Recently my husband, Josh, and I took a ten day trip to Colorado.  It was our first big trip alone in ten years - a dream vacation with non-stop fun!  We didn’t get much rest, but wanted to see as much as possible.  We did a lot of hiking, and since Josh has taken up photography, we came home with plenty of wonderful pictures.  The best time of day for photography is just after dawn as the sun is rising, or later as the sun sets in the evening. On most mornings we were out and about by 5:30am.  The early mornings paid off, as Josh not only got some great new photos of me, but some beautiful nature shots, as well.  As for the trip itinerary, our first stop was Vail, CO.  We stayed at a beautiful resort, complete with a gym and spa. Whenever I go to gyms away from home, I feel like a kid at Disney World and can’t wait to “play” on all of the equipment.  I managed to get in a couple of great workouts and took a yoga class while Josh watched the NFL draft. (Also, he would kill me if I didn’t mention that the Bengals got REY MAUALUGA in the second round! Go Bengals!!!)  Josh and I also enjoyed a nice couple’s massage during our stay.

          Our next stop was Estes, CO, located close to the beautiful Rocky Mountains National Park, and where we stayed in a wonderful Bed and Breakfast.  Estes is where we took almost all of our pictures - the most breathtaking scenery I have ever seen in my life!  As my sister calls it, “Heaven on Earth!"  We want to return for a visit during each of the four seasons.  Our last stop was Denver, CO.  While in Denver I had the chance to visit with some of my Figure/Fitness friends and attend IFFB Fitness Pro Carla Sanchez’s Performance Ready Camp.  Carla put us through some hardcore workouts and we listened to some amazing speakers.  One of the speakers was IFBB Figure Pro Elaine Goodlad.  Elaine is a very talented make-up artist and taught us how to apply make-up for photo shoots and competitions.  Another speaker was Jose Antonio, Ph D., who taught us about nutrition and the timing of foods and supplements.  Carla’s husband Anthony “Trooper” Sanchez, M.D., is an Orthopedic Surgeon.   Dr. Sanchez talked a lot about injuries related to the sport and even had some girls lined up for an evaluation after his speech!  My trainer, David Sandler, M.S., CSCS consultant, and president of Strength Pro was also in attendance.  David was named the #1 Trainer of the Year by Muscle and Fitness magazine in this month’s issue.  He talked a lot about strength training for Figure and Fitness and other aspects of the sport.  It was great spending time with the girls, and training together was awesome!  I learned so much from all of the experts and feel pumped and ready to tackle another fall season of competitions.