It’s a numbers game. For example;
2,490 miles of traveling, $1,064 in expenses, 133 days of training for 5
minutes to show what I got. I’ve now been to Shreveport Louisiana as many times
as I’ve kissed girls named Jennifer (2). Coming up on six years of competing so
while I’m still considered a youngster, I’ve been putting time on my body. As I’ve
mentioned earlier this year, I was treating this contest as my National’s
because I was coming back from yet another back injury and knew my chances of
making it out to Reno Nevada, let alone qualifying, were minute. Plan going in
was compete with high caliber competition and not get injured.
Last year, the drive was obscenely long. I really did look
into flying down this time but my return flight would have had me spending over
13hrs on lay-over in Dallas Texas so that was not an option. Just trying my
best to keep busy, listening to music, comedy CD’s and reading books (one I
finished out of spite) while in the car and then keeping track of bathroom graffiti
at the different state welcome centers on restroom breaks. On the food front, I
either horrified waitresses at sit-down joints by ordering a family worth of
food or caused a screeching halt in kitchen output at fast-food joints. During
the times I was unconscious, I was in the back, feeling like my father was
Reinfield, transporting Dracula across the ocean that is The South. There was
daylight when we arrived and the city didn’t look so bad. Larry Flint’s Hustler
House still there but it wasn’t offering “live, beautiful, classy ladies” this
time. I guess they couldn’t guarantee that this year.
I signed in and weighed in at 280.6lbs. Heaviest I’ve
weighed in at a contest. And 17.8lbs heavier than last year. I was asked to put
down some interesting fact about myself that no else would know so that the MC
could use it during the contest (he didn’t). I put down that I lifted a 505lbs
atlas stone in training and that I once escorted Chubby Checker at Hershey
Park. That story is for another time. The heavyweight class had 14 competitors
including myself, which is the largest I’ve been in at a pro/am. I didn’t
bother taking any photos this time around as the equipment wasn’t setup and it
had been done before. I think the realization that I was going to be competing
hit me at like 6:00AM the day of the show and I was having a hard time keeping
my breakfast down. I’m truly a bundle of nerves.
The first event was the yoke. That’s right; no pressing
event to start this off but the heaviest event of the day right off the bat. 900lbs
implement with a 60’ course and a 60 second time limit. Initially, this was
going to be one drop and done but the powers that be relented and unlimited drops
allowed. I was not confident in my yoking abilities going into this event. The
most I did in training had been 850lbs for 40’ and I ended up dropping it on
that short run. Granted the Biggdogg Strongg yoke is easier than my own yoke. Surprise,
surprise, we actually had time to warm-up on it! I did all the warm-ups I had
planned on hitting and I was feeling comfortable with it. I was the tallest
competitor so I was going last and since my yoke is not that good, I knew I’d
be going pretty early in the next event. Unlike last year, I didn’t forget my
good shoes or screw-up my yoke height. I did however, forget my gloves. I
started off slow and steady but never felt like I could pick up speed. If
anything I slowed down to deal with the sway (they couldn’t tighten the yoke)
and I ended up dropping it. Good thing they didn’t do the one drop thing or I
wouldn’t have finished the event. I dropped it a few times and ended up sliding
it, costing me a 2 second penalty on my time. I eventually made it across the
line at 38.82 seconds (including the slide penalty). Just like last year, I was
the slowest of the people to finish the course. But I finished and that put me
ahead of some people to give me a eleventh place finish.
Up next was the carry and deadlift
medley or “Dione’s Deadly Deadlift” (alliteration for the win). To start, it
was a 225lbs sandbag for 60’, 250lbs sandbag for 40’and a 275lbs sandbag for 20’
tossed into the bucket and then deadlift away until 60 seconds expired. Mixed
feelings about this one as I’m good with carrying odd stuff but stink a
deadlifting stuff. On the plus side, no straps or suits allowed on the
deadlift, so grip was going to be a factor for everybody. Now this event had
been tested out at the Amateur World Championship in February, with the winning
number being 20 reps on the deadlift. Yeah, they were having none of that this
time around. The time limit was shortened to 60 from 75 and another sandbag was
added (from two to three). With that change, I was worried I would bomb the
deadlift. No doubts I would get the sandbags for sure but the deadlift had me
worried. My goal was to get through the sandbags as fast as possible so that I
could take my time with the deadlift to psyche myself up properly. One of the
things I did was place my belt down at the deadlift bucket, rather than run
with it on for the sandbags. I remembered from last year with the keg carry and
wheelbarrow medley that I almost passed out running with it on. I didn’t want
to chance that. They announced that the weight in hand was 780lbs. The whistle
blew and I was off. I took time to get the sandbags high on my body so that I
could move as fast as I could without the implement impending my legs. Made it
through the sandbags easy and then took time to put on my belt, chalk up my
hands and shout at the deadlift apparatus before attempting the lift. It was
slow going but up it came. Down signal given and then again attacking it as I
was given the up signal command. Again, slow going but up it came. I tried to
build up the nerve for a third but time was up. Granted I only go two reps, it
was a little victory for me and it was a blast. Ended up with a tie for tenth
on this.
