Still on the Right Side of the Grass

[Browndog]

I'm looking forward to your results and hope you have a great time, BD!

Thanks!

I'm very excited to be competing at this event, even though I have the lowest total in my flight. All I know is that I'm well positioned to improve on my total from the last time I competed in April.

Additionally, fourteen people from my gym are competing, including my coach. Proud to be part of this great group of people and I can't wait to see them do their thing.

[Browndog]

10/4/17

GFB #5-14 (reps/sets)

Bench - 90kg x1, 87.5kg x1
77.5kg 2x3

Dips - bw, 13kg, 26kg x8

LTEs - 25kg, 35kg, 40kg x8

That's a wrap for the Bench. Starting to feel a bit better, I've regained 5lbs of body weight. Last day of Deads tomorrow.

[Browndog]

10/5/17

GFB #5-15 (reps/sets)

Deadlift - 190kg x1, 185kg x1, 180kg x1

Rows - 70kg 8x3
RDL - 120kg 8x3

Last heavy session prior to the meet. 190 went up nicely. Looks like that's an opener. Fatigue is dissipating, finally.

Some light work Saturday, Squat and Bench singles...no Deads. Coach and I will settle on what the attempts will be on Saturday as well.

[Browndog]

10/8/17

GFB. #5-16 (reps/sets)

Squat - 120kg x1, 105kg 2x3

Bench - 85kg x1, 75kg 2x3

Pull Downs - green band 15x3

RDL - 70kg 8x3

That's a wrap. Everything feels good, no aches or pains.

So, based on training to date, here's the scheduled attempts:

Squat (previous meet max 150kg) - 145 / 155 / 162.5kg

Bench (pmm 90kg) - 85 / 92.5 / 95kg

Deadlift (pmm 200kg) - 192.5 / 202.5 / 212.5kg

Conservative, but fair. The third attempts can go up or down by 2.5kg based on bar speed of the second attempt. It's a potential 30kg increase over my previous total if all goes well.

The 93kg class goes off Friday morning - ughh. I'm one of five in my flight, and definitely the lowest total in the group. All that said, I'm looking forward to the experience. If anyone tunes in to watch, I'm the tall, stick insect.

See ya' on the other side...

[5inthehall]

I missed your squats, but caught all your bench and DL attempts. GREAT JOB! So proud of you. I really thought you had that third deadlift. So, how was the experience? Are you sticking around to watch Kim Walford and Layne Norton tonight?

[codger]

Hi BD--I'm also eager to see your results. Hoping you had a great, PR-setting day!

[Browndog]

I missed your squats, but caught all your bench and DL attempts. GREAT JOB! So proud of you. I really thought you had that third deadlift. So, how was the experience? Are you sticking around to watch Kim Walford and Layne Norton tonight?

5 -

Once again, competing at a meet is a surreal experience for a person who has never thought of themselves as "strong". Watching myself on video has me asking: Who is that guy? I'm not quite the stick insect I was in the past. Glad to have had you along for the journey...it's been a long road.

I'm watching the live feed right now. I'm heading back to the Hyatt for the awards ceremony...who'd a thunk it, I survived to pick up some hardware.

Yeah, that 3rd Deadlift was close, as was the Squat 3rd attempt. Nice to know that it was a technical issue, rather than a strength issue.
I'll write up a recap when I get back to Buffalo

[Browndog]

Hi BD--I'm also eager to see your results. Hoping you had a great, PR-setting day!

Codger -

I technically didn't crush it...I crumpled it.

12.5 kg PR: all three lifts, plus total.

Had I been at a "local meet", I might have gone 9 for 9 and had a 32.5kg PR.

But I'm at peace with the results. As I said to 5, it's nice to know it wasn't a strength issue.

[codger]

That's great, BD! 12.5 kg is a significant improvement. What, in less than a year?

[Browndog]

All Y'All -

This re-cap is for 5, Codger, Oldster and others who tune in frequently. And I'm doing it for me, to clarify what took place over the past week.

I'll do the TL : DR upfront...

93kg Raw Masters 3

Squat - 145 / 155 / (162.5) PR 5kg from April's meet.
Bench - 85 / 92.5 / 95 PR of 5kg from April's meet.
Deadlift - 192.5 / 202.5 / (215) PR of 2.5kg from April's meet
Total - 452.5kg PR of 12.5kg from April's meet
Placed 2nd out of 5 entered, 3 of which competed

Now, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story.

