L.A-Las Vegas-Mexico City

Wed 22nd:.
What a brilliant bunch at Virgin Australia! Of all the long distance flights ever done, I have to say that this was probably the most pleasant, comfortable and the onboard team were by far the lovliest crew ever. After 13hours in the air, we arrived at LAX pretty fresh and unphased, which is unheard of.
Thur 23rd:
A night in a hotel at the airport before catching a very early(up at 430am) flight to Las Vegas.The realisation that we had hit USA soil still not quite sunken in yet. That didn't happen until we were settled in Las Vegas and breathed a big collective 'ah we made it'. The leg to sin city, was short and sweet, 40min in the air to be exact and on to our hotel, The Orleans; host hotel and venue for the 'MR Olympia 2010'. Seeing all the very big guys and girls roaming in packs around the lobby was an amazing sight. We even sighted a couple of the pro athletes as we checked in, much to our glee. Once settled we hit the buffet for the chicken, salad and pretty much anything else you could ask for, which of course we abstained from, a task that was surprisingly easy considering the amount of fried food that was on offer....then off to the gym for the first of 3 workouts that day....the energy and excitement in the air was kinda super-electric, everyone buzzing about their top-tip for the title-was it going to be Phil Heath, Jay Culter or a random....the choice always came back to LV local, JC.
Well, no girls trip to Sin City would have been complete without 2 very,very critical things-shopping and hot men. This trip certainly didn't disappoint as we had our fill of both. I finally got to experience the famed Las Vegas outlet shopping, and OMG! If that was outlet shopping then forget the 'real' shopping, i will happily be content with the plush surroundings, super freindly and very helpful staff, awesome prices and layout that made it a very pleasant expereince indeed. My cap collection is now complete is all i will say, oh and to all who know how i have a bit of a weakness for anything bling, well yes that was satisfied too.

Oh, almost forgot, the hot men....apart from more meat wandering round the Orleans hotel than a ranch in Texas, Glamazon and I were treated to a very special experience as guests of honor.'Saffhaire Club', male review. Picked up by limo outside the Orleans Hotel and driven to the venue, we were entertained by a bevy of buff, built and very beautiful boys for the evening. All were true gentlemen, had interesting stories about living and working in Las Vegas to tell and really know how to put on a show in true Las Vegas style. Of special mention, Rico, who organised the evening,wh made us feel so incredibly welcome. Aj who kept the night rolling smoothly with his MC-ing skills and f course the whole team really made it a heap of fun & just a little bit naughty...both Glamazon and I can now rest easy knowing we have actually participated onstage in a Las Vegas show (lol).

The night before the unveiling of the worlds most honed and perfected bodies, spectators were granted the rare treat of 'Meeting the Olympians' was a wonderful opportunity to have some 'face time' with the people that have inspired the careers and aspirations of so many. For me, meeting Adela (who went on to make history by winning her 5th Fitness Olympia title this year)Garcia was a great moment. Nicole Wilkins-Lee was just as pretty in person as her photo's, Heather Mae French was a delightfully positive and bubbly lady, a little chickie like me, she really was so awesome t chat to and really loved her time 'downunder' earlier in the year. Jay Cutler was the man of the hour(and went on to take the O title), his legion of fans were out in force to wish him their biggest support, the line to see him was 3 deep and the length of the very vast room, it would have taken well over an hour to meet him. In chatting to all the figure girls above, as well as Cheryl Brown, the super sweet Dexter Jackson, Tony Freeman...I have been amazed at just how appreciative they all were that people had come to meet them and how privilaged they all were to be at the show. I asked Heather Mae French how they all coped being so depleted the day before their stage time and meeting new people and the bustling crowds, her response delighted me...'without the fans we wouldn't have a show, its because of all of you that we get to do what we love, so any chance to actually meet you gives me energy and makes me happy...i love it'....


Fri 24th:
After 2 photoshoots early (the results of which I cannot wait to see-Chaz Photography was at his creative best again and after 4 hrs i had no more outfits to wear), Glamazon and I headed off to catch the last of the O-Expo. After the wildness of the Arnolds in March, I must say I was a little underwhelmed. All the usual supplement exhibitors were there, but the stands were smaller and other than a few groups gathered around their favourite sponsored pro's, there was not really that much going on.
So we headed back to the hotel for a gym session, feed and then headed to the womens finals. The Bikini division was great and I can certainly see why they have included this into the lineup for the girls. A very, very good addition;achievable bodies for the girls coming into the sport and a firm favourite already with the audience...Sonya Gonzalez, former figure athlete, took Bikini honors with a smaller and neater package than her figure days. For a smaller framed girl I certainly think this was a great move for her, she looked amazing. On the whole the bikini girls were very, very slim and had a 'diva-licious' attitude to their stage personas which fitted well with the Las Vegas razzle. Iris Kyle took MS. Olympia, a great win but she was given a run for her money from a couple of the other girls who presented amazing form. As mentioned Fitness went to the lovley Adela Garcia, specatacular and deseved.
Sat 25th:
Onto our final destination, Mexico City. Where the first 15days will be whiled away in a carb depleted blur as i lead into my show. Glamazon organised accmodation for the days around the show at the prestigious 'Presidente Intercontinental Hotel'. Literally the prefered choice of presidents, rockstars and now Aussie Figure chicks (lol). This has to be the MOST gorgeous hotel i have ever stayed in. I am staying at the competition host hotel near the convention center in Mexico for the World Championships, head there on Thursday but for now, I am on the 31st floor overlooking the stunning sparkling blanket of lights that are Mexico City, I feel on top of the world and so very,very lucky.
One aspect we had not considered was the altitude here; Mexico City is situated over 2.250 meters (7,400 feet) above sea level and watched over by two mighty volcanoes. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, with temple ruins from the Inca's (which we will be checking out after the comps). So I must confess, I dont know if the fatigue and breathing difficulty is due to the depletion or the altitude, but either way its been interesting a couple of times-dizzy spell anyone?

