On the 1st day she tried... On the 4th day Success!

Hey there ... I know I haven't been around lately ... But, I'm back!

At the Great Tree in Atlantic Station

So to start the month I'll recap what I've been up to.

Went back to the alma mater last weekend for the UGA v GT game!

The annual rivalry week paper put together by GT, since I work there I get a copy :-P

On our way to Downtown Athens on the Stadium shuttle

Our out of town guest Ruchi and Nirav, at least they are supporting the right team

Hot apple cider on a football afternoon in Athens

Inside Sanford Stadium

We got great seats

The hubs not so excited about how things are going

It's almost over now!

We were victorious! Instate champions!

Thursday the hubs got us tickets to the Falcons v. Saints game. My 1st game of the season!

Outside the dome

Inside the dome from the 300 section

Me and the hubs

And another victory!

Saturday I started the day with an arm shaking leg quivering crossfit workout. We also started our handstand challenge.

Then it was time to get ready for some college football.

UGA v. Bama for the SEC championship!

It was a hard fought game, all the way to the last few seconds! But, we weren't able to secure a victory :-( Our boys played with tons of heart and hopefully earned the respect of the rest of the SEC.

I was looking forward to relieving some stress from the game with Hatha yoga at Crossfit Around the Corner. We had a great turn out for class! Looking forward to getting to know everyone and helping them meet their goals.

After that I worked on my kipping pull-up and my Overhead Squat technique. Both are showing vast improvements. We found out this week that the Crossfit Open will kickoff March 7th. We don't know what's coming! It will be my 1st time participating. I just want to put up some competitive numbers. Lots of work to put in til March ...3...2...1...GO!

Health and Happiness
L

Raising the Bar for Breast

Saturday Team Crossfit Around the Corner participated in Barbells for Boobs. B4B is is a non-proffit organization whom provides funding through the Mammograms in Action program to provide screenings/and or diagnostics for uninsured women and men.

B4B has a special place in my heart as it was my 1st exposure to Crossfit Olympic lifting, and it was the event that got me hooked.

This year they made it a week long event and kickoff was Saturday, 9:30-12:30. We had a blast!

Our affiliate chose "Grace" as our WOD, 30 reps, ground to overhead lifts.

Alicia and I tried to Rx at 95lbs, we had to drop down to 85. I got 22 in the 10min cap, but got 30 in 12:42. I am always willing to push myself to do more work for a fundraiser. Last year I had to scale down to 55lbs. Next year I want to be as awesome as our girl Brit who Rx'd!

We had a great time and my dad, Coach Gary, and Coach Mary Lou provided a buffet of Paleo goodness!

Athlete Lynn provided the boobilicious cake.

And Athlete Britt provided Paleo brownies.

Fitness and food! That's the way I roll :-)

Another great day of Crossfit.

CFGk Fitness Scale: High intensity full body power moves of cleans and jerks.

How did you promote breast cancer awareness in October?

Health & Happiness

L

I ain't scared of no ghost!

I am a huge fan of scary movies (the suspenseful ones not the slasher flicks), and scary stories, never been a fan of the live action haunted houses. I don't like other people invading my emotional space, I don't like to mess with my fight or flight reflex :-P I've heard neither flight nor fight are encourage at these attractions ;-)

I enjoy a nice controlled scare... And well I really enjoy scaring my sister :-) 

So my sis and Anthony decided we should take a trip to Netherworld! Alicia was so excited how could I say no.

The experience begins in the parking lot.

We got there pretty early, near opening so we flew through the line. 

There were 2 experiences Banshee and The Hive. Combo ticket deal, all over that.

Then through the museum; A character scared a girl so bad she fell and dropped her phone.

We had so much fun. Banshee got my adrenaline pumping and The Hive was creepy. I managed to maneuver myself to the middle position. Soooo Alicia got the biggest scares

but yeah I screamed too ;) Anthony spent most the night laughing at us.

Overall a fun night out with my sis and the hubs. 

I was able to experience one of the best  Haunted House Attractions in America, and not wee my pants :-P I was amazed by their attention to detail  and the full sensory overload that they created. It was like being on the set of a horror movie.

