First Meet Write-up / The Good, Bad, & Ugly

[Medley44]

So, I finally sacked up and did a meet. I'm honored to have a real PL total, and to join the rest of you who went before me and helped pave the way. I read a handful of these "first meet" summaries before deciding to compete, so i'm just doing my due dilligance by trying to pay it forward to the next guy who might read this.

I competed in the 275's at a BW of 271. I got a 100% natty total of 1220 with a 415/350/455. The bench and deadlift were both 5# pr's, and a few guys said i had at least 40 more pounds in the tank after the 415 squat. I went 9/9 and smoked everything, which is good and bad. I built a ton of confidence, but also know that I could have done better. I have a starting point now and that's what matters the most to me. It doesn't matter to me (YET) how good my total is for my BW, age, hemisphere, or blood type. I'm just excited to get back in the gym and keep on getting stronger.

The Good:

My first meet is in the rear view mirror. No-one laughed at me, I met some really cool people, 99% of the crap i read online about "your first meet" on this site and others was absolutely true. This is not a complicated sport. I learned a TON, but also learned that there are guys weaker and more intimidated than me too. Every single person at my meet was at a different stage in training/strength/knowledge etc. which made for a well rounded and eclectic group of people. This was a small, non-sanctioned meet, and was a good size (almost too small) for a first meet.

The Bad:

The meet was 3 1/2 hours away from my hometown, which required that I get 2 hotel rooms, take a vacation day from work, and deal with a wife, 2 small kids, mom, and dog arrangements. (<<< this isn't the bad part-pretty normal for someone living in rural America actually). The meet director went M.I.A about 10 days before the meet...no phone answer, no voicemail, no email answer, no answer at the gym, no answer on social media. The meet was supposed to be on Sunday. With less than 24 hours before i could cancel the hotel reservations, we woke up at 4am and started the drive on Saturday, since the women were supposedly lifting Sat, and me and the rest of the men on Sunday. School just started so my daughter brought home an awful virus that caused the entire family to have a sinus infection/head cold/chest congestion. I was pissed and needed to get to the gym for the women's weigh ins so I could find out WTF was going on. We got to the gym around 8:00am and 2 crossfit people told me that the Sunday session was cancelled and that everyone was lifting Saturday (that day). So with 3 hours of good sleep (sinus infection), a 3 hour drive in a compact car (6ft. tall, 270 lbs) and stress levels through the roof, i was told that i had 2 hours until my first squat. We drove to a Subway, i ate a sandwich for breakfast, hocked up some phlegm, and i started warming up.

The Ugly:

Don't sign up for PL meets at Crossfit gyms. The gym was awesome, but the whole meet was basically held in the corner for the dumb Lenny's of the barbell club. Be careful when the meet director is a firefighter who gets called to a fire in California and doesn't think to notify the dozens of people who plan to compete at his meet before going off the grid with absolutely no back up plan.

Summary:

PL is amazing and i'm hooked. Get your hands on a texas deadlift bar, it was life changing and i'm sure i can pull 500 in the near future with one. Peaking and prep work is great, and you need to know how to do it properly, but you also might want to be ready to lift with 2 hours notice. It happens unfortunately. Nose tork / inhale are legit, and really helped.

Go compete, it's not going to kill you no matter how whack the situation is.

[ArmyWollfff]

thanks for sharing your experiences, I appreciate the insight.

[Hammerhagen]

Good job on your first meet. Sounds like it didn't go exactly as planned but you smoked your lifts and put up a great total! Congrats to you. I've signed up for my first meet in October, excited and nervous to get on the platform

[sperez21]

good stuff brother!!!

I went 8/9 on the day, 455/280/530. That's a big ass bench man. My first meet went super smooth and I'm itching to compete again.

[Medley44]

Thanks guys. @sperez21, I'm glad to hear your meet went well too! My next one is on Dec. 3rd.