The third event was axle clean and press. Fixed bar with
tires filled with sand, loaded up to 310lbs with 60 seconds to get as many reps
as possible. I’ve been working hard on this lift all this time, hitting 305lbs
for five out of the rack and 310lbs for a double with a clean every rep just
the week before. But that was fresh, with a revolving bar, not after 900lbs of
yoke or lots of sprinting with sandbags. The fixed bar was definitely giving me
troubles in warm-ups as I kept pulling the bar too low and would hit my belt
buckle. But I got plenty of warm-up time to get used to it before going so I
was ready for it. Or so I thought. The whistle went and went for my first clean
and the axle spun out of my hand trying to pop it up to my chest. It won’t be
perfect, got to deal with things as they come. This happened in training last
week with 290lbs but I knew it wasn’t the end and went back at it. Took a bit
for the weight to settle on my chest but I was able to launch it up to lockout
for a rep. I still had plenty of time and went for another. Little more effort
for me to get it to the shoulders and it definitely took it out of me. I took
some deep breathes and went for it but my upper body just said no thanks. I
still had time but I knew my upper body was done and continuing to try for more
was just going to waste energy for the remaining events. This result tied me
for last place.
Next was the farmer’s walk. High pick implements loaded to
320lbs with a 60’ course and a 60 second time limit. No real doubts of not
finishing this event as I had done more in training with low pick handles for
quite a few sets. I was sure this would be a strong event for me as my grip is
strong. Granted I never trained on the Biggdogg Strongg handles before so they
were a little weird to me. Top loaded implements that were much like doing
oxygen tank cylinders as they bang against your sides. So not too sure how that
would affect things but like I said, we got plenty of time to test out the
stuff and got familiar real quick. I think my only concern on this event really
was tearing a callus with how much hand work had been done so far and with
another event to go. Whistle blew and I was off. My pickup was slow but I
started moving. I started to bang my thighs and I slowed down a little near the
end, crossing the line at 13.71 seconds. Similar to what I was hitting in
training but only good enough for twelfth.
The final event was the sandbag load and wheelbarrow
medley. Sandbags of 225lbs, 250lbs and 275lbs were spaced out about 20’ apart
along the course. Not like last year’s wheelbarrow medley where they were
carried like the deadlift medley from earlier but closer to what we did at the
Hartford pro/am in 2012. The competitors were advised that this was done
because the last year’s style built up too much momentum with the wheelbarrows
from the longer course, hence the stops. Load a sandbag in the wheelbarrow
(with 500lbs of plates at the handles) move the wheelbarrow to the next sandbag
and repeat until done. I was sure this would be a strong event for me as I’ve
placed fourth both times I’ve done a wheelbarrow medley event. I needed 4.5
points more than the guy I was going against to move up in the final rankings.
Last event of the day, got to make it count. The whistle went and we were off. We
started off pretty close but he was faster with getting back to the front of
the wheelbarrow. His speed definitely surpassed mine but I kept my pace,
loading the sandbags to the front. He was on the third sandbag when I got back
to the front of the wheelbarrow after loading the second one. He was then
moving before I got the third one in the bucket. However, my planning worked in
my favor as my competitor had loaded the bags in with speed but not with precision
as the weight in hands was too much for him and he dropped it. Spurred on, I
picked up speed and easily finished the course. I felt good with my time as it
was my best yet on this event by about a second and I had the lead. But
everyone else was also good and my time fell from the top. I actually ended up
with tenth on this event.
I stayed in the bottom third the whole contest and that is
where I ended up, twelfth out of fourteen in the heavyweights. I didn’t fail to
complete any event but that isn’t enough now. You got to crush each event.
Compared with the top, I’m not very fast, and it really shows on lateral
movements. Overhead is still a weakness but it doesn’t feel like I’m possibly
far behind. Looking over the videos, I can see spots where I could have picked
up points but that is in the past and I did my best.
For the show itself, I have to put
up some additional observations. I’ve been to three ASC/NAS pro-qualifier shows
and this was the smoothest run one I’ve been too. Even with the events going by
in about an hour each, we all still had plenty of time for warm-ups on every
event. Scores and competitor order were up quickly as well. The only bad thing
I can think of is that the convention center was nearly empty but that’s not
really something that ASC/NAS can control, that’s the promoters of the fitness
expo concern. The new MC took a while to get into a groove but he did at the end
and hopefully that enthusiasm continues in the following appearances. Can’t say
enough about the competitors this show as there were a lot of injuries that
happened during the show but there was no quit in any of them. No body pulled
of the show due to injury and that was just kind of crazy considering the
injuries that happened to some of the guys. I might make an appearance on tv
but I can’t go into any detail because I signed a nondisclosure waiver. My
favorite moment of the whole weekend had to be when my friend Jimmy Dart won
his LW pro card and his girlfriend came out of the audience to embrace him. It
was a cute, tender moment.
I was on pain medication 5 months
ago and now I’m back competing with top competition. Nothing broken, just tried
and in need of some time off. My plans are to work on my off season strength
(specifically deadlift and overhead) while working on getting better at
transitions between implements. Not too sure if I’ll be doing any more
competitions but we’ll see if the bug bites me again this year. I want the rest
of this year to be a building block for big things next year. Hopefully the big
shows will be closer.