OCTOBER
Jeez, so much has been going on over the past couple
months! It's been so busy that Janet Harris and I still haven't been
able to hook up to train together. Between work, training, and
preparing for the Nationals, I've been swamped.
At the beginning of the month I traveled with GNC to
the Show of Strength in Atlanta. It was a great weekend, and at the
end of it all, I was exhausted. You don't realize how hard dieting is,
until you have to travel while you are doing it. Being in that
atmosphere made it a lot easier though, I'm sure. Adela won the
Fitness Title, as I was sure she would. She brought out a new "bull
fighting" routine that was amazing.... and those psycho push-ups she does...
you would think that there was a trampoline on the floor under her.
Jenny Lynn won the Figure Division. Want to talk about an amazing
person?? Not only is she absolutely beautiful with a flawless
physique, she has to be one of the most down to earth and humble people I
have ever met. She and her hubby were a blast to hang out with.
Jaime Franklin placed 2nd in Figure, definitely giving Jenny a run for her
money. Jaime is so fun to be around, and such an fun loving person.
All of us girls had a blast at the booth on Saturday and Sunday.
I am leaving this week to head out to Vegas for the
Olympia. I am so excited to go, although won't be experiencing the
full "Vegas Experience" as I am still dieting and will be 3 weeks out from
Nationals. I can't wait to get a report back to you on that.
On other notes, I haven't been adding that much to this
site because like I mentioned before, it is getting a complete "make
over".... stay tuned for that... it is hot, hot, hot!!!
SEPTEMBER
OK, OK, so we aren't quite there yet... one more day...
but close enough right? Can you believe it? Labor Day weekend is
this coming weekend. It just doesn't seem fair. We barely had
any 'summer'. Our big 'beach day' never happened, which is a bummer,
and Janet Harris and I never got together to train. But that had more
to do with the fact that she had a hernia operation and wasn't able to do
much of anything. Being the She-Ra that she is, she's back in the
saddle, and we will be getting together soon. If Ron is there, I'm
sure there will be a pic or two of that. I'll keep you posted.
I am very excited to say that I am in the process of 'Overhaulin'
my site. (You car guys will love that phrase...) Christian at
Scorpio Creative, out of Boston has just designed some new business cards
for me and will be using the same type of graphics to revamp my site.
I'm very eager to get the project finished. It is going to...you
guessed it.... ROCK! You can contact Christian at
xn@scorpiocreative.com
I am now 12 weeks out from
Nationals... by diet is slowly but surely getting underway. I'm still
dealing with the stress fracture in my foot and the hamstring that I seem to
pull over and over again. Keep checking back, I'm going to keep you
posted on my progress.
And last, but not least.... a HUGE
Congrats to Laurie and Rick. They were married this past Saturday.
I am proud to say that I set them up... and look at the results! It
was a beautiful and emotional ceremony, and an elegant and lavish reception.
A great time was had by all, including Laurie's niece Halle, who looked like
a modern day Cinderella in her dress, and out danced everyone there. I
know we had a blast just watching her. Laurie was simply
breathtaking, and you could just tell that the two of them have never been
so happy. Congrats you guys!!
AUGUST
Hey, Hey.... What's up Everyone?! Can you believe
that we are already at the latter part of the summer? Where does the
time go? I guess the saying is true, time does fly when you are
having fun! Nothing is too new with me. I've been doing a lot
more personal training, and consulting, which has proved to be a lot easier
when I'm not getting ready myself. It's nice to make time for things
that sometimes you just don't have time for during contest seasons.
Hanging out with friends has been one of them. Not that I
don't see my friends, but you can only fit so many things in within a day,
and after the gym, routine practice, prepping food, work, boyfriend, family,
etc, there isn't a whole lot of time left, and even then some things suffer.
Regina Blais, Dawn Butterfield, and myself had a fun packed day of shopping
in RI and filling our faces at the Cheesecake Factory. We have made a
pact to definitely do things like that more often.
