Well, I have to say that Jr. USA's was a fabulous experience for me!  I saw so many old friends, met so many online friends face-to-face, and made so many new friends!  I am very happy with my 4th place finish! 

I wasn't so happy with where my physique came in on Saturday.  I had lost a lot of my cuts and vascularity overnight, but that is just something that needs to be tweaked a little in my final week of prep.  By Sunday's photo shoots, I was looking like me again. 

My routine was a big hit with the crowd!  My theme was "Kill Bill", and I brought it!  I had a lot of people coming up to me after the show to tell me how much they loved the routine and how different it is.  I will probably be switching it up a bit, but it's still a favorite!  A big thanks to my amazing coach, Julie Lohre, for her help with my outfit.  Also, a ton of gratitude to Lishia Dean for her help fine tuning the routine and for all her help backstage!  Between her and Tracey Greenwood, the show ran amazingly smooth. 

I had a ton of fun with Maryann Glascock from Femflex and Mike Eckstut from HerBiceps on Sunday.  By the time I had my shoot with Maryann, I was a carb-deprived bubble-head!  We got through it though, and I think we got some great shots.  Mike had me doing some pretty physically challenging moves, more because he was joking but I went ahead and did what he said.  I can't wait to see the photos!

So, now we look onward to Jr. Nat's in 3.5 weeks.  I'm back in the gym today, dialing in my physique and kicking up my routine a bit.  I should be shooting with Brian Moss and Dan Ray up in Chicago, which is so exciting to me as I'm a big fan of their work!  Check back for training updates and new photos as they come in!  And, if anyone has pics from Charleston, send them on over!

Hello all!  Well, we made it to Charleston with all our gear!  We checked in around 11 last night and I was exhausted!  After a long shower to prep for tanning, I was in bed staring at the ceiling for hours!  I tend to run through my routine in my head when I'm trying to sleep, which is never good the week before a show.  When the dog walker called and woke me this morning, I had only gotten 3 hours of sleep!  Our little Min Pin puppy, Gibson, is staying at home alone for the first weekend ever.  He managed to climb over two baby gates to escape confinement and sleep with our two Dobermans.  At least worrying about him takes the stress off of the show!  

The competitors meeting this morning was short but sweet.  I saw my girl Lishia Dean with her brace on her hand.  She dislocated her thumb during routine practice a few weeks ago.  Send prayers her way!  There were a lot of bikini girls there, many more than I expected.  We'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.  It's definitely an exciting year to see new things at the Jr. USA's!  I promise more updates soon! 

So, my mom sent me a book that just came out that she was very impressed with.  It's The End of Overeating - Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler, MD.  He is, as the jacket says, "the former FDA commissioner who reinvented the food label and tackled the tobacco industry".  It's a pretty fascinating read that really sets out to prove some things that I have thought for a while.  I'm not far enough along yet to quote that he actually states Americans are addicted to food.  I will say that from what I've read so far, the addictive mindset is exactly what he is describing.  He looks at how our minds and bodies react to sugar, fat, and salt, and how the food industry conditions us to want certain foods by "manipulating these ingredients".  They are basically drugs to us, and once we're hooked, it's almost impossible to stop.  Even during my contest dieting with its strict regimented eating, I am drawn toward the foods he describes.  Because I am more aware during my contest prep, I can notice my mind and body reacting to commercials on tv, or walking down certain aisles at the grocery store.  It's scary to see how unaware a lot of people are on a day to day basis.  It's sad to watch a person on an oxygen tank remove their breathing tubes to smoke a cigarette.  Shouldn't it be just as sad to watch a person on the verge of Type II Diabetes or a heart attack downing a Quarter Pounder and fries?  What is really crazy is how quickly America's obesity rate increased.  This really didn't become a noticeable issue until the 1980's.  Dr. Kessler uses some really impressive numbers from government research to shock the reader into realizing what a serious problem this is.  Should be an interesting read.  I encourage you guys to stay tuned as I get further into the book, or better yet, pick up a copy to read during your cardio!    

First, hi to everyone and thanks for visiting my new site!  I'm excited to have my site up and running, ready for my big step onto the National stage!  As of today, I am two weeks and one day away from the NPC Jr. USA's in Charleston, SC.  Prep has been going really well for me, and I have made major improvements in the offseason.  I was planning on competing in the Arnold Amateur in March, but due to a neck injury I was unable to continue my prep for that show.  At the time, I was extremely disappointed.  Now, I see it as more of a blessing that I was able to have extra time to work on my routine and balance out my physique.  I know that this will help my bring a better overall package to Charleston.  I hope to see a lot of you at the show!  Here's to the next two weeks of a great contest prep!  I'll keep you all posted on how it's going!