I am so sorry I haven’t posted in a couple of weeks. Boy, do I have a lot to tell you all! I haven’t had time to sit at the computer long enough to type out one of my epic posts. We have been on the road, both visiting family and I also ended up competing a MONTH earlier than I was scheduled to.

And that brings me to the big news! I AM SO EXCITED!!! MY DREAM FINALLY CAME TRUE AND I WON AN NPC FIGURE COMPETITION!!! I was so fortunate to win the Overall Title of the Masters Division at the Fort Lauderdale Cup last weekend. In Masters, I am competing against women my age–35 and over. But in the BIG SURPRISE of the evening, I also won my class, Class B, in the OPEN Division–where I have to compete against EVERYONE!!! That blew me away. I won everything I entered, except the Overall posedown for the Open Title. My teammate, and great friend, Andrea Lyons won that–and deservedly so. She is awesome, and has been top 10 nationally for at least the past couple of years.

Explanation: In Figure, you compete according to height (and also age in the Masters). I am exactly 5′4″, so I am in either Class B or C at each show, depending on how they have the classes broken down. This one had 4 classes, so I was B. In the National Shows, they have 6 classes, so I am C.

Check out info and pics at www.BombshellFitness.com. You will have to scroll down INSIDE the window at the center of the screen. Look for results from the Fort Lauderdale Cup.
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This was a whirlwind and totally unexpected, because I went down to the show ONLY to be in the team picture and to watch and learn, since I was getting ready for the November 14th show. Michael didn’t even go with me, because I had no plans to compete yet. I didn’t think I was even CLOSE to ready!

When I arrived and saw Shannon, my coach, she gave me some of the highest praise I have ever received in my life. She is a tough cookie! Not easily impressed. But the second I saw her, she grabbed me and said that she was so impressed with my work ethic and the amazing improvements I have made in such a short period of time. She took me up to Rob, her husband and my diet guru, to be evaluated. They both said they wanted me to get on stage and compete. I was shocked, and said ‘No way, I am not ready yet!’ They said ‘Yes, you are, and at the very least it would be great practice and a learning experience. Get on stage and let’s see what happens.’

One thing I have learned is to trust Shannon and Rob’s judgment implicitly. So I agreed. I did have my suit and heels with me, because I was scheduled to attend a posing seminar, so all I really needed was a tan. So they sent me to the spray tan people–which is a Godsend! WAY better and tons easier than painting myself with Pro Tan! They sprayed me down, greased me up, and put me out on stage. I practiced like a mad woman at the posing seminar Friday night, because I totally was not any good at posing my back lat spread. Several pro competitors worked very diligently with me to help me, and they were such a blessing. I finally ‘got it’! And lo and behold, I won both my classes, and the Masters Overall! And I even heard comments about my back looking really good–whoo hoo!

Poor Michael was so upset that he wasn’t there to see me win my first show. But even when I called Friday night to tell him that I was going to compete, I had no inkling of winning, so we didn’t think much of it. I really was only looking at it as practice, so I wasn’t stressed at all. Maybe that was for the best! I was totally relaxed, joking around and having fun with the ladies backstage, and just really enjoyed all of it. But when I called him to tell him I won, he was so happy but so upset he wasn’t there to see it. I feel horrible, but who knew?

I even had to ship all my trophies home by Fedex! I couldn’t carry them, as I flew by myself. They just arrived here on Wednesday.

If it were not for my dear ‘Bombshell’ Sista Angela Firkins, I wouldn’t have even been there. With all our travel and facing a long lean winter of probably very low real estate sales, I didn’t think I could justify spending the money to go. She said she was going, and that if I could just get down there, I could stay with her and save money. So I wouldn’t have even been able to be there for the team photo or anything if it weren’t for Angela, much less compete. So I wanted to give her a big shout-out, and a heartfelt ‘thank you’ with my utmost, humble appreciation. I love you, Ang!!!!

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There was also a Pro Figure and Fitness competition at this show. That was awesome. I was able to meet some of the amazing women that I admire from the magazines all the time. For example, Erin Stern. Her recent 6-page spread in FLEX magazine was awe-inspiring and so motivational. I told her I had her picture in my office for motivation! She was SO nice and gracious. Truly beautiful inside and out. Two of my teammates, Gennifer Strobo and Cheryl Brown, placed in the top five of the Pro Figure–and it was both their debuts! Yay for them! I was so thrilled for them–in their first Pro Show, too. Wow!

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So now even more big news—by winning the two titles, I qualified to compete at the National Shows!!! Shannon has entered me in the upcoming NPC National Figure Championships, held in Hollywood Florida on Nov 21st. So it’s a big ‘wham-bam, thank you ma’am!’ and I am now in training, not for a regional show in November, but a full-on National showdown. Whoa! I can’t wait to see what that entails–I will probably have to work out 6 times a day! It’s all so sudden, but I am going to give it all I have.

I cannot take any of the credit for my success. Shannon and Rob tell me what to do, and I do it. And I trust that the results will come. I will say, however, that when I stepped on stage Saturday night, I knew deep down in my heart that I had done absolutely everything to the best of my ability. I never slacked or skipped workouts or cheated on my meals. I do have to substitute in some exercises for ones I can’t do due to injury, but I always make sure my substitutes are just as hard if not harder. For example, my knees won’t tolerate hack squats, so I substitute Smith machine squats. But I go heavier with the Smith. And you know that I do a good bit of rearranging on my diet to keep it as raw as possible. I am certainly not vegan anymore, but I do eat probably 40% vegan proteins and keep it as raw as possible with sushi and sashimi otherwise.

So I didn’t have any nagging feeling of “I wish I had tried harder” or knowing deep down that I didn’t give 110%. I KNOW I did, and that is the one thing I can take credit for. And it was such a good, calming feeling to know that I brought the absolute best I could be at that point in time. The outcome is subjective and out of my control. But being the best I can be is ultimately in my control and that’s what I did. It is certainly not the best I WILL be, because I am getting better and better! So my goal for Nationals is to add size on my shoulders, lats and thighs and come in even better and leaner than I did for the regional. Will it be enough? Who knows? But I will know that I did all I could, and that’s all I can do! Getting in better shape takes time and patience. And especially persistence and consistency. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

Blessings to you all!!!!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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October 16th, 2009
Categories: Main. Tags: Bombshell, bombshell training, circuit workout, facing fears, female raw vegan bodybuilding, fitness, gratitude, health, healthy, personal development, plant-based protein, raw foods, raw vegan, raw vegan protein, Team Bombshell
Author: Christy

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