Traveling during comp prep

I’ve had to go out of town on business twice so far during this comp prep. It’s a bit of a challenge but I’m getting it down. Preparation is key. It starts with booking a hotel that has a fridge and microwave in the room. I then pre-measure and cook my food and pack it in ziplock bags and tuck them all into a soft sided cooler that I can carry on the plane. It’s a toss-up as to whether TSA will let blue ice blocks go through security. I usually bring the small ones and figure it’s only a buck if TSA throws them out. I’ve been told by several agents that they are supposed to let blue ice through as long as it’s frozen. If it’s thawed out, they throw it out. But, I also know that not all TSA agents play by the same rules so I never really know what’s going to happen.

On a recent trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, TSA pulled my cooler aside after it went through the xray machine and pulled everything out of my bag. I explained that I’m a body builder and that this was my food for the next two days. They scanned my 3 blue ice packs and had a short discussion before deciding to let me keep them. The woman TSA agent was asking me all about my sport. She wanted to know when the last time was I had pizza (it’s been years) and asked to see my abs. We had a great conversation and she happily helped me pack up all my food. When she saw my oatmeal egg white pancakes she wanted to know how to make them.

As a matter of fact the oatmeal pancakes are the BEST thing I’ve discovered in awhile. I got the recipe from IFBB pro Nancy Georges. I tweaked it a bit because I needed it to fit my needs for my afternoon snack. Here’s Nancy’s original recipe:

6 egg whites
1 yolk
½ cup oatmeal
Stevia or splenda
Cinnamon

Mix stevia or splenda with the eggs then add the oatmeal and cinnamon. Pour into a small (6 to 9 inch) pan and cook like a regular pancake, or make several if you want them thinner. DELICIOUS!

4 ½ weeks out and my body’s really starting to come in now. My lower body is lagging a bit but that’s to be expected. I haven’t decided if I’m going to post any progress pics or just wait to unveil the finished project come show time. We’ll see. Meanwhile, I’m working my butt off to make sure I’m bringing my best self to the stage. I just love comp prep!