Good Morning Everyone! I hope you’ve been having a good weekend and I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post about my Pre-Show Preparations and everyone who wished me well, sent me good luck vibes, and for your overall support for me and my Fitness Competition!
Truly, I could not imagine having this kind of support from my readers and am so grateful that you all were rooting me on in your corner of the world. I felt the positive energy you all extended to me….
….Because I took 2nd Place in the America’s Natural Bodybuilding Bikini Divas Category!!!
2nd place Trophy is on the Right
I took 1st Place with an Arizona Title: Arizona State Forever Natural Bikini Divas-1st Place!!!
Trophy on the left without a label is the AZ State Trophy
And, I took 4th Place in the Sports Model Category. The girl who won was 17, said “ummm” a lot, looked down at her feet, and in my opinion, did not speak with poise or confidence. And if that’s what the judges were looking for, then I am actually happy about my placement since I feel I possess the opposite traits from what she did.
There is such a huge element of subjectivity in judging shows, and on any given day, you never know if you will be what that particular set of judges will be looking for, or not. And I will say, that mentioning that I believe “it’s important to stick to your beliefs and not compromise your principles” as part of my 30 second speech, which for me “includes a raw vegan plant-based diet.” Well, let’s just say I don’t think that scored me any brownie points with steak and egg-white loving judges and sometimes what people don’t understand, they view negatively. Right or wrong, it’s life and hey, I learned that in a room full of omnivores, don’t go out of my way to mention my plant-based life. I don’t do it in other aspects of my life so shouldn’t have done it there. Point taken.
Sports Model 4th Place Medal. With Spray-tanned orange hands which is the only part of me that’s at all orange is my hands. 90% of the darkness of the competition tan has washed off with my first glorious shower last night after 48 hours of no showering.
The feedback I got from the judges was to bulk up my legs and butt. Yes, I am aware of that. I have been trying to make my Butt Bigger for my whole life awhile now. I plan to concentrate working those areas more going forward.
Also going forward my goal is to add some overall lean muscle. I got ready for this show in record time: 2 months. Now, my desire is to really figure out what I can do to add lean muscle in a way that feels good to my digestive system and body (which for me means very easy on the protein powders) and in a way that does not compromise my plant-based path.
I don’t have it all figured out and the last few weeks, and the last 24 hours especially, have been a total whirlwind, but wanted to post this morning since I know a few of you were chomping at the bit.
Thank you everyone so much for your support!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Have you ever wanted to accomplish something and without much thought or planning or over-thinking just dove in, head-first, and did it?
My fitness show is definitely one for me! I am a huge planner and over-thinker in many aspects but sometimes I just get a wild hair up my (flat) butt, and dive right in! Sometimes those things are the most fun and rewarding when I don’t over-plan it.
Do you dive into things spontaneously or more plan-fully? Or a mixture?
2. Best Thing You’ve Done or Ate This Weekend So Far?
Me = Getting 2nd Place and 1st Place at my Show!!!!
3. How are you at accepting Feedback from others?
As long as the feedback is constructive, helpful, and done in a compassionate way, I am fine with it. If someone writes to me anonymously and says you need to eat a steak, obviously that’s feedback that is unsolicited and not as well-received. But in the situation with the judges, I asked them, “hey, what can I do better next time and where do you think I can improve?” and they were kind enough to be really specific with me, which is when feedback is great: targeted, specific, solicited, and done kindly and tactfully. I must stress the solicited vs. unsolicited aspect. The later is welcome, the former generally, well, not so much. Or here’s another post on my thoughts.
Do you like hearing feedback? Even if it’s not always a total “glowing report”?
4. Is it hot where you are?
Dear Lord it is so hot here. Like 112-114F. Just in time for our move! We are moving in 46 hours. Nothing like a little chaos.
5. Guest Posts. Do you like seeing them or not on others’ blogs?
When I went to Aruba over the holidays, I spent a ton of time lining up guest posts and I know that when many bloggers are away, they feel the obligation to have guest posts lined up. Guest posts can be a lot of work for the blog author and the guest poster and I feel that many readers don’t want to see a “Guest” on the blog they are intended to read and so even the greatest guest posts in the world aren’t as well received as the blog author’s own posts. Which is why I doubt I will be doing any guest posts this next week during my move and internet re-connection time but would love to hear your thoughts on guest posts in general. Like em, don’t care either way, skip ’em?
Stay Tuned for Weekend Pics & The Give Away Winners’ Announcement…
I’m off to pack and spend 46 more hours in AZ and try to be with Scott & Skylar and decompress from yesterday before the moving truck rolls up at 7am Tuesday morning….
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