So as I take leave of you peeps, thanks for sticking with the rather long post. The depletion is in full swing, I am all set with eggs and chicken after a shopping and cooking trip today. Drinking bottle water like a crazy person and testing out my crude spanish on anyone who is kind enough to be patient with me-and that is everyone, they are all soooo incredibly polite and sweet here...and glamorous too, the men and women are very chiche...I must confess to total nievity in my image of what i was to expect from Mexico City, other than being big and populated by 30million people, for want of seeming rude I had images of the people that closer resembled the characters of movies-farmers, labour workers. I have been humbly set straight on this idea and rightly so. A wnderful city and so full of life and culture, I cannot wait to experience some of it after the show.

4 days to go and all is well, the lack of stress, ease of the travel and the laughs that have been had have made this one of the most pleasant and fantastic expereices in preparing for a show I have had the privilage, to have. Meeting the other competitors on Thursday is going to be just another highlight in an already special trip.I feel so blessed to be a part of this sport......xx

Strathcone Brownlow Breakfast

An early start for Pocket Rocket this morning. With 3 days until Glamazon and I fly out, I was treated to a portion of the Grand Final festivities, despite not being in Melbourne for the event itself. As an OCSOBER ambassador, Life Education invited me to attend the annual Strathcone Girls Grammar Brownlow Breakfast.This annual event has turned into quite a prestigious aspect to the Grand final week festivities and we were treated to a number of inspirational speakers. Held at Ethiad Stadium, I had the honor of meeting Terry Wallace and yes, I even got to hold the PREMIERSHIP CUP!
I am now in the stages of training and dieting, cardio before hitting the 15hr flight to USA. I am very much looking forward to the first leg of the trip, Las Vegas and the Olympia. I have a couple of photo-shoots booked in and I am very happy I get to work with the super awesome 'Chaz Photographics' again, who has worked with some of USA and Australasia's top fitness models.
With the days whipping by, stay tuned as we get closer to the World Champs, Mexico. Remember too folks, to lend support as I go SOBER FOR OCTOBER-sponsor me and join up yourself for this beneficial fundraising and health event.
xx

A little light Motivation for HUMP DAY!

7 days till its up and away; I had a wickedly tricky day yesterday, yes depletion brain had set in well and truly. But today as the pattern goes, was soooo much better. A fantastic session, of some new, challenging and at times down right acrobatic functional exercises with DL Optima Group Fitness GURU. Got the energy fire burning bright again, to the horror of a few of my clients...(sorry guys, but you know you love it).

I invite any and all to head to 'Re-creation South Melbourne' for the 9am Spin class, this Sunday. This will be my last outing before Glamazon and I leave, so join me for the killer session, we can all get toasted legs together.

I had to share a quote, sent to me by the lovely Joanna, its gold. As summer approaches, and i hope many of you have signed up already for the Summer Body Sizzle Incentive which if you have not, you have 6 days left to get your FREE 4 week Nutrition Planner direct from moi

...so, to keep you motivated through HUMP DAY into the weekend....."are you ready for your mission? Get into the action and remember that if you stand confident under fire, the bullets won't harm you. The Game is on. It is time for you to make your move..."

You know your move, as I know mine, so to goals realised peeps...lets do this THANG!

xx

PICS: BLUSH PHOTOGRAPHY, JUICE PLUS+

Inspired

I often hear the most interesting, lame and down right extravagant of excuses as to why NOT to achieve, accomplish or act. Like with so many things in this life, the desire can be there, but the bridge between desire and action can be shaky at best. This morning I saw more determination and 'go-get-em' eagerness in a group of people who probably have more reason to rest on excuses than most.

I was proud to take the warmup for the very first, SCOPE Walk for the Disabled event at Federation Square. Melbourne, true to form was pretty chilly and windy, but they were there ready to rock and roll(literally). Scope does amazing things in caring for, encouraging and educating both the disabled and their carers. In talking to the staff from Scope, I learned just how much this organisation does to bring independence to disabled individuals in our community. The rewards of which I saw today, confident and truly remarkable people that live by the 'no excuses' motto every day of their lives. It was a pleasure seeing you all there and no matter how hard any diet, training session or day is I hope that we all take even a little insight and inspiration from your strength and determined approach to life....

