Post Competition Blog - Now What?

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Nearly 4 weeks later, after my first show of the year at the Bev Francis Atlantic States, I am finally finding the time to write a reflective/post competition blog. I wrote 3 blogs tracking my progress and process as I trained for this show. It felt really good to write that last piece where I expressed how great and comfortable I was feeling coming in to the show and lucky for me, that feeling carried on and the day I stepped on stage.
I hit the road to my family's home in Brooklyn around 8pm Friday night to get some sleep so I can get up early to start my own hair and makeup for the day. Well, that sleep never happened. Most of us who compete can try to get a full night's rest but the nerves, no matter how long we've been doing this, settle in and we just can't fall asleep. I know I'm not the only one! I probably got 3-4 solid hours of sleep.
Despite a restless night I had everything planned to a T and had been visualizing this moment for quite a while. Everything that happened that day was natural, as if I had experienced it before.
I was also feeling unusually calm. I am typically very anxious and get the shakes but that day I felt nothing.
When you give it your all and put in the work and train as hard as I did, everything else just seems easy. I was not the least beat worried about placing (whether I finished high or low) nor was I concerned about anything or anyone else for that matter. It was like my brain had blocked anything and everything that would interfere with this feeling of peace and calmness around me. I believe this feeling and energy showed on stage.
My suit came in only a couple of days before the show and when I opened the package it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! Gorgeous suit! Pictures don't do it justice. To my surprise, the bottoms were still a tiny big...a sign that my booty had melted in unbelievable amounts, something unheard of for me.
The venue is always too small for the amount of athletes that show up to compete but if you are a veteran like me, you learn quickly how to settle yourself into a nice spot and make it your own before someone else snatches it up. I did just that so I was nicely settled into a good space.
Figure A had was only 6 girls. I was very surprised by this number since the Atlantic States is probably one of the 2nd most popular shows in the Northeast area besides the Easterns in November. I am guessing that most of the women had moved either direction to women's physique or bikini.
My posing...well, I heard feedback from judges saying I looked confident and natural, the way they like for the women to be, yet I was hearing from people that were sitting in the audience that I wasn't popping my shoulders out enough. In the past I had been told my shoulders were too big and over-empowering and with the way I was posing, I was looking more like a bodybuilder. The way I posed was my version of toning it down. I also felt more comfortable this way.
The Master's division was a bit more steep with more than 10 competitors. I was the shortest one which always feels a little awkward since they put us all in one class.

All in all, I am very pleased to have walked away with a 2nd place trophy in the Open Figure A division and 1st and overall in the Master's class! Very thrilled and happy and thanks to all of you for supporting me and keeping me focused!
Fakhri wasn't able to make it to the show but he was with me in spirit and getting updated from God knows who because he knew everything that was going on. LOL.
After the show I didn't feel like eating too much junk food which has always been a thing with me. I eat everything and end up getting sick. I did eat my ice cream and had a few fun meals, but since I felt so good during my prep, I wanted to remain this healthy and feeling this good.

I was feeling great this day! 

Now, with  all that said, I want to address a down side that most of us who compete experience, but seems to affect women the most. It's also rarely spoken about. Like postpartum depression, most of us hit a "low" after the huge high of coming off the stage. It seems to be very hormonal and if not managed or attended to properly it can cause some serious unwanted long term mental and emotional health effects. It happened to me. I was feeling pretty crappy and numb, and just down altogether. I put myself in a situation where nothing good would have came out of it and I was an emotional wreck. Thankfully I had a couple of very close friends pull me out of that funk and it didn't last long. In no time, I was back to myself and able to put the past behind me and smile only the way I know how!
If you find yourself in this this situation or feeling like you have no energy, low self-esteem, etc. please talk to someone! Get back to the gym, and most importantly get back to eating healthy! You don't have to eat contest prep foods all the time to be healthy! You want your body and your hormones back in check and balanced.

Filming a video for Flex. This guy
gets me out of my funk! 

After the "funk" period was over, and I was back to my silly, energetic self, I decided to take complete or pick up some unfinished projects. I picked up my writing where I left off in hopes to publish my short narrative story I had begun years ago. It's been an ever evolving process, and the story keeps changing but that's what makes it exciting for me to write. I have also begun my application process to 2 awesome Ph.D. programs. I hope I get in! And of course...gotta do a national show! Fakhri and I were tossing around the idea of competing at Master's Nationals. He insisted on that show...I was still skeptical because I personally felt like I was doing too much traveling and had too much of my online business to attend to, not to mention wanting time to just relax and spend it with my children. We compromised and decided to take a week, maybe 2 off, relax, eat, enjoy but not go too crazy and focus on the North Americans in August! I am so excited!
I have also been making myself available for various interviews and training videos so please be sure to check out my SweetCapri page and website constant updates and my travel schedule.

Thank YOU to the most supportive and loving
team ever!