Take a Chance...

Pauline Nordin...still my benchmark



Satay Chicken Pizza







"So take a chance...and don't ever look back...don't ever look back."

- from the lyrics of 'Teengage Dream', Katy Perry

Well hello! I can't believe it's been over one week since I posted.  Well...I can...I sought of went underground.  I have to admit I went through a period of uncertainty.  Sometimes in life there are too many choices, and the problem is deciding what to choose!  What a dilemma hey?  How fortunate am I that, that is about as challenging as my life gets?  Yet it is exactly what's been happening in the past week.  You could say I have been through a bit of a pyschological slump.  I have been overwhelmed with all my options about what I want to do and what my present goals are. 

In all honesty, I still haven't quite worked that out.   Though I've worked out what I don't want.  More on that later.   But after a little bit of a training lull due to illness and general confusion, I have taken some timely and wise advice from the coaching guru herself, Liz.  And that advice?....Just keep moving!

So that's what I'm doing.  And at the moment, I'm not really fussed about how I'm moving.  I'm just doing whatever I feel like at the moment.  I'm following my heart and enjoying the ride.  I figure I'll work it out on the run. 

All I know is that when I'm moving, I'm happy!

So during my 'lull' I did quite a bit of baking (and partaking in the eating of that baking...oops!).  I made my first ever pizza base, made of wholemeal spelt flour and I made one (or two) awesome pizzas.  The first (pictured) is a chicken satay pizza. I'm not very creative.  I got this recipe from a great blog called Bake, Bike, Blog.  Check it out!  The pizza was heaven!  My first attempt was thick and crusty, and my second attempt was thin and crispy and I changed the topping to ham and pineapple with tomato, mushrooms and bocconcini cheese - special request from Miss Philomena. Ahhh...Belissimo!

There endeth my food confession.  There are few more, but we won't go into detail about those, apart from having a lovely wedding anniversary dinner that AW and I had last Saturday.  A lovely dinner up at my fave place, Mt Tamborine, eating in front of warm, inviting fire place.  I even had a couple of glasses of Moscato (I'm not really a drinker).

Now...onto more important things...like training!

Once I hit my 57kg's, I didn't really have a goal.  Where do I go from here?  My goal is mainly to stay lean all-year-round, so maintaining between 57-58kg's is the aim.  The last week I've got up to my limit of 58kg's and have promptly reined in my nutrition again. 

Liz suggested doing a BB comp as a way to stay focused, so we were hush,hush about that as I didn't want to put it out there as I hadn't really decided if I was going to do it.  The What If? factor is so powerful.  I thought that was  great goal, and also to do another photo shoot at the same time.  I went along to the INBA titles at Chandler a couple of weekends ago, thinking that would put the fire in the belly.

And guess what happened?....NOTHING!  In fact I felt annoyed.  It didn't have the effect I was looking for.  It didn't inspire me the way I thought it would.

But I kept training, and that's when I got a bit unstuck, not realising what had happened.  After a little chat with coach, we kind of figured that a BB comp was not going to give me the focus and I needed to find another worthy goal.

So I've accepted that doing BB comp is really not who I am.  There!  I said it!  It sounds so appealing, and I've had visions of a ripped version of me up there on stage, strutting my stuff.  But in all honesty...that's not me.

I like the notoriety of being just me at my best and looking lean and defined every ordinary day of my life!  My dreams and visions are just a better version of me! 

I still want a Pauline butt and better legs, especially around the top of my thighs.  But I'm happy with my body and I love feeling this lean and fit.  I love the fact that I can now just about attempt any type of activity and be able to smash it - feel spent, and then get up, walk away, feel energised and be ready for the next thing...whatever life has to throw at me.   And without injury! 

Pauline - the perfect combination of lean and muscular

Last week I did an MMA class at my gym.  It's a new class called Cage Fit - a 45 min MMA conditioning class (longer than 45 mins).  And it's awesome!  No PT's  or fitness instructors taking this class...nah-ah...a MMA fighter takes this class.  His name is Nick is he's ripped!  We were waiting for him to remove his shirt, but we were sorely disappointed...lol... 



Michelle Gutierrez - female MMA fighter


Anyway.  I have to admit - it wasn't what I expected.  It was challenging but I was delighted at how well my body handled it, considering that I'd done a big leg session that morning.  No soreness the following day (only from squats and rack pulls), which we were told would probably happen.  According to Nick, our first session was 'easy' compared to the type of training that your typical MMA club does. I'd believe it.  Two girls walked out and said it wasn't for them.  We finished off with a 'cardio' session which consisted of 3 x 3 min rounds of boxing, punching, knee strikes and the dreaded 'Defence' move.

Defence is a move where you basically drop to ground like you're doing a push-up, and then jump up again as quickly as you can (it's to avoid a mid-section tackle or pile drive).  Needless to say there were alot of Defence cues in the rounds.  How stoked was I to find that I could do this move and jump straight back up, over and over?  No lower back soreness or compromising of form, and I was amazed at how strong and quick my legs moved.  A testament to all the core and leg work I've been doing with Liz!

So tonight I'm going back for more!  Nick's goal for us is to get to 10 x 3min rounds (1 min recovery in-between).  He said if we have the same group we can learn alot of technique as well as improve our fitness.  So I want to see how fit I can get.  Anything in the quest for  'fit-and-lean-for-life'!

I've  had a better week...some great leg sessions on Monday and Tuesday, followed with a smashing RPM class yesterday with Chila, burning those legs to the extreme, and then a very 'ouchy' massage.  Tonight it's MMA conditioning...tomorrow some upper body work and cardio, and Saturday it's back to Wing Chun.

Anyway...I'm hoping that I'll soon be able to put a finger on what I really want. Meanwhile...I'll just keep moving and enjoying my ordinary, everyday leanness! :P ;)

How AWESOME is my life?  Yeah...okay...just back up on a high again...Woohoo! :P