I did it!
I competed in my very first NPC Figure Competition this past Saturday. This day was the culmination of nearly 18 months of dieting, training, and planning. Here is a recap of how it went:
So…as you all know, I competed in two classes: Open Tall and Master’s over 35. There were only 4 of us in the Tall class and, surprisingly, there were about 15 in Master’s. This year’s Palmetto Cup was one of their biggest shows – with competitors traveling from out of state to compete. Long story short – I got a trophy! 4th place, Open Class C. That’s right – I got 4th place out of 4 people! LOL. But I’m still thrilled about my souvenir trophy! 
I’ve been really calm during this whole process, but I found myself backstage, in the pump up room, feeling like my heart was going to leap out of my throat. LOL. I get on the stage and walk, smiling and enjoying the moment, then as I was about to do my first front post, I lost my footing ever so slightly and had to quickly readjust myself. Oooh…that messed with my head and I was mortified! LOL. (Hubby is convinced it was due to all the oil/glaze on the stage from the men’s BB who were on before us. Anyway, he assures me it was hardly noticeable but, still, It threw me off my game.) The rest of the poses were fine, I think – who knows? it’s all a blur. LOL.
Luckily, Master’s figure was up right after Open Tall so I got a chance at a do-over and I think my poses and my footing were just fine!
The most embarrassing moment of the evening came when one of the promoters pulled me aside and asked me if I’d be willing to go with him onstage so he could tell everyone about my weight loss and fundraising. Apparently, there was some discussion among the expediters backstage about this chick who was competing that was once nearly 200lbs and who was fundraising (mixture of humiliation about my former fat self and pride about my fundraising……..all in one.) He really hoped I would speak but, with all the emotion of the day, and the worry that talking about Sue and my journey and all those things would make me even more emotional, I just didn’t feel confident in my ability to be remotely eloquent. Plus, I was just so exhausted!
So…..he spoke, I stood there feeling kind of silly and embarrassed and I”m so glad I didn’t have to speak because my eyes welled up with tears and I was just so choked up. What struck me most at that very moment was just how grateful I felt to have been touched by so many amazing people. This journey started with my amazing, witty, no-nonsense friend Sue and over the months since her passing, there have been SO many wonderful people who have been brought into my life. New, life-long friendships have been forged. Complete strangers have offered unbelievable support and kindness to me. My family and friends have stepped up and showed their love in ways that have me so HUMBLED that I’m driven to become a better person because of it. I don’t know if the above statements make any sense or can adequately convey my feelings but, the climax for me, at that moment on stage was the feeling of relief and gratitude for all the people in my life. And at the end of the promoter’s talk about me, I got a standing ovation. And I was mortified! LOL. But I tried to tell myself that, maybe, the applause wasn’t for ME but it was more about my journey, my fundraising, and, I hope, about Sue and honoring her memory.
So….all in all, a very emotional day. One I will never forget. Here are a few photos to capture some of the highlights. I’m sure there will be more to come but these are the one’s I was able to snap on my phone:
With my amazing posing coach, Becca, and my posing “team”.
With my new friend, Naomi, backstage.
Peanut Butter and Jelly on a rice cake NEVER tasted so good!
My trophy!
Part of my post-competition feast….
Chocolate covered strawberries from my husband…
The reason for this entire journey. The inimitable Sue. (I hope she’s not angry that I’m posting a photo of her – she was so shy about stuff like that.) I just love this photo of her.
2 more days….
I’m going to try to fit in one last video log tomorrow before competition but I wanted to, at the very least, post my twitter account info for any of you who might like to follow my tweets in “real time” from backstage at the show. You can find me at:
@Midori_green
Just type that name in Twitter’s search function and you should be able to follow me. I intend to post comments and photos as often as I can.
Hope to be back here tomorrow with a Video log for you all. 
6 days out!
As of today, I’m 6 days from competing. I’m getting a lot more carbs than I’ve had in a while and I’m feeling SO good. Now that I can see the finish line, I find myself looking back and reflecting on all the things I’ve learned in the past year or so. Today, when I was doing my last set of treadmill sprints (my very last set before competing!) I got really emotional and started to sob. Not an unhappy cry – but more of an ecstatic one.
I thought about Sue and about how much I miss her but I also felt so grateful for the gift of knowing her. Without her I may never have pushed myself well beyond what I ever thought possible- both physically, mentally and emotionally. I hope she approves of what I’ve done in her name. Whatever happens next Saturday, I will walk on that stage and experience a tremendous sense of pride and joy over what I’ve accomplished. I suspect I will also glance toward the heavens and whisper a little something to her.
That’s all I’ve got to share for today. Gotta get ready to practice posing and get ready for a busy week of grooming, tanning, and errands. I’ll try to post a video log in the next day or two. Have a terrific Sunday, everyone!
Heading into the Home Stretch.
Here is a quick Video log taken today.
I learned today that wearing whitening strips on your teeth for 2 hours is a great way to keep the “munchies” at bay. An added bonus!
2 more weeks….and it’s SHOWTIME!
Man, this week has been a challenge. I’ve been hungry and tired and have had a hard time maintaining a sense of balance. I just haven’t consistently had the energy to be the wife, mother, friend etc. that I normally am. Thankfully, I’m in the home stretch now and I can see the finish line.
In other news, my suit arrived today and it’s simply stunning! I got to practice posing in it and it felt as though all had fallen into place. Here is a pic of me doing a “model pose” today in my suit:
So…one more week with less food and then it’s time to carb up before competition. This is the most exciting part of the journey: fine tuning my posing, playing with hair and makeup, and looking ahead to more food and then “The MOTHER of all Mother’s Day celebrations!” Let’s DO this!!!!!!
Jekyll and Hyde at 2.5 weeks out…..
2.5 weeks to go and I’m beginning to wonder….”What the heck have I gotten myself into?????“
Here are some of the negative thoughts I’ve got popping into my head (just to exorcise them and get them out of the way….):
-why didn’t I just DONATE a huge lump sum of money to my charity instead of going through all of this????? I mean, I’ve personally spent more than I’ve collected for the AICR thus far. (Smacks self upside the head….) This sport is expensive and I can’t help but feel like it’s slowly bleeding me dry!
-I hate how self-obsessed this sport can make you. It’s a constant battle to not sound like a self-absorbed douchebag when talking about the progress I’ve made in my body composition.
-piggybacking off the above statement…..”Oh please, please, don’t let me slouch on stage and reveal to the world the saggy wrinkly stomach that this drastic fat loss has created!!!!!!!!
-My house is so messy….won’t some magical fairy please come and clean it up for me????? Chaos in my space creates more chaos in my head…..
- Give me some frigging food already! I mean, like YESTERDAY!!!!!!
Okay….on to the positive thoughts….the ones I’m hoping will drown out all the others:
-Dayum, girl, you look good!
-I’m so lucky to be able to have this experience. Just LOOK at all the things I’ve learned about myself and all the wonderful people I’ve met……
-I can’t believe how much I love working out. I can’t wait to hit the gym hard with a bit more food in my belly!
-I just love my family and how supportive they are being. I can’t wait to celebrate with them and all the others who’ve supported me along the way.
-It feels good to be doing this for my charity, despite the cost to me personally.
So there – that’s the Jekyll and Hyde of it all…….
25 days out
Here is a video log I recorded two days ago. I had to laugh….that day I was practicing posing and kept thinking that my one shoulder was so much higher than the other etc. Well, it turns out the box that I had set my laptop on for recording was uneven! LOL. And I was SOOOO freaked out – silly me! Yep – diet brain is fun. Anyway, here is the video log. Of course, my daughter steals the show as usual. haha!
