On the afternoon of November 27, 2020, sitting in my room at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood FL, thinking back on the last few months and I feel super proud of myself. Sometimes people hold back on being proud of themselves and I say love yourself!

I feel happy and confident right now for a few reasons:

1. I did great at my second bikini fitness competition.
2. No bobbles (but a few interesting choices🤣)
3. I had FUN
4. I met some nice people. Honestly, no one at this show has been rude or bitchy, and that’s saying a lot for a bunch of tired, calorie deprived people who just had to skip Thanksgiving dinner.
5. I don’t care what the outcome is because I know what I need to work on over the next few months: Glutes and shred legs. Also, more posing practice.
6. I love this sport and how it makes me feel. It’s funny because the competition feels like only moments on stage. And months of preparation!!

Since it’s only my second competition, I walked into the Westin Hotel fighting an impostor sydrome moment. Luckily, I have had great mindset coaching that has taught me to repeat my directive affirmation:

I have worked hard for this. I deserve to be here. I am remarkable.

I found my way up to the tanning area for my spray tan. That’s an experience! I guess I am more used to it this time. The first time was a shock. Lots of naked strangers will take even the most open-minded person off-guard.

Then, on to check-ins. Show my NPC card. Get my height verified, and then placed on the correct category. At my first show, I did True Novice, which is a category for first-timers. This time I did Novice, which means I have not won a Top 5 placement yet. I also showed for Masters Over 40 and Class C for height.

Get my number (don’t lose it or I’m screwed). Make sure I memorize which Classes I am in; sometimes Novice has A and B. Get my swag bag!

Check-ins normally happen the night before a competition. Then, go home and be super careful not to mess up my spray tan! Basically lie still and don’t do anything that would jeopardize it. I got this thing called a Sunany, which allows me not to splatter pee on my tan. Sounds crazy, and it is. But, the consistency of the spray tan is important. This was a trip for me the first competition. I was like omg I am in another world!

Show morning, I am prescribed to take a brisk 10 min walk. Since we are at the Hard Rock, I opted to walk to the other side of the casino. Holy moly: I woke at 3:45am as normal to get my walk in and get over to makeup. The casino was hopping! It was nuts. I once kept the late-night schedule but now I am reversed.

Hopped an Uber over to the Westin with my rolling suitcase (you don’t want any type of bag slung over your shoulder). Arrived at 5:00am for makeup. Feel sorry for me? Some girls were earlier. Once I looked like a million bucks, I had time to kill. I went and found some hot water for tea. No sweeteners or coffee creamer during prep, so I take tea over black coffee. I watched the sunrise and read my copy of With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham. It’s a must have for any athlete.

At 7:00am, I got my second coat of bronzer. And boy did I get tan! Next, we had the athlete meeting. It was really nicely done by Tim Gardner. They thanked us for choosing them the weekend after Thanksgiving. They promised to keep us safe. They gave us an organized plan. And I must say that they were so very organized backstage. It was a pleasure to feel like I knew what was going on and when I needed to be ready.

The men’s competition began at 8:30. I also got to eat my first meal. Yay!!! Kodiak pancakes with 2 egg whites cooked in and 1 T peanut butter. My own little heaven, I promise you! Next, I got the finishing touches on my hair and makeup, put on my suit, and found a spot backstage.

Things moved pretty quickly backstage. Once it was time for bikini, we were told to get glazed and glued. A lady glues your bikini in all the spots you need for safety. And we get glazed with oil. Next is pump up: a

Reese’s cup and a pickle along with a few exercises with a band. And boom, they are calling my number for my first class.

We walk out on stage for Novice A and line up on the stage. The head judge asks us to turn. Usually, he says turn toward the curtain, but he said “Ladies turn to the right.” My mind went omg I turn to the left in my routine! And I whipped around to the right, NOT how I should have. On video, it didn’t look that bad, but just funny to see me whip around. Then, back to the front, and we walk over to the side. Each girl gets to do her individual routine. My first time, I knew I had the incorrect cut of my bikini in the back, so I was awkward and bobbly. This time, I felt much more confident and executed my routine quite well. Still need to fix a couple of things, but it was good for the second show.

Then we come back to the line again, another turn for the judges (the second time, he just asked us to turn to the back and I did better). The judges then have the girls move around so their favorites are in the middle. This indicates who will likely win that class. And then we go offstage.

I circled around quickly to line up for Masters over 40. Pretty much the same drill except we don’t do our routine again individually if we already did it. Then, repeat for my height class.

And that’s it.

Now, I wait until finals at 7 and results. I don’t have any expectations of what will be the result. I am simply really happy about how I feel after the second show. I felt defeated after the first one. I feel elated now, regardless of what happens at 7. I’m more excited about indulging at dinner!!

Post Finals update: I won 2nd in Novice A, 5th in Masters Over 40, and 5th in my height class. I could not be happier with the progress! I watched the IFBB Pros before our awards and it was super motivating for me. I know I can get there if I keep working.

Again, most of all, I feel good about myself. I feel proud of myself. I am excited about moving forward. I learned a great deal. I met some nice people. And yes, I ate an epic celebration meal!

My Coach gave me 48 hrs of mindful, untracked eating. Then, it’s back to focus. Hit the gym Monday morning feeling like a million bucks and ready for the next few months of improvement.

Look out  NPC Spring 2021!