Post show wrap up

This is the first show I've ever competed in as a middleweight. I weighed in at 122# and lightweight being 7 pounds away was too far to bother trying for at morning weigh-ins. I accepted my middleweight status, and started carbing up.

There ended up being no lightweights in the show at all. I was the second softest girl in my class, but not the smallest. It was a fun show, and my stage presence was much improved from years past. I have to say that it is not that motivating to see the judges from on stage not even look at you. I held a couple poses during the individual free posing for an extended period because I was curious if they were even going to look back in my direction. I mean I know that I wasn't the hardest girl up there, but can you just humor me and look in my general direction while I'm up there?

Anita from Muscle Mayhem did an interview with me on Friday night for the website. I'm usually uncomfortable around a video camera for some reason, but it was easy and very low key. You can watch it here... http://www.musclemayhem.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55125

I also ran into Annie Rivieccio, professional female bodybuilder, at the elevator Friday and we decided to do a shoot for her website www.MuscleAngels.com on Saturday before finals. She said she enjoyed shooting with me because I didn't need a lot of direction. She also said that I pose really well which I thought was a big compliment coming from her.

All in all, the show was a good experience. I wasn't my best, but I did learn some things. I placed 7th out of 7. It was a fun show, and my stage presence was much improved from years past. It would be nice if I had gotten leaner this year, but it's okay. I've got 5 weeks to peak for USA's, so that's the plan for now.

WHAT WENT RIGHT?
1. My hair color was good, I liked the way I fixed it and it was easy. No changes for the hair at USA's.
2. My make-up looked good. I had a darker foundation that I bought to do make-up for my competitors last year, and I hadn't tried it on myself yet. I also bought these contouring shades a couple months ago, and I got to try them out with the dark make-up too. I won't have any issues with the make-up for USA's.
3. My color was good. I used Protan for my first coat, and the airbrushed coat like I always do, but for the coats I applied on Friday, I used Dreamtan spray. It went on easier, dried faster, didn't smell as strong, and washed off more readily. I'm going to try it for my first coats for USA's, and if it's no good, I'll be able to get protan at the weigh-ins.
4. My suits fit well and I love the colors. I will put my stones on the night suit some time before I leave town for USA's.
5. My posing was good. This is the first national show where I felt like I presented my physique well on stage. I might not have looked my best, but I showed the best of what I had at that moment. I'm going to do my best to repeat that at USA's too.

WHAT WENT WRONG?
1. I wasn't lean enough, but I knew that going in.
2. My water was screwed up because I forgot basic math on Monday and Tuesday week of the show. Also, I didn't take an OTC diuretic like I have in the past. Sometimes they magnify the rebound you get from the carb load and water manipulation. I was worried that with a 2 day show and not being lean enough it could backfire hard, so I skipped it.
3. My carb load was no good. I didn't think the carb depletion and load was the best for me in 2007 at Jr's and at 2007 USA's I didn't carb deplete at all. It worked out great, and I said I would never carb deplete again. The only reason I did at Jr's this year was because I was trying to get into the lightweight class. My efforts were for nothing since I was a middleweight anyway.

HOW TO FIX WHAT WENT WRONG
1. I'm putting together a new plan for the next 4 weeks that I have left before leaving town again for USA's.
2. For USA's I'm going to take a diuretic starting on Wednesday, do 2 gallons of water Sunday to Wednesday, 1 gallon on Thursday, 1 pint on Friday, and sip only on Saturday.
3. I've accepted that I might be a middle weight at USA's, and will not carb deplete in an effort to get into lightweights.

To sum it up, everything that had to do with stage presence went really well, and everything that had to do with my physique coming in at it's best went bad. I know that sounds like a bad scenario, but it's a good thing the way I see it. I always get stressed out about the little things like my hair and make-up and end up disappointed when I feel like I wasn't judged fairly because the way I stood on stage was wrong, or the judges didn't see what I really look like. This time, all the little things that matter a lot came together, and I feel confident that I can repeat all of them at my next show in Vegas and not get stressed out about any of it.