abs. I guess my body needs time to repair.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
On To Week 3
Week 2 was awesome! I did better than I had planned for this week. I had only planned on working on my breakfast meal, but I ended up working on my post-workout meals as well. I am feeling like I can handle this for years. I am even getting better at separating egg whites. My Taekwondo training is coming along. I feel like I need to train more, but I'm just not sure how, where, or what. Still doing my weights and cardio and am feeling so strong.
Today was the first day of week 3 and I am not happy about chicken breast. I have never really been much of a chicken eater, but this weeks concentration is on eating the right lunch. I need to eat lean protein (like grilled fish or chicken) and veggies. I can add brown rice or quinoa on higher carb days. I don't even know what quinoa is, so I am interested in trying it. I love veggies and do not mind eating all the broccoli, carrots, and snap peas in the world. I like vegetables. I do NOT, however, like fish, white meat chicken, or beans. Beans are the worse, I can't even choke those down. I'm going to experiment with fish. I really want to find ways to get this protein and enjoy it like I do my eggs and protein shakes.
I'd appreciate any ideas or recipes for grilled/baked chicken or fish. Nothing high in sodium or sugar allowed!
Thanks...here's to week 3
Today was the first day of week 3 and I am not happy about chicken breast. I have never really been much of a chicken eater, but this weeks concentration is on eating the right lunch. I need to eat lean protein (like grilled fish or chicken) and veggies. I can add brown rice or quinoa on higher carb days. I don't even know what quinoa is, so I am interested in trying it. I love veggies and do not mind eating all the broccoli, carrots, and snap peas in the world. I like vegetables. I do NOT, however, like fish, white meat chicken, or beans. Beans are the worse, I can't even choke those down. I'm going to experiment with fish. I really want to find ways to get this protein and enjoy it like I do my eggs and protein shakes.
I'd appreciate any ideas or recipes for grilled/baked chicken or fish. Nothing high in sodium or sugar allowed!
Thanks...here's to week 3
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Twiggy
It's only day 3 of this week and I am already considerably more exhausted than I was yesterday. I seemed to have endless energy yesterday. Today, all I wanted was a nap!
I started the day off with 3 egg whites and one egg scrambled, a banana, and oatmeal. That is just over 20 grams of protein, and I am wondering if I need one more egg. I'll research that tonight.
My morning workout started with weightlifting for shoulders, biceps, and triceps. I was checking out my arms and flexing in between sets, and I cannot get over how skinny my arms are. I have almost no muscle tone left! My arms are quite Twiggy! I am concerned that I will not be able to build them up. On the positive side, I was lifting heavier than I did last week. I still felt like super woman in the gym because of my gains in strength. I know I need to hit delts and triceps harder, though.
After weights I practiced forms again for technique. I felt stronger and like I am getting my core strength back. I don't feel like I am going to fall over all of the time...just some of the time. I wish I had a bag at the gym or somebody to hold paddles for me. I feel like I need to work more on speed and footwork, but it's hard to do without a target. Plus, I know once kids get out of school, they will be using the courts and I will not have anywhere to practice at the gym. I've gotta start brainstorming on this one!
To finish my workout I ran for cardio. I hate running! Now my knees hurt, but it is such great cardio and it is also a great leg workout. Speaking of legs...mine are looking HUGE! I read that when you start to build muscle that you can get a lot of water retention because muscles need water. Hopefully it goes away soon because I don't think I can get pant over these tree trunks.
After my morning workout I chugged down another vanilla protein shake. It had 20grams of protein plus the protein in the 7oz of milk I mixed it with. Again, I really need to do more research on how much protein I need before and after a workout. Last I read, I need 1gram of protein for every pound I weigh throughout the day. I'm not sure how I should be dividing these up. Especially since I get a least 2 workouts a day.
This evening my Taekwondo workout involved practicing my competition form. I decided to do a Taekwondo form, but it is one that is not required in my organization, so I am having to work extra hard to get it down right. I love the form though. It is a lot of fun!
I'm gonna stop blogging and start figuring out my protein intake so I can get rid of my twiggy arms.
I started the day off with 3 egg whites and one egg scrambled, a banana, and oatmeal. That is just over 20 grams of protein, and I am wondering if I need one more egg. I'll research that tonight.
My morning workout started with weightlifting for shoulders, biceps, and triceps. I was checking out my arms and flexing in between sets, and I cannot get over how skinny my arms are. I have almost no muscle tone left! My arms are quite Twiggy! I am concerned that I will not be able to build them up. On the positive side, I was lifting heavier than I did last week. I still felt like super woman in the gym because of my gains in strength. I know I need to hit delts and triceps harder, though.
