In five short days I will take the Bikini Olympia stage for the third time! I’m incredibly excited and honored to do so. I am feeling great (thank you Detonate &
Aminolast) and am very happy with the results of the last few months of hard work. A huge thank you to Bombshell Fitness, Fitness Management Group, Gaspari Nutrition, CJ's Elite Competition Wear, my hubby, family and Central Florida support system for helping me get here! I can’t wait to get back on stage, reunite with my fitness family and meet many of you! Adding to the excitement of the weekend, this will be the FIRST TIME that my parents, sister and brother-in-law will see me compete. I’m so grateful that they are able to make the trip.
As for my prep day-to-day, the past few weeks have been really busy. It seems that as you get closer to a show, the days and weeks get shorter. Time just starts flying by while you cram in last-minute work deadlines, extra training, pre-show appointments and the occasional unforeseen circumstance.
My goal has been to just take one day at a time, plan my days the best that I can to fit it all in and to be flexible if things don’t work out as I want. From experience, having an easygoing attitude makes prepping for a show a whole heck of a lot more enjoyable for you and everyone else around you! Here’s a quick update on what I’ve been up to the last week:
Animal Rescue
As you may or may not know, animal rescue is a cause near and dear to my heart. In fact, I donate the proceeds from my 8x10 sales to the cause. However, this past week, I had a more hands-on animal rescue experience. Last Thursday, as I was running out the door to get in my training and second cardio, I was approached by the neighborhood lawn guy to help him “catch a few bunnies.” Say that again?
Apparently our neighbors who had moved out a week before left their two pet bunnies behind to survive on their own in the back yard. I was furious. These tiny domestic bunnies had little chance for long-term survival in this backyard without food, water or shelter from the hawks that circle my neighborhood.
Anyway, while this story starts pretty sad, it became a little comical when my neighbor and I clumsily chased these speedy bunnies around the yard. Have you ever tried to catch a bunny? Chasing those bunnies was like doing an extra hour of interval training. Anyway, we finally caught them, gave them plenty of food and water and then took them to a local rescue. The rescue said that they would be adopted quickly—what a happy ending! (And, I still made it to the gym that evening—albeit late!!)
Sexy Shoulders
This past week, I had the opportunity to shoot a shoulder training video series for Fitness Rx For Women online to complement the “Sexy Shoulder” feature I wrote for the October 2012 issue of the magazine. The six-part video series will be released in early October on FitnessRxmag.com and the magazine in on sale now. I’ll let you know when the videos are released. A huge thank you to Cara Cosmetics for providing make-up services for the shoot.
If you are going to the Olympia, please drop the Gaspari Booth on Saturday and say “hello!” I would love to meet you! I'll be in touch over the next week. Stay tuned!
Until next time – keep pushing toward your best!
Jaime Baird
IFBB Bikini Pro
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ifbbjaimebaird
YOUR BEST at FitnessRx for Women
Jaime Baird can be contacted for appearances through
www.fmg-fitnessmanagementgroup.com