I've been literally taking time off, which is unlike
me, but Adela was a tad short of demanding it! I mean, not prepping
ALL my meals, only hitting the gym 3 times a week, just taking it easy.
NOW, I am gearing up for the Fall Season! My prep started this week!
Yes, 14 weeks out. Am I crazy? Maybe. Some would say so!
It'll most likely prove to be a long, grueling process, but to be honest, I
would rather suffer the pain of discipline, than the pain of regret!
As many of us know, there is nothing worse than standing on stage saying "coulda,
shoulda, woulda..." So let the games begin!
I want to send a shout out to Jose Raymond, who just
won his class at Team U! Jose dominated the Welter weight class and
will be heading out to Moscow, Russia with Team Universe to compete at the
World Championships! Rock on, my friend! Also a big PHAT HOLLA,
to Randi Post. Randi just took 3rd in her Figure Class at Team U!
One spot away from her Pro card... in only her second year competing!
One more show to go this year... I see a Pro card in this girls very near
future! You Rock, girlfriend!
I got about 600 pictures back on CD from my Miami shoot
with Carl Theygesen... we got some awesome shots. Although it's going
to take my a while to go through all the pics and post them... I will post a
preview here soon.
JULY
I can't believe we are almost
into July. Half the year has already zipped by, almost as fast as a
bad rumor. Good luck to all my ladies heading out to the Tri-Fit
competition in Vegas... go out there and kick butt ladies. Rebecca Lee
and Allison Ethier...bring it like only you gals can! And a BIG congrats
to Rebecca for recently winning the Cal Fitness Pageant. I knew that
country and hip-hop mixed!
Although, I am excited about the time off from contest
prep, I am always looking towards the future and my next goal. Seeing
as I will be competing again in November, and plan on coming in harder and
tighter, this week starts a new training routine. In the words of Jose
Raymond, "In order to achieve extreme results, you must go to extreme
measures..."
I will start incorporating regular running and
plyometrics training into my weekly routines. Wish me luck... I'm not
a great runner, and the plyos... well, do I really have to say much more?
I will be doing wind sprints, bleachers, and whatever else they have in
store for me. Although this is going to be grueling, I know that it
will help to change my physique and improve on my explosiveness in my
routines. And of course it has given me a new reason to buy another
pair (or two) of sneakers. Janet Harris and I have also planned to get
together and train a couple of times over the summer.
We will get a chance to show Ron and Jason "...what's up!"
The summer holds a lot of fun stuff ahead of me, a
couple of baseball games, (girls only!), my dad's, along with a few good
friend's birthdays, as well as a couple of weddings. Which I am
honored to attend. Some beach time, and R & R will definitely be in
order, as will some fun nights on the town.
I wish everyone a very happy and healthy summer.
Do whatever makes you happy, and puts a smile on your face. Remember
this is your time, your life... do what you want... No excuses, no
apologies! Live it up!!! I know I will!
Good luck to everyone training for the upcoming July
and August shows! Peace... I'm out!!
June
I can't believe it... all the shows that I trained for
so far this year have come and gone. You will all be happy to know
that I WON the Central USA Adela Garcia-Friedmansky's Fitness and Figure
Championships! I WON the Fitness Overall and the Short Class in
Figure. Congratulations to Randi Post for winning the tall
class and the Figure overall! Randi is a great competitor and I'm sure
she will kick butt next weekend at the Jr. Nationals! Good Luck Girl!
And a great big HELLO to all the other awesome girls that I met out there.
There was so awesome competition! I can't thank Adela and Brian
enough... after a very difficult and delayed trip out there, they made my
stay very comforting and were right there to help out with anything that I
needed, including dealing with my 'prop'. What a fantastic show
they put on. It was so smoothly run and all the competitors were
treated so well and with the utmost respect. Tracy Greenwood and Adela
both put on amazing performances, as well as Melvin Anthony, who brought the
house down. If you have never seen him perform before, it is a must.