After weights I practiced forms again for technique. I felt stronger and like I am getting my core strength back. I don't feel like I am going to fall over all of the time...just some of the time. I wish I had a bag at the gym or somebody to hold paddles for me. I feel like I need to work more on speed and footwork, but it's hard to do without a target. Plus, I know once kids get out of school, they will be using the courts and I will not have anywhere to practice at the gym. I've gotta start brainstorming on this one!
To finish my workout I ran for cardio. I hate running! Now my knees hurt, but it is such great cardio and it is also a great leg workout. Speaking of legs...mine are looking HUGE! I read that when you start to build muscle that you can get a lot of water retention because muscles need water. Hopefully it goes away soon because I don't think I can get pant over these tree trunks.
After my morning workout I chugged down another vanilla protein shake. It had 20grams of protein plus the protein in the 7oz of milk I mixed it with. Again, I really need to do more research on how much protein I need before and after a workout. Last I read, I need 1gram of protein for every pound I weigh throughout the day. I'm not sure how I should be dividing these up. Especially since I get a least 2 workouts a day.
This evening my Taekwondo workout involved practicing my competition form. I decided to do a Taekwondo form, but it is one that is not required in my organization, so I am having to work extra hard to get it down right. I love the form though. It is a lot of fun!
I'm gonna stop blogging and start figuring out my protein intake so I can get rid of my twiggy arms.
Monday, May 16, 2011
It Taste Like Cake Batter
This morning I had 2 egg whites and one whole egg scrambled, oatmeal, and a half a banana (the other half was bruised). I think I still need more protein because this is my pre-workout meal. I am going to add one more egg white. My post workout "meal" was a vanilla protein shake made with milk. I need my calcium, so I used milk. It was yummy...it tasted like cake batter!
For my morning workout I lifted legs. I can feel myself getting stronger as I go through the moves. My back really hurts when I do squats, so I don't think I am going low enough to engage my glutes. I am seeing definition in my legs now, but my butt is still squishy and saggy. Good news was seeing my quad definition through my baggy Taekwondo pants. I haven't seen that in a really long time.
I worked on forms after doing legs. I am not sure which form I should compete, so I just worked on technique on the forms that I already know. I am thinking about learning a Karate form just for the US Open. I hear that karate forms do better in scoring than Taekwondo forms. If I do a Taekwondo form, it will be my favorite: Dahlee Hyung Sa Chung.
For cardio this morning I swam laps. I felt really strong. I don't know if its the muscle I am building, the breakfast I ate, or a mixture of both. I wasn't fast compared to some other swimmers, but I just felt like I was moving through the water so much better.
Tonight I went to Taekwondo class at Fast Kicks and we worked on forms and did Hogu drills. I loved it, but I felt really clumsy and slow on the Hogu drills. I haven't really trained for sparing in 2 years. I am really nervous about my ability to be ready to fight by July 2. I guess I have to start somewhere.
Well, on to tomorrow...more cake batter!
For my morning workout I lifted legs. I can feel myself getting stronger as I go through the moves. My back really hurts when I do squats, so I don't think I am going low enough to engage my glutes. I am seeing definition in my legs now, but my butt is still squishy and saggy. Good news was seeing my quad definition through my baggy Taekwondo pants. I haven't seen that in a really long time.
I worked on forms after doing legs. I am not sure which form I should compete, so I just worked on technique on the forms that I already know. I am thinking about learning a Karate form just for the US Open. I hear that karate forms do better in scoring than Taekwondo forms. If I do a Taekwondo form, it will be my favorite: Dahlee Hyung Sa Chung.
For cardio this morning I swam laps. I felt really strong. I don't know if its the muscle I am building, the breakfast I ate, or a mixture of both. I wasn't fast compared to some other swimmers, but I just felt like I was moving through the water so much better.
Tonight I went to Taekwondo class at Fast Kicks and we worked on forms and did Hogu drills. I loved it, but I felt really clumsy and slow on the Hogu drills. I haven't really trained for sparing in 2 years. I am really nervous about my ability to be ready to fight by July 2. I guess I have to start somewhere.
Well, on to tomorrow...more cake batter!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Starting Week 2
For week 2 I have decided to work on my first meal of the day and start training for the US Open (open Karate) in addition to continuing my training for figure competitions. I am feeling good after week 1 and I am ready to get started on this week.
I started today with my first breakfast of my "diet". It is not a diet to lose weight, but a diet to fuel my body, help build muscle, and keep me lean. My first breakfast was scrambled eggs (the only way I know how to cook an egg), oatmeal, and an orange. I like all those things, but it took a long time to prepare and I will quickly get tired of eating that. So I need to do some serious research on breakfast for figure competitions.
