Ms Olympia
Fitness OlympiaDo the challenges you face seem to be getting more daunting? Most likely that means you're making real progress.
The challenges have grown stronger precisely because you've reached a higher level of effectiveness. In meeting those challenges you'll create a path forward where none existed before.
With what level of challenge are you willing to live? That will determine the level of accomplishment you reach.
Working through the biggest challenges will bring you the biggest rewards. Real and lasting value is created by solving the most difficult problems.
With each challenge you grow stronger. And then an even greater challenge comes along, giving you the opportunity to climb ever higher.
Diligently work through a few challenges, and soon you'll find yourself looking forward to them. See the real value in challenge, and you'll see the way clear to whatever you choose to accomplish.
-- Ralph Marston
"Nothing in life is guaranteed, but we’ll throw this one out there as the exception to that rule: when the dust settles on Saturday night at the Orleans Arena, there will be a new champion at the Figure Olympia.
That realization comes in the aftermath of Davana Medina’s announcement that she is pulling out of the Figure Olympia in the eleventh hour. Davana Medina, a three-time Figure Olympia winner and the only champion in the three-year history of the event, could not be reached for comment. Davana Medina’s withdrawal opens the door for several competitors to stake their claim to the Figure Olympia crown. At the top of that list are Jenny Lynn, Monica Brant-Peckham and Mary Lado.
Jenny Lynn and Monica Brant-Peckham have been in the top three in all three of the past three Olympias. Jenny Lynn was the runner-up to Medina the past two years, while Monica Brant-Peckham placed second in 2003 before finishing third behind Davana Medina and Jenny Lynn in 2004 and 2005.
Mary Lado, the reigning Figure International winner, placed fifth at last year’s contest, her first appearance on the Olympia stage."
Written by Flex Online
Here's a couple of photos taken in my work gym the morning of the ADF Titles. My weight was 53.94kg and condition was 90%. :o)
Lucky me.....I had the whole day off work today. *yipee* It was a perfect spring day, so myself and my helpful husband decided to get outdoors and do some gardening and tidy things up. Tomorow our lawns and edges are being cut so once that's done everything with look lovely. :o)
Yet another package arrived this afternoon, this time it was Survival from the Fittest. And yes, yet another cookbook for my fast growing collection. LOL!! It's a companion cookbook to Survival for the Fittest from the althletes of the AIS. Rae said that cookbooks were figure competitors porn. LOL!! I thought that was just hysterical, mainly becuase it's true. And then to top it off my email in reply to hers got blocked at her end due to my using the word "porn" in it. If only they knew. LOL!!
Not much more to report at the moment, pretty boring I know. I'm back dieting and training again as if nothing had ever happend this week. It's funny how quickly it comes and goes, thankfully there's another one just around the corner. ;o)
Have a lovely evening. xo
Lia Halsall
1st Place: Womens - Tall
3rd Place: Womens - Overall
Daniel Halsall
1st Place: Mens - Short & Best Posing Routine
3rd Place: Mens - Overall
I know I know...........what took me so damn long. LOL!! Trust me, it wasn't my intention. :o) If I didn't post right this very second I would be fearing for my life from all the harassment I've received for me to post results and a picture. LOL!!
* Note To Self: "must blog results and a picture before going to bed after competing otherwise I will be continuously harassed by family and friends. LOL!!"
In all seriousness though, I am totally overwhelmed from all the support that I've received in the last 24 hours. It's incredible to see just how many people truly believe in me. So in saying that, I just wanted to say a HUGE HEART FELT THANKS to all of you who left me comments, sent emails, text messages and rang wishing me all the very best of luck. I honestly couldn't do what I do without this kind of love and support. :o)
Stay tuned for results! ;o)
Morning Rebecca,
I received your comment thank you very much it was truly lovely. I did publish it but for some reason blogger has done something with it becuase I now can't find it. I just wanted to post this lfor you letting you know all the circumstances as your comment was greatly appreciated. It's people like you and comments like yours that motivate me so please please post again. I look forward to hearing from you again. ;o)
Cheers,
Lia
xo
That's me. . . .jumping for joy today. 1 SLEEP TO GO! Can you believe it, it's incredible how quickly time rolls around and before you know it I'll be back up on that stage again. *yipee*
FROST BITE everyday food fresh from the freezer written by Susan Austin is my lastest addition to my growing cook book collection. I was walking on the treadmill in the cardio room at work earlier this week when she was guest appearing on Huey's Cooking Show. What I really liked about her book wasn't so much her recipes but the fact that it was written with freezing food in mind. There's a lot of useful information about freezing which for someone who bulk cooks and freezes could certainly benefit from. Any way of improving my process and ensuring even better tasting meals has my vote so I went out and bought it. Once I've read it I'll post a review on it, but so far from what I've seen there's some really great recipes that I would use. They might require a little customising to suit my dietry requirements but that's not an issue, I'm used to it. ;o)