The man can JAM!! Terry and Elaine Goodlad were there... not only are
they photographer and Make -up artist Extraordinaire (respectively), but two
of the nicest and funniest people I have ever met! Greg Henry and IFBB
Figure Pro Jamie Franklin were also in attendance representing GNC... and
what an added bonus it was having them there! So, after a very long
and difficult journey home as well, I can still say that it was all well
worth it!
As you all know I always thank the people that support
and help me. I know sometimes it seems redundant that I thank the same
people for the same things, but hey, I wouldn't be able to achieve what I do
without the help and support that I get. You know what I say... YOU
ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN YOUR CORNER. This time
though I would like to send a special thanks out to Frank
Coady of Coady's Towing in Lawrence, MA. Not only has he helped out
everyone in my family once or twice with...ehem... car trouble... but he
also sponsored me and made my trip to Illinois along with the shipping of my
prop possible. THANK YOU!!!! It is people like Frank who help
people like myself achieve such high aspirations. If you
are interested in sponsorship, please contact
sponsorships@heidifletcher.com.
On a different note, be sure to check out the new
project that I am involved in.
www.inspire2005.com. Please be sure to reserve your copy of this
awesome calendar now. If you have any questions about it, please do
not hesitate to contact me!
PHEW!
I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by! I just returned from
Fitness Universe in Miami and will be leaving Thursday for Illinois to
compete in an NPC show out there. On the phone with my girlfriend Laurie
this morning she said “Gawd… aren’t you sick of traveling?” I thought about
it… No, I’m not. I’m just tired of HAVING to do stuff… I HAVE to go get my
nails done, and I HAVE to go tanning, and I HAVE to cook my fish… So seeing
as I will have done 5 shows in a matter of 8 weeks, I am looking forward to
a nice summer break! OK FIRST AND FOREMOST let me say CONGRATULATIONS to
WENDI WEST! Wendi, who is not only the epitome of FITNESS COMPETITOR but
also one of my closest friends just won the Fitness Universe Pageant! A win
that so deserved, not to mention in my humble opinion, LONG overdue! YOU GO
GIRL! You ROCK!!! OK, Miami was great. I want to send a special thanks to
Carl Thygesen and Eric Friesmanis for the shoots that we did, and for
dealing with me when I wasn’t feeling so ‘up to par’. The pics they took
will be in my gallery within the next couple of weeks or so. Also THANKS to
all the other photographers that were there…Harry, Terry, Thomas, Michael,
etc! You guys are all awesome! Toneka and I roomed together and had a blast
for ourselves. Yolanda Dixon joined us after her hubby left to fly out to a
business conference. After the Finals we went to Lincoln St for dinner and
then for some dancing…which didn’t last that long… we were so exhausted, and
all had early morning photo shoots! On our way in the hotel we bumped into
Tony Gonzales. Tony choreographed our opening number and also judged bikini
and fitness. For those of you who don’t know, Tony was the choreographer for
“Bring it On”, and is also on tour with Snoop Dog and Beyonce!
He
is not only incredibly talented, but also a great person with an out of this
world personality. He sat and gave us feedback (yes, at 2am), and had us in
stitches laughing! I could have sat and listened to him for hours! So many
hilarious and memorable moments took place this weekend, and in the end,
that is what it is all about! A few that stick out in my mind are…Toneka and
I assembling my prop alone. No “male” assistance this time around, which I
have been lucky enough to have at all my prior shows. But we did it, and it
went off without a hitch… although the re-packaging of it was a whole other
story! But it is in route to Illinois as we speak. Shooting with Nancy
Georges and the other girls… what a blast! Can’t wait for those pictures!
