Nationals- My Experience

First, let me apologize for taking so long to post this!  I don’t know why, but every time I went to post about my experience at Nationals, I just couldn’t.  Almost depressing really.  It is common for a competitor to get the blues after they finish the show as all their hard work and goals have been reached and we can feel a little lost afterwards.  It is also an adjustment with your body when you don’t have to be so lean anymore.  But, now, I am over the hump of post show blues so I would like to share with you all, my experience at my first National Show.

I competed at the USA’s in Las Vegas, NV, at the end of July.  My husband and I flew out Thursday morning, leaving our two little boys at home with their Grandma.  Anxious about flying, we luckily had no problems and arrived in Las Vegas safely.  Let me tell you something, it was friggin hot!!!!  Coming from the Palouse where it hadn’t gotten any hotter than 75 degrees at that point, the 100+ degrees was uncomfortable for us both.  Luckily, everything inside is air-conditioned and freezing, I might add.  Perfect conditions for a person with a spray tan!

I checked in with my trainer Jacques Pitcher on Friday to see how I was doing, and all in all things were looking good.  During most shows, competitors will deplete their water intake in order to “dry out” and appear nice and tight, but in Vegas, because it is so hot and you are constantly loosing water from your body,  I drank water the entire time I was there. 

My most bizarre experience of the whole weekend, was the spray tanning.  All of the shows I have competed in the past are set up like this, very simple- Women spray women, and men spray men and the sexes are separated in different locations.  Not in Vegas Baby!  Nope, I had to strip down in front of a 6+ foot burley guy and get sprayed in a room full of other naked bodies (men and women).  I was even more horrified when I had to turn around and touch my toes (to spray that inner part of your butt cheeks).  Yeah, let’s just say it was very awkward especially since my husband is the only one who has seen me in the buff.  I survived both spray events, but gained a new appreciation for how wonderful the spray tanning crews that I have worked with in the past have been.  I guess I can check that off my list of things I never thought I would experience but did anyway!

Stage time- We were all crammed into the backstage of the University of Las Vegas Theatre Hall and boy was it hot.  We had several gals get sick because they were depleted and over heated.  I was sweating bullets before I even stepped on stage!  Stage time was great.  I felt good and I was proud to be up there.  I didn’t make first call out by a long shot, but kept on smiling and holding my poses.  Sweat again, was dripping down my face and my hair looked awful!  Oh well!!!  The night show was also a lot of fun and I again felt comfortable on stage.  My model poses felt great too and at the end I had no hard feelings.  Getting up on that stage was an amazing achievement and I am proud to have done so.

By the way, thank you to all of you who were in the crowd from Washington!  You have no idea how surprised I was at all the screaming, cheering and calling out of my name from the crowd when I was on stage!  It really made the whole experience that much greater for me. 

I learned a lot about the NPC Division on a National level and also learned what I need to do in order to stand up against the first call out women.  Again, I brought my best package to the stage, so I was happy,  but even happier because I gained experience and learned a lot.  Afterall, what good is it to do something big if you don’t learn anything from it?

Another great thing about the show was that I also got to see some of my Pacific NW gals and guys competing and I also met so many amazing competitors back stage. 

As for my competition schedule… I am in my off-season for sure!  Working on just gaining muscle and enjoying my workouts without the pressure.  I continue to eat healthy and avoid as many processed and packaged foods but I do enjoy a treat every now and then.  I will definitely compete again, but it all depends on surgery time with my hip, which by the way got cancelled and now I am working on getting it back on the calendar.  What a pain in the butt, I might add.  Until then, I will be enjoying my time with my family, and time in the gym and studying for my ACE Cert. that I have been wanting to finish for the longest time!

I want to give a special thank you to all of you who sponsored me during Nationals.  Without you, I would have never made it to the stage.  Thank you to my best friend Andrea Farmer, Jaques & Kris Pitcher (Team Pitcher!), Rick Taylor & Levi of Anytime Fitness, Sean & Dana Stevenson, Jack, Molly & Terri Benscoter, and Vicki Schulhauser.  I also want to thank all of my family, friends and co-workers for their continued support.  

A special thank you to my husband Manuel.  Thank you for your continued love and support.  Thank you for training with me and pushing me and making sure I kept on track.  Thank you for flying with me all the way to Vegas where it was hotter than hell to get me on that National Stage.  I love you and I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband and best friend who is with me every step of the way.  No matter what!

Well, that’s it!  That was my adventure to the National Stage!  It has been fun writing about my journey and I hope that you all enjoyed it too.  Be sure to visit my other blog “Lives of the Fit & the Perfectly Imperfect” as I continue on with my everyday life with work and kids, while staying healthy and the same time!  

Karly Beth