Inspired By Miranda is a functional nutrition blog empowering you to lead a healthy, happy life.
With only a few days to spare, and a competition to go through, we had to be selective with what we got to see!
Here’s where we visited:
It’s time! I’m flying tomorrow, but had already started packing my bags last weekend 🙂
Further to my last post on 3 things to think about when travelling to a competition, here is a list of important bits you’ll need to take with you for your next comp 😉
1. Important documents
2. The travel outfit
3. The tanning outfit
4. The backstage kit
5. The stage outfit
6. And a few beauty items
Travelling to a competition can be a daunting task, especially if it’s your first time or you’re going alone. The days before the comp you will be tired, hungry and nervous, so it’s important to make sure you have as much comfort as you can afford!
Here are three very important things to think about in the weeks before you travel:
1. What you’ll eat
Travelling is usually a time of exploring new or different cuisines and having fun. But if you’re travelling to compete, you can’t really enjoy local food until after the competition. That’s why it is important to plan ahead your meals for the last few days before your comp. Research the area and your hotel – are there any big supermarkets around? Does your hotel have a microwave, kitchen facilities (forks anyone?) or a restaurant where you can measure, warm up or cook your food (or order for it to be cooked as per your requirements)?
These are key questions you need answered before you leave – you don’t want to be stranded in a new place hungry and having to make poor food choices right before your comp. During my last comp we encountered a few blunders along the road, like not being able to find forks or a place to cook my rice or even a place that sells simple grilled chicken! So think twice before you book your hotel.
Once you have a budget set for accommodation, make a list of all the hotels / apartments which fit the bill. Out of that list you need to pick a place which is relatively close to your competition venue and ideally one with facilities for your meals (e.g. fridge & microwave).
Why is location important? If like most people you are using the official beauty partners you will have to walk to and fro your accommodation on the day of the event. Of course you can always find a spot on the floor within the venue itself, but why suffer if you are paying for accommodation? Tanning usually requires 2 trips, and for the ladies there are also hair and makeup appointments to go to. And if the weather is cold you wouldn’t want to have to walk too far out, right?
I kind of missed this point last time. You need to be comfortable in the day or two prior to the competition, however you also need a separate outfit for show day.
Tanning stains, so it’s important to come prepared with old loose clothes (e.g. strapless beach dresses, large tee shirts, shorts or pants) which will keep you comfy until it’s time to put on your stage outfit. Flip flops are ideal pre-stage. And remember to keep warm! Even if you are not traveling in the winter months or to a cold country you are likely to feel cold as you will be tired, depleted, hungry, thirsty and nervous!
So remember: plan ahead, research well, check you have everything and pack early!
R&R – rest & recreation… How much of that do we get in our daily lives? If you, like most people, are just “living for the weekend”, then a holiday is the perfect chance to catch up on some much needed sleep or relax your mind by staying active and pursuing a hobby.
“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” – Danny Kaye
Unlike weekends, a holiday gives you more time and more opportunities to do a variety of physical activities and invigorate your mind by discovering new places (or doing new things in old places!).
So here are a few things to keep in mind when on a holiday:
1. It’s your opportunity to get quality sleep – don’t waste it! Plan your activities in a way that you get to rest and sleep sufficiently (with the exception of travel days which are always a bit tiring).
2. To help you sleep even better stay active! Walking tours, water sports, cycling, trekking… There is always some kind of physical activity you can partake in wherever you are.
3. Give your mind a break. Try to turn off all the things that usually worry you in your daily life. Focus on enjoying the moment. Look around you, what do you see, feel, smell? Enjoying the present will relax your mind and give it a chance to recover from all the stress.
And finally… Travel more often! You will discover things about yourself, about the world and about others!
“Traveling is one of the easiest ways to become aware of the magic that weaves all of creation together through serendipity and synchronicity with perfect timing.” – Adam Siddiq
Serendipity: luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for. Synchronicity: coincidence of events that appear meaningfully related but do not seem to be causally connected. From lifehack.org
Summer is in full swing and if you haven’t gone on holiday already, you most likely are planning to go somewhere soon!
Whether going for a few days or for a few weeks, vacations shouldn’t be used as an excuse to slack off and cause a lot of damage to your health. They do, however, allow for an opportunity to switch things up a bit – different exercises, different locations, different sources of nutrients.
As I’m getting ready for a long holiday, I’ve had to have a good think of what to take to help me stay in shape and not lose all the hard work’s results from the past few months.
Here’s what I’m taking:
Resistance bands
Luckily most places have dumbbells and some barbells, however to be on the safe side and to add variety I am taking these bands with me.
Clothes
Comfort always comes first 😉
Shoes
The opportunity to exercise outdoors means I need to have shoes with the right support to avoid strains and injuries.
And a few extras….
Not sure how sore I will get, but need to keep my muscles flexible by rolling and stretching 🙂
Stay tuned for more holiday tips 😉
Life is like a road trip – always look ahead, but don’t forget to check the rear-view mirror once in a while.
It’s about the journey. Don’t forget to enjoy life at every opportunity you get.
Life will through obstacles at you but you’ve got to push through!
Yes, sometimes you need to take a break.
But don’t forget to get back up and smash it!
And have fun with your friends!
Last week I wrote about why I decided to do a fitness competition and challenge myself to take my health & fitness to the next level.
After reading that post you may be wondering whether all I do is count macros and workout on top of having a full time job.
Well I still do have a life (yes, really!) and do get to have fun… as long as I have prioritised and managed my time efficiently.
For example, I have 1 rest day mid-week which means that the evening before I can go to bed a bit later than usual. Typically that evening I would go out with friends for a movie or a good dose of laughter.
And then of course there are the weekends. Normally I split my weekends in two – rest & recreation. On the first day of the weekend I always try to do something fun and different. From karaoke to trekking – there’s always something to spice things up, especially if you have the right company.
See to truly enjoy the weekend it is important to be open minded and spontaneous. Example: yesterday was Christmas. My original plan didn’t go to plan (pun intended) but luckily a good friend of mine was invited to Christmas dinner party where I got to meet loads of interesting people and a snowman 😀
And on the second & last day of our (extremely short) weekend I try to get a bit of rest and get ready for the week ahead. Sometimes this would involve an early morning yoga class, followed by a bit of grocery shopping and other household tasks and ending with some quality time in bed or on the sofa with books & TV series 😀
See? There’s so much you can fit in 48 hours!
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Inspired by Miranda 