Toneka and I buying new outfits… now was that necessary? Did we not pack
enough? Kim at Sheer Vanity always has the best stuff… I can never leave a
show without visiting her booth. And of course I got myself some Phat Muscle
Gear! Gabe, his mother and sister were running around like crazy! They’ve
got some HOT new items… check them out. (www.phatmuscle.com). Or how about
Alicia tripping over the trophies running to congratulate Wendi? Oh, yes she
did! I could go on and on, but I will leave at, as usual… a great time was
had by all. And once again I need to say it… Thank you to everyone who
supports me! Even though they all stayed behind this time, I couldn’t have
done it without them. My dad who was at a car show in New York with his
friends called me more than Cathy Savage does when we’re at a show that she
isn’t! Which is just fine by me.
May
Two weeks and counting.... First let me wish
everyone going to Canada the best of luck. You will all ROCK... And I
can't wait to see you in Miami! Yes, it is only two weeks until the
Fitness Universe Show. I will be heading down there competing in both
fitness and bikini. I am really looking forward to the
competition. It should be a great show and a great time. Phat
Muscle will be attending the Universe, so be sure to check their stuff out.
I guarantee you won't leave there without some PM gear! I am so
excited to be attending Adela Friedmansky's show in Illinois the following
weekend. It will be great to see she and Brian again, as well as catch
up with Randi and Josh. I'm sure a great time will be had by all.
Especially with Tracy Greenwood, Jamie Franklin, and Melvin Anthony all
guest posing!
I am also looking forward to the upcoming summer months
for some well needed time off. Some summer plans have already been
made... Such as a girls trip down to Providence Place for some shopping,
eating and living it up. Another outing will be a 'Beach Day', with
many 'muscle heads' involved. Gerry and Regina Blais, Ron and Janet
Harris (and of course Marisa and Christian), Jason, the guys from Nutty, and
I am sure that the list will grow. The pictures and news from that
outing will be priceless, I'm sure. But first, stay tuned for the news
of the next two shows.....feel free to drop me an e-mail to wish me luck!!
Here is yet another update! Are you sick of me
yet? I just returned from an amazing weekend...
I WON THE FAME PITTSBURGH EVENT!!!
I have to say that I am still on Cloud 9, and in the words of Gabriel Lopez
"TOUCH EVERY CLOUD"! And that I will. There was some fierce
competition down in PA, and I feel honored to place as I did among such an
amazing group of women. Andi Martin MC'd the show and she along with
Sheri (McCall) Vucick did an amazing job orchestrating everything from the
AM meeting to the end of the event. I had a wonderful time, and it is
always great to get together with the NE girls no matter where we are, as
well as Team Pittsburgh! Now everyone is gearing up for Canada and
Universe. After the competition I spent a couple of well deserved days
in Amish Country (Lancaster, PA) for a little R & R. I ate my way back
to MA, so these next three weeks I am really going to need to bust my butt
to be ready to "bring it" to Universe!! And bring it, I will... as
I'll need to, after what I have seen from all these girls over the last
couple of months. Congrats to Holly Wilbur who just won the Nation's
Capital Show too! I would like to take another moment to thank those
special people who not only help me to achieve my goals, but to make it all
worth it in the end. YOU ARE MY STRENGTH, and the words THANK YOU do
not begin to describe my appreciation and admiration for you! To all of
those competing in Canada, I wish you the best of luck and I will see you in
Miami!
Well here we are in May already... can you believe it?
April showers bring May flowers... I can tell you that I'm sure feeling it!
On May 2, I won both the Fitness and Figure Overall titles at the NPC
New England Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. Yes, I am still on
Cloud 9! I have so many people to thank for their help and support
while I got ready for this show... I won't bore you all with the usual of
what I always say, but let me say this... Of course Cathy Savage, for my
kick ass routine, Adela Friedmanksy for her undying support and of course
her ever knowledgeable training and dieting techniques! Love ya girl!
Regina Blais, who really pumped me up for this show, and my 'training
partners' who always made sure that I made it through every work out.
You all ROCK! The competition itself was great... everyone was there
in full force and we could feel it on stage. Backstage we had a great
time, even though it was 'close quarters.' I finally got to meet Janet
Harris face to face and let me just say, that not only is she an awesome
person, but she is more gorgeous in person that she is in pictures.