This week I am going to get serious about my Taekwondo training. I have been going to class off and on since I moved to Tampa almost a year ago, but because of my back injury I have not been consistent. I am blessed that I have to different schools I get to train at. One of them is about an hour from me, but the owners are some of my favorite people in the world. I trust them with not only my training, but also teaching my children. It is a family atmosphere, and I get some AMAZING traditional Taekwondo training. Check out one of my favorite places to be: Family Martial Arts Center
The other school I get to train at is only 30 minutes away, but it is hard to get there with my crazy kids in tow. So I only get to go when their dad is available to watch them. This school is amazing and the instructor is a genuinely great guy. I love the training I get there because it reminds me of my old Olympic Style days. We do lots of paddle drills, which is my favorite thing in the world. In addition, the owner is an incredible martial artist and I have a great deal of respect for him. I am grateful to get to train here: Fast Kicks Academy
So, here is to a great Week 2!
I started today with my first breakfast of my "diet". It is not a diet to lose weight, but a diet to fuel my body, help build muscle, and keep me lean. My first breakfast was scrambled eggs (the only way I know how to cook an egg), oatmeal, and an orange. I like all those things, but it took a long time to prepare and I will quickly get tired of eating that. So I need to do some serious research on breakfast for figure competitions.
This week I am going to get serious about my Taekwondo training. I have been going to class off and on since I moved to Tampa almost a year ago, but because of my back injury I have not been consistent. I am blessed that I have to different schools I get to train at. One of them is about an hour from me, but the owners are some of my favorite people in the world. I trust them with not only my training, but also teaching my children. It is a family atmosphere, and I get some AMAZING traditional Taekwondo training. Check out one of my favorite places to be: Family Martial Arts Center
The other school I get to train at is only 30 minutes away, but it is hard to get there with my crazy kids in tow. So I only get to go when their dad is available to watch them. This school is amazing and the instructor is a genuinely great guy. I love the training I get there because it reminds me of my old Olympic Style days. We do lots of paddle drills, which is my favorite thing in the world. In addition, the owner is an incredible martial artist and I have a great deal of respect for him. I am grateful to get to train here: Fast Kicks Academy
So, here is to a great Week 2!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Week 1 Frumpy
I am by no means overweight or obese, but since my back injury I may be "fatter" than I am used to. I mean that I no longer have the muscle tone I used to have when I was teaching aerobics and training for martial-arts competitions. Just a couple weeks ago I was complaining because my shorts didn't fit, but when I weighed myself I was lighter than I've been in a long time. FAT! Fat takes up more space than muscle. If you want to see a gruesome picture, Google images of 1 pound of fat versus 1 pound of muscle.
Now that I've decided to train for figure competitions, I have been checking myself out. My guns are now just straight sticks, my glutes are droopy, my hamstrings are dimply, I have no idea where my quads have gone, and my back is squishy flesh. As far as abs are concerned, I never really had a good mid-section. Nope, I prefer to eat pizza, pasta, bread, rice, chocolate, and cookies. Good news is that I still have decent shoulders, bad news is that I have got a lot of work to do.
This brings me to the end of Week 1. I decided for this week that I would start training for the figure competitions. I was pretty happy with the cardio that I had been doing because the cross-training has been good for my injuries. The only change I made to cardio was to add one more day of cardio. I had already been weight training, but not with any goals or focus. This week I started lifting harder and focusing on building muscle.
I didn't start training for the US Open yet or start the diet for figure competition because I am breaking into these things a little at a time. But after my first week I am noticing big differences in strength. I am starting to look a little less frumpy, and I am starting to feel some muscles tightening up. While I was running yesterday morning, I could feel a big difference in my strength.
I finished Week 1 stronger and even more excited about my goals for the US Open and Figure Competitions. On to Week 2...
Now that I've decided to train for figure competitions, I have been checking myself out. My guns are now just straight sticks, my glutes are droopy, my hamstrings are dimply, I have no idea where my quads have gone, and my back is squishy flesh. As far as abs are concerned, I never really had a good mid-section. Nope, I prefer to eat pizza, pasta, bread, rice, chocolate, and cookies. Good news is that I still have decent shoulders, bad news is that I have got a lot of work to do.
This brings me to the end of Week 1. I decided for this week that I would start training for the figure competitions. I was pretty happy with the cardio that I had been doing because the cross-training has been good for my injuries. The only change I made to cardio was to add one more day of cardio. I had already been weight training, but not with any goals or focus. This week I started lifting harder and focusing on building muscle.
I didn't start training for the US Open yet or start the diet for figure competition because I am breaking into these things a little at a time. But after my first week I am noticing big differences in strength. I am starting to look a little less frumpy, and I am starting to feel some muscles tightening up. While I was running yesterday morning, I could feel a big difference in my strength.