I best make a move though, I have one more last minute trip to the supermarket. Enjoy what's left of your weekend! xo
Good Morning. . . .well today appears to be a gorgeous day for all of those who enjoy the outdoors and I for one can't wait to see what it has in store for me too. It's a great day to be alive if you ask me ladies and gentlemen. :o) 
Okay lets fast track and get you up to speed with everything. Yesterday I started the final stage of my competition preparation with a FULL BODY waxing appointment. *YIKES* I'm now hair free from the neck down and boy am I ever feeling the cold. LOL!! So to compensate for my lack of insulation to keep me warm my home is set at a nice and toasty 25 degrees at the moment. The last thing I want is to get a cold or feel uncomfortable the last two days leading up to competing. :o)
And then this morning myself and my husband are booked in for our last solarium sessions because we want a really good base tan in preparation for the tanning application. We're also very lucky in the respect that there's a local salon five minutes from home and that the owner/manager and all her staff really looks after us. It's these little things that make the difference. :o)
Of course this afternoon I'm heading over to Chapel Street for a nail appointment. No weekend of mine is complete without a trip to Chapel Street , we all know that. LOL!! It's time for a gel rebalance on my french nails and a girl's got to look her best you know. ;o)
Well that just about covers everything for now. In between all of this I'll be simply taking all my supplements, eating the right foods and drinking just the right amount of water. And most importantly rest, rest and you guessed it more rest. :o)
I'll post again soon. In the meantime have a truly wonderful weekend! :o) xo
One of the guys at work's fiance is a chef and guess what she made for him to bring into work today for us, A PAVLOVA! That's right ladies and gentlman it doesn't get any better then this. LOL!! Once upon a time this would've pushed me over the edge but not now, it doesn't bother me let alone tempt me. I never thought I'd see the day where I wasn't tempted even the slightest little bit. It's these small victories that make this journey worth while, every day the littliest differences is what makes things easier so that we can focus on the important things.
5 days and counting! Yeah baby, bring on competition day! LOL!! ;o) xo
Like the title says, this is just a quick one. I'm six days out and everything's on track for the big day. I'll post when I can but at this stage of the game there are no promises. Just know that I'm doing well and putting all of my focus into my competition preparation.
Thank you for all of your lovely comments, I really do appreciate them and have made a conscious effort to ensure that I at least reply to each and every one of them. It's the least I can do. :o)
Well I've had my dinner so it's off for a shower. Have a lovely evening and ensure you get a good night's sleep. I know I will. :o) xo
Just a quick one as I'm keen to get back to my new book The Complete Guide to Food for Sport Performance. It's an interesting read, once I finish it I'll share my thoughts and views with you all so stay tuned for that one. ;o)
This is a photo I took of the happy couple this afternoon at their Engagement Party which was held at The Point Cafe located on Albert Park Lake in Melbourne. The view was magnificant and the weather couldn't have been any kinder, a perfect spring day. :o)
Time for me to go now, I hope you all had as lovely a day as I did. xo
" DONT GIVE UP! Giving up means giving in.....giving in to failure, giving in to your fears, giving in to weakness. Jut hold on because you never know what's just around the corner and you'll never know if you gave up! "
- - S. Jurczak
That's right, even more packages arrived in the mail today for me! *woo hoo* First up was my two books I ordered last weekend and you all know that I'll have my head buried in them every chance I get this weekend. LOL!!
And secondly, Mum sent back my resistance bands which she had borrowed and had been using during the off season. I need these to pump up before competing so back into the comp bag they go. :o)
Then last but certainly not least was a package from Jo Rogers @ Style on Stage. I now have in my hot little hands two of the most simply stunning posing costumes I have ever seen. Jo Rogers has out done herself yet again. Her costumes and decoration are perfect and it's one thing I never have to worry about. This will be my second year competing and my second year of wearing her costumes. I'm using a totoally different material this year which is liquid spandex and in two colours, electric blue and an electric purple. They're a small contour padded top with inserts to compensate for loss of size and a brizilian cut bikini bottom. Both of which are decorated with swarovski crystals because you all know how much I love my bling! ;o)
And becuase her business is now a one stop shop for all bodybuilding supplies I also stocked up on my tanning products and got myself a jar of Dream Tan. Last year I experimented with my tanning process and products at all three competitions. This year I plan on doing the same so that I can fine tune the process to suit my requirements. At the end of the day you've got to find what works for you and run with it. :o)
I've been rushing home from work every day this week to check my mailbox to see if my Livestrong Wristband had arrived and it did today! *jumping up and down with excitement* I'm so happy that I have a smile on my face that resembles the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. LOL!! 