Linda Rose Murphy kept me calm the entire day even when there was a fiasco,
and Olivia Chamberland came in for the night show to lend her support!
All the guys backstage...Rob "Hollywood", and Tommy, were life savers.
They made sure that we knew where to be and when, that all the props
were on stage, and that the show kept moving... or stalled, as we needed it
to! As crazy as it was trying to deal with 70 athletes,
they did an awesome job of keeping things going! Out of the 70+
competitors, I just want to note that 30 of the athletes were women! The audience
was full of 'faces'... Jose Raymond, Greg Rando, John Davis, James Gonzales,
TJ and Sandra Rhone, along with many other bodybuilding and fitness people. A great time
was had by all, especially me, who left with 3 huge trophies... thank
goodness we brought a big vehicle... which I need for that prop!! Oh,
and Rob "Hollywood", who got his dream job for the day of hearding around
women in bikinis! Be
sure to check back soon for all my updated galleries!
April
Regina Blais and I have been practicing our posing and running through
our routines together over the past couple of weeks. This past Tuesday we
practiced our NPC poses and we will get together this weekend for the last
time before the NPC New Englands, which we are both excited to do. This show
is one that I have competed in or attended for about the last 8 years or so.
The crowd is always a blast and it’s right in Boston, so friends and family
are able to come and watch. I’m nervous to stand next to Regina, as she
always comes in SUPER lean, and has a rockin’ routine. I’m sure we will both
fare pretty well, and neither of us are worried about the outcome! Regina is
married to Gerry Blais, the overall winner of this show in 2002. Gerry will
be competing again this year… Wish us all luck for Sunday, and stay tuned
for the updates!!!
Well, I think we can all attest that the Fitness Atlantic was a great
show! There were 26 girls competing in Fitness alone, and I think somewhere
along the lines of 40 in Bikini! A ton of fun was had by all! We arrived at
the hotel on Friday night just in time for the competitor meeting and to
learn the ‘opening number’. Saturday the show began a little later than
expected, which is unusual for this show, but I’ll tell you, it was
appreciated by us. Those few extra minutes of prep really made a difference…
especially since some of the other girls needed my ‘crew’ to help with their
props. We performed our routines after the swim suit round, and that made a
big difference! While warming up for routine, I went to practice on my prop,
and had a little (And, I can say “little” now, because it has passed and was
taken care of….) malfunction with my prop… but let me say this, YET AGAIN…
the people in my life ROCK! The problem was resolved and my routine went off
without a hitch! At the end of the day I placed 3rd, with Dawn Butterfield
in 1st, and Rhianna DaCruz in 2nd. Trish Hoyt and Jen Tedford placed 4th and
5th respectively and then both went on to win the Tall and Short class in
Bikini!! How awesome are they.. Rock On, my friends!!
----------
Hey, Did you check out Friday’s addition of the
Boston Globe? They
did an article about me…. It was pretty cool Hey publicity is publicity,
right?
Can you believe that the Fitness Atlantic is only about 2 weeks away?
Where does the time go? I, like a lot of people, have a busy season ahead of
me. Wendi West will be heading to Canada in May to defend her reigning title
and then a bunch of us will be heading to Miami in June for the Fitness
Universe Pageant, while in between competing in regional shows as well.
Should be a fun-filled season. Congrats to Holly, Jen, Trish, Dawn, and
Allison for your amazing showing at South Beach. You girls are all
beautiful!
