My body feels like a ragdoll's. It can be tough switching gears from taking a week totally off from weights, cardio, and healthy eating and driving one's body right back into the gym and cutting the carbs and fats drastically. I'm continuing to lose the water weight that I gained after the show because I've designed the diet this week to be a bit lower in carbs than I would normally have. I'm sticking with two to three meals' worth, but having only 1/4 cup of oats or two ounces of sweet potato at a time, and I'm used to a bit more.

Yesterday's back workout definitely did the trick. As the hours have gone by today, the soreness has elevated. It started in the middle of my back, right in the middle trapezius and rhomboids section. Now, it has transferred into my lats, the exact area I want to build for next year. I will most likely repeat yesterday's back workout next Monday, but I have to remain cautious about how much of my biceps I utilize when lifting the weight. The biceps are an assisting muscle group for the back, and when I do rows or pulldowns, I try to use a false grip, where the thumb is in the same direction of my fingers rather than an opposing direction, where my thumb is wrapped around the bar. This helps to take away some of the usage of the bicep muscles. I also never do biceps within 48 hours before a back workout. That's one easy way of tearing or pulling the bicep.

As I drove to the gym today, the clouds loomed darkly in the sky, and the threat of continuing showers was imminent. The downpour started within 15 minutes of my workout, but the effect was calming in a way. Sometimes, when the weather is so nice, it's easy to look outside and dream of being on the beach or sitting at the pool or taking a walk. With the inclement weather, I could easily focus on the task at hand.

I began with a light warm up of side lateral raises. Five pounds for 20 reps and then 10 pounds for 15 reps. A bit of stretching commenced, and I was ready to begin. Overhead dumbbell press on the incline bench started things off, and I grabbed the 30-pound dumbbells for three sets of 11, 10, and 10 reps respectively. I always need a spotter when doing any type of shoulder pressing movement because that left shoulder loves to quit with no warning.

I was pleased with the weight. I might go a bit heavier next week and drop the weights and then throw in a burnout set at the end, but we shall see. My goal is to get into the 40-pound dumbbell range when doing these. The heaviest I've ever gone is 35 pounds. Either way, I would need a very good spotter. Not everyone knows how to spot properly, and then it breaks my concentration and makes me angry, but that's a whole other story.

Back to the workout at hand. I did one arm side lateral raises. I held onto the post of the bench press and leaned to one side and did 12 reps with a few partial reps thrown in at the end. I repeated this with the other side and then did two more sets of the same thing, using a 20-pound dumbbell all the way through. I want to keep my form accurate and strict on these. It's easy to use my traps to help lift the weight, and I need to focus on my side delts completely.

At this point, I decided to roll up the sleeves to my gray t-shirt and check out the results of the work I had done so far. My veins have begun to come back, and small ones were threading their way through my front delts. The striations were apparent, and blood had definitely entered the muscles, creating a very nice, full looking delt. I needed that look for the stage, but the backstage area was so ice cold that I couldn't get a proper pump. Besides, even though I carbed up a bit on fruit preserves and a few cookies and did laterals with 25-pound dumbbells, I couldn't hold onto the fullness because of all the waiting we had to go through. Basically, I would prepare for the stage and then not actually step on stage until 30 minutes later. It was quite frustrating because I actually need to carb up and pump up in order to get my shoulders extremely full...which was a necessary component for the physiques in this show.

But today, I was very pleased with what I saw. It shows that my shoulders have the capabilities of being bigger. I just have to work harder to keep them that way.

I then did bent over rear lateral raises. I managed to finish one set of these with the 20-pound dumbbells before lightening began to tear through the sky and thunder roared around us. The lights flickered a bit and then the gym became dark as the power went out. Everyone else stood around dumbfounded. I picked up the dumbbells and went to work on my second set. Luckily, the lights came back on and the music ripped through the quiet and helped me continue with the intensity, but either way, I would have finished my workout. Three sets of these raises and it was time to move on to the upright rows, which involved just two drop sets: 70 pounds to 40 pounds. I use a wide grip on these in order to shut off the use of my traps. That reminds me, I need to add in shrugs every other week, so I'll have to put them in next week. I want to be sure that I don't have a dip from my neck to my shoulder, and the trap helps to smooth that area out, but I can't walk around with hulking traps either! So moderation is the key.

You should give me a pat on the back because I did three sets of ab exercises at the end. I wanted to quit at two sets, but I ignored that desire and did that last set. My abs are a bit tight now, which is good!

I have a cardio session to do tonight, 45 minutes on the stepper and bike. Woohoo. Hear the excitement? Lol! I don't want to do too much cardio on shoulder day because I want my body to utilize the carbs to replenish energy so I can hold onto my muscle gains. Anyway, my creativity is a bit zapped today. I'll get a second wind once I step onto the cardio equipment. It's amazing; all of my really good writing occurs in my head when a pen and piece of paper are nowhere to be found. Why is that? I should invest in a little tape recorder, but how dumb would I appear to be...talking to myself while I do cardio?

Anyway, that was my day at the gym. Did you go to the gym? Did you train your butt off? Did you meet your goals? If not, what are you waiting for?

Jodi

This morning arrived with a horrible case of cramps. I should be thankful that my cycle hasn't veered off course with the dieting and workouts. Many girls don't have cycles once they hit about 10 to 12 percent bodyfat, but I've been as low as 5 to 6 percent and still had visitation rights with it, much to my chagrin. And this morning reminded me of why I'm not too fond of it. I curled up in bed and moaned in pain for a couple of hours before the Advil kicked in and I fell to sleep, escaping any sensation. I weighed 117 pounds at 6:30 this morning. I awakened at 11:30 and weighed 114 pounds. I knew that my weight gain this past week wasn't entirely a result of the food I had been eating. In a week, I should be down around 110 pounds, and my goal for the shoot with Jon Howard is to hit about 107 to 108 pounds. I was 105 to 106 pounds for the Dan Ray shoot (the zebra dress photos), and I was extremely pleased with my physique in those.

I have to say that as I went through that disk from Dan, a few tears crept into the corners of my eyes. I realized how proud I was of my body on that day, during that week. I loved the look I brought to that shoot, and if I could have walked around everywhere in a bikini (you know, gone grocery shopping, browsed through the stores at the mall, filled up on gas at the station, caught a flight to Chicago), I would have meandered about with a smile on my face and pride in my heart. I think I would have captured a few too many stares, moreso than I what I tend to get when I walk around in tank top. The point is that if I had to choose between having those photos or having a top five trophy at the recent Junior Nationals, I would select the photos. I have enough trophies, but since I am constantly striving to improve my body, the pictures hold a piece of history in place and provide memories for a lifetime.

I traipsed back into the gym this evening for the first time since the show. With my body swimming in baggy sweatpants the color of limes and a huge Images of Venus T-shirt that Gene had given to me at one of the shoots, I walked over to the pull up bar and hoisted my body up. I've always been weak on pull ups and didn't do a whole bunch, but used the exercise as a simple warm up for what turned out to be an excellent back workout.