I liken this experience to my first times sky diving. The first time out of the plane you're on sensory overload and you remember nothing that took place between your exit and your chute opening. The second time out of the plane, I was fully aware. And when the chute didn't open in the time I expected...panic set in. Well, this meet fit that story line to a "T". I retained no recollection of what it took or felt like to compete the first time. So when things seemed to go sideways towards the end of training, I got a little panicked.

The run up to Orlando had been five months in the making. My body was beat up at the end of volume work, and it was worse after the intensity / peaking phase. Three weeks out from the meet all my number's peaked and them declined precipitously. Things got dialed back hard and I awaited the recovery / adaptation phase. I wasn't feeling it, right up to the time I left for Orlando.

But, wiser heads had said to me during the run-up: "Trust the program". So I did. That and a lot of mental visualization, introspection and prayer.
I arrived in Florida at peace with where I was, and had made up my mind to swim with the current - not fight it.

Day of the competition I was up at 4:30am, as weigh ins were at 6:00am, and the competition started at 8:00. I am not, and never have been a "morning person", so to say I was concerned how I would perform is a gross understatement...again, swim with the stream. I weighed in lighter than the last meet and went for some breakfast. Started warming up at 7:30 as I was 3rd man off on my platform. Thank the good lord my coach was my handler, he got us a rack and we went through the progressions without a hitch.

Game time! Prior days viewing alerted me to the fact that the judges were tough, tough, so I knew I had to bury the opener - not something I'm know for at my gym. Fortunately, the gods of mobility graced me with their presence, and I nailed 145. The second at 155 went the same way, and there's a 5kg PR. 162.5 was uncharted territory, but I felt good about my abilities. The Squat was tough, a bit of a grind, but never in doubt. I stood up with it and thought I had a 12.5kg PR. Nope, two reds: A soft knee at the start on one side, and a depth call on the other side. My coach is a hardass about depth and he thought I was plenty deep. The call was made on the side where he was standing, so he had a great vantage point. And the soft knee was called on my bad / surgically repaired knee - I can't straighten it out. Anyway, I know what I did...F 'em.

The Bench was an out of body experience. My worst lift gave me my greatest joy as I hit a 5kg PR out of nowhere. Coach asked me after my second if I wanted to go for 97.5 and I demurred. 95 went up well enough that I should have given it a go. Oh well...

So I headed into the Deadlift on a real high. As I had some time on my hands, I left the warm-up area to take a walk. By chance I ran into Jordan Feigenbaum and Leah Lutz...I had to fanboy them (I had done the same to Cody Miller the previous day). So we chatted for a while, and then I realized I had to get back to warm-up. I excused myself and headed back for some pulls. Just about the time I had to hit the platform, I realized - I HAVE TO PEE. I came to that realization too late. Out I went for 192.5, full of hope and of bladder. An easy pull, but no time to hit the head. Next was 202.5, a tight belt and a full bladder made things interesting. Coach decided not to ask me what I'd like for a third, and I decided not to ask or look at the bar. Out I went, gripped it and made a great pull, never in doubt...but I'VE GOT TO PEE! At lockout I thought I was gonna let loose, but the down command saved the day. I looked up, expecting to see three whites...THREE REDS!

They said I was short at lockout. We wuz robbed... 5, you thought it was good. Coach thought it was good. An impartial Jordan thought is was good (a SSC would never pass a bad lift). Oh and by the way, the bar was loaded with 215kg! My best gym pull is 210. Anyway, thems the breaks. I came away from the Deadlift with an official 2.5kg PR, and an unofficial 15kg PR.

I ended up with a 12.5kg Meet PR officially. I got a second place medal because the third competitor didn't hit his openers on the Squat. Otherwise I would have finished third of three. I never had any expectations of medals, I just want to hit some PRs and perform to the best of my abilities. I know what I can do, 'cause I did it: S 162.5 / B 95 / D 215. I'll just have to do it "officially" at my next meet, which may be in February in Buffalo.

It was a gas. I had as much fun cheering on my teammates and Leah Lutz, as I did competing. I'm so glad I fulfilled my promise to you, that I would step out of my comfort zone, and enter a meet. I'm hooked...

Finally, what Rip and others have said many times is so true. Nothing moves your numbers up like training for a meet.

Oh, and don't forget to pee before you Deadlift!