Things Learned.

I got a bit of an education this weekend. First off, I don't think I'll ever compete unequipped again. It just isn't how the game is played. Not to mention, it nearly killed me. My first squat, first lift of the day, I called a measley 405. I regularly do sets of 2 or 3 with this weight in the gym. Anyhow, I got down in the hole, my brain went for a swim with the dolphins or something, I leaned foreward, bowed my back, and nearly fell on my face. Then my brain returns to me and tells me that if I miss this weight, I'm going to bomb out of the entire meet. So now that my arse is in the air and my shoulders are on the ground I have to do a good morning with 400+ to stay in the meet. I pulled it off, but I think a couple of guys in the audience puked and little girl was crying in terror. Needless to say, I passed on my next two squat attempts. It's pretty bad when you're walking back past the other lifters and they're all saying, "Hey, nice save!", instead of the typicall "Good Lift".

Second, I've got to start focusing on my form. I know I'm stronger than some of the little guys that kicked my butt. In my day to day training I forget how technical the sport of powerlifting is. This is a huge mistake. If I'm going to compete to win, then I need to train to win. Hopefully this meet was just what I needed to get my mind focused back on the competition and not just "working out". I never got into this sport because I wanted six pack abs or bulging calves. It's what I love doing and I want to be the absolute best that I can be at it.