New Goals for 2011

Me at my Alma Mater (UNC) this month!

I have fallen in love with the fitness industry.  Whether it's personal training, wellness coaching or teaching Zumba classes - I have found my passion.   One of my goals for 2011 is to transition from my current career field into the health and wellness field.  There are a lot of fitness opportunities that are presenting myself and I feel like my big toe is peeking out door.  But, I need a couple of more things to happen before I take that full plunge!  January 2011 has some great publicity and opportunities so stay tuned!

Also, if you love Zumba - come check out my Zumba classes.  I'll be at APT Fitness & Absolute Dance (both in St. Matthews Station at the corner of Breckinridge Lane & Shelbyville Rd).  I'm also excited to be doing classes in the west end at First G Church and at some private locations!  Visit the Zumba section of my website for the class schedule and prices.

I appreciate all of the support I have received from others over the years, now it's my turn to return that support while helping others get in shape.  LET'S DO THIS!

I'm Getting Married

On October 22, 2010 my boyfriend proposed to me!  I was overjoyed.  Of course, the joy quickly turned to stress as I had less than six months to plan my wedding.  So, now I am in the mist of planning a Spring wedding.  It has become less stressful because most of the details have been planned.  However, I now must also re-evaluate how I will train over the next several months.  My original plan was to build, build, build muscle.  Add on those pounds (which would also include some fat) and let the good times roll.  However, the last thing I want to do is be "thick" in my wedding dress.  So now I've found myself still trying to build muscle but at a much less extreme pace.  We'll see how that goes.

I've also started teaching Zumba classes.  They are a blast.  This Winter I'm only teaching 1-2 classes a week.  However, starting in January I'll be teaching 3-4 classes a week.  That's a lot of cardio.  I must make sure that I eat the right type of calories to balance that type of activity - and if anything else, I'm hoping it helps with my glutes!

I'M BAAAAACK!

Wow, I wanted to add a blog to my website and remembered that I had created a blog when I first started competing two years ago. Back then, I was training for my very first competition - so much has happened since then!

In 2008, I ended up doing seven competitions - winning first at many of them. I went to my first national competition and switched from figure to fitness. In 2009, I competed in The Arnold and two national shows and was only four points from turning professional. This year I won my class in the Arnold still have the goal of turning pro.

One of the best things about competing is the people I have met along the way. Fitness competitors are some of the coolest people around and we have so much fun backstage. Although we are competing against each other, we build an amazing support system with each other. It was a great experience to watch some of my friends (like Stacy Wright) turn pro this year!

After this competition season, I decided that I needed a REAL off season. Most of the feedback from the judges is that although I have a great shape, I appear smaller on stage compared to the other competitors. I need to build some muscle, but in order to do that - it must take the right time, use the right weights and eat the right foods.