Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - Staying busy and having fun :

Hi everyone! Just wanted to stop by and say hi and let you all know how my busy and eventful weekend went.

Since I spent the first half the year training hard and competing, I thought I may not know what to do in the off season to keep myself occupied, but it seems like I am not having a hard time keeping myself busy with numerous activities. Instead of dedicating 3 hours at a minimum a day in the gym doing cardio and weight training, I only spend about 1 1/2 hours doing my workouts 5 days a week! It is great because I can still stay in excellent shape and have fun doing the things I enjoy.

Last weekend, after I got a my new haircut (I had decided it was time for a change), I went to the pumpkin patch and picked my very own pumpkin and carved it with some friends. It was an interesting and fun event. I managed to burn the pumpkin seeds, but at least I did not set the house on fire.

The fun didn't end there. On Friday night I met up with friends for a birthday celebration. We ended up spending the night at three different places because we couldn't decide where we were having the best time. I also ran into a good friend and fellow competitor Tina and was happy to see her also enjoying herself! Needless to say, I finally made it home by 3 a.m. after a very eventful evening.

Saturday was a good day for rest and recovery from the night prior. I did manage to go check out the new gym in the area for a good arm workout and a little bit of cardio. It was a good session and I was glad that I trained, but not to pleased when I dropped the dumbbell on my foot :) Other than that it was a nice facility and I think that I will go train there more often. There is also a great frozen yogurt place right down the street, which will work nicely into my post workout meal plan. I couldn't pass that one up!

Top finish off the weekend I decided to spend the day on Sunday in Balboa Park with a good friend of mine. The weather was good and it was a nice day to walk around.

As you can see the past couple days I haven't had any time to get bored. I love all the hard work and dedication that goes into training and contest prep. Spending quality time with the people I care about is very important to me also. I think it is important for everyone to have a good balance of working, training, staying healthy, and having fun. I have found that balance and I can't express how satisfied I am.

melissa deal blogged at 1:54 AM

Thursday, October 11, 2007 - My pic in Muscular Development Magazine! :

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to let you all know if you picked up the latest issue of Muscular Development Magazine you can see my photo on pg. 59. It is in a new section called "What's Hot" by Michael Yurkovic.

melissa deal blogged at 12:10 AM

Tuesday, October 2, 2007 - Olympia Weekend :

I just got back from Vegas yesterday. I was there visiting for the Olympia Weekend! It was so much fun. I spent both Friday and Saturday in the Expo walking around, checking out all the different booths and all the other interesting things that go on.

Friday was much more fun then Saturday because the weekend had just begun and I wasn't in pain from the following night. A few friends and I went to dinner at the Tao and then spent most of the night dancing. Then we finished the night off with some peanut butter and banana waffles at 4 a.m. I was happy to go to sleep but not so happy to wake up. Needless to say, despite my very sore feet I had a fabulous time.

You may have seen me limping around the expo on Saturday, hopefully still with a smile on face :) I managed to pull myself together for Saturday night and go out and have a blast again. I first attended the Olympia show in The Orleans just in time to see the figure girls compete. I was very pleased to watch Gina Aliotti take second place. I have worked with her in the past and she is a very nice person with a great amount of dedication. She definitely deserved her placing. I also got to see a my friend Meriza DeGuzman compete on the Olympia stage for the first time. She looked absolutely beautiful. I was very happy with the show.

Afterwards I was ready another night out on the town. First, I met with friends for cocktails and then we headed to the BSN party at club Risque in Paris, followed by the new club in the Luxor, LAX! My girlfriend Maria, a fellow competitor, and I were invited into the VIP area after less then five minutes on the dance floor. I was very pleased to enjoy free drinks and much more room to shake our booties. Again it was another late night. I guess that's what Vegas is all about.

Sunday night was a little more mellow. I had dinner and a very yummy chocolate martini with a good friend at PF Chang's. We headed over to The Ghost Bar at The Palms to enjoy the skyline. It was a nice Vegas night and a good way to wrap up a great trip. It was my first time traveling since my last show North Americans in Cleveland and I am definitely enjoying my off season. There will be much more fun to come.

melissa deal blogged at 9:23 PM