105 Days to the Stage!

This has been the most interesting week, in my training cycle, yet the most boring.  I am basically a clean eater 95% of the time and enjoy whatever I want the other 5%.  With a Figure Competition looming, clean eating becomes critical 100% of the time.  I'm not talking diet (although that will happen soon enough), but eating whole healthy foods at every meal.  Unfortunately, I had to travel for work this week and thus the problems began.

I did manage three Crossfit and three BodyBuilding workouts this week.  I was also able to get in two Cardio workouts on my travel days, and will end the week with a gymnastics class (and possibly one more Crossfit WOD).  HOWEVER, sticking to clean eating, while staying in a dumpy Texas hotel was almost impossible.  And the influence of my co-workers (at least, the ones I like), with there partying ways, was no help.  Needless to say, with the exception of my eggs and bacon for breakfast, I ate mostly nuts and fruit.  I had one tolerable meal and that was grilled chicken and vegetables.  There was also the mandatory glass of wine and at least one shot of Tequila (you know, when in Rome...).  But, not a steak in sight, and we were in Texas, home of the American Cattle Rancher.  I mean WTF ... I can't believe we couldn't schedule a single meal in a restaurant with a decent steak.  Thank God I'm home!

My freezer is full of steak.  I've eaten two Filet's today to make up for all the beef I missed earlier this week.  I figure an extra steak can't do any more harm than Tequila shots, right ?  But the food is in place for tomorrow and I'll be back on track.  I'm still outside of the 12 week rule (not really sure what that is, but I understand there's no cheating or missing workouts once you hit 12 weeks out), so an extra steak here, a glass of wine there, hopefully, no harm done.  I've begged my team to let me put all travel on hold until my June competition.  We'll see how that works out!

Visually, I feel like my body is already improving.  Unfortunately, it's my shoulders and chest.  What I want to see are legs and abs.  My back is my favorite area to train, so I'm never concerned about the backside, I just know it will look great.  My arms are sticks, this never seems to change, but there are some little hills showing up :-)  I'm still feeling a little flabby, but I keep reminding myself that I'm barely doing Cardio.  I mean, really, I have 105 more days -- that's 15 weeks -- it's more than three months.  A lot of change can and will occur.

So, it's all work and no play from this point forward.  OK, maybe one or two cheats in the next three weeks, or maybe not ... I do have to wear a bikini!

I will persevere.

*********************

PERSEVERANCE

Perseverance is not a long race:  

It is many short races, one after another. 

                           ---Walter Elliot