It's over (hint hint)

OK, it went fine, but I was not called out in the first line ups nor the second. My first class, the 40-49 year olds, was the biggest group out of the entire show. Hence, we can assume correctly that it was highly competitive, suggesting that what showed up on stage was some prime beef. My second class, the shorties or those 5'2 1/2" and under was next, and that was a solid group, too. So my time at the competition is over and I'm going to need to ponder and process the experience further, but I'll share some initial thoughts.

The tanning procedure is a complete pain the ass. It is so susceptible to smudging, I couldn't sit the entire morning. That means I was standing from the time I got there at 7:30 until after the show, maybe around 11. I was wearing flip flops until the last hour when I put on my heels, but still. Oh, my aching back. The tan also runs from sweat and I was sweating on stage. I was ultra dark and that was cool, but as I moved around before the show, I lived in fear of anything touching me. Eventually, when I worked my way through the crowd, a newly arrived guy with a wet coat brushed against me and smudged my shoulder.

All of the competitors were extremely nice, and we spent a lot of time together...waiting. Waiting to get touch ups on our tans in the morning. Waiting to get our glazing before the show (an oil that gives skin a shine). Waiting go on stage. The people I mingled with were all from in town, no out-of-staters. I overheard interesting conversations going on around me.

"If you haven't lost your sense of modesty by now, you better let go of it immediately." (outside the tanning station where people were naked and plenty of others could see what was happening)
"This is my 3rd and last show. I'm tired of being hungry. I want to be able to eat a fillet of fish whenever I feel like it."
"My boyfriend was making fun of me for always having chicken in my purse, then a few nights ago he was hungry and asked if I had any chicken with me that he could eat."
"I lost 20 lbs. since June 1 and haven't gotten my period for 4 months."
"I asked my boyfriend to touch me up and he gave me a hard tine. I don't get it. I could go out and ask any guy to do that and they'd jump in a second."
"I stopped eating carbs about 8 weeks ago. You really don't need them. I ate protein and fat, that's all. At first I was really tired, then my body got used to it."
"What are you doing?" inquires a girl of someone who is laying on her back on the floor with her legs straight up against a wall. "It's to help stop swelling in my legs from standing."

Back to me. I had a little trouble standing perfectly still on stage. At one point, a guy off in the wings, right behind where I was positioned, asked me if I was okay. That wasn't exactly the first time in my life I've been asked this question in reference to the tremor on my right side. I said I was fine, but really I was pissed. Not at him but at how hard it was to stand perfectly still. It was draining. Exhausting. Depleting. I wasn't able to smile much because I felt so beat. To remain in a flexed position for an extended period of time is something you can't really prepare for. You just do it cuz you have no choice. But it's highly unpleasant.

Overall, I compared well to many of the girls in my two classes. But obviously, others stood out more. I have no problem with any of that. I felt extremely comfortable in my own (tanned) skin, I was proud to put myself out there with the rest of them and I was just frustrated that I had to put so much physical and mental energy into my right side. I knew I had it coming though.

The struggle is that half of me works just fine and the other half is challenged to keep up. Which side do I listen to? Both actually. But often it's the normal side that forces the shaky side to come along for a ride it might otherwise prefer not to take.

Was the shakiness a factor? Yes. But at a certain level, I don't care. I asked to be judged and I was. Fair enough. I still get to take my ripped body home.

However, I should confess to what I've eaten today, since the early morning meat and potatoes. 1 Snickers bar (the big kind, not a mini one), half eaten shortly before going on stage and the other half after I was done. Pepperoni pizza (thin crust). 1 sugared Dunkin Donut. And 1 cup of tea with 2 tsp. of sugar. I think that should take care of my off-diet needs for a little while.

A special shout out to trainer Michelle who was with me the whole morning. She touched me up further (it's a never ending task) and pumped me up and, at times, propped me up. It was fantastic to have her there with me.

Now I need a nap. And a massage. And I want to see my pictures. As soon as I get some, I'll post them here. Thanks for everyone's interest in this blog and this journey. I still have the competition in Buffalo in 3 weeks, something that I had fleeting feelings of backing out of this morning, but I will go through with it, then call it a short-lived bodybuilding career ended.