2011 Thinking Big

After winning the middleweight class at the 2010 Team Universe and qualifying for the World's Championships, I realized that the next step for me was to make the improvements to my physique that would enable me to improve on my 2010 Team Universe middleweight win with an Overall win and obtain my pro card while earning another opportunity to compete at the World's Championships. I knew this would take time and hard work not to mention determination, dedication, and motivation to succeed like never before. I felt I needed to regroup, take the time I needed to make these improvements before stepping on stage again. With that in mind, I decided to take 2011 off from competition and I feel it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Why? Because this is when I began to really Think Big!

I worked for a year on my own and felt I was making good progress, but missed the motivation, inspiration, accountability, and support that a trainer provides. I recalled meeting IFBB pro Lisa Aukland at the 2010 Philadelphia Championships and how enthusiastic she was about me and the positive energy and feedback she provided. I contacted her through her website to inquire about personal training and thanked her for her feedback at the Philadelphia Championships while telling her of my success at the 2010 Team Universe. Her response was very positive and I keep it as reminder to me, "Yes, of course I remember you, you have a beautiful physique with loads of potential and I would love to help you win the 2012 Team Universe!"
So off our journey together began, and we have been working together ever since on our quest for this year's Team Universe win!

As my bodybuilding training experience evolves I have begun to realize the power of my mind. The mind controls the body and I knew that if I could strengthen my mind I could strengthen my body and reach my goals.  That is when I began to search on-line for books on this topic and came across Skip La Cour's book Thinking Big. When I read just the first paragraph with this statement, I knew this book was exactly what I needed, "I know from personal experience, as well as from experiences of other top bodybuilders, what human beings are capable of when we have the right mental attitude." - Skip La Cour, Thinking Big.  


The more I read in Thinking Big the more I wanted to read. It was truly outstanding and helped me work through the bodybuilding process by first helping me realize that all the hard work & effort I had been putting in over the past 10 years of bodybuilding where NOT obsessive, anal, or a waste of time or any of those other things a few select individuals had said to me in the past, instead, they were the sign of a champion! As Skip Lacour says in Thinking Big, I was taking on the challenge of being natural AND outstanding!

Thinking Big is set up as a workbook and helps you work through your bodybuilding process including determining your goals in bodybuilding and much more .... in life! Thinking Big helped me identify what I truly wanted to accomplish with my bodybuilding and my life and realize everything I was doing was done for a reason, for a purpose, to reach my goals. Thinking Big walked me through the goal setting process and how to formulate ways to turn my dreams to real life goals with steps to accomplish them. Having these goals reinforces all the hard work and effort I have been putting into my bodybuilding. I realize there is a reason for everything I do. It is paying and will continue pay off. It is worth while, and helping me accomplish my goals, not just short term, but long term. Thinking Big is a real tool to help you determine exactly where you are going in life and where you want to go, not just now, but in two-years, five-years, ten-years, and years to come. Knowing the purpose to your life and the steps to take to get there is extremely enlightening, motivating, and powerful, and there is so much more in Thinking Big that just this including techniques to take your workouts to a higher level and get the most out of them. Of course, I couldn't stop there, I had to order Thinking Big II as well and can't say enough about the value of these books. The workbook style really helps you get the most of it, and I see why Skip La Cour refers to his program as "Results University". If you want to make the most of yourself, your life, and your workouts, eliminate confusion about where you are going and how to get there and get there quicker,  I can't encourage you enough to invest in Thinking Big and Thinking Big II. Thanks so much Skip La Cour for your powerful tools and the difference they have made and are making in my life! We are going to see some major results in 2012 at the Team Universe!

2010 Climbing Back Up That Ladder!

In 2010 I hit the drawing board again and began researching new training philosophies. It was a whole new start for me since I hadn't designed my own training routines since 2006. I came across the FST-7 training principle which interested me very much & as I read about it it seemed to be exactly what I needed, so I put it to work hard!! That was really the key - hard work & dedication - that's what gets you results no matter what program you use.