Lat pulldowns, shoulder width grip: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, though the last set was done as a drop set.
Seated rows with a hammer grip bar: 3 sets of 12 reps, really squeezing the lats as much as I could. I have used this bar for lat pulldowns but not for the seated rows and was curious as to how it would feel. I think I liked it! I'll try it again next week just to see if it's really working.
T-bar rows with an underhand grip and hands placed just inside of shoulder width apart (in other words, a close grip): 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps and 1 last set of 20 reps and lighter weight. This one popped into my head at the last minutes. I felt like I could attack the outer edges of my lats a bit more readily with this, and I always like reverse grip bent over rows, so I decided to experiment. It was definitely interesting.
One arm dumbbell rows: 3 sets of 15 reps. I'll do these again next week, but I'll throw them in as a beginning exercise and do very low reps and extremely high weight. At this point, I just wanted to burn the lats.
Hyperextensions: 3 sets of 25 reps. I have to be careful with these and not do too much weight. I have very thick erectors, and one of my friends mentioned that while my waist is tiny, my lower back is quite thick and detracts from the width of my lats. This is a result of my powerlifting days. I can do hypers with a 45-pound plate for sets of 15 at least, just to give you an idea of how strong my lower back is. So, when I do these now, I rely on just 10 to 15 pounds at the most and really squeeze at the top of the exercise and move in a controlled fashion.

While I had started the day off with a 35-minute session on the recumbent bike--five minutes normal pace, five minutes fast--and read several chapters of Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury, I still ended up doing a second cardio session after my back workout.

In the evening, I walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill and played around with the incline selection and the speed. I remained between 8 and 12 percent incline and a 4.0 to 4.5 speed and took long strides and really squeezed my glutes. The entertainment for the night, once the screaming child and his father left the fitness center, was the latest issue of Oxygen with Davana Medina on the cover. While I was in there, a girl and her boyfriend came in, and she went onto every single piece of cardio equipment, trying them like Goldilocks trying bowls of porridge and the bears' beds. Except this girl didn't find anything to suit her needs, and she won't until she decides to fight against the easy way of making excuses. She complained about how she looked, but she didn't want to exert the energy exercising would require. Her boyfriend was patient, got onto every single machine after her, showed her how each one worked, and tried to convince her to get her butt in gear. Instead, she sat down on the floor, watched him push out a few reps here and there, do a few minutes of cardio, and then convinced him to leave. This took all of ten minutes maybe, and I continued to sweat my way through my cardio routine. I realized that I'm very blessed and lucky to have the will power, the dedication, and the love for remaining in shape and pushing my body past its limits. You cannot succeed in life if you aren't willing to endure a little bit of discomfort. It's like those people who climb Mt. Everest. I'm sure it's not a cake walk. I'm sure they huff and puff as the altitude becomes increasingly more difficult to handle. Their bodies become numb at some points, and their minds waver, but when they reach the top, the exhileration that arrives with the meeting of a goal makes every bit of pain and difficulty worth it. I wish I could have gotten this across to her, but as I know with dealing with my mother, who is overweight, you cannot make someone want to do something. You cannot hand motivation to someone like it's a dollar bill and tell them to spend it wisely. You cannot operate their bodies or their minds. In the end, we control ourselves, and when an individual really wants to achieve something, no one can stop him or her.

People who have found out I'm not doing the New York show have said, "Oh, now you can ease up and rest, right?" Wrong. While I realize that I have no control over whether I receive a pro card or a trophy at these shows, I do sit in the driver's seat when it comes to determining how my body looks. To me, the off season is when I really kick it in gear. No, the cardio sessions aren't as strenuous, but the weight workouts are beyond grueling. You'll see what I mean as I continue to describe my workouts.

I want to achieve more than what I have this year, and I'm not just talking about placings on a stage that remains as inconsistent as the weather in Texas. And nothing can stop me!

Jodi

Last night, I ended up going to dinner with one of my good friends, Lori, who had traveled to Charleston last year for the 2003 Junior USA's. We lost touch for a bit this year, which sometimes happens during competition season. Basically, I run around like a chicken with its head cut off, and I can't eat out at all and I have to cart a gallon of water and a cooler containing at least four meals wherever I go. Plus, since I'm doing cardio two times a day and doing weights, it's basically impossible to fit in free time with friends. But Lori has been patient and very understanding and is used to this with me, so she just waits for when a show has ended, and then we spend some quality time together.

We went to The Keg Steakhouse in Frisco and ordered a ton of food! In fact, she and I have almost the same exact taste, so we ended up with the same entree: blue cheese filet. A medium rare filet mignon with a light blue cheese breading sitting on top of it and a huge baked potato filled with a three-cheese butter mixture was devoured in no time! And a humongous slice of warm chocolate cake with a light vanilla ice cream really hit the spot. I cleaned up the diet a bit today, relied on protein shakes and oatmeal with some fruit scattered in for much of the day. The cheat week has ended with a salad and coconut shrimp from Outback Steakhouse tonight, and I'm back to chomping on gum to fight the cravings.

Tomorrow will be the toughest day. I have a huge bar of chocolate sitting on top of the refrigerator (that's because it's too much of a hassle to get a step stool in order to reach the treat, and thus, I'll never cheat when I'm not supposed to), but I'm going to fight against eating anymore of it tonight and save it for after the August shoots in New York. It can be difficult to switch gears suddenly, though. One day, I have the freedom to munch on what I want, and the next day, I'm back to a regimented diet.

I'm treating my training differently this time around, though. For the next six weeks, I'm going to do everything instinctually. In the past, everything has been written down, planned ahead of time, geared towards a specific goal. I still have certain goals, but I have faith that my instincts will guide me in the right direction. So, for tomorrow's back routine, I'll walk into the gym, visualize the type of back I want to bring onto the stage next year, and then think of which exercises will work the best and which ones I'm in the mood for. The reps and sets will be determined by my energy level for the day and how well the workout is going. It's funny...I used to do this in college and after I quit powerlifting. Somehow, the shows came along and I lost touch with what I felt was best for my body.

I can already tell you my goals:

1) Bigger, thicker, rounder delts. I started to gain some size here, especially since the Emerald Cup, but I need even more. I'm very excited about working harder on this area of my body, for it is the most difficult for me to gain mass.
2) Wider lats, thicker overall mass in my back. I've always adored back day. Have always looked forward to it. This excitement will remain, and changes will be seen by next year.
3) Better quality muscle in the quads and better separation of the muscles. This is my most stubborn muscle group. I'm considering taking it to obedience school. It works for dogs, right? Why not for my quads? They just never listen to me. I tell them, down. They don't go down. They remain filled with fluid and they seem to grow if I just walk past the leg press machine. Frustrating!!
4) I want my glutes back! Y'all may or may not notice, but I've lost muscle in my glutes a bit and have more loose skin than I used to when I diet down. You know the Sir-Mix-A-Lot song, right? "I like big butts and I cannot lie!" Lol! Well, I'm proud to be the rightful owner of a big butt, and I plan on continuing to have my glutes be my signature on the stage.
5) Speaking of signature body parts, how 'bout them biceps? I'm going to see if I can add just a bit more size to that peak.
6) If the biceps are getting bigger, the triceps need to follow suit.
7) Abs must become a stronger bodypart. I will be changing ab training. I'm going to play around and see what works in the next six weeks and then continue focusing on them during off season. I was a little lax with them last year. No more of that!
8) Calves will still continue to grow. I can feel a vein in my right calf from time to time. I want it to pop out at some point when I diet down.

