The Show – An incredibly late recap!

Show day finally arrived on November 18 and I felt ready.  I got up at 5AM and by 6 I was in lower Manhattan for hair and make up.

I was amped up, dried out and ready to go.  Looking at the images below, I can see how small I started to look after the hours of cardio that I put in.  This is why it’s so important to have a really strong and thick muscle base to start with when you begin to lean out.  You will always lose some.

My boyfriend commented to me, “I didn’t think you would get this skinny.”  I didn’t think so, either.   Regardless, I felt good.

I got to the venue around 11AM, checked in and then waited for them to let us backstage.  Once we were allowed into the dressing area, I got my final buff down and grease up from my amazing coach and was ready to hit the stage.

I ate rice cakes, almond butter and honey during the morning and you can see how I filled out in the shoulder area from the morning photo above.

I walked on stage, executed my poses and felt confident.  You can see all the contest photos  here.  I guarantee my hair did not look as messed up as it does in all these photos – just bad timing.

I placed 8 out of 10 with some clear areas of improvement: Larger upper body, more defined and lifted glutes and hamstrings.

Regardless, I was happy with the results.

After the show my best of friends came to support me at the show with homemade tee-shirts and a big sign.  It made my night.

I felt fit and fab for the next week as I travelled to SFO for Thanksgiving.

My full tan hung around for a good week post show (I am usually my mom’s color) and parts of my tan are still hanging around on my feet and thighs 3 weeks later.

I was surprised how unhappy my digestive system got after incorporating long forgotten foods into my diet again: stomach cramps abounded as I ate things I hadn’t eaten in almost a year, but after about a week, they dissipated.

It was nice to take a break from the gym and be outside in the sunshine for a while.  But I was ready to get back to NYC and ready to get back to clean eating after a few days of fun.

I’m back to lifting now and am having an amazingly FUN time in the gym again.  Working out for yourself is sometimes so much easier than working out because you MUST.

Throughout prep I feared that I would never want to lift another weight again, but now it’s clear to me how important fitness is in my life and how much I want it to stay a big part of it.

I have been pretty easy on myself in terms of diet.  I’m eating frequently and cleanly but have little cheats here and there.  My six pack is just a glimmer of what it once was, but that’s okay.  I’m not freaking out.  I’m not out of control.

I have decided that I want to work on my overall physique to obtain the proper proportions that a figure competitor needs.  I’m going to spend the next 6 months or so building for ME and not necessarily building for a show.  If, towards the end of the year I want to compete again, I will, but for now, living a healthy, fit lifestyle and feeling amazing about myself is my goal.

I have learned a lot this past year and will recap my learnings soon.  As for now, I’m enjoying life with friends, working through a transition in my relationship (why does it feel like we all go through that after our first competition?) and sorting some things out in my life.

Fitness, health and wellness don’t have to stop because I don’t have a show in my future at the moment; they are my idea of fun and one of my favorite parts of my life.

And I’m excited for them to continue to be.  Every day.  Every way.