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         We conversed about the event.  Brian, Charlene, Liz, Tim, and I sat around the table at a Pizzeria Uno’s on a busy restaurtant strip in Buffalo.  After a month and a half of dieting, Tim had dropped from two hundred to one hundred and eighty-two pounds to compete at the Mr. USA in the AAU Bodybuilding Division.  He came in at a close second in his class behind another competitor, thus shutting him out from a chance at the overall and Mr USA title.
     “You sure it was close?” Tim asked.
     We all acknowledged. “You looked good Tim.  It was close.  Real close,” Brian replied.
     “I should’ve come in a little sharper.  Maybe a few pounds less.  Maybe then,” Tim questioned the outcome, “It was weird though.  We were in the pump up room and I thought I had it.  I saw him there.  And, he looked like nothing.  I thought he was small and smooth.  There was no comparison.  It was like a fluke or something.  We stepped out on stage and under the lights, he came out of nowhere.  Strange. Really strange.”
     “You did good.  Its hard to tell at times what’ll happen,” Brian responded.
     “You still doin the Olympus in two weeks right?” Charlene asked.
     “I don’t know.  I’m feeling too much.  Maybe holding too much.  If I do, I’m gonna work for the next two weeks.  I wanna come in at the low one-seventies.  I need to drop about eight pounds.  You going in?” Tim asked me.  A few glances looked over to me.
     “Yeah.  You should.  Go in Bantam,” Charlene confirmed.
     “Oh, I don’t know.  I wish I were heavier.  I’ll give it a shot in two years.  I’d like to be a Lightweight, but not Bantam.  I don’t think my ego would let me,” I chuckled to myself.
     We continued with our meals.  Brian looked over to Tim smiling, “You not retiring now are you?”
     “I should.  I feel so fat,” Tim replied jokingly.
     “You’ve been competing since…” Brian thought to himself and asked, “since when?”
     Tim replied, “Since Eight-six.  It’s weird though.  Sometimes, you think you have it.  And, usually, you can tell while in the pump up room.  You just look around and you can see.”
     Brain interjected, “And the winner is usually someone who is new and unexpected.”
     Tim confirmed, “Yeah.  I remember once, I was doing the show on the Ridge.  I was so excited, I ran up to Samson’s between the morning and night shows and told them that I thought I had it.  I really thought I did.  Time came for the night show and there we were.  All the competitors in the pump up room.  And, there he was.  He was some guy from Massachusetts and was late.  Right then, and there, I knew the results.  There’s some luck involved.  There’s always someone better.  There’s always someone bigger.  If they decide to enter the same day you do.  Bam, its over.”

 
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