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When my editor asked if I was interested in trying the Big Texan 72 oz. Steak Challenge on Friday, I thought to myself, 鈥淔ree steak and bragging rights? Who wouldn鈥檛 take up that offer?鈥�

After winning the challenge, I wish that the Nakayla who agreed the contest would have given this whole thing a little bit more thought.

In The Big Texan Challenge, traditionally hosted at the Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery in Amarillo, Texas, participants must eat a 4陆-pound steak paired with a baked potato, three shrimp, a side salad and a roll within an hour.

The whole thing sounds fairly simple in concept, but once that steak was plopped in front of me, I knew I was in for a challenge. 

I had even more weight on my shoulders than the other participants, as I was the only woman on the panel initially.

Ladies, this win is for you.

I must admit, I didn鈥檛 actually eat the massive steak by myself. My teammates, New Mexico United soccer player Greg Hurst and Rio Grande Credit Union鈥檚 David Miles, helped me devour the steak, along with the sides.

The first twenty minutes weren鈥檛 so bad since I had a game plan after I studied five TikTok videos as I ate dinner a few days before. Experts of the challenge or other food challenges recommend eating as much as you can in the first 20 minutes before your stomach starts screaming for help, so I did exactly that.

It wasn鈥檛 hard to demolish the steak in the beginning. Our chef prepared the meat to a medium-rare temperature and the meal came out warm, juicy and smothered with a delicious seasoning. 

But once the first 20 minutes passed, I started to worry that I was going to fail all the women watching and all of my Journal coworkers.

The steak by itself is already quite the meal, but pairing it with sides and a time constriction really began to weigh down on me. The weather was especially hot Friday afternoon, and once my body began to process the copious amount of food I had consumed, I started feeling a little ill.

But I am a competitor to my core and I refused to go down without a fight, especially as the crowd began cheering for me when our MCs announced that women held the record for the fastest time. 

The shrimp and bread seemed like much less of a challenge. The roll was warm and soft and the shrimp had a crunchy layer that was a nice relief from the steak.

After that, the rest was a slow crawl toward the finish line, but I eventually managed to eat the meal with some time to spare.

If you get the chance to try this challenge or any similar challenge, I would urge you to try it out. Not only is it a fun way to get out and try a new place, but it was a great way to test my limits and willpower.

However, I won鈥檛 be eating steak for quite a long time.

When she鈥檚 not on special assignment, Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news for the Journal. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.