It was a bright day with sunny spells late 2019.
I’d prepped hard all season for a good show with the northern counties.
Just has hard as I had trained I made sure I dieted and recovered just as much.
Somewhat different to the previous year where I competed for the heart of England.
A longer prep this year with knowing what to expect and many manipulations to calories, training whilst needing a lot more rest due to the longer prep taking it out of me.
The day had arrived and we travelled north, the shorter distance than our south travel together from the previous year.
The great gent I’m honoured to call my grandad was so proud. Smiling whilst I was up there and delivering my tanned physique.
Before I competed that day I said to myself and writ in my journal:
“We are here again and all the work effort and sacrifice as created this, I’m so grounded and grateful for just that.”
As it always is with my training and natural bodybuilding.
I love the process and only ever allow it to ground me on everything I have come to achieve.
We travelled early bumping into competitors from Aberdeen to Birmingham.
So many fantastic guys and girls who where there for all their own passions, purposes and goals. Ready to deliver their best.
I wasn’t on while late that afternoon so I sat with my friend Mark outside and we chatted for a good while, my grandad went for his daily afternoon nap and sandwiches he brought in his little lunchbox.
He wouldn’t miss that for anything, mind only if I was competing between it I think he would of opened his eyes.😊
The time come and they called me in, they said:
“Matt, make sure you go get ready, your up in 15 minutes, give it your best and remember to smile yet most of all enjoy it.”
I bumped into the tan and glaze lady who had tanned and glazed me in the heart of England show the previous year and with a smiling face she said in the back room
“it’s Matt isn’t it?”
I said yes smiling.
She said:
“Your physique hasn’t half come on since we last met, last September.”
It give me a great boost did that.
She said:
“You looked great at the heart of England show but now look at you, haven’t you progressed and how’s your grandad?
He couldn’t stop smiling last year when you was up there.”
I smiled thanking her and proceeded to take the line ready to go on up in the men’s physique tall against some top blokes.
Little did she know I came on a lot better than the year before and enjoyed every minute at the northern counties up there again.
A fantastic atmosphere with great competitors and I’m so looking forward to getting back to it after overcoming some of the worst pages in a tough chapter of my personal time in the last 18 months.
I have the pen again in my hand now though and in just over six weeks I will artfully deliver a special paragraph that even the words I have can ever describe.
Until then I will stare that Jersey stage in its eyes and keep the ink fresh, preserved and the ballpoint prime.
It’s nearly that time.
💪