Thanks to those of
you who have e-mailed me asking how my new nephew is…. “Braxton” is doing
just fine… He is getting so big and more alert by the day. Here is a recent
picture of him, wearing what else? PHAT MUSCLE! I bought him that hat at the
PM booth at the Arnold Classic…I am a huge fan of the PM gear! And speaking
of Phat Muscle I have corresponded back and forth with GABRIEL LOPEZ, the
owner of Phat Muscle. Knowing that I am really into ‘quotes’, he sent to me
the one that he lives by and I wanted to share it with everyone, seeing as I
find it very inspiring: Determination. "The rewards for those who persevere
far exceed the pain that must precede the victory." As Gabriel puts it,
‘Always keep fighting to accomplish your goals.’ If you haven’t already, be
sure to check out their site… they have some great gear. (www.phatmuscle.com)
If anyone bumps into
Ron Harris let him know that I did, in fact, get another pair of Shox…. Oh,
it’s on! And if you do see him, make sure that you send your support to his
wife Janet who will be competing on May 2nd at the New Englands as a
bodybuilder. She has been training her butt off, and her physique shows it.
I can’t wait to see her on stage.
Can I just say again how much the people in my life just ROCK!! I have
Jeff and Bill and all the guys up at Nutty Nutrition who are SO supportive.
Cathy Savage who always puts the time aside for me to make sure that I am on
track, (that along with helping 40+ other girls and taking care of her 2
year old son and husband….), all the girls that I compete with that just
make this adventure so worth while! Then there are those special people that
go out of their way to support me and care about me…you make me feel like a
winner already. And let me just say this… yes, again…that my family ROCKS!
My mom, who is pretty much my major sponsor and support system, is
constantly on the go between foster care, baby sitting, taking care of the
house, ME, my dog when I’m at work, and yet has the time to “whip up” a
costume prop for me, alter suits for not only me, but other girls on a
moments notice, and cook my food when I don’t have the time in between! I
don’t have the time?? Where the heck does she find it? Anyway… a SHOUT OUT
to MOMS who ROCK!
March 2004
If any of you receive the “Daily Pump” from writing
great Ron Harris, you are aware that I am in somewhat of a ‘contest’ with
him to see who can accumulate the most pairs of Shox. For anyone that knows
me, you know that I am a huge Shox fan. Well, I happened to find out that
Ron, who is a bodybuilder from the east coast as well as a writer for many
BBMagazines was too… we went back and forth about it via e-mail a little and
hence a “contest” came about. Hhmmm… think it could be the competitor in
us? I guess as Ron says “…we are now bitterly embroiled in a pointless yet
fun contest to see who can blow more of their hard-earned money on Nike Shox…”
Ron and I both feel that our workouts are somewhat more superior the first
few days after having a new pair. Crazy? Sure, but whatever works. And as
Ron says “Remember, he or she who dies with the most Shox wins!” Be sure to
check out Ron’s site, and receive his newsletter. Oh, and drop him an
e-mail and let him know that I just got another new pair.
www.ronharrismuscle.com
YIPPEE... I am an Aunt again.... My sister Katie just
had a beautiful baby Boy! Congratulations to she and RJ, and New Big
Brother Austin. We are so lucky!
The Future of Fitness - - - -
Hey, check out this pic of Hannah. Her mother sent me this picture
with the caption "The future's so bright...." I cracked up. From
what I hear, she is a real character, not even one year old yet and walking
like a super star. We'll have her in heels and doing press holds in no
time! I grew up with Hannah's dad, Donnie Shack and have become
friends with her mom (Donnie's wife) Stacy over the last year. I am
happy to say that Donnie and I have remained friends throughout the years,
as I've known him since the 6th grade. It's nice to have people in
your life that you can look wwaayyy back with and say things like "Oh,
remember when...." Yah, I'm not even going to go there. My
point....Cherish your friends, you just never know. So, if Hannah is
anything like Donnie, (Or Stacy, for that matter), the two of them will be
on their toes for many years to come. Oh, and they should probably
keep a pair of crutches in the closet!!!
