Canuck Corner With Natalie Waples #26
Well October is officially here which
means the 2013 Olympia Weekend has come and gone, and what an amazing experience it was! This year was my third on the Olympia stage and it was by far the best I have felt with regards to my physique and overall presentation. However, the Sunday evening before the Olympia I started to feel ill and woke up Monday with an insane fever and a throat that felt like it had glass shards running down it. I slept for 12 hours Monday (7am till 7pm), had nothing to eat, and only drank a litre of water (which is unacceptable while water loading!) and then dragged myself to work for 3 hours on Tuesday as I had to travel Wednesday and had a ton to do. My boss told me to go home at which point I went to the fish market to get tilapia, went home and cooked, went to the doctor’s office (where I was diagnosed with severe strep throat), picked up my prescription, picked up the rental car, finished my groceries, and then went home to get all my final packing done. Now the good thing is that I had packed the majority of my suitcase on Sunday, so there was really only cooking to do, but have you ever tried cooking for 4 days worth of travel when you are ill? Not fun.
All that to say, I had already started to feel better on Wednesday after I started my antibiotics and medicated throat spray. It was a 14 hour travel day, but I was greeted by a limousine service, shuttled to my hotel, and was in bed shortly after – hello Vegas! On Thursday one of my best friends flew in from the East Coast to spend the weekend with me, and I was able to meet with my coach Damian Segovia to talk about game plan. Everything had to be changed barring how sick I had been, so I was very thankful to have my coach in Vegas with me. The Meet the Olympians was a tremendous event (the busiest of the years that I can remember) and then prejudging came on Friday. I didn’t have any expectations going into the Olympia – the best of the best in the world are on that stage – so barring I placed 16th, I was really pleased with how I looked and how comfortable I felt on stage. It really was a great experience. Gennifer Strobo and I were chatting backstage and she was mentioning how she had been expediting at a national level show recently, and there were several competitors there who she had competed against as an amateur, who were still trying to win their pro cards. It can be easy to take our opportunities for granted, but she said to me that being at her 4th Olympia, a stage that only a minute percentage of competitors will ever see, was all the more special because it is such a coveted spot to be in. I concur!!!!
Outside of the Olympia I did a couple photo shoots, one of which I have attached a sample poolside shot, and also some well deserved shopping.
So now that I am back home, I am preparing for an upcoming photo shoot as well as taking some time off in order to make some improve
ments for 2014. One of my faults is that I compete A LOT (7 shows each in both 2012 and 2013) and I am in dire need of a break. So rest, recovery and restitution are an order for the next few months. Time to focus on rebuilding some muscle and spend some time with my friends and family.
As I mentioned, it is October which means it’s the month of the pumpkin! Canned pumpkin (no salt added) is low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E , Magnesium, Potassium and a very good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin A, C and Iron. 1 cup contains just 83 calories, 7 gms fiber, 20 gms carbs, 1 gm fat and 3 gms protein. It is also a great anti-inflammatory, so what could be better after a workout? Spice up your post workout routine and get into the autumn swing of things by trying this delicious smoothie!
1 scoop of your favourite whey protein isolate from Popeye’s (I like Nutrabolics’ Isobolic in Cinnamon Oatmeal)
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 cup water or skim milk or non dairy alternative
1 cup ice
Pumpkin spice and or cinnamon for flavour
Blend until smooth and serve ice cold!
Happy training Everyone!
Natalie
Natalie Waples
IFBB Figure Pro
www.nataliewaplesfitness.com
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