I do hope y'all will stay tuned. I'll keep track of much of my training on here and y'all will be the first to know of what shows I might be looking at next year. I'll be making that decision in the dead of winter. It's the very first time I've stepped off the stage one year and have not known exactly which shows I want to do in the following year. It's a bit scary but also liberating. I feel like I'm finally doing everything for me and not just trying to please a judging criteria that can't seem to make up its mind.

By the way, I had spoken with Amanda Dunbar briefly as I was waiting to get on stage Saturday evening at the Junior Nationals. She happened to mention that she felt bodybuilding was the place for me, that my genetics were geared more for the shape, musculature, conditioning, and flexing aspects of bodybuilding. I'll just state in a very quiet voice..."I'm thinking about it."

Jodi

I'm home...safe and sound. I left a sunny, warm day in Chicago, headed south and encountered a downpour and chilly temperatures. Explain that! It's June, people. Nearly July! Doesn't the sky know that it's supposed to be killing us with heat, drenching us in sweat? I think the weather is confused this year.

Sheila Rawlins just sent some homemade cookies to me. They were waiting for me when I arrived home. I ate half of one before I even thought of unpacking! That's the spirit! Lol!

I also had a chance to pop in a few of the CD's that arrived in the mail. Dan Ray's, which have a sneak preview gallery, are beyond incredible. There are probably about 10 galleries' worth of photos on the disk, and I'll begin the next update with the zebra dress. I'm shocked at how good the photos are! Ironically, I was leaner and in better condition on the day of that shoot than I was on stage in Chicago. But I was also tinier, so I really don't know if it would have helped to remain that way. But I do know that something went a little awry in the last week. I have a year to figure it out though, so no worries there.

I wrote up my diet for next week and my cardio plan. I'm going to do weights pretty much instinctually each day as I prepare for the photo shoots. But I want to keep a more detailed journal on here of what I do each day. Just bear with me if I miss a day here and there. And sometimes, I may just rush into the blogger to simply say: Dumbbell curls, 3 sets of 8 reps with 25 pound dumbbells. And the lengthier posts will still be done at least once to twice a week. This is one of the reasons why I decided not to do Figure Nationals. I wanted to spend more time on the site and remain stress free in my training...and the two go hand in hand, for when I'm stressed, I don't write as well.

Okay, I've got a question: I'm thinking of getting a new hairstyle. A few more layers and an inch shorter, so it'll be kind of a inbetween bob/shag cut with long, long bangs. I want honest opinions, and you can post this on the board: do you like the longer, straight hair, do you want to see a funkier, more trendy cut? I might get it done just in time for the Jon Howard shoot in three weeks. Now that I'm not on stage, I can please myself and do what is best for the photos and everyday life.

On that note, my everyday life is going to consist of taste-testing Sheila's cookies. I need to make sure each one was made with consistency and the right amount of chocolate. :) I only have a day left on this see-food diet before I return to my normal way of life.

See ya!

Jodi :)

With my belly poking out from my gray sweat pants and white tank top and my Tigger slippers resting on my feet, I stretched out on my grandmother's couch and watched Finding Nemo with her. The sound to the television was louder than a sonic boom until she went into her bedroom and grabbed her digital hearing aids. We giggled through much of the movie, pausing it once to take a phone call from Stickman (from the boards) and again to head into the kitchen to warm up leftover chicken for a late supper. I didn't think I could fit more food into my already stuffed tummy. A mid-afternoon lunch found us at The Cheesecake Factory, where I devoured a California omelette (the cheese was divine) and a small salad with blue cheese, pecans, and vinagrette dressing. Of course, I had to order cheesecake. What fool ventures into a restaurant called The Cheesecake Factory and doesn't order cheesecake. Okay, so my grandmother didn't have any, but she did confiscate the entire scoop of whipped cream that came with my Craig's Crazy Carrot Cake Cheesecake (try saying that ten times fast--that's something my dad would always try to make me do with tongue twisters; on a side note...on what is already a side note...I can say Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers at an alarmingly fast rate. I'm a woman of many talents.).

Anyway, back to the point, the carrot cake cheesecake is my favorite at that restaurant, and I was craving carrot cake last night when Stickman took me for pizza at a restaurant called Barnaby's, but he had to head to work, and I decided I had had enough junk that close to bedtime. Which is why I ate some pineapple coconut ice cream when I got home. Yes, I'm a bit rotund right now. You could say that I'm definitely filling out my jeans.

There's something equally disturbing and fulfilling about being a bit thicker and holding water after a show. I feel stronger, more able to take care of myself in a dangerous situation. I feel more assertive with the extra pounds sitting on my quads, butt, and shoulders (now, if I could have delts like these to the stage, maybe I would fared better this past weekend). But at the same time, I feel a bit disgusted. My six pack is hiding beneath a layer of water. My butt looks like two moons instead of just two canteloupes (as Steve Wennerstrom so eloquently described my buttocks). My quads look like sausages about to explode. On a good note, my face is nice and full, which does help to eliminate wrinkles around the eyes. So, there's a part of me that can't wait to get back on track and begin cardio on Sunday and start with the egg whites and weighing of potato servings and cooking plain chicken, but there's a part of me that wants to taste more food. It's all about will power. I will grit my teeth come the end of the weekend, remember all the tastes that I savored this entire week, and think of how good I want to look for the shoots, which will all help me to pass up any offers of cookies, ice cream, coffee at Starbuck's, lunch at Bennigans, and any other delectable treats.

I'm going to treat the off season differently this year. I'll begin it seriously the first week of September, but I'm going to begin a plan of attack for next year as soon as I get home to Dallas this weekend. I've decided that I may be sitting out this show in August, but it will be because I have a major surprise in store for everyone. Just wait and see. When I step on stage next year, your jaws will drop. You've seen me make improvements in just eight weeks, twelve weeks, six months. Imagine what one year will do!

On that note, I'm off to pop another piece of chocolate in my mouth. Will power begins in 48 hours. Not a second sooner!

Jodi :)

I'll have to talk about this more tomorrow, but I know many people wonder what the reaction is to a muscular woman. Well, I was wearing a tank top and jeans and flip flops today when I went to dinner, and I definitely received my share of stares and whispers. It happened last night as well, but I wasn't sure if it was the peeling Protan, the thirty-year old woman who looks as if she is eighteen and is surrounded by three eighty-year old women, or the muscles. Anyway, I'll go into more detail about this tomorrow. I am considering writing an article of what it is like to go out and run errands or go to eat or go shopping and have your muscles on display and see the reactions. It's not necessarily fun to be stared at as though you are a circus freak. But I did walk tall and proud (my tummy was poking out a bit...ice cream will do that to you; three scoops of ice cream will really do that to you!) and flexed my muscles just a bit more to really freak people out. I like doing that! Lol!

Okay, I'm really going to bed now. G'night!

Jodi :)

My grandmother's hearing aids do not work. They weren't working at all when they were resting peacefully in her dresser drawer, and they weren't working when they were nestled in her ears. I discovered this when I had to repeat myself three, four, even five times, each time getting slightly louder and a bit more insistent until practically the entire restaurant could hear us. It's not her fault, except that she spent two years denying her hearing problem. In fact, she constantly accuses me of not telling her bits of information when I personally think she never heard me in the first place. And now she actually has hearing aids, but they don't work. They just magnify the background noise, which detracts from the conversation being directed her way. So, she has an appointment with the doctor on July 1st and will be getting new ones. Those will be her third pair, so we shall see if they actually work.

