CRAIG PRODUCTIONS LLC

It’s Christmas evening and we’re winding down at the Norton home. All our celebrations have come to a close. We did most of our celebrating last night on Christmas Eve and this morning. The Christmas morning hustle and bustle this was short lived, but joyful as always!

I enjoyed today’s festivities and foods, to the point of stuffing myself silly. I stuffed myself to the point of feeling sick….can’t wait to get back on plan tomorrow.  So much so, that I did my meal prep for the next few days this afternoon. I want to make sure there is NO problem getting back on plan on Monday morning. I feel like such a slug tonight, I’m actually really looking forward to early morning cardio!

Aside from Christmas being a major holiday to look forward to, it’s been a dangling milestone for Emerald Cup prep. After Christmas the real work begins, for the countdown for Emerald Cup is here. I've never done contest diet or training. I've watched my dear friend and trainer Julie Michaelson compete over and over, and I've seen her suffer. I've also seen her triumph over and over again, which drives my motivation even further!  Julie has told me " to prepare for battle" after the holiday.  My first thought, is what the hell have I signed up for!!! I just want a fit bikini body.  I don't expect a trophy or to even place, I just want to step on stage in the best shape of my life. The truth is, I have no idea just how hard this journey is going to be. I do know this is going to be the one hardest things I've ever done. I have no intent of stepping on stage without giving 100%+.  I also have no intent of disrespecting the sport my not giving my all. I say bring it! I'm READY! Time for some REAL suffering! This is going to be one helluva transformation and journey!!

I leave you with a image of my youngest. Preparing for a nerf war! If only contest prep was that easy :) Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

!

Tags: tiara emerald cup figure inspiratio | Emerald Cup YouTube Julie Michaelso | inspiration | Bikini | cardio

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So I have today off from both work and school! This is a first. The funny thing is how quickly I was able to fill up the day with things I need to get done. All last week I was thinking, "Wow...I'll have Thursday off - I can relax, do some cardio, do some lifting, maybe do some hw"...But it sure did fill up. I'm meeting my nutritionists today, then heading to Bellevue to train with Pete,then heading to school to meet one of my groups to start our project...Then most likely by the time I get done with that, it will be time to hit the sheets for another glorious day tomorrow!

The good news is that I was able to sleep in until 8:00am! That's LATE for me! And BOY did it feel good! I woke up this morning...drank my ABB Speed Shot Intensity and then off to the gym I went for my AM cardio! My cardio felt amazing to be honest. The first 5 min. were a little rough, but then it was pure drive, determination and fierceness. At this point in time I'm doing whatever it takes to get myself ready to step on stage next weekend. I push all doubts and excuses out of my mind and roll with it. As I've mentioned before, it's like I turn into a robot and just go through the motions of what I need to do. There's no time for contemplating my cardio or training sessions - I just do it. No questions asked...No hesitations...Just ACTION!

I'm excited to put together all the details for ECUP this weekend. Since I have school next week (even papers due and presentations) I'm going to get as much done this weekend in order to be less stressed next week. That means that I need to lay out my suit, shoes and outfit for the ECUP this weekend. I need to get my nails done. I'll have to buy some more Crest Whitening Strips and wear those all next week ....Gotta sparkle ;) I'm also going to touch base with my sister and make sure all my hair plans are figured out! My sister works at a salon in DT Bellevue and she's AMAZING at styling/cutting/coloring hair! So she'll be taking care of my hair Saturday morning...Thank goodness because I'm completely wacko when it comes to doing my own hair! Then I have my make-up appointment with Jen Turnbull all scheduled out and ready! She does an amazing job and I'm so thankful that she takes care of my make-up because that is yet another thing that I'm not so hot at! Then of course I have tanning scheduled with John and Roxana from On Stage Image! They always do an AMAZING job and it's nice to not worry about my color on the day of the show. They simply take care of it all and that leaves me with that much less stress as I prepare to step on stage! So I think that's it...For all you women competitors out there...Get ALL these minor details figured out SOON (if you haven't already). The earlier that you can get your hair, nails, make-up etc...figured out, the less stressful next week will be!

So for all you ECUP competitors...This is it. It is almost YOUR time to SHINE!! Your time to step up there and give it ALL you've got. I know that you all have been working SOOO hard to prepare for this next weekend and I admire all of you so much for all of your hard work! It has been amazing to scroll through facebook and see all the different posts as people prepare. I honestly feed off of everyone else..You all push me to improve and I'm so thankful that I've met such amazing people! So kick it up a notch...finish up STRONG...both mentally and physically. Get your mindset right so that you can step on stage as a CHAMPION! Being a champion takes a certain mindset and you need to make sure that is all dialed in 100% to really give it all you've got! So dial in...physically and mentally and get ready to rock and roll!

