Lining my ducks up...

Hello! I am about 4 and 1/2 weeks out and I am lining all of my ducks up in a row. Tanning? Check. Suit? Check. Hair and make-up? Check. Sponsorship? CHECK!

That's right, I am now a sponsored athlete. Litehouse has generously agreed to sponsor me for this seasons competitions. This is huge! I am super stoked and now I have been re-motivated to step up my training and keep my nutrition in check. I am honored that a company like Litehouse would support my fitness pursuits, I don't want to let them down.

I recently achieved another goal of mine. I knocked out 80 sets of 7 reps of snatches in the VO2 Max 15:15 protocol. My next goal is to work towards 8 reps. Today I finished my back workout with a 5 minute snatch workout. 10 snatches per side for 5 minutes. I was trying to shoot for 100 but I only got to 91. I was reminded by Coach Danny to not focus on intensity but just go for that extra burn at the end. I kind of felt my right shoulder bothering me a bit as well.

Speaking of injuries; you want to know the dirty truth about strength training 5-6 days per week? Be prepared to encounter random minor injuries. My flexibility is not what it used to be either. My back feels stiff and my hamstrings are like cables. Would I do it all again? Damn right! The results I have gotten from this training is insane. My body looks the best it has ever looked, my strength is out of this world, and my heart feels like its made out of elastic steel. Today I knocked out sets of non-assisted pull-ups. I couldn't even do 1 2 months ago! I do balance it out with 2-3 sessions of yoga per week and I always stretch after my workouts. I can really connect with my muscles in a way that I never felt before and its a great feeling. Training is tough and yes, even for a bikini competition. I train heavy, hard, and in a no nonsense fashion. The more people tell me I can't the more I tell myself I can. And I will! Watch out Vancouver Natural, here comes lil' miss Abby from Sandpoint!

Tip for today: Commit to doing something that you thought you'd never be able to do (like a pull up) and then sit back and enjoy that feeling of achievement when you do. It's empowering!

Love and Peace,

Abby