Anyway, we saw Terminal with Tom Hanks. Cute movie, but very predictable. I'd say if you have a couple of hours to kill and five bucks to spend, then go for it. It's a peaceful movie with some great laughs, but if you want to wait and catch it on DVD, then don't rush out to the big screen.

Next on my list of movies? Shrek 2, Spiderman 2, and The Bourne Supremacy. I'm ready for some action!

Talk about action, my mouth had a ton of it. Now stop that and get your minds out of the gutter! I meant that my grandmother and I went to an Italian restaurant, Bravo. I actually chose from the menu quite quickly. I usually take five years and annoy everyone around me with trying to decide what everyone else would like and then figuring out what I want and then changing my mind a million times. I started with the artichoke and spinach dip, but I think I ate too much of it, considering that I finished almost the whole thing. My grandmother takes a blood thinning drug and cannot have any veggies with vitamin K in them, like spinach, asparagus, broccoli, etc. So I was forced to eat the entire appetizer all by myself. It was a chore, let me tell you. But I managed to muster up courage and get through it.

I then plowed my way through my main course, which was quite delicious. Parmesan crusted Chilean sea bass with crispy potatoes and fresh spinach. There was this lobster butter sauce that I should have had on the side because it was a bit too heavy. But I scraped off as much as I could and munched on everything else. I did examine the dessert menu and saw creme brulee, which I usually love to savor, but I had it in my mind that I desired ice cream, so I dragged my poor grandmother over to the Ben and Jerry's store and proceeded to get the biggest waffle cone and ask for it to be stuffed with three different flavors of ice cream. Did you say Piggy? That's Miss Piggy to you! What were the three flavors? I thought you'd never ask! Coconut Almond Fudge, Oatmeal Cookie Chunk, and Dublin Mudslide. Okay, those sound really wierd together, but they worked. Remember, before this week I hadn't had ice cream in about two months, so you could mix dirt and worms together and mash them up into ice cream, and I'd probably be grateful and salivating. Lol! Okay, maybe that's going a bit overboard.

Well, all this food as been good for the soul. I've been going back and forth about my decision of whether or not to compete in New York, and I'm leaning further and further towards not competing. I know I already said I wasn't, but women change their minds all the time. I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I really do believe I need time off. My body will look tired on the stage if I step back up there in six weeks. And what would I be competing for? My pride? My ego? A chance to erase the "what if's" that invade my mind at night? Those aren't good enough reasons. I would rather take a year off, focus on making the appropriate changes, and step on stage again next year with a major bang, the type that fireworks produce in a midnight sky on a hot summer night. I want you to hear the pop and feel the sizzle when I hit my poses. And who knows what next year will bring in terms of the criteria for figure?

Either way, I did write to the head judge, Sandy Ranalli, and asked for her opinion. I have a feeling she will tell me to take a break. One of the national judges suggested it at the Emerald Cup, and Sandy did mention that it might take a year before the appropriate size changes occur in my shoulders.

I just received the photos from the shoot I did with David Kippen. Yowza!!!! David let me borrow this really tiny, tiny, tiny gold bikini. Now, I've never thought of gold as being a good color for me, but somehow it worked with the tan and the darker hair and the green shadow on my eyes. I can't wait to see the full gallery! I should receive the CD in a few weeks. We also did video work for every outfit (except the gold bikini because we ran out of time), and I previewed a video clip he did for Mari Kudla and was quite impressed, so I can't wait to see what he creates for me.

Well, my tummy is bigger than Pooh's and my eyes are drooping more than Eeyore's moods, so I'm going to head to bed. I'll write more tomorrow!

Jodi :)

This is a very, very quick post. My grandmother and I are about to head out and see the new Tom Hanks movie, Terminal, and then go out to dinner. I'm kind of craving a huge salad, but that might change in an hour...lol! I am a woman after all and have the right to constantly change my mind.

I spent two hours today scrubbing the skin off of my body. I'm not joking! This Protan is horrible! It attaches itself to your skin like a leech to the body. I had to soak for half an hour and then take a loofah sponge and some St. Ives Apricot Scrub and get to work for another hour and a half. I put on a ton of lotion afterwards because I think I rubbed my skin raw. The tanning is one part of this contest prep that I really detest!!

When I get home tonight, I'll start talking about Junior Nationals. I'm still debating about New York. I know, I know. Yesterday, I discussed going up there just for the shoots. Today is a new day, though. And tomorrow, I'm sure I'll feel a different way. I wouldn't mind hearing some feedback. I'll post all the options and reasoning behind the options tonight and would love to hear from you and see what you think. Basically, I take all the opinions, mix them up in huge thinking stew, and sprinkle in my own feelings, and then let it simmer on the stove. I then sleep on it and wait until it's about to boil over, and then I make my decision.

And on that note, I'm hungry and ready to see a movie! :)

Jodi

I'm not quite ready to discuss Junior Nationals yet. Give me a couple of days, and then I'll spill the beans regarding the whole experience.

But I can talk about the food I've been inhaling! Lol! I haven't done too badly; well, the pint of Godiva's white chocolate raspberry swirl ice cream that was devoured between yesterday and today probably doesn't fit into the category of moderation, but it sure did taste good!

I went to dinner this evening with my grandmother and her two friends, Dorothy and Shirley. The three of them have been friends since about 1941, and they all live in the same high rise condominium in Chicago. All are Jewish and are about the same age...eighties. Have you ever eaten with three elderly Jewish women? Well, it is an experience! Lol! And there I was with them, the remains of my Protan peeling off my skin and making me look like I have some strange skin disease.

First, we have to catch the early bird special for dinner. It is cheaper after all and you don't have to wait in line to get seated. You might be eating while the sun is still dead center in the sky, but the food is still good. Now, all three women have slight hearing problems, talk loudly, and discuss all the health problems that friends and family are experiencing.

I couldn't decide what I wanted. I probably drove the poor waitress crazy, especially with my grandmother and her two friends rushing her to get the early bird menus so they could order before the 5:30 deadline (we arrived at 5:25 p.m.). First, I ordered the buffalo chicken wrap. But then I decided I didn't want that, so I ordered the bacon cheeseburger. Then I couldn't decide whether to have the homemade potato chips or the french fries, and I didn't know whether I wanted dressing on my salad or not. I ended up with blue cheese dressing on the side and the potato chips, but I kind of wished I had the fries. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. I had a half order of a fudge brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and argued with my grandmother about whether to give her all the whipped cream or not. She just wanted a small taste of the dessert, and I gave about a fourth of it and told her, "You'll get what I give you!" And then I plopped an entire spoonful of the whipped cream (I'm not a huge fan of whipped cream for some reason) onto her plate. Note: She ate all of what I gave to her. See! I told you! Lol!

I noticed that either I'm growing or my grandmother and her friends are shrinking. I suddenly felt quite tall tonight, if that tells you anything! I wonder if this is what I have to look forward to when I enter the realm of old age: shrinkage in height, telling the same story five hundred times (like when my grandfather was in Australia and didn't know the proper way of looking both ways before crossing the street and nearly got run over by a speeding car), insisting that everyone around me put on a jacket because I'm cold so everyone else must be positively freezing as well, refusing to wear my hearing aid and then asking what all the time and swearing that I never remember being told something even though I probably never heard it in the first place, pressing the brakes suddenly in the middle of the street because I want to look for change or I want to fiddle with the air conditioning vent and I think I'm the only one on the entire road and can't hear the horns honking around me, and wearing enough hairspray to start an entirely new hole in the ozone layer. I'll tell you what I will really look forward to: parking in the handicapped spot. I'll never have to search for a parking space again! Lol!