I'll keep you all posted as I push through these next several days...I'm excited to see how my body will be changing!!! These are the days, as your body begins to take real shape, that all those days of lifting, cardio and diet are SOOOO worth it!! WHOO!!!

Have a fabulous day everyone and train hard...Visualize your success...Believe it.

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: Bikini | Snoqualmie Casino | Emerald Cup | cardio | onstageimage@yahoo.com | determined | Visualization

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So it has been awhile since I've written on here...Again, I apologize! Life has been slightly crazy ;)

First off, I went to Elaine's posing seminar on Saturday and it was AMAZING! It is always so great to spend some quality time with other competitors...Each and every gal there inspired me in their own way and I have to say that everyone...everyone!...looks GREAT! It was great to see all of my fellow competitors friends that I had not seen since Ironman in October and it was also great to meet some brand new competitors. I think we had like 6 or 7 girls there who would be competing for their very first time and it's inspiring to witness their focus and determination to learn the ins and outs of competing! Overall it felt great to put on my heels for two hours and get practicing! With the show coming up VERY soon, practice is VERY important right now! All of you competitors, Figure, Fitness AND Bikini, really really really need to be practicing your walking and posing right about now! Make it second nature...You should feel SOOOO comfortable in those heels that you could hop, skip and jump in them ;) I say this because you seriously do not want to spend hours upon hours of training and prep to sculpt a killer bod if you're just going to step on stage and walk around like a penguin because you didn't practice your walk! I think I made my point.

So as far as my prep...Things are going fabulous! I've been kicking MAJOR butt during my training sessions and my diet has been great as well. I honestly think the only think that I really need to improve on still is my water intake. It's just not as consistent as I'd like it to be and I REALLY need to work on this! I actually just got home from doing my AM cardio and it felt amazing. That stepmill is becoming my best friend, if you know what I mean! I think that out of the 6 days that I do cardio/week, I do the stepmill 4 of those days. The other two days I spend either at the track doing sprints or doing an 'odd' cardio workout that consists of squats, walking lunges and other sculpting moves! Overall, cardio has been amazing and I'm so thankful that I've kept my mind sharp and focused on what I want to achieve. I start each cardio session with my "Theme Song" and then I begin to visualize myself the day of the show...I visualize my abs, my legs, my walk, my pose...I make sure that I'm visualizing EXACTLY how I want to look on the day of the show! Cardio is my time to do this and I find that it helps me get through my cardio session with unstoppable determination!

My diet has been great as well. I've actually been on a depletion for the last few days and it's been different from what I've done in the past, but it is definitely bringing the results that I'm wanting! So I'm thankful that John and Roxana have been helping me on my journey to the stage! They really know their stuff on eating right for a show and it's amazing how much I have learned about my own body since I've started working with them. Today is my last day of depletion and then I'll go back to 'normal' eating tomorrow.

Lifting has been going great as well. I've been meeting Pete at Snap and we've been kicking some serious butt! The show is going to sneak up VERY quick and I want to make sure that I'm making the most of every single second that I have with the iron! Plus it has been great to have Pete there to really push me when I'm starting to either doubt myself or feel tired. He always keeps me on my toes, that's for sure! The other girls are doing great as well! It's been amazing to see them learn how to train over the past several months and their transformations have been very inspiring!

So that's where I'm am! Getting lean, strong and staying more fierce than ever ;) I'm ready to rock and roll next month and I'm honestly SOOOO excited to step on stage!!

SO until next time...Train HARD, eat what you're supposed to eat, drink your water (that's more for me) and get practicing!! We have exactly 31 days until the show...So make the most of EVERY SINGLE opportunity that you have to better yourself! Stay strong...mentally and physically!

"We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are." -Tobias Wolff

Push through these next 31 days...You have to truly persist in order to discover what you're truly made of. If you really push through, you'll find yourself breaking through barriers that you never thought you could break through. Give it your all. That's all you can do. Once you truly give it your ALL, you'll be able to see what you're really made of!

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: Determination | Bikini | Posing | training | cardio | Visualization

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Well Well Well....3 Days to go!! I cannot believe how quickly time has gone by!! I'm ready to rock and roll :)

I have everything organized and done for the show. I had my last hair appointment yesterday. My nails are done. My tanning is scheduled with the Kreklo's. My make up is all scheduled with Jen Turnbull.  I've been whitening my teeth at night. I've been tapering down my water and eating EXACLTY what I need to eat. Cardio has been good. I've done everything that I've needed to do. Feels good to know that I've put 100% into this. Now I just have to go with the flow. I'm worrying a lot less this time around. When it gets close to a show, I normally stress out about how I will look and how I will place. This time I'm not stressing. I know that no matter where I place, I'm bringing in my best physique YET.  Of course there is always room for improvement, but I'm definitely going to step on stage in the best shape I've ever been in. Feels darn good! That's what it is all about people. Yes, winning is great, but it is even more amazing to look back at the past several months and see all the progress that you have made. All the sweat. All the tears. All the water. All the perfectly timed meals....When I reflect back on everything I've done to get where I am right now...Now THAT is a good feeling. There's nothing better. From here on out, it's the adrenaline and fun times with competitors that I look forward to. The hardwork is pretty much done...Now it's just time to rock it. So that's what I'm going to do!

