Results from The Virtual Meet, September 7

Well the results came out today, and I was pretty happy. Not just because my numbers were better, but I seriously thought I had bombed out.

I took the day off that day unlike the last time when I had to do it after work. Of course, this meant that I had no camera person, and that was just the beginning of my troubles. I did not ensure that my camera batteries were charged and I had no loose AAs, either. After I found a DC plug and a long enough extension cord, I had to set up everything using a garbage can and recycle bins and make sure the lighting worked against a really sunny day. I also had two caffeinated drinks and spent about six rest periods in a bathroom, sick to my stomach. Lastly, I had a perfect layout of what my attempts should be based on a setup by Eric Talmant on the EliteFTS site, and I followed it only on my bench press.

My first squat attempt was 295 and it was red-lighted for lack of depth. Oh, I kept looking over my own video, so that spooked me out. I got two whites on the 315, which I thought would be close (No PR that day). The Eric Talmant setup had me taking a 330 third-attempt and I should have done that. Instead I went for broke with 340, and broke was what I got. Remember how it has been a long time since I had a weight on my bare back? At the bottom, I turned my head to the left to check my depth, lost my tightness, lost control of the bar and it swayed forward on the left, and I couldn't recover so I dumped it. 330 might have been a go. At that moment, I thought I was done but the show must go on.

My benches went well. My attempts stuck to the plan. I got three whites on my first attempt of 215. I got one red light on my second attempt of 225 for insufficient pause. I thought I might have not nailed my third attempt of 240 for the same reason, but I got three whites and a 25 lbs meet PR. Gotta start doing more pause work prior to competition.

Come deadlift time, I was spent and super edgy, so I totally didn't follow the plan. I went for 405 not 365, and nailed it. At that point, I decided on 415 and not taking the 3rd attempt. I got it with nothing to spare, and a 50 pound PR. I didn't total 1000 like I wanted to but I got close (970). I think I worried too much about that grand, though, and took the wrong chances; at this stage, I should worry more about consistency than numbers. BTW, Jon (from Powerlifting Watch), I read your email and totally agree, that shrugging shit at the top has to go!

After that, I took a couple of Imodium and a bath and went with my wife to visit some friends of hers, drank some wine and ate a lot. Next meet should be better, 9 for 9 perhaps. Definitely a grand.