Shootin' for the Moon

Hello beauties!

Gosh, I feel like such a liar. I said I'd be back last night to finish my recap of the weekend, but "life" got in the way. Sorry!

So, I think I left off talking about our drive back to Pittsburgh from West Virginia. I rambled on and on mostly about my competition prep (I promise, Hubbs, only two more months of listening to me talk about bikinis!!!) and went through my magazine for the millionth time. I came across an advertisement and really liked the model's physique, so I tore her picture out and added it to my "Inspiration Cover" of my competition-prep folder.

I remember as I was talking about preparing for this competition, I got "butterflies" in my tummy and started to feel really nervous! You see, I started out this competition prep just wanting to stand on stage and look "decent". You know, as more of a personal goal. But now? Now, I really want to place win! You heard me! Somewhere during training, I've begun to believe that I really can do this and I'm no longer just training to meet a personal goal. I'm training to win! Granted, I'm not expecting to win "Overall Bikini" on my first try, but dang it- I want to place! It's like the old saying goes, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you'll land among the stars." AMEN!!

OK, so as soon as we got home, we checked the mail and my motivation was even greater when I received my Oxygen magazine in the mail! Gosh, I love getting this type of mail!

I quickly changed into my workout gear to do my Lower Body workout and Hubbs changed into his soccer gear. He plays on a local soccer team, so I cheer him on Sunday nights:) Since he had to be there earlier to warm-up, I decided to go do my LB workout and meet him out at the field. I said I'd probably be there in time for the second half and he didn't mind since I usually go with him to all his games. Well, as usual, I spent too long in the gym and by the time I was finished with my workout, I realized that the second half of the game was already starting. DOH! I scurried out of there, as fast as my jelly-legs would take me, and sped like a bat out of hell totally drove the speed limit out to the field. I may or may not have been driving while eating this:

Salmon burger plus cup of green beans

Sad to say, I made it just in time to watch his team pack-it-up and head home:( I felt so bad that I missed Hubb's game, but my Sweet One understood and thought it was so sweet that I drove all the way out there (30 mins) just to try to catch the end of his game. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a guy in a soccer uniform hehe!

On my way home, I stopped for water and picked up some treats. Can you guess which "treat" was for Hubbs and which was for me?

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Ok, so here is something else I've been wanting to talk about. Since I don't work, I spend ridiculous amounts of time on the internet researching nutrition, fitness, strength training, diet, supplements, bodybuilding, exercise--you name it! If it has anything to do with getting in the best shape ever, you can believe I'm researching it.

One thing that keeps popping up is BCAA and Creatine supplementation. Now, BCAAs I'm fairly familiar with, especially since they come as part of the various whey protein shakes I drink. Creatine, on the other hand, used to scared the "bejesus" out of me. I always thought it was "for the dudes" and would make me look extra vascular and big if i took it. That is, until I began researching it and its effects on energy levels, increased strength and recovery rates. I learned that creatine not only aides in the aforementioned, but even accelerates fat loss while building lean body mass! You can read articles all about BCAAs and Creatine from Bodybuilding.com here and here

So, I bit the bullet and decided to try these two supplements to see how they affect my workout and muscle recovery.

I also bought these supplements for my Hubby who is trying to gain muscle mass. We're both taking these supplements and I will let you know what differences, if any, we feel/notice in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have any input on your experiences taking these supplements, I'd really love to hear them! You can comment or e-mail me:)

Welp, time to skiddaddle! I'm off to get a HIIT in on the StairMaster. I swear that thing was manufactured in Hades. Good thing I've got some new tunes which really get me going, so I can't wait to press "Play" and "do the darn thing"!

Lates!

QUESTION:

1) Do you have a vision board or motivational folder that inspires you? As you can see from my comp-prep folder, I cut out my ideal physiques to help motivate me to keep pushin' towards my goal. I almost always gravitate towards petite, muscular yet feminine gals, since that is the most attainable body-type for me. In other words, I'm not going to use pics of 5'10" Brazilian models as a body I'd like to have. That's just totally unrealistic for my nearly 5'2" athletic frame.

2) Have you tried supplementing with either BCAAs or Creatine? I'd love to hear your experiences- good or bad (but, hopefully good!)