I decided to try my hand at the 2010 Team Universe because this time I was bound & determined I would be ready! Once again I wanted a warm-up show, but what to do? I decided on the Tracey Greenwood Philadelphia Championships in P.A. since it was a few weeks ahead of the Team Universe and not too far away from home.

This time, one of my good girlfriends accompanied me & we had a ball! For her it was a whole new learning experience of how to apply competition tanning products & walking around with an "orange girl".

I placed second in the middleweight class and this was great! Why? Because I would go ask the judges what I could improve upon for the Team Universe I would be competing in during the next few weeks & this is where I heard lots of positive feedback & most importantly met my current trainer, IFBB pro Lisa Auckland who was one of the judges and had only great things to say about me and my physique.

Center in Photo

Right in Photo

Center in Photo

Center in Photo

I added these photos from the evening show because I think they really show how I was feeling - having a great time & enjoying the journey, proud of my hard work!

After the Show the Pizza Never Tasted So Good!

After the Tracey Greenwood Philadelphia Championships, I had a few weeks to make improvements to get ready for the Team Universe. My biggest question was should I drop weight? I was a middleweight weighing 128 for the Philadelphia Championships but the weight classes are different for Team Universe with a cut-off for the middleweight class at 125.5#. I had a choice of dropping another 3 pounds and coming in as a middleweight which is the class I had competed in before at the Team U or sticking where I was at 128 and going in on the low end of the heavyweight class. When I asked for the judges advice at Philadelphia on which way I should go (middle or heavyweight), I got mixed opinions. I made the choice to kick the cardio and the diet back into high gear and drop those extra pounds. I am certainly glad I did because I won the middleweight class and found myself standing on stage battling for the Overall and a chance at that coveted pro card! Not only that but all Team Universe weight class winners qualify for the World's Championships!

I have to say that right before I went on stage to compete for the Overall thoughts started going through my head like, what if I do turn pro? What am I going to do? Will I accept the pro card and compete as a pro? All these years & I am finally here? Now what? I can't imagine that I had never really thought this through in my head & I am glad that I have now thanks to Skip La Cour and his powerful book Thinking Big which has helped me think through the bodybuilding process even more & determine exactly what I want from my bodybuilding journey.

As it turned out, I did not win the Overall title and the 2010 Team Universe and turn pro; however, I what I did have was a whole new experience to add to my life journey & a chance to compete in the World Championships! The next thing to do was find out about the World's Championships! Where would it be held, how do I get registered, how will this all work? I knew it was in October, and it was July now, how do I hold my conditioning and come in even better at the World's Championships? These were all questions running through my head and having no trainer would have to work out for myself. I was so excited at this opportunity, but at the same time, I now had to revamp my plans for the off-season and relaxation and focus on my new goal - the World's Championships!

I began to develop my game plan and determine all the steps I needed to make everything a success beginning with the registration process and contacting the appropriate people at the NPC/IFBB. After another month on the competition program including a planned vacation altered by competition plans, I was informed in a letter from the NPC that the United States would not be sending a team to compete in the 2010 World's Championships due to government warnings against travel to Mexico City due to turmoil in the country.

But! Nothing was lost, all was to gain as this experience forced me to step up and think about things that I had not thought about before so that I can be more prepared in the future.

2010 Team Universe

Far Right

Far Left

Far Left

2009 Another Jr and Another Step Forward
After my 2008 win at the Jr USA and my Overall win at the 2008 Pittsburgh Championships I was looking for a new show to try. I didn't feel ready for the USA and I wasn't ready to try the Team Universe again as I was listening to negative comments from others questioning the credibility of the drug-testing of the Team Universe. I no longer fall prey to that way of thinking. See my 2010 competition blog.

