Hometown Glory! Part 2

After the show ended, I was able to take some pictures with my friends and family. My friends Kayla and Jenny drove down from Phoenix to watch the show! Kayla previously competed in bikini but is switching to figure. Jenny just competed at Team Universe and has her sights on a couple of other shows before the year ends. The three of us are seriously considering taking a California show by storm later this year so stay tuned for more info on that!

After taking quite a few pictures, Tom and I went to eat lunch. Our first restaurant choice, Silver Saddle, wasn't open so we went to another restaurant that was nearby. The food was less than exciting but it got the job done. We headed home and took a nap until an hour before the athlete's meeting. I have to stop here and say that this is one of the great things about competing in your hometown - you know where food is and you can go home to nap in your own comfy bed between shows :)

Once the athlete's meeting was over, I hung out in the theatre and waited for Tom to arrive. We had a quick chat about when I should eat my carbs, pump up, and he reminded me to smile big. I went backstage, hung out, and was enjoying a game of Word Mole on my Blackberry when one of the expeditors walked down the hall and stated that the show was running about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. This meant that I needed to be ready like yesterday! I quickly got ready and next thing I knew, Felicia Romero (yes...IFBB Pro Felicia Romero was the MC for the night show!!!) was introducing me to the crowd. I walked out, smiled as big as I could, found Tom in the crowd, and posed for my life (I sort of stole that from RuPaul's Drag Race!).

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There was a short intermission and during this time, they post the top 5 for each class. They hang the listing of each class and highlight in yellow the names of the five individuals that will be awarded trophies. Let me just say that I've done two shows with this particular promoter and my name has NEVER been highlighted so you can understand why I squealed when I saw my name in yellow! After the intermission was over, they began the trophy presentation. When it was time for our class, we all lined and waited as they began awarding trophies starting with 5th place...my number wasn't called...4th place....my number wasn't called....3rd place...again my number wasn't called....2nd place....#24! ME!!!!!!AHHHHHHHHHH!!! I did it!!

As I stood there having my picture taken with the other women in my class, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. This prep was extremely difficult for me and there were times when I wasn't sure that I could stay the course. Yet, I had an incredible support system that kept encouraging me and reassuring me that I could do it. I wanted to place in the top 5 at this show but I really had no expectations of doing well. I just wanted my daughter to see me on stage and make her proud. I wanted my friends & family to see what I have been pouring my energy, sweat, and tears into. I was able to do that and I was able to walk with a top placing.

After the show was over, I was able to speak with one of the judges and receive some quality feedback about what kept me from 1st place and what improvements I need to make for my next show. The judge ended our conversation by telling me that I have made some serious improvements over the last year and that I'm headed in the right direction. He also commented that he could tell that I paid close attention to the small details such as my jewelry, makeup, etc and I should continue doing so. The conversation was very informative and the fact that it was such a positive interaction made me super happy as I headed off to the burger & booze that was waiting for me :)

I leave you with some pictures from the post-show celebration that I had with some of my closest friends including my favorite TFD wife & fellow blogger Chelsea and Tom's wonderful family! Also, you can find my pictures from the show's photographer here!

Thank you again for joining me on this particular journey and giving me your support! It means more to me than chocolate & carbs :)