Y'all know I'm just kidding. Well, with everything except the driving. It is a very scary experience to ride as a passenger with an 83-year old woman behind the wheel. I can't tell you how many times I've seen my life flash before my eyes. My grandmother loves to inch out into the intersection when cars are speeding towards us and then take her sweet time in getting across to the other side, so that I'm gripping the handle of the door and screaming, "Mama Delle, drive!" This then brings on an argument of how the car was miles from us and I have a depth of perception problem and can't see properly. Meanwhile, the scent of burning rubber is lingering in the air from the cars needing to slam on their brakes to keep from hitting us. Yeah...at 31 years of age, I have the eyesight problem. Lol! If I make it to the airport alive, I will kiss the ground when I step out of the car.

On another note, my grandmother re-played the tape of my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary and watched my grandfather in action again (they were married for 60 years before he passed away). I think he would have loved seeing me on stage, would have gotten a kick out of it.

Tomorrow, I have plans to see Terminal, with Tom Hanks. I'll get a package of Twizzlers and a Coke and enjoy watching a film without the smell of egg whites and broccoli offending every nostril in the room. And I'm sure we'll go out to eat again, so I'll have another report of what I ordered.

Again, the Junior Nationals report will be up this week, but give me a bit of breathing time from the show. I did write an e-mail to the head judge, asking her opinion regarding my physique and my tentative decision to sit out the New York show and wait until next summer to step on stage again. I will keep you posted when I hear from her, which might me a few weeks from now.

Thanks again for sticking by me and making me smile! :)

Jodi

Thursday, late morning. My body is cold. Nerves keep me from warming up, and the cloudy Chicago sky doesn't help any. From my grandmother's living room windows, I can see the trees swaying in the light breeze, much like my insides. I will probably arrive at the hotel around two o'clock. All food is cooked, portioned out into individual servings, sitting all cozy and neat in their little baggies. Cold chicken. Cold egg whites. Cold steak. Cold potatoes. Cold broccoli. Cold Jodi. I'm smirking right now, so even in this state of anxiety, I still have my wit about me (notice I didn't say "wits"; is anyone who does these shows truly sane?).

I haven't posted any progress pictures, but I can describe my physique to you at this moment. I'm sitting at the computer, allowing my legs to relax and continue draining water. Lime green sweat pants that are way too long for my short legs keep me covered. A matching lime green tank top definitely defeats the purpose of remaining warm. I should put a cover up on, but I'll be heading into the shower soon. My muscles are a little on the flat side, which is good. I wouldn't want to be full and pumped with 40 hours to go until stage time. Many people who are unaware of how to prepare for these shows assume you should be walking around with contest-day shape plastered all over your body. If I looked too good a week out, then I should be worried. The fact that I began to hold water earlier this week probably meant that my body was protecting itself, saving itself for the right moment, when the spotlight would join me on stage.

My veins are playing a game of hide-and-seek. The carbs are being added into every other meal, giving my body a chance to digest and utilize them. Thus, the veins won't always be apparent; but hopefully with the addition of a touch of preserves and a bit of potato and a lot of pumping up backstage, the veins will announce themselves on stage.

My legs are down in size. This is the hardest and smallest I've seen them this year. My glutes are very evident. When I bend over, the lines in my hamstrings shout out loudly, saying, "Look at me; I'm here!" The moon pose would be right up my alley at this point. Now, the addition of that pose in the figure shows would definitely reinforce the notion of "T&A Show" that many have accused figure shows of being. Honestly, two to three more weeks of dieting and cardio work would put me in the realm of NABBA figure competitors. I'm walking a tightrope, though. I've discussed this before, but the moment my legs look great is the moment that my shoulders look smaller and flat. The moment my shoulders fill out to the appropriate size that the judges might be aiming for is the moment that my legs begin to spill over and look too thick. Every meal, every morsel of food from this point on is geared towards remaining balanced on the tightrope. I cannot pinpoint which Jodi will be stepping on stage tomorrow night or Saturday morning. My body reacts and changes that quickly, and that is what creates much of my anxiety.

I must remain calm, though. I must have faith in my physique. There's nothing more I can do now. I can sit, with my feet propped up, and wait. Almost 20 shows under my belt, and you'd think the butterflies would go back to their cocoons and leave me be. But they continue to flutter, stretching their wings and forcing me to examine all my fears, concerns, and worries. Maybe that's a beautiful thing, though. If I wasn't nervous, wouldn't that exhibit arrogance?

And once again, I'm rambling. Let me focus on the positives. I've done everything I can possibly do to get ready for this show. My one wish is to step onto that stage with a smile on my face and pride overflowing the rims of my heart and to walk off that stage with both of those intact. If I've accomplished that, then I have achieved what I came here to do. Anything else is icing on my carrot cake. :)

Again, thank you for your support. I will call JT tomorrow night to let him know of the call outs. Let the games begin!

Jodi

I'm about to jump in the shower and get ready to head to the airport. The flight takes off at 11:30, and I still have a bit of packing to do--mostly toiletries that I need for getting ready this morning. Packing last night was a true chore! I have so many photo shoots that it was difficult to know what to bring and what to leave at home. Plus, I'm staying in Chicago for an extra week and need regular clothes. (If they'll still fit after I stuff my face with chocolate and pizza...lol! I shouldn't be too bad though. I have no cravings right now, oddly enough.)

I have tons to write and just haven't had a chance, so tonight, when I'm sitting in the den of my grandmother's condo, I'll post more. I am nervous. The anxiety hit yesterday. The self confidence took a brief dip a couple of times in the day, but I think it's rising back up. It'll be back in time for the show. In previous shows and previous years, I normally wouldn't be this calm or this pleased, so I don't mind experiencing a few moments of self doubt.

I think preparing for a show is much like a sunrise. The darkness of the night sky sits still and flat against the tips of the tress, much like my muscles. And on most days, when the clouds don't interfere, the sun quietly creeps up and sneaks a bit of light here and there before infusing the sky with vibrant colors. That is, if the weather is behaving. If my body behaves, then my muscles should quietly fill out and make an impact on the stage. That is, if the weather is behaving. If my insides are filled with rain and doubt, then my cortisol levels rise because of stress. Stress is an invasion of the body, and thus water floods into the body to protect it from an enemy. And my muscles are hidden, just like the sun would be if the clouds opened their mouths and bawled. I have to remain calm, subdued. I also have to trust that everything in the plan is the right thing to do. And I have to trust my body to respond accordingly. Ultimately, I have control over what goes into my body, what actions my body performs, and what thoughts enter my mind and are uttered from my mouth, but I don't have control over the judges or how other girls show up on stage.

I know everyone interested in this show and in figure is watching to see what will happen this time around. Please just watch and see if I made improvements over me. Is this Jodi better than the last Jodi that stepped on stage? If your answer is yes, then I did my job properly. And no trophy, no placing, no pro card would ever change that.

