| 8 Weeks Out | 4 Weeks Out | Contest Day |
- Weight: 123 lbs
- Lean Mass: 112.9 lbs
- Fat Mass: 10.9 lbs
- Body Fat: 8%
Jr. Nationals is a difficult long two days of competition and it couldn't have been done without the best NPC officials putting it on and taking care of the athletes.
A great thank you goes out to Steve Stone, Kim and Rob Klein, Pam Betz, Sandy Ranali, Kenny Kassel, the judges and many more officials that I can't name, that really worked hard over the weekend to make this a quality national level show for the competitors.
The expo was a hit this year also. It seems to grow every year and it hosts some of the best supplement companies and businesses in the industry. They really cater to the athletes by giving us free samples and the expo promotes a great opportunity for networking.
2007 Jr. Nationals:
From a personal introspective, I was battling a cold coming into Jr. Nationals and so I really wasn't on top of my game. I was very pleased however, with my conditioning. I had whittled myself down for this show coming in at 8% body fat and at a weight of 123lbs before cutting my water.
I really felt great about my shape as the long off season break allowed me to put on more quality size, bring my waist down, and build my quads up from last year. With these accomplishments, in my mind, I was already coming to this show as a winner.
I had achieved my goals of making my physique more complete and no matter what the placings, I know that I have improved my shape, suits, presentation, and mentality from what they were a year ago. That is always my personal goal; to continually improve from each show that I compete in and that feat in itself is rewarding not to mention motivating.
Honestly, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I was a little disappointed that I came in 7th this year at the Jr. Nationals. I had hopes - not to be confused with "expectations" - of placing in the top five because last year I ended up placing 3rd at this very same show and no competitor wants to fall in placings.
A competitor always hopes to improve and move up in the ranks. I will say this however, there were a lot of great girls up there and they all displayed amazing physiques over the weekend. I can't even imagine how hard it is to judge a class of 20 - 40 girls that all present great physiques.
I know I would have a tough time picking 5 out the mix for the top placings. Even though a little disappointed with my own placing, I was pleased to make the top 10 and I was also happy that 3 out of the top 5 girls in my class were my Fitness Factory friends, so I was very excited for them and their success.
Click Image To Enlarge. Ginger Redeker.
Backstage:
Overall, I had a wonderful time at the Jr. Nationals this year. I was confident and relaxed even though I was battling a cold. I enjoyed being with the other girls backstage just hanging out and gabbing about suits, makeup, men - you know, girl talk. I felt a real comradeship especially amongst the other Fitness Factory girls.
As I sat backstage awaiting our turn to go on, I reflected on how it is almost amusing how much preparation it takes to get ready for a show. It takes a lot of time, money and preparation to compete, not to mention some of the weird things as competitors that we have to go through and deal with when competing.
Whether it is not being able to shower, shave or use deodorant for a few days, to having cold tape adhesive sprayed on your butt to glue your suits down so that they don't aspire to be a thong, to standing in line for what seems like an eternity in heels with your feet cramping, just waiting for those few glorious minutes onstage-it's all an awesomely wonderful experience that is well worth some of the craziness that it takes to compete.
After The Show:
After the figure show was over on Saturday night, my boyfriend and I dined at a steak and seafood restaurant. It's funny but usually the things that I crave most after a show or while dieting is a juicy filet that is cooked extra rare-I like it still cold in the middle and I also crave seafood.
After this show, I had a particular craving for seafood so that night, I dined on a gargantuan plate of Alaskan king crab legs, a huge salad with lots of croutons and I split an apple martini with my boyfriend. Neither of us can hold our liquor so splitting the martini was a must!
After shows, I do not tend to overeat or gorge myself. I am limited to the foods that I can eat because I am allergic to and have a hard time digesting certain foods. I would have died for some Cold Stone ice cream in a chocolate dipped waffle bowl but alas, I am lactose intolerant and what steak house in their right mind would carry soy ice cream when they can serve the real deal??
With Jr. Nationals over with, I have set my sights on competing in the Figure Nationals July 13th and 14th in New York. From there, I plan on competing at the USA's in Las Vegas at the end of July. After those shows, I will probably hang up my heels until next year and work on bettering my physique for next season.
Again, there is no such thing as having the best physique, even if you win, there is always room for improvement. This sport takes time to evolve and that is the beauty of it.
| 8 Weeks Out | 4 Weeks Out | Contest Day |