It's yet another positive motivational tool of mine to help me on those more challenging days. Rae and I always say it's the small things that matter and this is just one example of that. ;o) xo
In life there's always a positive and negative. The positive in this case is that I like what I see in the mirror and the negative is that it's going to cost me a small fortune to downsize. LOL!! That's right, I'm in the process of down sizing all my uniforms for work and because of my instructor position I have quite a few of them. :o(
When I started out on this journey of mine I simply just wanted to fit back into my existing wardrobe, not even thinking that I would supass my greatest expecatations and require an entirely new civilian and military wardrobe. Now I have the opposite problem of everything not fitting due to them being to big for me. Not to worry though, I guess I'll just have to go shopping! *insert evil laugh here*
My poor husband hopefully won't read this blog because he already thinks that me and this sport is high maitenance. LOL!! Lucky he loves me. ;o) xo
The doubts may seem strong, yet you are stronger. Because you have the ability to take action.
Doubts cannot accomplish anything on their own. You, on the other hand, can.
The doubts may at times feel very compelling. Yet the moment you start to move forward, those doubts begin to crumble.
Every action you take is a triumph over your doubts. Every little bit of progress will make the doubts smaller and smaller.
As you step forward, your doubts begin to step back. As you establish more and more momentum, those doubts quickly lose their grip on you.
When you feel your doubts holding you back, choose to venture just a little bit beyond them. You'll soon discover that you can leave them completely behind.
-- Ralph Marston
"I have had an intersting journey into my own wellness. I started 6 years ago with a coporate triathlon, then got a personal trainer and did a body for life program. That really opened my eyes about what toll my lifestyle was taking on my body. I then competed in my first figure body builing competition 2 years later. After 3 years with some success and a stack of learnings, I am now in my first year of powerlifting. I am loving this sport, and it really suts me for all sorts of reasons that my journey over the past 6 years has shown to me. I have high expectations of myself, and feel I have found the vehicle in which I can find the same level of success in my fitness life that I have in both my personal and career life."
Yet again our blog community continues to grow. Introducing Lisa, she's a lovely lady who used to compete in figure but has now moved onto bigger and better things and by that I mean POWER LIFTING! She's also a good friend of mine from over at Physique Essentials. So ladies, please make her feel welcome and be sure to go introduce yourselves. :o)
Tim Martin when he saw me at the tanning salon this week wearing my skins said I looked like a praying mantis. LOL!! I could take that two ways, either way I think it's funny. And because of an on going joke we have it's now progressed to Princess Praying Mantis. You can't half tell we're dieting and are amused by the smallest of things. LOL!!
But seriously, my skins have been a worth while investment and I couldn't imagine training with out them. I wear them riding to and from work each day and on lower body training days. I can definitely notice the difference in my increased strength not to mention recovery, little to no DOMS. :o)
I've just finished my chicken, chinese cabbage and golden squash meal. At this stage of the game FOOD IS SIMPLY FUEL! Don't get me wrong, it still tastes pretty damn good but it's all about refueling the tank ready for the next challenge. And now I'm going to enjoy a nice long black, it doesn't take long to change your taste buds way of thinking and I actually prefer my coffee without milk. :o)
Have a great day! xo
Is it really so bad that you have a difficult task ahead of you, or is that just your opinion? When the alarm clock rings, is it really so bad that you must get out of bed and go to work? Is it really so intrinsically bad that the weather is cold and wet? Or have you simply decided that it is?
To accomplish, to succeed, to get from here to there, you must go through some difficult and challenging territory. The challenges will be substantial enough on their own. There's no need to make them worse by adopting a negative attitude toward them. There are simply things you must do, things you must endure. Get them done. Get through them. Don't get caught up in assigning negativity to them.
The fewer things you consider as unpleasant, the more truly pleasant and enjoyable things you'll be able to experience. The less you fight against the obstacles, the faster you'll get beyond them. If there's something you're dreading or putting off, ask yourself. Is it really so bad? Then go on, get it done, and you'll find yourself moving steadily ahead.
-- Ralph Marston
It looks like Rae and myself are in exactly the same head space today by the sound of her post. You all know I spent my weekend doing absolutely nothing but blogging, blogging and you guessed it more blogging. LOL!! This in turn gave my body the perfect opportunity for maximum muscle rest and recovery which was just what I needed. So today I'm feeling completely energised, my muscles look full, my condition has improved and I couldn't be happier with where I'm at at the moment. *yipee*
It's funny because I rode to and from work like I was Lance Armstrong and I trained like I was Ronnie Coleman. At two weeks out from competing I'm feeling great and I'm loving it! It's almost too good to be true but it is. :o)
Well I've just finished my dinner of fish and salad so now it's time for me to shower. Good night, don't let the bed bugs bite. *giggles* xo
