Final Prep for Competition

There is much to do, but I have it down to a science. When I started it was all trial and error. I used the checklist that Huong gave me, things I found online, advise from others. I could never have gotten here without all of the help and research.

I own my prep now, I am as successful as I have made myself. Although every competition brings jitters, I am comfortable with what I do. I don't have a coach, or a Figure coach to look at me and tell me what to eat, what to train, what to pack and do. I do it alone. I always think of the saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"

Many gals feel the need for one, and power to them if that works. I don't want one, I get a sense of satisfaction knowing that I am the body I made myself, for myself, and not for others. I don't train so I can be successful at Figure, I train because I like to and the competition is a way to connect with a lot of other hard training women and keep me on my toes. A challenge. 

I have my diet slightly altered the last week, Kim Porterfield taught me how. I stop shakes and egg whites and I play with proteins and carbs ever so slightly. Every body is different, so what works for me may not work for someone else. It takes trial and error. You need to learn by ingesting foods and then looking at the slight changes in your body about 40 minutes later, all the way to the following couple days.

Kim first had me do this by setting my alarm at 3:10 am, take pictures, eat, go back to sleep, get up at 4:00 am, take pictures, train shoulders, take pictures...and study them. whew!

So this means I don't have a shake when I get up at o.darkness, I have a mixture of cream of rice and chopped chicken, like baby food.  I have the same thing (but twice as much cream of rice) for breakfast.

Protein is adjusted down near the end to shuttle the carbs directly to the muscles, then at the very end, Friday night I will eat a dinner designed to fill me out. A steak, plain baked potato (pepper and lemon) and a slice of homemade cheesecake. I will have the same thing for breakfast the next day.

Of course, that's if everything looks the way it should leading up to Friday. It is a fine balancing act.  Anything can change in a matter of days, seriously. It can go well and it can go sour, very, very sour.

I don't take diuretics, those are the most dangerous thing you can take, worse than any anabolic steroid or drug, screw up with diuretics and you die. No silly trophy, sword or pro-card is worth it in my opinion.

I take Thursday and Friday off from work, Thursday I will prepare all the food I need to bring to my hotel. It is simple: chicken breast, flank steak, brown rice, sweet potato, plain vegetables, asparagus if I can find it- the stores haven't had any lately.  I package it all up in serving portions and pack a lot of water too. I will bring some magazines or books in case I am alone in my hotel room bored. I will make cheesecake with a shortbread crust.

I load up my suitcase with sheets for the hotel (the tan can make a mess), my clothes, makeup and snacks for backstage. That is rice cakes, peanut butter, honey, granola, raw nuts. Baby wipes for the hands, that honey and peanut butter gets everywhere and the tanning solution is disgusting. I will also pack some dark chocolates caramels, bananas, Doritos and any other treat that sounds tempting at the moment. 

In the afternoon I will have a manicure and pedicure, french nails. I dislike the fake ones and used to use the glue on for the competitions, no longer. It's me and I have short nails, but they will be nicely groomed.

First thing Friday morning I have a hair cut. I will have my hair blown out so all I need to do is clip it back in my rhinestone clip. It will be long and flowing, but the bangs still add some dimension to my face. I don't care for the stiff "up do" look, too fussy. 

The athlete briefing and registration takes place in the host hotel on Friday evening at 6:30 for the Figure and Bikini. This is great as it used to be in the morning when they weighed in all the men, everything would get delayed and behind and just cause the event to go over.  At some point in the afternoon or evening I get my spray tan, also at the host hotel. 

I will leave a checklist for David- things to make sure are at home when I get there! This may change but currently the list is this:

Champagne 

Pinot Noir

a skirt steak

sliced sourdough bread (I will have a hot skirt steak sandwich with wine when I get home about midnight or so)

fixings for David's Famous Ramos Fizz in the morning 

The knowledge that he needs to go to Fleur de Cocoa to get some pastries Sunday morning as soon as they open. I am thinking some plain croissant to go with the fig jam I made.