Wow, where to even begin?? As you know, for the last 8 weeks I have been training for the NPC Elite Show. I am now on the other end of this goal and it could not feel any better!! Yesterday was exhilarating and an absolute whirlwind!
We met at Emily’s bright and early for hair, make-up, and tanning touch-ups. Looking back, this was one of the most memorable parts of the entire day. It was fun to primp and load on tons of stage make-up. I was also super excited about my breakfast that involved peanut butter!!! We set off for Greensboro for our early morning athlete’s meeting to review logistics for the day. It was equally thrilling and nerve racking to be in a room packed with competitors (>200!). I can’t even imagine how many collective hours went into training for this show.
Once the pre-judging was underway, we sat up in the balcony to watch the men’s bodybuilding. It was pretty incredible and definitely unlike anything I have ever seen. As the excitement built, we decided to go backstage to finish getting ready and suited up. We also got to eat our coveted rice cakes with honey, which at the time tasted absolutely divine! I’m not entirely certain just how many sweets I’ve consumed since that time, but it’s humorous to think that they tasted so evil J. We headed to the weight area to pump up our muscles to get that full effect. Before we knew it, it was time to put on our heels and bikini bite and head over to the oil station. I have never been sprayed with PAM from head to toe, but my skin was so happy to finally see some moisture! As a first time competitor I was fascinated by the whole prepping process.
When it was time for the bikini division to compete we all lined up and got called out to stage by class. The pre-judging was a lot of fun and we were on stage posing for about 4 or 5 minutes. Jarrett and the Jillfit team were in the audience and it was exciting to hear familiar voices cheering me on. Once we pranced off stage I felt an overcoming sense of giddiness and joy! We did it, we did it!! Everyone nailed their poses and we all brought our best package to the stage. Definitely something to be proud of!
After pre-judging, Jarrett took me to Starbucks to get my coveted pumpkin spice latte, which was served in a cup with the new Christmas pattern!! It sure doesn’t take much to make me happy! It was nice to get away from the theatre for an hour and spend time with my supportive hubby.
Once we got back for the evening athlete’s meeting, the rest of the night flew by!! All of the athletes did an opening curtain call to kick off the show and were cheered on by a packed house of supporters. Before we knew it we were already backstage again, pumping and oiling. When it was time for me to go on for my individual walkout, it all seemed to go by so quickly. Just as I had practiced, I walked center stage, struck by two front poses, did a half turn to the back, struck 3 back poses, turned back to the front and nailed a couple of final poses. In less than a minute, it was over!! I can’t articulate how that felt but it should suffice to say that it was quite splendid. After a long day of prepping, meeting, waiting, watching, pumping, oiling, posing, and performing we were finished! We were ready to celebrate!!
We went to Mellow Mushroom for pizza and sat there recapping the entire day’s events. We all agreed that the best part of the whole day was the time that we spent together. It’s hard to believe that a few months ago I didn’t know that these girls would become such wonderful friends. Sharing this experience together brought us close and I’m so thankful for these new friendships!
Another thing that’s for certain is that pizza, brownies, and candy have never tasted so good! After leaving Mellow Mushroom I met up with Jarrett and his friend downtown before finally coming home to sleep. We woke up and met everyone for brunch for one last celebration. It’s so weird to think that the show is now over!! Luckily I’ve got a lot of home projects and vacations quickly approaching so I will soon become preoccupied with something else.
I’m so incredibly grateful for this entire experience. I stepped (way) out of my comfort zone and really put myself out there. I took on a challenge, did something that scared me and became literally and mentally stronger in the process. I don’t see myself competing again, but will incorporate the tools I learned in the process into my everyday lifestyle. What a remarkable journey, what a wonderful experience, what a crazy adventure!! Thanks to all who have supported me in the process. I couldn’t have done it without you!!
The Day In Pictures!!
10:00- I did it!! Time to celebrate an awesome day!!
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