New York Pro 2011

My baby & I with cousin Ricky & Irene's baby Maria

Our hotel overlooking the future Ground Zero memorial

Me with Allison & my coach 5x Miss Fitness Olympia Adela Garcia
2 amazing chicas!

Sorry, I have fallen waaaay behind on this blog due to my crazy life & a blog I started on Fitness RX magazine for women on their website. You can read it at www.fitnessrxmag.com So I am going to play catch up these next couple of days & just summerize the last few competitions I had entered in since my first as a figure pro in Pittsburgh.

Following the Pittsburgh show I entered the New York pro which was scheduled on May25th 2011. With only 3 weeks to prepare from the Pittsburgh pro I worked hard to make the suggested improvements I needed to on my physique and presentation. A week out from the New York pro and I was ready and fired up to hit that stage. I love competing in New York. I competed there last year as a bikini pro and it was my best placing as a pro ever (5th) and I had such a great experience there in New York as it had been my first time there ever. Riding the subway, the energy of the city, the sights the sounds the food, spending time with my husband's cousin & his wife, the food, sight seeing, did I mention the amazing food? haha! well it is definitely a competition of choice that I like to do every year if I can. So I was ready to go & then I received a phone call that would forever change my life on the Sunday evening May 22nd. My paternal grandmother's life had been taken with the Joplin tornado that hit her church that evening during their service. I would not find out if my Dad was still alive until that early Wednesday morning. Thank God he was spared with a crushed foot but I was devastated with the news of my Grams being taken so suddenly from me. We had a special bond that comes from a long story of when I was born but I'll spare you the details and just say that I was born on her birthday and we had a special connection. She never missed a dance recital of mine and made every Christmas dinner special at her house. She was the one who led me to know Jesus & I know that it was because of her I am a christian today. She lived in CA where I grew up before my Gramps retired & during my childhood there wouldn't be 3 weekends go by when we didn't go to their house or they to ours. Even with my competitions she was a big supporter and she would text me little messages cheering me on & congratulating me after each one. She had just texted me the day before how proud she was of how well I had done in Pittsburgh and that she would be coming to visit us in June after the kids got out of school. But that visit would never come....
I'll have to wait (hopefully a long time) for those hugs and kisses again and to hear her warm familiar voice. But after thinking and praying about it I new that I had to go forward with my competition in New York. I knew in my heart that that's what she would want me to do so I did and I finished 4th, my best placing EVER in the pros!

T-minus 7 days!

Wow! 1 week to go! Where is the time going? At this point taking it day by day trying to get my workouts in with a different diet that is lower on the energy supply. I say no to just about anything asked of me as I'm feeling the pressure of getting everything done before my flight to Pittsburgh. It seems like drama is a requirement before a competition just to stir things up to make it interesting. One of mine these last couple of weeks were my purse getting stolen out of my car. That threw a wrench into the workouts but I can't let that undo all the work I've put into this competition for the last 9 months. No it wasn't that easy to dismiss at first but I will spare you the details & other drama & cut to the lesson when I say things like this WILL happen, you are not alone & it is a test to how much you can take & still cross the finish line with your best finish?
A huge part of these fitness competitions is mental. You need determination, discipline, a strong will, confidence, determination and a positive mindset. Every competition has brought different challenges for me & for every one, I try to take a lesson learned from it. A huge part of my excitement to compete in Pittsburgh are seeing my friends that shared my experience last year. I have wonderful memories of Pittsburgh 2010 and I feel like I'm going to a high school reunion. The friends I've made competing in different cities around the country have made for a wonderful support system of people who understand what you go through to compete. So with any competition you decide to participate in, don't keep to yourself in a corner with your headphones & your game face on. Reach out & get to know the other people competing with you. You have something in common & you might make some wonderful friendships. Really enjoy the experience for what it is....yes, it's a competition, but it's not just about winning or losing. For me, I've found that the connections you make with others are the most valuable trophies you will take away. I'm looking forward to goofin off with my sistas & brothas at the Veteran's memorial building again and eating chocolate backstage with my girls! oooh, can't think about chocolate now, gotta get thrue these next 7 days! lol!

Some pics from Pittsburgh Pro 2010

4 WEEKS OUT!

So I'm 4 weeks out from the Pittsburgh pro & I'm feelin good! Kicking up the cardio has really made for some good changes I think. I missed last week's post as I had a lot of things on my plate. My youngest who is VERY allergic to fire ants was bitten during recess 3 times in 2 weeks & it was a little scary there for a bit. We almost lost him a few years back when he was bitten once so it is a big deal in our house when he gets bitten. Luckily he's just fine now. When God gives us extra helpings on our plate, all I can do is take it 1 day at a time, focus on the priorities like family & training. I go into what I call "shutdown mode" & stay off the computer, cell phone, no recreational activities except what's absolutely necessary so I can take care of family & stay on track for the competition.
Someone recently asked me, 'What do you do when your friends or family invite you out to eat or to a movie where there is all kinds of temptations?" I said, "This close to a competition, I am laser focused & I think to myself (& sometimes tell people when I get really annoyed by their, "Oh eating out one time isn't going to kill you") Why do people love to try to break you down?? Anyways, I say, "Your friends &/or family don't have to get up on stage with you & have their pictures posted on the internet.....ahhh ha! Thanks for following & these will be my last set of pictures until the big day. Love & light, Alea

