Whirlwind

This time of the year has really picked up! My capstone is taking up more time as we complete the execution and my weekends are filled with a thousand and ten different tasks. Since talent is something I struggle with after the great ankle injury of 07, I’ve found a tap class in Norman and have been attending for the past few weeks. It meets every Thursday evening and has not only helped my memory, but has broken in my tap shoes and strengthened my technique. I had not taken a tap class since high school, so I often forget what steps are called and it sometimes takes me a few minutes to correct my sounds, but it’s really nice to have the opportunity to better my skills.

Our tap teacher is like a character out of a book. With just a handful of “adults” (more like young college students) in the class, he often peppers his teaching with anecdotes of shows he was in or tales of famous performers. We dance to songs from “Pink Martini” and classic Broadway shows, never anything dating past 1980! At the end of every class, though the students always ask if we can do a wing combination, he insists we must end with buffalos. After class, I tend to stay for a while and run my talent selection for Miss Oklahoma since the studio allows a lot more space than my living room!

I met with Brian of Results Fitness USA again last week, and he gave me a new full body workout and increased my cardio. He took measurements to see the change in my body and I was really pleased with the results. Brian is very supportive and I’ll be back in three weeks to check in and change it up! Though I’m not much of a morning person, I’ve been waking up early to add in the changes and continuing to stay on top of my diet plan. It’s amazing how good chocolate protein bars begin to taste when you forget what real chocolate is like! He also sent me home with chocolate chip protein cookies which are just about the best things I’ve ever had in my life. Kimberly, my future roommate and former competitor, also gave me an awesome (though cheesy) idea. She said I’ll feel a little ridiculous, but I made a chart and get to put a sticker on the chart every time I complete my work outs, a healthy day of eating, and my weight routine. I LOVE stickers, so it’s just another way I’m trying to hold myself accountable!

I have had such great fortune in terms of sponsorship and ad sales for Miss Oklahoma and could not feel more supported by family and friends. Many people have contributed to making my journey successful and I can only hope to make them proud! I have to turn in ad sales next Saturday and have started designing the pages so I won’t be up all night like last year. I had no idea what to do or expect when making the ads in my rookie year, but I think I’ve got it down now! Also, ticket orders are due Saturday so if you would like to purchase a package which includes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday prelims and Saturday finals, let me know! The prices are: $100 Bronze, $200 Silver, $300 Gold. Individual tickets are also available for $30 or $50, or if you’d prefer to wait, you can buy them at the door.

I’ve also met with my dance teacher a few times in the past week and am feeling wonderful about the changes we’ve made! She’s so much fun, and I appreciate that I am able to tell her what I like or don’t like, or what isn’t working for me. I got caught up on a cramp roll turn at tap class last week and had a scary twist of my ankle. It’s just a little sore, but mostly it just scared the pants off of me!

I’m working with several schools to schedule a date/time to speak to their students, but am still pursuing many other schools as well. Persistence pays off!! I have a great and timely message to share and am hoping to include schools outside of Norman too! Please let me know if you have a friend who is a counselor or principal at ANY elementary/middle school in Oklahoma and I will find a time to make it to their part of the state! I am determined to increase awareness of RA and help students suppress it within their schools.

Saturday is Miss Oklahoma contestant’s day! I’m not exactly sure how this weekend will all pan out, mostly due to my class schedule. I’m taking a Strategic Fashion Communication course and in addition to meeting every other week, our professor flies in from Hong Kong to teach us for an entire weekend. Friday I have class from 2:30-9:30, I’m missing Saturday for contestant’s day, and Sunday I have class again from 8:30-6:30. It will be a VERY exhausting weekend to say the least!

Contestant’s day is a lot of fun, even though it is a full day of pageant-related activities. In the morning, each contestant showcases her talent selection for approval and submits more paperwork plus the ad pages I have been working on. Somehow, I have the fortune of landing in the early group and will perform my talent fourth. The first group begins at 9 am and the second begins at 10 am. Afterwards, we are given information about the pageant, judges, and learn part of the opening number dance. Last year we learned about the theme during Winter Meeting, but this year Kent has kept it a secret. I’m really excited to hear about what he has in store for us! Later we will have lunch and draw for placement (the order we will compete in).

I’m most excited to see my pageant friends, particularly since we are all so busy and rarely get to spend time together. I’ll also be able to meet other contestant’s I didn’t get to meet at Winter Meeting. ALSO! Selby will be in town! YAY!!!! On a side note, my gown should be in within the next two weeks…I just can’t wait to get my hands on it! This coming weekend will be tough,  but the job of Miss Oklahoma is just as time consuming and exhausting. Since Miss Oklahoma is the goal in sight, I’m looking at this weekend as another challenge to conquer in preparation for the crown. Let’s just hope I can catch a little sleep somewhere in there!

Getting RESULTS

Early Saturday morning (we’re not talkin’ 11:30 am, I mean NINE AM!), I took a bold step towards achieving a huge goal – I met with a personal trainer. Swimsuit is an area which I’ve always been about average in. Typically, I can’t accept average – but when it is the difference between eating a cinnamon roll or a celery, I have gladly selected the cinnamon roll.

Until the later years of college recently, I hadn’t even stepped foot on a treadmill, elliptical, or that scary high stepper machine. After dancing for years, my body had always been in shape and I was very fit and healthy (aside from the fact that I ate absolutely no greens). As my body has matured (and I stopped dancing daily), it has taken a more womanly shape. Sure, I’ve always had a small waist and hips that are larger (yet proportionate) in comparison, but when you’re 5’2″ gravity (or the cinnamon rolls) has to set in at some point!

One of the goals I set for myself this year is to win swimsuit. At Miss Oklahoma, that’s quite a feat! This year one of the swimsuit winners went on to become Miss Oklahoma and win swimsuit at the national level. Needless to say, the competition is pretty thick (not literally, they’re all quite thin, muscular, and ripped!). In order to achieve that goal, I decided to work with someone who not only pushed his clients, but set feasible and realistic standards.

Brian Attebery and I met on Saturday morning, which was an hour drive from my hometown, Shawnee. If I’m waking up before 7:30 am to be somewhere, you know it’s a big deal! Brian was exactly what I expected and more. He is intelligent and seriously knows what he is talking about. Somewhere he lost me in the explanation of how blood sugar, glucose and other scientific words work, but in the end it all made sense and I was ready to take off the body fat and put on muscle!

While Brian is super smart (he’s a Sooner alum – need I say more?), he is also very concerned about teaching his “girls” how to maintain a healthy, manageable lifestyle. He doesn’t believe in crash diets or three hours of cardio a day – lucky for me! Brian’s plan is very realistic and he understands that college students have a lot on their plate and a packed schedule. He worked with me to create a meal plan revolving around foods I will actually eat, and provided options as well so I won’t get burnt out.

After typing up a healthy, balanced diet, he created a workout regimen with various forms of weightlifting and cardio. I have scoliosis, causing a lot of back pain, but Brian was very knowledgable about working with a spine curvature. He took that, and my bum ankle, into consideration when designing my plan, giving me a safe work out to follow. Another pro about Brian is that he actually cares about the people he works with. I felt like I actually got to know Brian. He learned about my family, school and we even found a few commonalities!

Now that the initial meeting is complete, I just have to do what he says. I’m determined to lead a healthier lifestyle and develop positive work out habits. Though easier said than done – in the long run my body will thank me!