I had my last lifting session this morning with Pete and Adrienne. Pete squeezed EVERY little bit of juice out of us and it felt so good. I started out feeling strong, but by the end of the session I was toast. My arms, legs, back, chest...everything was toast. So that is good. That just means that I'll be able to soak up the carbs wonderfully :) We stuck to really heavy weight today...only doing about 6-8 reps...But we kept moving...There was no time for rest between exercises. We just pushed and pushed through. The rest of my day will be cardio and then rehearsal with Tanji tonight. It will be nice to get in my suit and practice with her and the other gals. She always helps us to put those final touches on our posing and stage presence. Then I'll head home and go to bed!!

I start school tomorrow. Talk about GREAT timing!! I'll have one day of school before the show...works out great!! When training/prepping for the Vancouver Show and Emerald Cup this last Spring I was going to UW Bothell full-time, working full-time and prepping. So the ease up on my schedule during this summer for the Ironman has been very nice for my prep. I'll just have to make sure that I have all my food prepped and organized tonight since I'll be sitting through 8 hours of class tomorrow. Whew!! Then it'll be Friday before I know it...One day closer to the show. So Pumped.

So that's where I'm at. Organized...Excited...Anxious...Confident...Hungry...And everything else that I could possible feel. I'm pressing into the Lord more than ever. HE is the reason why I compete...I want ALL glory to go to HIM and no one/nothing else. So I'll keep pressing into Him...Plus it keeps my nerves at ease. Prayer works wonders!!

We have three days to go...Do EVERYTHING you need to. It's almost your time to shine...So enjoy!!! I've been working my butt off for the last four months, so I'm going to enjoy EVERY SINGLE minute of the next few days! Yes...You will have some stress leading up to a show, but don't let it eat you up.

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: Ironman | Posing | cardio | onstageimage@yahoo.com

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Well, so far it has been an AMAZING day!!

I was able to sleep in till 7:00am today!! It sure felt great!! I woke up and headed straight to LA Fitness for some am cardio. I kicked butt on the elliptical :) I kept my intensity high and burned A LOT of calories! Whoo!! Let's just say I was drenched in sweat by the end.  It feels so great to leave the gym knowing that I did the best that I possibly could. Then I headed home to get ready for work...I made my delicious egg whites!! I seriously STILL crave eggs!! I'm really hoping that this craving lasts all the way until the Ironman. I even stopped by the store on my way to my parent's house yesterday to buy a bunch of eggs...I wanted some sooo bad that I couldn't wait until I got home later that night to eat them. Silly I know...But whatever :)

So yesterday's workout was awesome. It was chest. We did a heart-pumping workout that consisted of 9 different chest exercises. We did three exercises together, back to back. We finished our last set up with 30 sec push up holds....Boy was I shaking!! It's tough to hold a push-up position for even 15 sec after doing all the different chest exercises that we did. Overall, it was GREAT! I was sweating and pushing myself as hard as I could...Can't get much better than that! I finished up with 20 min of interval training. While I LOVE listening to Christian music such as Third Day, Casting Crowns etc, I always listen to a couple specific Rage Against The Machine songs when doing intervals. It's weird since Rage is VERY different from my normal music, but it gets me moving fast for my intervals. It's funny how we all have certain music for different types of workouts.  Overall, I'd have a very difficult time living without music.

After I got home from training I ate some more egg whites mixed with ground turkey breast...delicious.

Basically I'm right on track. I'm busting my butt every single day to make as much progress as possible. While I can't always SEE the progress I'm making, I know that I'm making it. It's such a great feeling to be completely confident that prep is going exactly how it is supposed to go! I'm rockin' it and cannot wait for the show! I'm excited to see all of my fellow competitors as well!! There are so many amazing girls that I have met through competitions and I thank the Lord for putting them into my life. They are all so inspiring and we all create a great support system. Thank You Lord!

Anyways, I better get back to work! I'm heading to the gym after work for back. Whoo! Then back home I go to prep my food for the rest of the week. Then I'll head to LA for a final cardio session today.  I'm adding on another session at night.  This will help me to burn that last bit of fat before the show.

**When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on so long in the first place** - Unknown.

It's too late to turn around now. For all of you Ironman competitors out there...We're ALMOST there. It's going to get tough pushing through this last month of prep, but keep in mind WHY you have decided to compete in the first place. This will keep you moving...Keep you lifting...Keep you running...When you REALLY don't want to. You've come this far...Finish Strong!

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: Washington Ironman | Bikini | focus | Chest | cardio

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