6 Weeks Out!

Well, I'm six weeks out from the Pittsburgh Pro show & I'm feelin like I've made some progress this week. Stepping up my cardio (excuse the pun, tee hee :) has really helped & I'm finally starting to feel in touch with my inner figure girl, lol. The diet is not hard per se but it has been the biggest hurdle this week. I'm a little grouchier than usual as I'm craving no-no foods & can't have them. It doesn't help when Adela eats a Snickers right in front of me!! Just you wait Chica, payback is a bruja :P Having a lot of fun helping Adela get ready for the NPC Adela Garcia Classic. It's going to be an epic event! If you can make it happen, enter to compete, sponsor or come & see the show on June 25th. Go to www.adelagarciaclassic.com for info. At this point I'm taking it day by day just trying to focus on just getting every meal in & getting the workouts in & still able to keep up with the kiddo's school & activities. My plan of action this year is getting my cardion in the am done before they get up & then I get my workouts in while their in school (except for the nights I teach class at the gym) so as not to take away from our time together too much. My amazing hubby has been cooking their dinner most nights so I won't be tempted to indulge in their food. I am so blessed to have a supportive team. Thank you family, Adela & O.F.F. Challenge, FMG & friends!

OT- Getting Confirmation

I want to share an experience I had Monday afternoon. This is off topic but in my opinion pertinent to part of the why I do what I do. In between the kids, teaching classes at the gym, my workouts & cardio I've been trying to fit in getting my business off the ground. I have a vision of working with women (with a focus on moms) to help them help themselves have a better quality of life starting with fitness and integrating several other key components that I won't go into here. So anyway, I met with a potential client who is a working mother of four for a consultation. As she began to explain why she had called me and what she wanted me to help her with she became emotional. I could hear the frustration and feel how desperate she was for a change in her life. As a mom, I have been there and I see how prevalent it is in our society. Moms so often put themselves last on the list and give so much of themselves until they have nothing left to give. What they don't realize is that in the end everyone suffers as a result of their martyrdom. Starting an exercise regimen can be such a stress reliever and when your body changes you start to feel better about yourself.
I was starting to get discouraged about putting more into this business right now and then out of nowhere I got this call from this mom whom I've only met once before through my daughter's school and just happened to have given her my card. She called me after looking at my website and after having our consult together I knew it was God sending confirmation that this is what I need to do.

8 1/2 weeks out

This is 8 1/2 weeks and they will be the last photos taken before my cutting phase starts. The suit is not right but we're working on that and I feel pretty thick but then I haven't started cardio yet so this is where the fun begins, seeing how the body transforms with both proper nutrition and workout plans provided by my wonderful coach Adela. Thank you Adela for all of your guidance, encouragement, knowledge & support. I am very blessed to have a husband, coach, and friends who support & encourage me. It makes the journey more meaningful and it helps to give me that nudge I need to get to the gym sometimes when I think I'm too sore to workout or to stick to the nutrition plan when people around me are eating pasta. lol, THAT'S hard! You can have a great support system around you and purchase a plan from the best coaches but they can't control what you put in your mouth or how many workouts you get in. There is sooo much self-discipline involved on my part & what drives me are 2 things: I am representing my family, coach, manager & team and don't want to let them down, AND my contest photos will be posted on the internet. :P

My Dedication to Mommy Glenda

My Pittsburgh Pro competition on May 7th is dedicated to my Mother-in-Love Glenda. She was always sooo supportive of my competitions & loved to talk about my training & experiences at different shows. She would call me 'Superwoman', lol. She and Dad Lito, as well as the rest of their family came to Culver City last March to cheer me on for my first Pro show. Mommy you are an inspiration to me and you are truly the superwoman I want to be. I often draw upon your many words of wisdom you had given me over the years. As I go through my training for my competition I will think of how courageous you were in your life. Your ability to be so loving & so positive in difficult situations inspires me to be a better person. Thank you for all the gifts you've given us with your just being you. We miss you so much already...

Gettin 'Sophie' with it!

My hubby always makes me laugh. Here in this video we're goofin at the gym where I'm trying to get thru the end of a back workout & I'm tired & sore. I always tell my class members to get mad & growl if you have to to get thru it, lol. So here Aziel is reminding me to "Get Sophie with it" to finish the exercise. Sophie is our little Pom Pom & when She is playing tug-o-war with a toy or the kids are teasing her, she growls & gets all crazy-eyed like a crazy fox. This is my imitation of her & it helps me finish the set with laughter :D

11 Weeks out- Posing practice

These are a little dark, sorry, but you get the idea. These were taken 2 weeks before the Arnold Expo during a posing practice with Adela & my teamies Shelsea & Emily with O.F.F. Challenge. Posing for figure is sooo different than Bikini (duuuuh, Alea!) I am such a perfectionist & I just can't stand it when I can't do something great right away. I have always been a stickler for proper form. Ever since I was little I used to try my hardest to do every move perfectly to stand out from the rest & impress my teachers. This day of posing was very frustrating for me as I couldn't get the feel for how to get my lats out. My hubby Aziel & Adela would encourage me that I was getting it but I wasn't feeling I was in control of it yet & that to me wasn't getting it. We are usually our own worst critics but then if we weren't we wouldn't push ourselves to be greater, would we? I could practice my Bikini posing all day long with confidence but this time it was my turn to feel what it was like to be out of my element. On that day I learned that I wasn't gonna get it perfect in one day but don't think I didn't go home & practice for 4 more hours! lol! Determination is my best friend right now :)

17 Weeks Out From Pittsburgh Pro

So Here are some pics taken 17 weeks out in January. The suit is a little off & just learning how to pose. :)