If for some reason I get too wrapped up in the food preparations for the weekend (those cookies take some time to bake, you know...lol! Oh yeah, and the chicken and egg whites!), I just want to say thank you. You have supported me much more than you realize, and I am so grateful, so appreciative for your attention and your words. Even if you just lurk in the shadows of this site and never say a word, I still know you are there and you are wishing the best for me. Thank you very much!

Jodi :)

Cold asparagus. Go ahead. Wrinkle your nose in disgust. Cold asparagus. Yep, when I opened my container of cold asparagus and cold chicken, I did the same. I'm not sure whether it was the thought of eating cold asparagus that had previously been heated in the microwave in an attempt to save time or if it was the smell that hit my nostrils like a racquetball hitting a court wall.

You already read the details of my breakfast. You have to admit...that was yummy. And even if you didn't like it, I did. And that's what counts. But this second meal that awaited digestion was a bit difficult to mentally digest, especially considering it was eight in the morning, and I was still driving to the photo shoot.

How many of you eat and drive at the same time? Go ahead, raise your hand; get that guilty look on your face. Each and every one of my competitor friends has had the experience I had this morning. The fumbling of the hand into the cooler, struggling to find the right container of food for that particular meal of the day because you absolutely must eat at that exact moment, regardless of the fact that you are heading down a major highway at 80 miles an hour and hitting every bump in the road because you're barely steering with on hand. Yeah, put your seatbelt on and hold on tight if you're in the car with me. I like to speed (and a ticket last December was proof of that, but that's a whole other story; besides, I usually only get caught speeding once a year...that's not that bad, right?).

Then there's the precarious positioning of the container and actually getting the food into the mouth. Forget utensils. Barbaric methods are best in situations such as these. So, there I am, eating cold asparagus and cold chicken, and I remember that I must have salt because I've been putting salt on my food all these weeks, and I can't stop doing that the last week of the show. The salt shaker is in my cooler as well, and there goes the fumbling of the hand again, the hitting of every bump that is supposed to alert the car (well, the driver actually) that you're moving into another lane (I ignored this annoying sound, of course), and successfully grabbing the shaker and pouring salt onto my chicken and asparagus. Well, the asparagus was on top of the chicken, and I poured way too much salt because I had to pay attention to the road at some point in this venture. Now, my asparagus was not only cold but salty as well.

I decided not to eat it. I didn't want green stuff stuck in my teeth for y'all to view when the galleries went up. Go ahead, thank me. As hilarious as it could have been, I doubt you pay money to see asparagus in my teeth. (You probably don't pay to listen to me ramble, but here I am doing it anyway...lol! By the way, do y'all actually read this stuff?) So I'm picking chicken out from the asparagus, munching on it, finishing it up, and going back into the cooler for my potatoes (two ounces...woohoo...I know, don't go crazy!).

I made it to the shoot safely--all the way from the 'burbs of Dallas straight into downtown Dallas. Ten minutes late, but I arrived in one piece! I'm late to everything. It is probably one of my worst flaws. I've joked around that I'll be late to my own funeral. Everyone else will have arrived, and I'll still be trying to decide which dress will look best and which lip gloss will match, and trying to answer one more e-mail...lol!

Bob Warren and Jerry Brown conducted the shoot, and I went through six outfits. I'll save the juicy details for when I receive the disks, but you can view previous work I've done with both photographers in the main section. They did say they'll send the disks in the mail soon, and I think y'all will like these. I didn't get to view all the photos, but the ones I did see look good. After all, I got my hair done yesterday, so what could go wrong?!

My hairdresser cut my hair slightly differently than she did for Jr. USA's. It just has a few more layers in it and it seems to flow better with my face. The color and highlights look incredible. There are some really red streaks in it that will capture the light on stage. I like that I've kept my hair short but still feminine. In Texas, the judges wanted me to have longer hair, and lots of people have suggested I go on stage with long hair like the rest of the girls, but that just isn't me. My face and frame are too tiny for all that hair!

Wednesday is the flight! I can't believe the show is almost here. I've been talking with Marcy Porter almost every day, and both of us are very excited. If you clicked on the link on the homepage of the site to , then you already know that there are 210 female competitors in this show, 150 of which are in figure. Guys, that's almost the size of Figure Nationals! Unbelieveable!

I've got a session of cardio to do, but I'm sure I will talk with some of y'all in one of the chat sessions tomorrow. Don't forget: 2 p.m. or 8 p.m. Central Standard Time! Don't leave me hanging!

Jodi

I just want to say that 5:30 a.m. is too early for my eyes to be open on a Sunday morning. But I've got to eat my egg whites, blueberries, and oats, jump in the shower, and start primping for my photoshoot today with Bob Warren. I'm not quite sure what state of delirium I was in when I agreed to a 7:30 a.m. shoot, but there you go...lol!

Seriously, though, this will be a great shoot. I'm not very creative right now, so I won't say much and will have to pop back in later today. There's lots to tell. No longer can I talk in weeks when someone asks when the show is. No...now, it's "this Friday." I actually am on pins and needles. Just because I'm pleased with my physique doesn't mean that I am not feeling anxious! But more on that later.

I'm at two gallons of water a day and would find a cathater a much easier instrument to utilize at this point than the bathroom runs I'm making every 20 minutes. I can't even run errands without trying to find a restroom. I can tell you if I had to run into that Subway woman again and use the restroom, I would have charged straight ahead, like Little Miss Attitude, and had her running after me, apron, hair net, and all. There would probably be lettuce, tomatoes, what they call cheese, and some of their low-carb bread (huh?) flying in my mad rush to beat her to the facilities, but I would have done it! Don't mess with a competitor who has a bladder that is about to explode and hasn't had chocolate in six weeks!

And that's the lesson for today...lol! I'm going to finish eating, paint my toes, do all the girly stuff I've gotta do, and then pout in front of the camera. Have a good Sunday morning!

Jodi

I had to run to WalMart and get several gallons of water, as I forgot I was finishing my last one tonight. I've switched from tap water to bottled spring water, so I have to make sure I have a gallon in the morning when I wake up. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, it's the middle of the night, I'm in WalMart, and I've got a package of chicken, a package of lean steak, a couple of avocados, enough asparagus to feed a family of seven, and black pepper (I ran out a week ago and have been dying for some taste on my food), and I head straight for the cookie aisle to see what new flavors have come out on the market. Yeah. Torture. Really smart, Jodi.

So, I stroll down the cookie aisle and see that Honey Maid has come out with oatmeal raisin cookies. I actually stop, pick up the package, and begin to sniff. How sad is that? Me...in the middle of the night...in WalMart...sniffing cookies. I guess it's better than sniffing glue, which would be exceptionally dangerous considering I haven't had carbs since about 2 p.m., have done cardio since then, and already feel lightheaded as a result. And it doesn't stop there. I try sniffing a bunch of different packages of cookies. I can't smell a thing! It's frustrating. They've packaged those things so well and so tightly that not a single scent is going to dare to escape. I'm about to leave the aisle when all of a sudden I see that the Fig Newton people have come out with new flavors: caramel apple and cherry cheesecake. These two items are now on my list of things to try. I think it is absolute cruel and unusual punishment for companies to introduce new flavors when I'm dieting. They should know better. They should know to wait until I'm in off season and can actually eat the stuff.