I finished Week 1 stronger and even more excited about my goals for the US Open and Figure Competitions. On to Week 2...
Friday, May 13, 2011
Hold Me Accountable
I have finally set some goals for this year. If you are reading this, please follow this Blog, follow me on Twitter, and/or friend me on Facebook. I need your encouragement. I need you to hold me accountable for my goals, and YELL at me if I get off track. I am writing this to ask for everybody to help me stay focused on my goals.
US OPEN
One of my goals that I have "re-set" for myself is to compete at the US Open (open Karate tournament) in July. I know I said I was going to train for this awhile ago, but then my back started to act up and I really did not feel like moving, much less training. But I am tired of laying around waiting for my back to get better. The doctor cleared me for any activity, I guess I just have to push through and ignore the pain. Which really sucks! Anyway, I've got 8 weeks to get ready for probably my biggest martial-arts competition yet. I don't know if I will be able to fight, but I am going to start preparing for it. I am going to plan on competing in sparing and traditional forms.
FIGURE COMPETITION
For those of you that have never heard of a figure competition, it is like a body building competition, but with smaller more feminine muscles. There is more to it, I know, but that is just the easiest way to explain it. Anyway, I have been told many times that I should do this, but I have always been so focused on Taekwondo that I blew it off. But now I really want to do it. I found a couple of shows in August that I plan to go to. One is the Florida State Championships in Orlando. I have my work cut out for me, especially when it comes to dieting. Still, I am very excited about this.
I am nervous and excited for both. Keep me in your prayers that my back heals and that I do not get any more injuries on my journey.
US OPEN
One of my goals that I have "re-set" for myself is to compete at the US Open (open Karate tournament) in July. I know I said I was going to train for this awhile ago, but then my back started to act up and I really did not feel like moving, much less training. But I am tired of laying around waiting for my back to get better. The doctor cleared me for any activity, I guess I just have to push through and ignore the pain. Which really sucks! Anyway, I've got 8 weeks to get ready for probably my biggest martial-arts competition yet. I don't know if I will be able to fight, but I am going to start preparing for it. I am going to plan on competing in sparing and traditional forms.
FIGURE COMPETITION
For those of you that have never heard of a figure competition, it is like a body building competition, but with smaller more feminine muscles. There is more to it, I know, but that is just the easiest way to explain it. Anyway, I have been told many times that I should do this, but I have always been so focused on Taekwondo that I blew it off. But now I really want to do it. I found a couple of shows in August that I plan to go to. One is the Florida State Championships in Orlando. I have my work cut out for me, especially when it comes to dieting. Still, I am very excited about this.
I am nervous and excited for both. Keep me in your prayers that my back heals and that I do not get any more injuries on my journey.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Pass-a-Grille Beach
On Good Friday I took my family to Pass-a-Grille Beach, which is just down the road from St. Pete. My parents were visiting from Indiana, and I wanted them to experience the beach without the big crowds. Mission accomplished!
Pass-a-Grille is a beautiful beach that is kind of hidden in a quaint little neighborhood. I think you have to be looking for it to find it, and it can be confusing because you have to drive through part of a hotel complex. But like I said, the neighborhood is quaint with the cutest beach houses ever. After driving through the hotel, you have to be on the look out for the side roads that take you down to the beach. Thankfully the parking takes credit cards because I never carry cash.
The beach itself is not at all touristy or crowded. This can be a bad thing because there are no restrooms or snack bars. The restrooms being the biggest issue if you have children. But other than that, this beach is calm, beautiful, and big. There is a volleyball net, and lots of soft white sand. Because it is not crowded, there is plenty of space to play catch, frisbee, or even wiffleball or football. Not that we did any of those things, but I saw the possibilities.
The water at this time of year is almost perfect. It is still a little chilly, but once you get in, it feels wonderful. I even got my head wet this time! We enjoyed playing in the water with the kids (not my 9 year old...still too cold for her). We saw some huge stingrays...HUGE! And some regular sized ones. This really freaked out my 7 year old. Luckily the water at Pass-a-Grille is pretty clear, so you can see the bottom and watch out for the rays.
This is one of my favorite beaches!
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| Faith and Christian with Grandpa |
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| Faith with Grandma |
The beach itself is not at all touristy or crowded. This can be a bad thing because there are no restrooms or snack bars. The restrooms being the biggest issue if you have children. But other than that, this beach is calm, beautiful, and big. There is a volleyball net, and lots of soft white sand. Because it is not crowded, there is plenty of space to play catch, frisbee, or even wiffleball or football. Not that we did any of those things, but I saw the possibilities.
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| Everybody had to bury Cross |
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| Mom and Me |
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| About as far as Faith would get in the water |
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| Christian and Grandpa wresting in the water |
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| Cross in the beach bag |
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