Tomorrow I will compete in the Strongest Southern Belle Strongman Competition. It will be my eighth Strongman Competition (I can’t believe it’s been that many!) I’m excited, nervous and simply can’t wait until tomorrow. This competition is pretty unique. It’s the largest women’s-only competition in the country with 80 women competing. Wow! The energy, music, crowd and food (yes, the food is really THAT good) make this my favorite competition each year. And, to make it even cooler, it’s happening right here in Cynthiana. (It’s pretty awesome to only have a two minute drive to this event.)
This competition is a qualifier for both USS Nationals and the first ever Women’s Worlds Competition. So, the competition is going to be stiff.
For those of you that have never competed in a Strongman competition before (or for those of you veterans) I thought I’d let you in on a glimpse of my pre-competition day today.
I woke up this morning and weighed in early (want to get that out of my way.) I didn’t have to cut any water or do anything crazy to hit weight. I weighed in at 121lbs, fully clothed. Funny thing – my normal, everyday “walking weight” is less than 123 pounds, but I worry about weight before every weigh in. Usually, I stress about it so much the week of competition and weigh in WELL below 120 pounds. This is the first time I honestly tried to weigh in as close to the weight limit (123.4) as possible. Success. I can scratch this off my list for the day.
I skipped my morning workout today. I want to make sure my legs are fresh for tomorrow morning.
As for my food today – I’ll eat like I normally do: oatmeal for breakfast and eggs for lunch. Dinner will be a meal out with the family. I’ll definitely have a glass of wine (or two.) This splurge will help settle my nerves a bit (and, I’ll take any excuse to have a glass of wine.)
I’ll also lay out everything I’m taking to the competition tomorrow. Which is So. Much. Stuff. I literally take:
- Three pair of pants
- Two tshirts
- A tank top
- Sweatshirt
- My gym bag
- Wrist wraps
- Two belts
- Change of socks
- Lifting shoes
- Foam Roller
- Tennis ball (for rolling out tight muscles)
- Bag of “tacky clothes” for the Atlas Stones.
Seriously, that’s more stuff than I take on vacation. But, when it comes to packing for a competition, I channel the Boy Scout motto here, “Always Be Prepared.”
I’ll top the night off with a hot Epsom Salt bath to relax. Then get in bed early for a good night’s sleep. I’m counting on the wine to settle some of those pre-competition jitters and help me sleep well, too.
I hope to do well tomorrow. It’s no secret that I’d love to bring home a trophy. But not only that – I want to perform to the best of my body’s ability. That sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Winning is great. But winning and really performing at peak level is even better.
There’s always some self-doubt that creeps into every competitor’s mind before a competition. I honestly tell my trainer before each competition, “I don’t feel like I’m ready.” Then afterwards, I eat my words saying, “You were right – I was ready.” I hope that tomorrow my months of training and hard work pay off. I’d sure love to repeat those words again, “You were right….”
Tomorrow will be a long day filled with heavy lifting, lots of smiles and a crazy flood of emotions….and I simply can’t wait.
If you’re in Cynthiana and looking for something to do, swing by the armory sometime between 11:00-6:00. You will see some incredibly strong women lifting some incredibly heavy things and you’ll have a blast doing it.
Strongest Southern Belle, Here I Come!
Cynthiana Strong 