Here's the funny thing. I actually started to head towards the checkout counter and was halfway there when I realized I had forgotten the one thing I had gone out in the middle of the night to get: water. Was it the low carbs? Or was it the imaginary cookie fumes that caused me to have a memory lapse? Either way, I had to walk all the way across the store, past the cookie aisle once again, to get to the water and bring home seven gallons' worth (I'm going through two gallons a day). Luckily, WalMart sells them for 58 cents per gallon.

I got a new Pooh keychain too. I'm pleased with my physique, so I figured I deserve another one. Unfortunately, I already have it. It's one of those little vending machines, like a gumball machine, and you put your quarters in and hope for the best when you turn the dial. I'm waiting for my grape Pooh, but I keep getting pineapple Pooh, pear Pooh, and orange Pooh. I want grape Pooh!!! [stomping of foot]

I also wanted to add something else. Awhile back, I wrote to Monica Brant to thank her for taking the time to talk with Michelle Bell, Stephanie Collins, and myself. I'm copying and pasting her response as well as my original e-mail. This is a woman I truly admire, and when you read this, you'll see why. I get just as excited about hearing back from competitors I write to as y'all do!


Hello Jodi!!
I am sooooo sorry for taking so long to respond to your sweet email!
I have such a hard time keeping up with the emails and trips and training and boyfriend.. and, well you know !!
It was really nice meeting you at the AC !!

Thank you for the nicest email and sincere thoughts you wrote. I really appreciate hearing them and will use them to keep me going! I enjoy what I do and that is what is most important.. as that relates to others and hopefully keeps them going too! Just a big circle!

I will be happy to give you the link.. I'll send the request to my webtech...

Hope you are happy and healthy! Thanks again for being so generous with your words- you are a gem!

Hope to see you again someday!!
Lots of love,
MO


Stay Fit, Love Life, & God Bless U!
Monica Brant

Universal Nutrition Spokeswoman
www.universalnutrition.com
Co-Promoter npc Monica Brant Fitness Classic
www.bodyrock.com

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----- Original Message -----
From: JulietRmeo@aol.com
To: MBrant1@excite.com
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2004 11:39 PM
Subject: Re: Meeting you at the Arnold (w/Michelle Bell and Stephanie Collins)


Monica,
This is a bit delayed, but I just wanted to drop you a quick line and tell you how much I appreciated you taking the time to talk with me, Michelle, and Stephanie the Saturday morning after the Arnold.
I meant what I said when I stated that you are such an inspiration and a true and accurate representation of what figure is and should be. Regardless of what judges tell you and what numbers they jot down on scorecards, you have earned a number one spot in the hearts and minds of fans, peers, and fellow competitors.
As someone who has been working hard to achieve a chance to step on the same stage that you walk upon, I know it must be dejecting and disappointing to hear conflicting reports from judges after you've given it your all. But what really makes me respect you is the fact that you step back onto the stage in terrific condition and with a terrific attitude. Your competitiveness is to be admired.
I don't mean this to be a gushy e-mail, but I just wanted you to know that it was truly spectacular to finally meet you in person. I do hope I earn pro status, for standing on stage with you--amongst many others--will be trophy enough for me.
I have a link to your site on mine and would love to be included in your link section as well. Here's a link: www.jodileigh.com. Thank you in advance for doing this!
As I know you are incredibly busy, and I understand how difficult it is to get back to everyone, don't worry about writing back. Just know that I'll be rooting for you when the Olympia rolls around. In the meantime, keep training hard and strong! You motivate tons of women out there!
Sincerely,

Jodi Miller
www.jodileigh.com
P.O. Box 293344
Lewisville, Texas 75029-3344

Why do women act like this? As you may know, I had a photo shoot on Monday morning with a photographer from Lawrence, Kansas, named Dan Ray. He drove down here to photograph the Lone Star Classic and work with a few girls in the Dallas area, one of them being me.

Anyway, we drove over to an apartment complex/business district that is still undergoing some construction. There were some archways that looked very interesting, and the light was right, so we wanted to try that out. I have this zebra-print dress that would really stand out against the gray and creme-colored building. But I needed a place to change. So, I walked into the Subway and made a very crucial mistake. I asked if I could use the restroom. That was a big no no. Whenever you want to do something, don't ask; just do it! What would the girl behind the counter have done? By the time she would have reached me, I would have been in the bathroom and wriggling into the dress. But she asked how she could help me, I asked if I could use the facilities, and she outright said, "No." And not in a nice tone. I explained that I was doing a shoot (that probably made the situation worse) and just needed the facilities to simply change from one outfit to another and would be in and out in no time. "No," was the abrupt response.

We went back and forth on this. Let me state that the "restaurant" was completely empty. Not a soul in there besides the two of us. I asked for her understanding, asked for her to be nice, spoke as sweetly as I could, as patiently and respectfully as I could, and she wouldn't budge. Instead, she got ruder.

Now, I could have gone back out to the car, gotten 50 cents, and trotted back into the Subway and paid for a small water, and then probably would have received permission to use the restroom. It's the principle of the matter (and downright stubborness) that kept me from doing so. I would have rather changed in public than given in to a woman who I felt was ruder than a New York cab driver (just without the foul language). I mean, how unhappy can you be in life to not do a favor and try to help someone else out. And all of those who think if it was a man behind the counter I would have been able to use the restroom, raise your hand. Mine is raised.

So again, I ask, why are women like this?

I did eventually get to change. I went into the leasing office for the apartments there and had to explain myself a few times, say please and thank you a ton, and finally I was allowed to utilize the restroom. I'm sure they thought very oddly of me, for I walked out of the restroom in this tight, short dress and heels about as tall as I am. I looked about out of place as Julia Roberts was on Rodeo Drive in Pretty Woman. I received a few funny looks, but I just hightailed it out of there (well, I strolled...the heels are difficult to run in, much less walk). Again, if it was a man behind the desk, I have a feeling I would have ended up in that restroom a lot quicker.

In fact, I don't have a feeling. I just know because earlier in the morning, I went into a gym, asked to use the restroom to change for a photo shoot, and was delayed not because I wasn't allowed to use the facilities but because all the guys wanted to know what the shoot was for, what gym do I work out at, do I compete, what am I competing in, where the shoot was, etc. They had no qualms about me using the restroom and in fact invited me back to change as much as I needed to. Funny. Absolutely funny.

As for doing the shoot in front of the grayish building, that was successful for about 10 minutes. A woman from the leasing office came charging out across the street and told us we couldn't be in that area without a hard hat. I'm not sure what might have fallen, unless we were Chicken Little, for the construction was basically done on the outside, but we decided to pack up and head out to a community pool instead. So the morning was quite the adventure!

I'm off to do cardio...second session of the day. I had to run for 45 minutes this morning. The only good thing on television was Blind Date, an old movie with Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger, so you know I was a bit bored running. I'm on the bike and the stepper, and I'm into the last 50 pages of Bel Canto, so I'm looking forward to this! My veins in my abs were very evident the last few days, but my carbs are being dropped to flatten me out so I don't spill over and have water hiding my conditioning next week. The carb cycle is like riding a roller coaster but each rise and drop of the tracks is unknown until the cars actually travel over them. I have to watch my body every day and understand what is occurring so I can adjust the diet accordingly. Lots of detail work!

