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September/October 2001
The month of September will always be marked as a
special one for me. After nearly six years of dating,
I wed my girlfriend, Annamarie, on September 29 in
Cardiff by the Sea, CA. We had a reception
that was more of a GREAT party with all our friends
and family at Cafe
Sevilla, well-known restaurant that serves authentic
Spanish tapas and Sangria and it was topped off with
live flamenco guitar music, and of course, an incredible
cake that I selected. To continue the Spanish theme,
we had a wonderful 9-day honeymoon in Spain from which
I just returned rested and ready to train for next
seasons' shows!
Before I get into my plans
for the upcoming season, allow me to share with you
a bit about my trip to Spain. My wife and I spent
the first two days in Barcelona getting acquainted
with the Spanish people and of course, the cuisine.
One thing that struck me as odd was the Spanish religiously
take a late afternoon nap or siesta. During this time
all shops and restaurants are closed. This posed a
problem, as I am use to eating frequently! Nevertheless,
we made use of our situation and stocked up on food
at the local grocery store. Once we got used to the
siesta schedule, we adapted, ate and rested accordingly!
Barcelona is filled with historic places of interest
and of course all the newly renovated buildings from
the Olympics held there.
I have to be honest and admit
I did not touch a weight the entire time I was gone.
This is probably one of the best things I could have
done for myself. I have NEVER taken time off from
training and for the most part, I eat fairly clean
food year round. So, after a fairly busy training
and appearance schedule, not to mention all the work
and planning of a wedding, taking a mental and physical
break from the rigors of my normal schedule was a
welcome experience. At first, I was really antsy that
I couldn't find a gym, nor eat the way that I am used
to. But after a few days (and recovering from jet
lag), I realized that I was not going to train and
I settled into the thought enjoying myself and relying
on long walks to keep my metabolism at its normal
rate.
 After
touring Barcelona we were off to the island of Mallorca
located off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean,
beautiful island, known for its great beaches and
shops; we spent two days in main city, Palma, getting
our cardio in by walking up and down the pier and
checking out all the shops and points of interest.
It is worth noting that I think we were the only Americans
on the island as primarily the Brits and Germans frequent
it. One night we must have walked 15 miles as we decided
to not go back to the hotel and wanted to hang out
and see the local folk and back areas that make up
the city of Palma. After a couple of days in city,
we rented a tiny little Renault, which is what everybody
drives, to check out the entire island. Surprisingly,
despite its outward appearance, it was large enough
inside for me and I figured "when in Rome," or Spain,
or whatever the saying is…
We drove to our new hotel,
the Hotel
Galatzo, famous on the island for its four star
appeal and catering to the more affluent European
crowd, nestled on the cliffs over looking the ocean.
What an incredible view we had from our room of the
Mediterranean Sea - something out of a picture, making
me feel that I was really and truly on my honeymoon!
And, in true spa style, we had available in-room massages,
Saunas, and aromatherapy if you're in to that kind
of stuff. However, I was more focused on the
buffet spread that was prepared at every meal.
Food, food, and more food - I thought I was at Hometown
Buffet, just the high-end version of it. My wife spent
her time at the spa, while I spent most of my time
looking for different places to eat. Which brings
me back to the many trips to the buffet line, during
which all the wealthy German guests at our resort
cast some strange looks my way. Needless to say, they
haven't seen too many African-American bodybuilders
in their time and they weren't sure what to think
of me!!!
One day, we ventured in our
little car to Valldemosa, a village in the mountains
to visit
a castle in which Chopin, the French composer, lived
and composed for many years. Absolutely a beautiful
place, so far removed from my life in Southern California
that I had to stop and make sure I took it all in.
Many of his belongings, as he left them in 1838-39
were left in tact, encased in glass or some type of
heavy lamination. This was a walk through history
that I relished, as I am a history fanatic who marveled
at the very notion that I was walking through a place
where Chopin lived.
We also stumbled upon a tiny
gym in a small port city, Andratx. When I walked in,
it felt like home - there were photos of all the top
bodybuilders and the staff recognized me immediately!
Bodybuilding is great. Despite language and culture
differences, we share a common language and way of
life. To the proprietor of this gym: I am
so sorry we didn't make it back the next day. I promised
you a signed photo. Please email
me with your address and info, and I will be sure
to send it!
We finished our honeymoon
by visiting the beautiful beaches on this island,
relaxing in cafes and just generally being vacationing
honeymooners, taking special pleasure in the fact
that we opted for a honeymoon off the beaten path
and totally unique. I won't bore you with the nightmarish
travel details that ensued as a result of increased
security thanks to the terrorists attacks. But, suffice
it to say we had a long trip home, and I was never
so happy to see my home, my gym and my favorite grocery
stores!!
 Vacations
are great I learned,
to remove you from your regular life, only to make
you appreciate it more. So now, totally renewed, happily
married, I have never been more focused and amped
for training and competing. And, let me just say
that just because you don't see me in a few weeks
on the Olympia stage with my colleagues, does not
mean I should be forgotten as a THREAT in the IFBB
circuit. While the Olympia competitors will be
celebrating their victories (or nursing their defeats)
in the coming weeks, I will be the one in the gym,
rested and totally focused, guaranteeing to bring
an improved physique on stage at the 2002 IRONMAN
that will qualify for the O. Watch out!
For those of you attending
the Olympia, yes, it's going to be a great show this
year. I'll be there the entire weekend appearing at
the Weider
Publication booths, as well as at the ABB
Booth. Please stop by to see me there Friday and
Saturday.
All the Best in Fitness &
Health - Garrett
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