Arnold Classic
Hey everyone, I know you have been waiting for an
update from the Arnold Classic. There is no way that I could possibly
recapture what a great time we had, and all the cool stuff that happened and
things we saw, but here is a brief recap. Wendi West and I flew
out on Thursday evening and met Yolanda Dixon, who flew in from Cali, at the
airport. What a great time it was to get together when we didn’t have
competing to worry about. Again, the greatest thing that I have gotten out
of competing, thus far is the friends that I have made. I have gotten to
meet some of the most amazing people, and for that I am thankful.
Friday we walked around the Expo during the day and
caught up with a lot of friends. We were able to see the gorgeous Nicole
Ferreira who was working at the FitBeauties booth, as well as Tricia Hoyt
who was helping out at Molecular and Allison Ethier looking as cute as ever
at the Muscle Mag booth. Alicia Denson was of course drawing a crowd of
attention between the two booths that she was working, and Sheri McCall and
Andi Martin had a crowd of their own going…. Looking as stunning as ever.
Our main goal of the day was to watch the Fitness
Preliminaries at the Expo where we saw Adela, Kelly, Jen and the girls show
off their skills in the 45 second routines and their 2 piece suits. Talk
about some talent…phew! They were amazing.
We
finished out the day by doing a little shopping and I got to catch up with a
few friends including some bodybuilding greats and UFC fighter Robbie Lawler
who was at the Expo with
www.tryblackice.com. Robbie is preparing for his next UFC fight on
April 2 in Las Vegas.
Friday night was amazing! Adela Garcia-Friedmansky won
the Arnold Classic. We headed over to the Veterans’ Auditorium and sat in
the third row. We had 3rd row seats to see some of the most
amazing athletes. The Fitness women were phenomenal. Adela, Jen
Hendershott, Tracy Greenwood, Stacy Hilton….amazing, just amazing. Adela
was crowned champion, with Kelly Ryan in 2nd. Kelly came in with
a smaller physique which looked amazing. However Adela had the WHOLE
PACKAGE and was able to edge the competition out. YOU ROCK GIRL! The
Figure women were gorgeous too, and it was hard to tell who was going to
take it… Monica or Jenny Lynn. At the end of the night, it was Jenny that
took the overall title with Monica in second. I guess it could have gone
either way as both girls were nothing less than perfect.
Saturday we all spent the day at our respective
booths. Yolanda left bright and early for the Physical booth, and Wendi
headed down around 11:00am and I headed down to the Expo shortly after
that. I stopped by to chat with Alicia Denson for a bit, and then took some
pics over at the Black Ice booth with Robbie, before I headed over to the
Body Rock (www.bodyrock.com)
booth with Steve McAdams. I worked the booth there until about 3:00 and
then headed over to the Strength Systems Booth with Joe, Scott, and Michael
Welch. Those drinks and bars sold like hot cakes, and we had a blast over
there. What a great bunch of guys. If you have the opportunity, you have
to try one of their Protein Ice drinks… YUMMY!! The day went by so fast, I
barely got to look around the Expo. I did get to see Adela and hang out with
her a little at the end of the day over at the GNC booth. She was swamped
with fans all day long… can you blame them?
Saturday night we did the whole “after party” thing and
had a good time for ourselves… we lit up the dance floor a little and got to
relax after an exhausting day. We hung out with a few people from the
West Coast who made the night a blast.
The weekend was great….check out some candid pics In
the Friends gallery.
February 2004
Cathy
Savage’s camp was a huge success. There were about 60 women in attendance
from all over…. California, Canada, Missouri, Chicago, Florida….
And of course all the East Coast Girls! Everyone was in attendance… Wendi
“Wild Wild" West, Dawn Butterfield, Nicole Ferreira, Toneka Pires, Dani
Kalfon,… and the list goes on. We were lucky enough to have 3 time Canadian
FAP champ Sylvia Tremblay join us, as well as Linda McLaughlin and Paula
“Lil P” Harvey, who got our butts moving! Of course the day would not be
complete without Alicia Denson (aka; Kristy Kreme) and her on going humor,
and the talented Kristi Wills and her unbelievable strength moves… “Hey
Kristi, can you do that again?!” Cathy really knows how to pull it all
together...what can I say, the woman ROCKS! She puts so much effort into
these camps and every session that she does... I know that I speak for many
when I say that we do so well because of her!!!