Leg training has been completely cut out as of last week. Not even hamstring or glute work will be done. So, today and tomorrow are just cardio days. I'll go in and do calves and abs and work those extra hard tomorrow, but it'll be back-to-back low carb days and high cardio sessions. Fun, fun! Ha!

I'm also in the process of setting up a chat session time for Monday, June 14th, so please don't miss this! I'm creating two times: 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Central Standard Time. Post on the board if you have any questions!

Enjoy your Monday; hopefully it's not as dreary and wet as it is here in Dallas!

Jodi :)

A mosquito bit me on the butt tonight. Stop laughing! It's not funny. I now have this little red welt rising on a buttock that is already big enough and doesn't need more size, surely not from an annoying little creature such as the mosquito. And this bite is not going to look very attractive for the shoot I have early Monday morning.

I don't even know how the mosquito managed to attack my right buttock. Oh sure, there's plenty there to gnaw on, but I had a pair of thick, black workout pants on. How in the heck does it manage to get through the clothing and into my flesh? Two weeks ago I had matching bites on either side of my hips. That was mighty attractive!

Speaking of the fitness center at my apartments, I went in to complain to management about the atrocious upkeep of the center. There hasn't been soap added to the soap dispenser in the women's restroom for a year now. I should know. I've tried a multitude of times to squeeze out even a tiny ounce of the suds in order to wash my hands. That's not the worst of it, though. There's no toilet paper or paper towels half the time that I go in there. Now, men may not care if they have paper products after satisfying Mother Nature, but women have needs (I know, I know...we seem to have lots of needs, lots of expensive needs). And toilet paper is one of them!!! I just told management that it was unsanitary and downright disgusting. It sounded good. I don't think the guy was paying much attention, unfortunately.

I also mentioned the squeaking of the elliptical trainer, the stepper that seemed like it was bound to fall apart at any moment, most likely when I've stepped on it to start my cardio session for the day, and the bike that doesn't work and is only used as a shelf by this one old man with hairy shoulders and a plastic bag full of newspapers. You should see this guy. He brings latex gloves with him every day, snaps them onto his hands and spends 10 minutes trying to find a channel on the television before sitting on the bike that actually works, pedaling at the speed of a turtle in the desert sun, and shuffling through the morning paper. I try desperately to time my bike sessions away from his; so far, I've been lucky.

I think I'm going to go apply some cream to this bite on my butt. It's not going to look very couth for me go walking around, scratching my butt. I'll finish eating my chicken and broccoli, drink another glass of water, and then head to bed with the Bel Canto novel. I think I have another 100 pages to read before reaching the end. And then I'll fall asleep, dreaming of pizza puffs that someone devilishly mentioned on the message boards. Two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks, and then my tastebuds can live again!

Jodi

Uh huh! So the sun comes out today. The day that I don't need to do sprints or any outdoor activity. Thanks a lot, Texas weather! Lol!

I just ate some oatmeal and chicken (not mixed together, but at this two-week juncture before the show, I wouldn't care if they were), and my veins are coming out. My legs are holding water from the stairs workout of last night and the 40+ minute running date I had with the treadmill this morning (who knew one could get so hot and bothered on a date?). I think tomorrow will be my last leg workout before the show. I have to get the water to drain out of my quads in time for Chicago, and any lifting with my legs will keep that from happening. It's like a game of Russian Roulette with these things...who knows what will happen on the day of the show. And to make matters worse, I have to keep the conditioning on point for the Friday night show and the Saturday morning show and the Saturday night show...two days!

I'm going to do what I can to keep y'all posted on my progress from here on out. I won't post progress pictures. I guess, in my mind, I think I'll jinx things. The white bikini photo on the message board (in the updates section) is probably the last photo you'll see of me before I head into Chicago. I do have two shoots: one this next Monday morning and one the Sunday before I leave. If I get photos from those, I'll have JT post them once the show is over. I am going to try to remember to bring the digital camera to the gym this weekend, though, and catch a few clips of my arm training and get those up while I'm in Chicago.

I feel good today. I have much more energy, but I've also had three meals of carbs (two servings of oats and one serving of potatoes); I have one more serving of potatoes to go. Next week, I start with the bottled water, asparagus, and more chicken and egg whites than protein shakes, fish, and broccoli. The asparagus works better with me digestively and helps to flush toxins and some of the excess water out of my system. I'll keep sodium levels high until I fly out for Chicago.

I'm sooo excited! I can't believe it's almost here! Can you?!

Jodi

Well, I had the most delightful workout this evening. The Texas skies decided to thrash about in anger and send torrential downpours, complete with hail, flashes of lightning, and threats of funnel clouds. So, I was forced to forego sprints. Now, normally I would be jumping for joy, screaming hallelujah. After all, I did talk about doing a rain dance yesterday in hopes of this occurring. Well, that plan backfired. Yes, it did rain, and no, I could not do my sprints. But I had to do something to replace them. And what was the lovely activity that earned that right? Running stairs. Yep...running stairs.

It all started with an 8-minute mile run on the treadmill. An eight-minute mile might not be such a difficult feat for you, but do you have stubby legs? Remember, I'm vertically challenged. These legs can only go so far, so fast.

There are three stories to the apartment buildings in which I live. So, three flights of stairs. For the first part of the workout, I had to run all the way up all three flights. Then, I had to lunge across the walkway to the other side and run down the three flights of stairs. I had to lunge back across the bottom level walkway, and repeat the whole thing all over again...twice. Without stopping. Then I got to have a break and then I had to repeat this for a second set.

Winded? Yep, me too. But I wasn't done. The next ordeal with the stairs involved running up one flight, lunging across the walkway, running up a flight, lunging across the walkway, running down a flight, lunging across the walkway, running down a flight, lunging across the walkway, and repeating this again without stopping. That was one set. After a brief break, I did this all over again. Can we say, "owwww"? I didn't realize I could produce so much sweat. Yeah, I know, y'all probably didn't want that visual. Well, I didn't either, but I didn't have a choice. At least you didn't have to smell me through this whole thing. I did!

And I wasn't done. I then had to take the stairs two at a time and go all the way up all three flights, run down (try running down stairs when your legs are numb), and repeat this six times. That was one set. After a brief break, I had to repeat this again.

Then, I got to walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes. I could barely see straight. But I got through it. And now, I get to look forward to 45 minutes of running on the treadmill in the morning. That chocolate cake and deep dish pizza is going to taste soooo good when it finally gets into my mouth in three weeks. Oh yeah, and standing on stage and looking good in those suits will be pretty cool too...lol

By the way, 50-pound dumbbells for one arm rows for sets of 10 each arm, and that was at the end of a tough back workout and with only a 1/4 cup of oats and a 1/3 cup of blueberries in me to fuel my fire. Yeah! Why can't off season hurry up and get here so I can eat and really lift some heavy weights in the gym???? Of course, then I'll be complaining about how my belly keeps popping off the snap on my camouflage pants (that's not funny!).

One of the guys in the gym did say that he noticed a big difference in my shoulders and back just from six weeks ago. He said he had never seen my back look this thick or this conditioned. I take that as a huge compliment! I handed him an application for a judging position at the Junior Nationals. Lol!

I'm off to eat chicken and then crash into bed. Please get onto the board and tell me what yummy things y'all are eating! I need to live vicariously through someone!

Jodi :)