Just have to start off by saying AWESOME MEET, THANK YOU BILL!!!!
As soon as I got off work on Friday I drove home, loaded up the car, and took off for weigh in. Did NOT like the drive there. It was really windy, mixed snow/ice at times, and snow drifting over the roads in spots making it feel like you were driving over mist. My hands were gripped to the steering wheel like I was about to try and pull a world record. I kept forcing myself to remove one hand at a time thinking I better not waste my grip the night before!!
Got to the weigh-in in time which I don’t like having to worry about that the morning of the meet. I think I weighed in at 96kg which puts me in at 211.6lbs. Right were I wanted to be which was above 200 and below 220. 
Then went over the monolift to get my pin height. I just stood there looking at this monstrous thing I’ve never seen before. The guy asked, have you used one of these before? I just laughed and said NOPE! He suggested I just walk out my attempts. So, I did. I gave my openers which I already had planned out and tested, very easily too, two weeks ago. Except I can’t remember if I went 115 or 120 on the bench to start with. I think I ended up going with 115 to really play it safe and build up some confidence there.
Squat:
1st: 190kg —– 418.7lbs
Bench:
1st: 115 —– 253.5
or 120 —– 264.5
DL:
1st: 190 —– 418.7
After weigh-in went to the hotel to check in and unload the car. From there went driving out and getting lost in Dubuque looking for someplace to eat. Ended up at a Olive Garden and Ordered a big plate of Stomach Ache and a side of Diarrhea. Which lasted that night and into the meet. I lost count of how many times I went to the bathroom. Ended up getting some Pepto and drinking about the entire bottle. Didn’t get much sleep because of that and the Hotel’s heat wasn’t working right so it was down right freezing and to top it off there was no hotwater in the morning when I really wanted and really needed a shower. So, took a really cold shower in a really cold room. I could have entered into the women’s division after that experience….
I was to excited for the meet though to worry about any of that. I just really wanted to get under that bar as I took the last week and a half off. Every night I think about one of the lifts and visualize it keeping me up much later then I should. I felt completely energized as I walked into the room where the meet was. I really shouldn’t say room as the place is HUGE!!! Nice big stage front and center. Rows upon rows of chairs sitting in front where everyone can see what is going on. GREAT set up!! Concession stands were open and a nice booth area selling stuff as soon as you walked in. Very professional atmosphere. GNL productions were all setup so they can take pictures and video of the entire meet, which all the lifters get a video of the entire meet!!! Can’t wait to get that! I was expecting things to run a little behind but everything was like clock work there. Lifters meeting right at 8:15 on the nose, start time 9am everything was go, and breaks between lifts started right back up as the time was stated.
It was still a pretty long day from 9am to somewhere around 6-7pm I believe. But there were a LOT of lifters and lots of flights. Especially for the bench which had 5 flights. Everything else had 2 flights. A few of the competitors in the last two flights of bench were starting to get a little antsy. I was in the very last flight but used it to digest as best as possible some food and rest between the squats and the bench which I think helped a ton.
The squats went great but I kind of felt like puking after each one. I was really worried I was going to puke during one of the squats. I got all three attempts but went a little lighter on the third attempt from what I was planning on. Not by much and I really could have went a lot heavier I think. I got my opener easy at 419lbs. So, I called for the 441 pretty confidently. I new I could get it this time as the last meet I got anxious and went up to early so I got called on depth. This time though, EASY down and up! Stomach was a little squeamish so I asked for 452 for my third attempt instead of 457. Should have asked for at least 463 in hind site. The 452 felt really easy and it could have just as easily been 441 again. I left a lot behind on the squat.
Squat:
1st: 419
2nd: 441 PR!
3rd: 452 PR!! left a lot for next time….
