Two years ago, when I was trying to "break in" to a writing career. I asked Kris Murrell if she would let me conduct my first interview on her. She gladly took time out of her schedule to sit in Starbucks Coffee Shop with me and answer some elementary questions. I think somewhere, deep 
down, I always knew she'd turn pro, and thus, she was the perfect person to talk to....both then and now.
RX: First of all, congratulations on winning the 2009 NPC Nationals and finally getting your IFBB Pro Card! Has it hit you as a reality yet?
KM: No...no it really hasn't, yet. It's kinda like having a birthday. You know, you get phone calls, voice mails and text messages, but you really don't feel any different. It hits you later that you're another year older when somebody asks you how old you are....You're like, "Gee, I'm another year older." So, I'm still waiting for that moment....
RX: How's it feel to be in the spotlight?
KM: Well, I've been talking non-stop, but it's actually fun! Who doesn't love attention, ya' know? People say it's overwhelming, but really it's kind of nice to get the recognition for all the hard work you've done all year.
RX: Any post-contest celebration?
KM: Not like you'd expect after an overall win; ice cream, cheesecake, brownies.....but I didn't get too crazy. Ask me after my guest posing in two weeks!
RX: You are pretty well known for you fabulously entertaining posing routines. You've already done some extensive guest posing. Do you feel like this could be a potential stream of income for you in the future?
KM: Definitely. People know when I guest pose that they are going to be entertained. SInce I'm a pro now, I look at it as a job. I feel like I have a responsibility to represent the sport. John Lindsey already asked me to guest pose at the Excalibur on December 5th and perform my same routine from Nationals. My background and passion is dance. So I love the posing part of bodybuilding. It's actually why I got in to bodybuilding in the beginning. So yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll do well with my guest posing appearances, but I'm not in it for the money. I have a full time job, so this is purely for the love of it.
RX: Kris, when I talked to you a couple days before the show, you shared with me that you were laying low and that you were planning on being a wow factor. You even said that you were going to take the overall. How did you know?
KM: In the past, the judges told me that I needed to come in about 10 lbs. lighter, so my package, this year, was completely different. You know how you get that woman's intuition? I just had that and I knew...I felt like this was my year. I really felt it.
RX: So what did you do differently this year with your contest prep?
KM: This year, my trainer and I really communicated. As a competitor, you really have to know your body, know what to look for and where to look, especially if your trainer is across the country. In the past, I've always just done what I was told with my diet. (Well, for the most part. We both know that I've always said I'm the fat kid who can't diet...haha.) Seriously though, my trainer knows my body very well; so I would share with him how my body responds and he would make adjustments. For instance, when we cut out animal fats and went to strictly fish, I would really tighten up. Also, since I've gotten older, I seem to be more sensitive to carbs.
As far as training, I've always had a harder time bringing my legs in, so I changed up my cardio by really focusing on my lower body. I climbed the Santa Monica steps and that made a real difference.
RX: Santa Monica steps?
KM: Yeah, you haven't heard of the steps? They are a few sets of steps that are almost straight up and down. People always told me about these steps and how they could kill you, and I always thought, "C'mon, how hard can they possibly be?" I'm here to tell you - they are HARD! You gotta see these things!
RX: What was your contest weight this time?
KM: 169 lbs. Before I came in at 178....ish...hahaha
RX: How many times have you competed at the National level?
KM: Ummm....7 times? Yeah, 7 including Junior Nationals.
RX: Aside from manipulating your diet and training, what made this year so different for you, Kris?
KM: Mentally, the last couple of years have been hard. Relationship-wise, jobs, emotionally ...it's been rough. I'm not trying to make excuses, but it does come in to play when you're prepping for a show. Now, I've moved to a place where I feel like I was born to live. I work for an incredible company and everyone in my life has been extremely supportive. I'm in a good place and I'm happy. I think that's made a big difference for me. It's made a difference in my prep and in my life in general.
RX: You moved from Jacksonville, FL to Glendale, CA and I didn't even know. We worked out at the same gym and I didn't know you moved until I ran in to you at a show. Why the move?
KM: I think that year I moved as often as I was changing underwear. I'm a California girl at heart. I train at the Gold's in Venice and I am surrounded by freaks. Everyone is so welcoming on the west coast - much different from the east coast - and being a freak, I fit in out there!
RX: What's the plan for your immediate future?
KM: Honestly, my career is very important to me, so that's one main focus. I have a few ideas up my sleeve, but I'm going to wait until they come to fruition to share them. I plan on being an active representative of the sport, but this win has to sink in first. Since I took it to the next level to win Nationals, now it's time to take it to the next level in the off season.
RX: How about your long term goals? Surely, prior to turning pro, you must have day dreamed about what it would be like and what you would do as a pro?
KM: Really, the only thing I've ever thought about up until this year, is the show itself. I've always taken each show as a show. My goal has always been centered on the show I was doing. If you told me 8 years ago that I would look like this today and be a pro female bodybuilder, I would have told you that you smoked crack!
I actually entered into prep for this show as my last show. Now it's time to re-think ...
RX: So will you shoot for the Arnold Classic as your first pro show?
KM: I think I need to grow in to being a pro first. I mean, I'm now on the same playing field as Iris Kyle and Betty Pariso!! I want my pro debut to be the best me I've ever been!!
RX: You're only 30 years old, right?
KM: Yup, so I have time.
RX: How can people contact you?
KM: [email protected] and I have a MySpace page, too. My new website is in the works.
RX: Words of encouragement or wisdom for females looking to follow in your footsteps?
KM: Stay grounded and stay true to who you are. This sport can change people and turn you into something you're not.
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