The
day started out with introductions and went right into walking and posing.
We covered everything from shoe and suit selection to tan to nutrition and
strength moves. It was very informative, even for those of us who have done
it before. I always leave one of Cathy’s camp with learning something new.
It was really great to see and meet so many new faces and see so much new
interest in the sport. This year should definitely be saturated with heavy
competition! Looking forward to seeing everyone in April! Train hard!
Well here we are over a month into the new year, and it seems like
everyone I talk to is having a hard time getting back into the swing of
things. I guess it is pretty normal considering all that we went through
last year. This weekend is Cathy Savage’s Fitness Prep Camp. (www.savagechoreography.com).
Anyone who has had the opportunity to attend one of Cathy’s camp know how
much fun it is, and how much knowledge that you walk away with. We have
about 50 girls signed up already, so it should make for a very fun weekend…
not to mention a good kick in the rear with motivation!
I’m sure you are all wondering how my 30th birthday went over… it was
great! I made it into a birthday weekend by going to dinner with Cathy
Savage and Linda McLaughlin on Friday, where we celebrated with some nachos
and drinks, doing a little R & R in Northern New England on Saturday, and a
fab dinner with my family and friends on Sunday. I would like to thank those
special people in my life who made my birthday so memorable!
As I am getting my training and routine practices underway I am noticing
how fast conditioning comes and goes. My joints are sore, my leg aches and
my back always seems to be so tight! Thank goodness for Andrea
Nidzgorski, my massage therapist! She works wonders! Anyone who is in
need of a great massage should definitely pay her a visit! She can be
reached at 978-761-4273 or
nidz@comcast.net. Andrea is the owner of A Touch Massage
and is located right in Billerica in ProFitness!
Stay tuned for some great updates from the Savage Camp!
January 2004
Well, with the holidays what seems like far behind us, with the
exceptions of the still ever present comments like "ate too much", "getting
back to the gym.", everyone seems to be falling back into their daily
routines. I, for one, was glad to see the holidays come and go this year.
Not that I was a grinch or anything, I just wasn't in the Christmas Spirit
for some reason this year. New Years Eve was very quiet. I spent it with a
few close friends for dinner and then celebrated at Midnight. Half because
it marked the start of a new year and half because I could finally go home
put myself to bed.
New Years Day:
I flew out to Bloomington, Illinois to visit with Adela
Garcia-Friedmansky for the weekend. For anyone that doesn't know like maybe
your 80 year old grandmother Adela is an IFBB Pro Fitness Athlete, who is,
in a word, awesome. Adela trained me the entire weekend, and helped me learn
how to incorporate more plyometric type movements into my training. Without
getting into the specifics, my legs were sore for 4 days. Adela and her
husband, Brian are two of the nicest people you'll ever meet and so much fun
to be around. I almost didn't want to leave on Sunday oh wait, I didn't!
They had terrible weather there and I was unable to fly out until the next
evening. Other than the fact that I missed my first day back at work after
the Christmas break, and I desperately wanted to see someone at home, the
extra day was fine, and I got in a little more training and getting to hang
out with the CHICA herself. Adela is now training for the Arnold Classic
held in Columbus, OH on March 5th.
Speaking of the Arnold Classic! Wendi West and I will be headed out there
and meeting up with Yolanda Dixon to cheer her on. I will be making an
appearance at the Body Rock booth (www.bodyrock.com)
, and Wendi will be at the Physique Magazine booth.
Well, not only do I have a "Big" birthday this month (Check out my new
Article in Tips.), but it will leave me
14 weeks out from the Fitness Atlantic in New Haven, CT, which I plan on
being my first show. Better get my rear in gear and lay off that trail
mix!!! Cheers to 2004!!!