It was a pretty cool attraction and I am glad I gave it a try.  The sounds of my sister's screams were enough to make the whole night worth it :-) ... okay, some of those might have been mine too.

Fitness Scale: Low intensity walking, with intervals of elevated heart rate

What has been your most memorable Haunted House experience?

Health and Happiness,

L

SNBF Finale!

Recap of my SNBF weekend...

This is a photo after my last cardio and leg workout on Wednesday.

I took Thursday and Friday before the show off. Go figure...I got a migraine on Thursday so all I could do is rest, eat, and rest.  Good thing I took off  :-P

Friday, now I could be productive.
Woke up and prepped all my tilapia, sweet potatoes and eggs for the next 48 hours.
Then took a quick trip out to whole foods to get my post comp Savida wine and Pound Cake!
Mmmmm carbs!

Then it was time to pack it up:
- sheets for the hotel
- flip flops for post tan
- AM/PM suits
- post comp outfit
- pajamas
- make up
- CD of posing music
- ipod
- laptop

The best tip I ever got as a competitior was to bring your own sheets and pillowcases to the hotel, you don't want your tan to rub off on the hotel sheets.

I checked in at the Wingate at 2:30PM unpacked consumed a meal and prepped my bed.

Then it was off to CAS for my 4:00 PM drug test/polygraph and 5:00 PM spray tan with Tropix Tans.
2 more meals and in bed by 9:00 PM. I always have a hard time sleeping the night before a show, you try not to roll around to much as not to rub off the tan and have to keep the room cold so I won't sweat it off.

5:00 AM getting started early. Get a fresh layer of make up on and try to decide what to do with my hair.

5:45 AM leaving the hotel to meet the team for 6:00AM breakfast
The worst thing I could see, blue and red flashing lights, red break lights, there is an accident and it is blocking all lanes of traffic, everyone is flowing into the shoulder lane. I am completely depleted and I am struggling to focus. A tractor trailer flipped :-( I did eventually get through it, our coach got caught in the craziness too, I finally make it a lil after 6:20AM.

Hmmmm pancake time!!! I have been waiting for this all week!

Always ready for the camera ;-)

Me and my friend Jovi impatiently waiting for pancakes. This is her 1st show!

Got half of our team in this shot, we are all super focused, on fooooood!

Yes I did eat 3 plates of food before I stepped on stage, sooo much foood!

7:30AM Then it is off to Collins Hill High school for pre-judging competitors meeting. We all get our numbers and our schedule for the morning. Schedule is flipped, bodybuilders are up 1st. Less carb up and pump time :-/

9:00 AM Stage time! I am getting my pump on as the men take the stage. I am oiled up, touched up, and suit is secured.  There are 3 of us in my division. I am bigger than the year before, just hoping I can bring the full package I need. Quarter turns, most muscular, and its over! All I can do is wait and hope now!

I meet up with my mom, sister, and husband, to watch my team mates in figure and bikini take the stage, we are all looking amazing.

11:30 AM Pre-Judging wraps up. I roll with my entourage back to the hotel for 2 more meals and rest.  Some competitors break there meal plan after pre-judging, but I stay strict, if there is a tie in pre-judging I want to have the edge during final judging.

3:30 PM last strict meal before the show.

4:30 PM off to the school for finale show!

6:00 PM final judging! At this point I lose track of time.  I am so excited back stage. Rocking my new gold suit, listening to the ipod, getting in the zone.

Me, Coach Andre', Coach Adele, and Cyronne our other female bodybuilder.

Time flies by! Before I know it, it's time! I perform a 60 second routine to Alexandra Sans "Mr.Saxobeat"! I felt it went great! I have so much fun performing :-) They hand out awards immediately after, 2nd place!

Cyronne and I rocking our bling!

Intermission- hehe, Jess brought cupcakes! Strawberry with cream cheese, I literally inhale it!

I meet up with my mom, sis, and husband post show.  They all say I look more defined than I had in the evening. I ran into one of the judges/coaches and he commented that I looked better than I had in previous shows.  The hubs stays with me to watch the 2nd half awards and pose downs.

