Well, here it is… My first Blog Post. Might want to get yourself a cuppa as it appears to be a long one….
Although I joined the Team as an Athlete and Educator, prep meant a lack of brain capacity to write this.
I sit here a week post show – a week post my first Pro show win and qualifying for the Olympia! That is mad to write. This was only my second WPD pro show and I have gone from barely making the top 10 in Figure…. to top 2 in WPD! I still can’t get my head around this.
Prep had been a rocky one. To be clear, not the prep process itself. Just life causing external factors. I started a deficit back in January just as my mental health really started to take a hammering from my full time NHS work. The demand we faced as an ambulance service was the straw that broke 20 years of acute/ emergency care (no doubt i will shre more on this in the future but if you’re interested. There is a lot over on my Insta page).
We dropped calories about 20 weeks out from my chosen first show (Toronto Pro). We started dieting far sooner than I need due to the anxiety I was feeling having a detrimental effect on my appetite. In that first 6 weeks I dropped over 10kg….. I would have been ready far earlier than 4th June date we were aiming for.
We ran maintenance calories for around 5 weeks before hitting a deficit again for the remaining 9 weeks of prep. Dan kept saying that I was in a good place for a top 5 placing and the aim was to get First call outs…. well that happened. 2nd place to a competitor that had placed 2nd in 4 previous shows. Physique wise…. it was close. 1 point in it but I messed up my routine, she didn’t. Although not scored, I am sure they consider that when the points are so close.
I was over the moon with that. Prior to Toronto I was unsure (more swaying towards calling an end to the season) but being so close…. the competitor in me wanted more so back on UK soil I really DUG in the 10 days between shows. We know European judges love condition and I may not be the biggest…. but….. I pride myself on getting diced.
Spain was a totally different experience. Work related anxiety was through the roof. When anxiety is high, I struggle to self sooth and manage my symptoms as well. Poor Dan… the man has the patience of an utter saint…. his support as my partner is invaluable. Show day came and there were quite a few hiccups. Make was late, so was tan, trying to remain calm but felt off. Once what I like to refer to as “show day faffing” was done (I hate getting my make up done and am always freezing at tanning – it is a faff. The part of competing I really can’t be bothered with but is obviously a necessity) I began to settle and relax.
The rest…. well, it all fell into place. Pre judging went well, instantly moved to centre of First call out and then Final Call out with an awesome German woman.
Between Pre Judging and Finals we went back to our Air bnb to chill. Nothing like some crazy Spanish festival where people were throwing fire crackers to help relax you when you are triggered by loud bangs! Que Dan rushing me into the car back to the venue as quickly as he could, for a big guy…. he can waddle at some pace when he gets going.
Finals came, I managed to not balls up my routine… still some minor errors and wobbles but I am an utter perfectionist soooooooo. It is the first time I did that whole visualisation thing back stage, thinking through the routine, thinking of doing it right and told myself “I’ve got this”. The feeling of nailing that routine was wicked. I don’t have a dance background so i am particularly proud of choregraphing that myself.
Stood on the diagonals, side of stage…. even after they called 2nd, I still thought it might not be me. But it was. I was just numb with shock. That little old me… a paramedic from Devon, had just won a place at the Olympia! utterly mental!
So, what next!
This week has been completely chilled. No training, no cardio, intuitive eating – still weighing things to an extent but also enjoying time with Dan, friends and family. Tomorrow….. it’s head down, back at it. Around 6 – 8 weeks in a surplus before returning to a deficit in the autumn for my Olympia prep ( I have to keep writing that to help it sink in hahaha).
So, there we have it. Post show wrap up.
Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
13 comments
Well, here it is… My first Blog Post. Might want to get yourself a cuppa as it appears to be a long one….
Although I joined the Team as an Athlete and Educator, prep meant a lack of brain capacity to write this.
I sit here a week post show – a week post my first Pro show win and qualifying for the Olympia! That is mad to write. This was only my second WPD pro show and I have gone from barely making the top 10 in Figure…. to top 2 in WPD! I still can’t get my head around this.
Prep had been a rocky one. To be clear, not the prep process itself. Just life causing external factors. I started a deficit back in January just as my mental health really started to take a hammering from my full time NHS work. The demand we faced as an ambulance service was the straw that broke 20 years of acute/ emergency care (no doubt i will shre more on this in the future but if you’re interested. There is a lot over on my Insta page).
We dropped calories about 20 weeks out from my chosen first show (Toronto Pro). We started dieting far sooner than I need due to the anxiety I was feeling having a detrimental effect on my appetite. In that first 6 weeks I dropped over 10kg….. I would have been ready far earlier than 4th June date we were aiming for.
We ran maintenance calories for around 5 weeks before hitting a deficit again for the remaining 9 weeks of prep. Dan kept saying that I was in a good place for a top 5 placing and the aim was to get First call outs…. well that happened. 2nd place to a competitor that had placed 2nd in 4 previous shows. Physique wise…. it was close. 1 point in it but I messed up my routine, she didn’t. Although not scored, I am sure they consider that when the points are so close.
I was over the moon with that. Prior to Toronto I was unsure (more swaying towards calling an end to the season) but being so close…. the competitor in me wanted more so back on UK soil I really DUG in the 10 days between shows. We know European judges love condition and I may not be the biggest…. but….. I pride myself on getting diced.
Spain was a totally different experience. Work related anxiety was through the roof. When anxiety is high, I struggle to self sooth and manage my symptoms as well. Poor Dan… the man has the patience of an utter saint…. his support as my partner is invaluable. Show day came and there were quite a few hiccups. Make was late, so was tan, trying to remain calm but felt off. Once what I like to refer to as “show day faffing” was done (I hate getting my make up done and am always freezing at tanning – it is a faff. The part of competing I really can’t be bothered with but is obviously a necessity) I began to settle and relax.
The rest…. well, it all fell into place. Pre judging went well, instantly moved to centre of First call out and then Final Call out with an awesome German woman.
Between Pre Judging and Finals we went back to our Air bnb to chill. Nothing like some crazy Spanish festival where people were throwing fire crackers to help relax you when you are triggered by loud bangs! Que Dan rushing me into the car back to the venue as quickly as he could, for a big guy…. he can waddle at some pace when he gets going.
Finals came, I managed to not balls up my routine… still some minor errors and wobbles but I am an utter perfectionist soooooooo. It is the first time I did that whole visualisation thing back stage, thinking through the routine, thinking of doing it right and told myself “I’ve got this”. The feeling of nailing that routine was wicked. I don’t have a dance background so i am particularly proud of choregraphing that myself.
Stood on the diagonals, side of stage…. even after they called 2nd, I still thought it might not be me. But it was. I was just numb with shock. That little old me… a paramedic from Devon, had just won a place at the Olympia! utterly mental!
So, what next!
This week has been completely chilled. No training, no cardio, intuitive eating – still weighing things to an extent but also enjoying time with Dan, friends and family. Tomorrow….. it’s head down, back at it. Around 6 – 8 weeks in a surplus before returning to a deficit in the autumn for my Olympia prep ( I have to keep writing that to help it sink in hahaha).
So, there we have it. Post show wrap up.