Blond this Time - Far Right

I decided on the Jr. Nationals held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL on June 19-20th 2009. This was a challenging year in my life and it was by far my best showing. I placed 4th in the middleweight class. I lacked confidence this year due to some of the challenges I was dealing with & I think it showed in my entire package and stage presence, so in 2009 I made the decision to regroup, go off on my own again verses having a personal trainer and see what I could do on my own. It was a good decision and one that resulted in personal growth and more change for the better. I needed that fourth place finish at the Jr. Nationals to give me another wake up call & force me into high gear again!

Unfortunately I don't have many photos from this year - seems as the film ran out in the camera at then end of the show & the roll with all the photos except the one above were left accidentally in the theatre booth! What a bummer...

The photo to the left was taken about 2 weeks out from the show. Man was I white! I remember being completely upset about how I looked not liking my conditioning. Looking back, it wasn't that bad except for Casper!

2008 Try Try Again & You'll Finally Win!

In 2008, I continued working with IFBB pro Denise Gerard on my training and contest preparation. After my 7th place finish at the 2007 Team Universe I was bound & determined to get it right this time! This year, I decided to take a break away from the Team Universe and try something fresh. How about the Jr. Nationals in Charleston, S.C. that would be something new! But of course, I needed a warm up. The Bodyrock was no longer being held in DC so I decided to try my hand at the Pittsburgh Championships which I hadn't competed in since 2002.





This year I made a complete improvement over 2006 and won the Overall at the Pittsburgh Championships!

 This was an accomplishment for me because it showed improvement. I had never won my weight class at this show in the past much less the overall. An overall win as a lightweight made it that much more sweet because the heavyweights are generally thought to be the one to get the Overall win.

 
Once again Denise encouraged me to get out in the hall with my trophies & take a few minutes as soon as I got off stage to make sure I had some good photos & remembered the day. 

Thanks again Dee for the encouragement to take these photos & for your help in this win.







This win set me up with all the confidence I needed to hit the Jr. USA and get that middleweight win! I had the time of my life in the posedown for the Overall. Just seemed like good girl fun! I am 2nd from the left in the photos below.

And at the end of the day, I was facing some other challenges & had to hit the road home early but found a flower at my room door with a note. A little something extra from Dee, it meant a lot to me so it came home with me & I photographed it with my trophies. As with every great accomplishment, some challenges always arise.

2007 Time for Change

 After placing outside of the top five in the 2006 Team Universe, I wanted to get some help from someone with knowledge above & beyond mine. I began looking for personal trainers and IFBB pro Denise Gerard came to mind as she had judged some of my shows and I was aware of her personal training services. I began working with Denise in 2006 leading up to the Team Universe. I had first met her back in 1999 when she autographed the photo at the left for me. In 2001 she was one of the judges at the 2001 VA/DC State where I won the overall & I remember how much I appreciated her congratulating me on my conditioning that year.

 To no avail, I fell outside the top 5 again at the 2007 Team Universe, this time with a 7th place spot.

As you can tell by the photos, I was an apple in with the oranges (too tall for this year's middleweight class - far left in the photos above & to the right).

One thing I remember & really appreciate after the show was that Denise told me I should be proud of myself. because I had worked hard & did the best I could. She encouraged me to enjoy the moment, hop up on this pedestal outside the auditorium & enjoy my personal accomplishment. Thanks Dee for these photos and the reminder to enjoy every step of the journey.

And no worries because 2008 was going to be an OUTSTANDING success!

2006 Building My Team

 In 2006, bodybuilding and figure were building momentum in my gym & I had the opportunity to help others in competition for the first time. I began training with my friend and now neighbor Josh Phelps as
we were both targeting shows in the same time frame. I also helped my friend Lindsay Rudolph with her first figure show the Tournament of Champions.






I was targeting the NPC Bodyrock once again as a warm-up on July 8th, 2006 followed by the Team Universe held once again at the Tribecca Performing Arts Center in NYC.