2nd half, my girl Jovi sweeps Novice Figure! We have several girls place top 5 in Novice bikini, and our girl Kristina wins Novice Bikini. We did great as a team we always bring back lots of bling. Top 5 in every category I believe.

After all the fun, we meet with the judges. I always meet with at least 3 judges after the show. It is good to get several different perspectives. Thee feedback I got was that I was plenty lean, they enjoyed the performance, but I need more mass overall and need to define my abs. For some reason my abs went flat on stage this year, not sure what happened.  Talked with the coaches to give them the judges perspectives. We discuss a plan for carbing up and gaining more mass...next perspective show July!

Grabbed Anthony and met with Tashawn and Jovaghn to go grab dinner at Twisted Taco! Fiesta de Carbs! ;-)

Refueled, showered and refreshed, and off to bed!

It was a great night! A week off in Cancun and then back on the mass gain train ;-)

Health and Happiness

L

It's HULK week...*7days*

It is Hulk week aka HELL week.

HELL week, the week before competition when carbs get reduced, diet gets stripped down to the cleanest elements, and we do everything we can to get that pre-show shred without peaking too soon.

Hell week turns me into a Hulk. Hulking, characterized by shortness of temper, inability to form coherent thoughts, bouts of rage, grunting in lieu of structured sentences, intense hunger, irritability, and exhaustion.

My current program includes 2 bouts of cardio a day while carb cycling.

Waiting to see what my new 7 day meal plan looks like? 

Last 2 seasons included ample amounts of eggs, tilapia, and asparagus. Publix had a sale on tilapia so I stocked up in preparation. I was eating more than a dozen egg whites a day :-P

I definitely understand this dude, this is me on day 3 of hell week...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzHnVw-kTa4

it's why I take off from work for the last 2 days of the week, I would not be able to function :-P

Alritey, back to football and hydration,

Health and Happiness,

L

Dragon-Con Weekend

It was another entertaining DragonCon weekend.

No hour long lines this year, we did early registration so there was no wait to pick up our passes on Friday.

I started my Saturday with a run workshop with my folks at Crossfit Around the Corner.  I finally learned to run in my NB minimus shoes, it is all about the forward lean.

Then I made my way downtown for the DC parade, an Atlanta Labor Day tradition.  We've been going at least the past 3 years just for the superb peoples watching ;-)

Sunday we dove into panels, and lots and lots of walking, I am sure I got my cardio for the day.  Next year, definitely wearing the pedometer. The boys wanted to go see Stan Lee speak, but alas he did not make it...sooo yaaay we get to hangout with my 1st pick! Adam West, the original Batman.

(this is not Adam West, this is me enjoying Adam West, hilarious,

 guy seems more like his family guy character than batman :-P )

Here's the whole gang waiting in line for "What Would Carter Do?". In case you've never seen it Eureka is an amazing SyFy series that just wrapped up there final season, you can watch it on Netflix :-)

The hubs, Andrew, and Kristin, the D*con gang.  We also went to the Venture Brothers panel (an adult swim cartoon series) and got to watch the 1st 5 minutes of their Halloween special.  We had a great time, I dressed up last year, but this year just decided to go with theme shirts.  Next year, definitely costuming it up again. 

Finished the long weekend with a CrossFit Team WOD on Monday, I am "batgirl"!

Team WOD: 200M, 100 box jumps, then 5 rounds of pull ups, push ups, and squats; then 200M, 100 ball slams, push ups, sit ups, and squats. There was a 30 minute cap, and we did not finish (DNF) but my team put in a ridiculous effort, everyone gave 100% I know, the panting and sweat drenched shirts were proof!

In other news, we got our anniversary shoes in over the weekend.

Aren't they cute. We made custom Chucks as an anniversary gift to ourselves :-)

Mine are Gold and Green with a Coral trim, our wedding colors and I added the tie-dye and skulls well cuz I'm a lil bit hippie and a lil bit rock n roll ;-)

Health and Happiness

L