tomorrow the sun will rise

Hi everyone,
I love this picture of Mohinder. He is so cute when he falls asleep in awkward positions. His arm looks like a crane coming out of his head.
I found out some important news last night. I was planning on doing the INBA Natural Universe Bikini Competition so I decided to call the promoter to ask some questions. He told me in order to do that one I would have to do at least one INBA show before that show. He told me there was one in Sacramento on OCT 16th. So, that will be my next competition, just six weeks away. I will have to work my butt off but, I think I can pull it off. I am so grateful that I have Shannon to help me. She definitely was my inspiration to become a personal trainer. Along with getting the personal trainer's certification I am also getting certified in massage therapy. They go hand in hand very well because a lot of gyms have spas in them. My two favorite hobbies are working out and getting massages, so why not do both. The school is about 7 months long and the school is recognized by the VA. With only 7 months left on my GI Bill, it seemed perfect. Hopefully one day my college degree will come in handy. If I ever wanted to run a spa or gym I guess having that education would help.
The future is looking bright. Last week was a tough one. Like I had mentioned before, the Air Force Reserve would not allow me to get a physical because of all of the surgeries. The recruiter said she would request a waiver but, the chances of that going through are very slim, too slim. I decided that I can't focus on that anymore, it was time to move on. I have been dealing with trying to get in the reserves since May. Worrying about whether or not I would get in for four months was really starting to get on my nerves. It feels good to focus on other things.
One of my dad and I's favorite movies is Cast Away. At the end of the movie Tom Hanks was talking about how close he was to giving up but, he never did. My dad's likes the line when Tom Hanks says, "Tomorrow the sun will rise". I think what Tom Hank's character meant was each day brings new opportunities. If you have a couple of bad days, no big deal, tomorrow is a chance for good things to happen.

Learning from the mistakes

Hi everyone,
Well, it feels great to not have to be so strict about what I drink and eat. After eating healthy for so long it doesn't feel like work anymore, but it feels great to eat a variety of healthy foods again and not the exact same thing everyday. The first competition was definitely a learning experience. The figure category was definitely a group that I was not quite ready for. It takes a long time to build up the muscle that those other women had. After the competition my trainer told me that in another six months I would be ready for another figure show. That is my goal, but that doesn't mean I cannot compete in another show before then. There is another show on November 6th that I want to do. I will not be entering in the figure category. I will be entering in the bikini and sports model categories. The bikini and sports model categories are divisions of the natural bodybuilding organization. Bikini and sports model girls have to have a well toned, but feminine physique. The judges want to see muscle definition, but not to the degree of figure or bodybuilding. Even though the look I have to achieve for the next show is not as muscular as figure I still cannot slack in the gym. My trainer has me upping my calories so I can gain some weight to build more muscle. She told me that even some of the bikini girls had a harder look than I did at the last show. I have a lot of work to do, but that is OK. Working hard towards something makes it more exiting. I also finished school last week. It feels great to finally be out of college. Well, I am not completely done with school. I signed up for a personal trainers course. I should be certified in just a couple of months. This school will be fun for me because it is something I am actually very interested in.
That is all for now.
Talk to you all soon.

A long day in hell

Hi everyone,

Yesterday was the competition and waiting around in a hot room full of half naked women sounds like some people's dream come true, for me it was hell. The first round started a 1000 and my group did not come on stage until 1300, the second round started at 1830 and we did not come on stage until 2200. We got to go back for a couple of hours after the first round, but then it was back to waiting in the holding room. The hunger and the dehydration made everything worse, plus I thought my makeup looked a little too dark, I looked like I stood in front of a blow torch. I felt very insecure in that room. All of these women were hot and buff, I think I was the softest looking girl there. It was my first competition, but it was hard to not feel insecure. It was a lot of fun going on stage and wowing the judges and it was really funny watching the men's bodybuilding routines. I was very grateful that Shannon and Kristen came along to help me get ready. Shannon had to drive back to Lemoore Saturday night, she is such a trooper and so was Dave, dealing with me when I am hungry and thirsty is no easy task. In figure competitions they break you up by your height. All of the other classes had five or less girls and mine had 10 and the girls in my class were by far the best looking girls, so I was up against the toughest competition. I don't know for sure, but I think I got 6th place. I know it sounds like I had a miserable time, but I can't wait to do it again. It is kind of like running a marathon. During the run you may not be having the most fun, but when it is over you are happy and are planning the next one. My next show will be on November 13th in Denver Co. with Shannon and then another one in the beginning of December in Culver City. I will still be keeping you all informed on my progress. I am also going to get my personal trainers certification. I should have that finished by my next competition.

Talk to you all soon.

Hell Week

Hi Everyone,
Well, I am now entering what I call hell week. I thought that my diet was very strict already, but this last week it gets much worse. My carb intake has gone down to less than 50 grams per day, no salt, dairy, eggs, flavored drinks, fruit, starchy carbs, sugar, protein powder. I think that covers all of the things I cannot have, so basically my diet consists of one serving of oatmeal in the morning and the rest of the day I live off of plain grilled chicken breasts, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes and almonds. On Monday it gets even worse, that is when the water depletion starts. The day of the show I only get 4 ounces of water. I hope that I do not pass out. I am very glad that Shannon my trainer is coming along. She has been there and done that, she knows what all goes on so that takes a lot of stress off of me. It is weird to think that in a week from now the show will be over, but this is only the beginning. There is another show on November 6th in LA that I want to do. That venue will be much bigger because it is open to the public. I am glad that my first show is for people affiliated with the military and nobody else. I am not sure how many competitors there will be. I am trying not to think about all of that too much. It is important to not let my nerves get the best of me. I am so glad I have Dave, he is my rock. There were days where I thought why was I even putting myself through this, but he was always there to encourage me to not give up.