12 Days to the O...RESULTS ARE IN!

Friday night and as any competitor will know, the usual routine is something like this: Cardio,eat a mini meal and plenty of rest, cooking chicken/fish. Well that's been my general Friday fun for a while now...as with most things in life, prioritising and focusing ones energies are key components to personal success. I don't like to use the word sacrifice, because really if achieving a goal is important enough, you sacrifice nothing. To sacrifice denotes a lack of choice and in this game as in so many things in life, everyone has a choice.

I would like to share with you something I received from a friend, John Pilato:
"There is a cause-and-effect relationship between your actions and the rewards that accrue to you. When you put more of yourself into your career, your personal relationships, your religious faith, and any other aspect of your life, you get more out of it.
If your ambitions are greater than simply "getting by" in life, you will never be truly happy with your company, your job, or yourself unless you do your best every day. Your harshest critic and your toughest competitor should be you."

This week, no truer words were spoken, I had set my own personal bar to step on stage this year 2% leaner than in march and ideally with an increase of 0.5-1kg lean mass. My Dexa Scan results set me on a very happy path this week. Riddled with anxiety and doubt, hoping that the changes i had made to my preparation process had not cost me the very things I have been working so darn hard to achieve-muscle mass namely- I got a very true sense of the feeling my clients get every time I pull out my tape measure..'was all the cardio this past 4 weeks enough? did I diet hard enough, have I taken my calories low enough, or are they too low? Are the weights I am lifting heavy enough to maintain lean tissue?....oh...talk about doing your own head in....but all is well, 6%BF, lean tissue up a tad from last test and happy days with 21 days until STAGE TIME. Euphoric relief would begin to describe the feeling.(lol)

So with that happy news, to more....I have recently joined the Team JP, Foundational Nutrition advocates and group of athletes and professionals. In light of my view that chemicals and preservatives should be avoided at all costs in your supplementation and diet I am so pleased to have discovered this amazing product. Training and dieting as I do, the things that are most important are my immune system and my recovery and having readily absorbed nutrients are key to these vital systems being supported. If you want to find out more about these nutrition basics

So a busy weekend awaits of training(I have a functional session with 'Optima Group Fitness, Functional Trainer, David Lancaster- who has promised to kick my decreasing arse around the gym. A much needed massage to put me back together again and on Sunday I am honored to say I will be running the warmup for the SCOPE walk for the Disabled-WALK WITH ME EVENT. 10am start time at Federation Square, I hope you will all come along to support this very worthy cause.

Have a fit, fun and happy weekend everyone and keep your personal bulls eye in firm sight, because with perseverance you will hit it and hit it hard!
xxpocket

17 days till Viva Las Vegas

As I was reminded by Glamazon this morning after one of the more gruelling spin classes we have done on a Sunday, '17 days to go'. I have been so focused on the day to day grind of cardio, calorie counting,food prep,weight training and chucking in some work on top (lol), that the days have slipped by and here we are.... So many people have been asking if I am excited about the pending trip and to be honest, right now I have hardly thought about the event in terms of how I feel about going. It has all been about the process of the lead up. Knowing me, when I actually sit on the plane about to take off, that is when the reality will set in, but for now its just business as usual and crank it all the way to the end.

So with all my bikinis in hand, flights, accomodation and even a photo shoot booked. Some work to do in Las Vegas for the wonderful 'IRONMAN Magazine' and 'Women's Health & Fitness', plus the Mexico leg of the trip under control, I feel as ready as one can be. I have been working so hard with my training and with the super cool and supportive Glamazon heading over with me I feel ready to take on the international challenge for a second time this year.

I have always maintained that every single show I have ever done, and after 6 years of competition, there have been a few, it is always a different experience. No preparation ever repeats itself in outcome, expectation nor delivery. There are of course the things you work out along the way that work for yourself and the things that don't, but often little nuances can alter each time. This World Championship preparation has been one of the more intensive experiences. It has tested my inner strength and mental strength on more than one occasion and has proven to me tenfold, that no matter what external pressures or constraints exist the only person who really has any control on the outcome is ME. When you allow your focus and attention to be drawn to any negative influences around you, you have lost before you even begin. So many it seems are ready to fold when things get really tough, to give in because it seems the easiest option, ready to skulk away to a dark corner and curl into a ball until the pressure passes. Life can lead you on a merry dance at times, something I have certainly learnt is that just when you think you have it all figured out, you will get a curve ball and how you deal with the curve ball will determine if you get a wild, cool experience that leads to more wild, cool experiences or if the curve ball throws you completely off the track you were on, grazes your knees and covers you in dust. I hope that like me, you dont do dust and grazed knees very well, but rather hang on for dear life and hurl that ball with all your strength from whence it came....cause really, that is the game, isn't it? Throwing that ball right back and seeing what happens is your part of engaging in the game. If you don't, then where is the fun in that?

So, Las Vegas and Mexico, I am throwing you the ball, please make the return exciting, challenging and above all an experience. I am ready for a cool and wild ride with loads of positivity and engaging people to meet along the way...Glamazon's on track and on board too....SO BRING IT!