After drinking some more Pepto and taking some bathroom breaks I got to watch the Benchers do there thing! Three flights of Bench only went through. The bench that stuck out the most for me was watching Richie Briggs. WOW!!! He missed his first attempt as he lost it over his face but he came back with a vengeance and set another Junior World Record. Which putting Junior in front of that just doesn’t seem right as it was 835lbs if I remember right. Could have been 825 something. Either way, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Nothing Junior about that. Tremendous control and strength. Unfortunately Rob didn’t have a great day but I know he WILL come back to smash his records once again. Not sure what was going on and will leave it to him to say something about it or not. He was all over the place helping out Team Carpenter lifters all day too. That is a great team that sticks together.
After the 4th flight started I started to get warmed up with the bench. Rotated in with some guys. Helped strip and change weights. It was great to get moving again. I needed someone to lift off and Jeremy Frey offered to ask his Brother to help hand off to me, who was also handling him. That was a HUGE help and really appreciated that. I feel really bad but I can’t remember his brothers name. He was a super nice and gave me the best hand off’s I’ve ever had. He also gave me a big push in motivation. I hit my opener with tremendous ease!! 254 felt like it may as well have been just the bar.
Then I asked for 265. Thinking that it will be a meet PR, push my total higher, and boost my confidence some more. SMOKED IT!! Felt just like 254 did. I was told it looked way to easy and what I would go for next. I was going to go for 275 because I missed 270 in my last meet and just wanted to be able to get that but said screw it!!!!! No more pansy ass playing it safe boosting your confidence BS!!!!! Walked over the score keepers and called for my big milestone…. 303!!! I’ve been wanted to hit 300 since I started a little over a year ago. Every time I’ve come close to trying to get it I’ve gotten pinned!!! I put it in my hands and started to lower it. All I kept thinking was KEEP THOSE LATS TIGHT!!!!! I was flexing my lats and griping that bar as hard as I possible could. I got the press command and I pressed and squeezed even hard!!!! I don’t know if I stalled at all or not but I felt like it was going to happened. I helled out COME ON!!!!! I got the lock out and the rack command!!!! MILESTONE 300 COMPLETED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After that though my back really really cramped up trying to squeeze so hard. I ran into Scott Nutter a few times through out the day and he told me at the end that he was really happy that I finally made that big jump for my final attempt. That felt really good when he congratulated me, Thank you Scott! I got quite a few congratulations through out the day from a lot of different lifters. It was awesome to be around a large group of great guys!
BENCH
1st: 254
2nd: 265 PR
3rd: 303 PR!!
Once the bench was over I was so ready to pull my ass off. The pull was what I was the most worried about going into the meet. I didn’t feel that confident in it and didn’t really focus to much on it this last training cycle like I did my squat. I was warming up and 315 felt pretty heavy. I worked up to a single at 405. Still felt heavy…. I was worried. I took a seat and just focused. I got up to the platform and ripped 419 up. Felt okay. Felt much better than it did two weeks ago when I tested it out. So, I asked for 441 as planned. I really nervous about this one. I hit 441 in my last meet with ease and it was a big PR for me back then. So, it should still be really easy. But still, for some reason (MENTAL) everything in my hands has felt heavy then on top of this my back still was pretty sore from bench. So, I sat my butt back down and told myself that I was a little pansy for thinking like this. FOCUS!!! No worries, 441 went up just as easy!!! This time I said screw it. I was planning on calling for 457 but after running into Jeremy’s brother again and getting a little motivation I asked for 463. I didn’t think about anything this time. I sat down and didn’t think about a damn thing. I got up to the bar and just focused on getting a firm grip then just focused on the wall. Next thing I know I’m locked out. I was just standing there with 463 in my hands for the first time and LOVED IT!!! I have no idea when or if the head judge gave me the down command but just held that bar and smashed it down to the platform to let it know that I OWN IT!!! Now, let me come back to Jeremy really quick. LOVE HIS DEADLIFT!!! He is a very intense and focused lifter. Forearms like Popeye and super strong! I can’t remember how much he was pulling be he would just grab that bar and sit back like he was a machine!!!
DL:
1st: 419
2nd: 441
3rd: 463 PR!!
9 for 9 on the day!!
TOTAL: 1218 PR!!!!!!!
Can’t wait for the next one!!!
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