I am writing this blog from MIAMI!!! It's here .. NATIONALS!!! I am about to walk on stage to compete for the 5th time in just 6 months!!!
Earlier today I posted this picture/status on Instagram (please follow me if you don't already)
" It's here. Headed to #Miami for #NPCNationals. #2Days from pre-judging!! The 6 months of sacrifice and hard work come down to this. I did my final workout in my Dolly T-Shirt (as always) and found myself a little emotional. It is normal to cry when you leave the gym..right..haha. Cause I did today. I couldn't help it. All the hard work. All the sacrifice. It comes down to this weekend. It is here. I had a lot of help along the way ... but I have done so much all by myself ... and I am pretty darn proud. I think an appropriate song started playing as I crushed my final set (see pic). If you know me at all...then you know I've not always been this mentally or physically strong. Life in general hasn't been easy at times and the past several months have given me some challenges. Some ya'll know about .. Some you don't. But I will come out on top. This weekend ... First place or last place .. I am a champion -- time to go #Roar 😺 "
Yes ... it's true. I got teary eyed when "Roar" randomly came on as I started my last tri-set!!! I don't know why?! I guess I'm just emotional right now. As I said in my Insta post .. so much goes into all of this and it's "the end of THIS road" so to speak. So I just got a "rush" of different feelings as I wrapped up my final lifting workout leading into this big weekend.
I am nervous. I am anxious. I am a little scared. Maybe even a tad insecure. I don't know why .. I know I'm ready. I made a few minor changes suggested by previous judges and I really am the best me that I could possibly be at this point in my journey... and I did it ALL NATURAL. Not even as much as a single fat burner has entered my body. Has it been easy? Nope!! But is it worth it to say that I didn't take ANY shortcuts .. YES!!! It will especially be worth it that when I leave this weekend and I am able to maintain my overall look! I know I've emphasized that I'm "Natural" before. I'm not trying to boast or push that anyone else's methods are wrong .. but so many people assume otherwise and I really am proud of it. So there .. I said it again .. I am 100% natural.
Speaking of natural .. I guess it is only natural that I am feeling all these things. This is a big deal .. to me anyway. Just like most people that enter these competitions ... I've made sacrifices you can't even imagine. But more than that .. a lot rides on this weekend for reasons that are just too much to even get into right now. Let's just say that I don't just "want" a pro card ... I have many goals and dreams within this amazing sport and organization.
I have always been a very independent person. Despite that (usually) being one of my more positive qualities .. an independent personality doesn't help my emotions right now. I have my sweet husband beside me .. and while he really is all I NEED .. I am thousands of miles away from home and from any of my "support system". I don't have some big cheering section or team members rooting me on this weekend. I don't know anyone, don't know any of the judges, don't have a sponsor, don't know the promoter. I will walk through that lobby tomorrow and check in all by myself. I'm one little fish in a BIG ole pond. THAT is very scary!!!
Anyway .. back to my point of this blog entry. As I've mentioned in numerous posts .. it is very important to have a goal. While I preach "slow and steady" .. for many a goal date is the only way they will really stick with a plan. Yours may be simply be a specific date you have in mind, or it may be your birthday, an special occasion, a vacation, etc. Mine was The Flex Lewis Classic. Once I did that show the end of June ... I was qualified to do Nationals (my ultimate goal). I didn't "have" to compete anymore ....but I loved it so much and wanted to do a few more shows before this weekend in Miami.
BUT there is so much more to this #FitLife than competing in bodybuilding shows. I have other goals and dreams and one is to be some sort of ambassador in the sport/lifestyle. So when I saw that my favorite fitness webpage (www.bodybuilding.com) was accepting submissions for a Spokesmodel for BodySpace ... I immediately knew I had to give it a shot! BTW .. if you don't have a BodySpace account .. get one. It is SO COOL! I am so mad I didn't jump on it sooner!!! But I didn't know what it was .. so I just recently made my profile! Find me .. my name is SimplyStacy.
While I know I likely don't stand a chance of my video even being seen .. little alone making it to the semi-finals .. finals .. or winning. At least I can share this with you so you better understand my journey, what motivates me and what got me to where I am today. There is no voting unless I make it to the semi-finals! So this is just for you guys to watch!!
I could have easily stuck out my IPhone and filmed something myself and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you know me -- you know I never give anything less than 110% if it means something to me. So this was no exception!!
Sooo ... all that said ... here is my entry for the 2015 BodySpace Spokesmodel Search!!! Thanks to my friend Ray Zate at Darkroom Creative for bringing my vision and story to life!!
The video for the contest couldn't be longer than 5 min....but it ended up being 6min!! So we had to cut chunks out here and there. But since Ray worked so hard ... I am posting links to both!! Hope you take time to watch and keep your fingers crossed I make it to Semi-Finals!!
5min Version (submitted to bodybuilding.com)
Longer Version
Hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit about my journey! I would love to hear about yours!!!
Eat Clean. Train Dirty.
Stacy
No comments:
Post a Comment