Josh & I trained together using a high rep program in efforts to get ripped & I think I took it a little overboard in hindsight. Looking back at the photos, I was really ready 4 weeks out from the Bodyrock at a weight of 125-1/2# (photos to left & right) but continued to get leaner in the weeks leading up to the Bodyrock and sacrificed some size.

I placed 4th this time as a Lightweight in the 2006 Bodyrock 

Me in Center

Wait! Is that 2012 Mr Olympia Phil Heath handing out trophies??

On to the Team Universe four weeks later, I was tied for 5th place and lost the tie-braker landing me out of the top five, a spot I had never been before. I still remember sitting in the audience after placing outside of the top five, utter disappointment and heart-broken, but that's okay because that's what lead me to go back to the drawing board in 2007 & make some moves to improve!

(I am second from left)

2005 Time to Step Up!
In 2005, I made the decision to step up into the National level of competition. I had heard of the Team Universe & loved the idea that it was drug tested. In 2005, it was a polygraph test which I must say was kind of nerve racking even if you knew your were ligit!

The Team Universe was in August 5-6th in 2005 in New York City at the Tribecca Performing Arts Center. As it turned out, the GNC Bodyrock which I had competed in in 2004 in DC was held July 9th making it the perfect "warm-up" show for the Team Universe so that was my plan in 2005 and it went very well!

I placed 5th as a middleweight in the 2005 Bodyrock (center in the photo to the left) but that was okay for me as my real target was the Team Universe and I had a month to make improvements.

I was having a great time training this year with my friends Julie & Allen Michaels who sacrificed just to meet me in the gym in the middle of the night as Allen called it (really more like 5AM).









Julie took the photo above & to the right one week out from the 2005 Team Universe.

Finally the Team Universe arrived & I was very pleased with my conditioning the evening before the show as I posed in the room.

The look on my face shows my excitement & I was ready to go!

This was my first trip to NYC and I got to do some sight seeing while I was there including the statue of liberty.

My visit was also not long after 9-11 so I was able to see all the damage done & all the construction currently taking place.


 




I was very excited to place fourth at the 2005 Team Universe (far right in photo) as this was my first shot at a National level competition.

 
I remember sitting in the audience after I got off stage with a great feeling, watching the women compete for the Overall and just thinking how with enough work in a few years, that could be me!

This was the first time I actually realized that I did have a chance at turning pro!

2004 Powerlifting!
In my previous years of competition, the most common advice I was given from the judges was to add more size! So in 2004, I took a break from bodybuilding in an endeavor to give my body more time to add muscle as opposed to dieting down every year for a show. With that said, I felt like I needed some type of competition to push me & give me a goal to shoot for so I gave power lifting a try. It really wasn't my cup of tea and I felt it lacked the excitement of bodybuilding as there was no long diet to suffer through & no glorious cheat meal to look forward to after. Not to mention I missed the glitz & glam! Needless to say, it was a learning experience & another chapter to add to my life.

At the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Open power lifting meet, I had a 260# squat, 165# bench, and a 320# deadlift for a total of 745# earning me second place.

In 2003, the GNC BodyRock & Monica Brant Fitness came to George Mason University just outside of D.C.

This show was great as it drew lots of competitors due to the association with Fitness icon Monica Brant. It also had a large expo associated with it & lots of excitement.




There were also some local competitors from my gym that competed in this adding to the fun!

This show became a staple for me for the next few years as it was only an hour away from home & had everything to offer.








It was quite common for female bodybuilding to have only a hand full of competitors, but at the Bodyrock, the competition was always guaranteed to be good & numerous.





This particular year, I placed 4th as a middleweight at the Bodyrock.






 
In addition, the Jan Tana Classic had relocated once again to Virginia Beach in 2003.

(on far left)

Virginia Beach was also relatively close for me and only a few weeks away from the Bodyrock,

(on far left)

so I competed in the Jan Tana Classic & placed second as a middleweight.