Emerald Cup was a total blast!!!!! What a fun filled weekend! Trent and I headed to Seattle on Thursday afternoon, and didn't get there until 11:30pm.......so we were both wiped out to say the least! I got up early Friday morning and headed to the check in for fitness and figure girls. My main role on Friday was to help the girls get glued (attaching their suits to their butts- for those of you who don't know), bodies oiled, or whatever else they needed:) I was really impressed by the caliber of competitors at this contest......you could easily see why the overall champion usually becomes a national champion within a year!

My bestest buddy Michelle Mayberry won the overall fitness category and her height class in figure!! She really deserved it after all her years of hard work! She is smokin hot at 43 years old! The short class fitness winner happened to be an old friend, Chandra Young from Idaho. I competed (and got beat:) by Chandra in 2004! She came back this year, and looked freakin phenomenal! Her routine was awesome, and her physique was completely different from when we competed in '04.....she is on her way to Junior Nationals and Team Universe this year, (where I am sure she will get a pro card!)

Friday night after the fitness and figure show, we went out to dinner with my nutritionist Pete and his wife Apple, Michelle Anderson, and our good friend Trish. I had tiramisu (like always:)

Saturday was unbelievably fun....I worked the Labrada booth (which happened to be right on a main aisle of the expo), so I conveniently got to talk with everyone who walked by.......I have never seen so much beauty and hot bodies in one place in my entire life! I worked with another fitness pro (Katherine- Kat:), and Jimmy Galindo. We laughed and had more fun than should be allowed! My booth was right beside the BSN booth, which held the one and only Monica Brant! She has the hottest legs and calves that I have ever seen......I was in awe and jealous all at the same time:)

I made some good contacts with photographers....all of them want to do photo shoots at the Europa Pro Fitness championships in August. So, I guess I will have to do that contest for sure now:) I was thinking of only doing the All Star Pro fitness (2 wks after the Europa), but the Europa will give me so much more exposure. Gotta get some sponsors!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually got to go on stage and present awards to the light heavy weight bodybuilders, while representing Labrada! They announced me as a representative of Labrada.....it was such a great moment for me. It was one of those moments that I really felt like an IFBB pro.....

Well, tomorrow is back on the diet! I have eaten nothing but crap the last 3 days.....Red Robin, Cheesecake factory, Olive Garden, Subway, then homemade cookies after getting home to the kids:) I feel like a slug! I can even feel the water retention in my legs.....it feels like stuff is hanging off of the sides of my legs....lol. Well, it's late and I have to work at the hospital tomorrow. There is so much more to tell, but I am so tired that I can't think of anything right now. Train hard everybody, no excuses! Love ya,

Tami

I'M BAAAACCCKKKK!!!!!! Did ya miss me? New York was a total blast! I placed 15th out of 19 competitors....which sounds bad, but if you could have seen the caliber of competitors I was up against! Most of them had been to the Olympia at one time or another......I did lousy in the physique rounds, but scored 8th in the 2 minute routine round! Everytime I would be announced on stage, the whole audience would say "Oooowwwww" back at me. It was hysterical:) My 45 second routine music stopped before I was finished, so the other girls threw a fit for me.....and the judges let me do it all over again (when everyone else was done). So, I got to throw my routine twice! (5 minutes apart) I loved my suits, and no one else had the same color:)

Most of the girls were much more muscular than me......I was a little dinky thing next to them. After the contest we went to Little Italy and had a wonderful pasta dinner...yummmmmy! We stopped by a wonderful bakery on the way back to the hotel, and I had an eclair and took a tirmisu to go! We didn't get into bed until 1am, and I got up to go to the airport at 4:30am......my butt was draggin' to say the least. We almost didn't get out of NY due to the huge storm setting in.....thank God we missed it by a couple of hours!

I am back on the wagon with my diet.....have to look good this weekend at Emerald Cup..wink wink. My guest posing at the Or Ironman is only 3 1/2 weeks away too:) Well, I am literally falling asleep at my computer......I will write some more tomorrow about my NY trip. Train hard everyone- no excuses! Love ya,

Tami

Five days and counting!!!!!!!!!!!! I compete in the NY Pro fitness on Saturday!!! I am actually getting excited, and not having any panic attacks........hee hee hee:) I really don't feel the pressure like I did when I was trying for my Pro card. There is nothing "riding" on this contest....I am going for the experience, to do my best, and to get my face out there. I am bringing in my best physique, my best routines, and that is all I could ask for. Wherever the judges place me......they place me. I did a dress rehearsal of my 45 second routine today (catsuit and all).....it went really well, just a couple of bugs to work out:) There is NO way you cannot feel sexy in that cat suit.....hot mama! The guys at the gym were a little puzzled by it though;)

I am on day one of my carb depletion. I carbed up yesterday and had a controlled cheat meal last night. Then total carb depletion today and tomorrow- then a carb up and cheat meal on Wednesday. Then 2 more days of total carb depletion......fun, fun, fun! The good news is that I have lost 1/2 inch on all of my butt and thigh measurements in the last week! I am actually seeing some of the "crack fat" going away......(I swear Michelle).

I got to see the competitor list for this weekend's contest.......oh boy, what a line up! Lots of great competitors including: Tracy Greenwood, Angie Semsch, Julie Childs, Heidi Fletcher, and Regian Da Silva (my thoughts for the top 5- no particular order). So much for breaking myself in slowly:) Oh well, at least I get to compete with some of the girls that I have admired for so long. I am excited to see Heidi Fletcher and Jennifer Cassetty (the 2 girls that I was up against for the overall at my Nationals). They are both great girls.....it will be like a reunion:)

I drank 3 gallons of water yesterday, and 2 gallons today (and 2 gallons tomorrow). I have peed more than any human being should.....well, speaking of that......I must go:) Train hard, no excuses! Love ya,

Tami

p.s. By the way.......found out tonight that Bodybuilding.com is having a live webcast of my contest......so check it out if you can.....then give me feedback:)

I did my guest posing at the Vancouver Natural this last weekend! It was SO much fun! The routine went really clean. I got to see all of my fitness friends....I missed them SO much! There were 108 fitness and figure competitors! It was a sea of beautiful muscled up women!!! ha ha ha I was really impressed with the caliber of competitor there. My guess is that most of them were just "practicing" for Emerald Cup in 3 weeks:)

My favorite part of the weekend was our dinner Saturday night after the contest. We went to.....you guessed it.....Olive Garden! Surprise Surprise huh? My cousin and her family, myself, Michelle Anderson and her daughter, and my nutritionist Pete and his family all went. Sherry asked me why I wasn't eating my usual 2 pieces of Tiramisu.....I told her I was trying to show some restraint in front of Pete!!!! He just laughed and told me to eat whatever the hell I wanted.....so I did. I got up early to drive home on Sunday, ate healthy on SUnday, but definitely not "contest food". I gained 9# of water from all of the sodium!!!!!!!!! Luckily by today, I am only carrying about 1# of it still. Trying to really guzzle the water. Well, it's time to pick the kids up from school now. Train hard no excuses!

p.s. NY countdown is on! 11 days till I compete! eeeeekkkkkkk!