Occupy Strength

Prepped and ready to go! Super excited for the competition today! Got to CF Atlas a little early and hung out a bit with friends from CF Freedom and Carbon that were competing as well. My diet got a bit out of hand the last two weeks so I had to really dial it in this week to make sure I made weight for the middle weight (187-220) class. Very happy I made it with 4lbs to spare. I have a bad track record of not staying fueled and getting dehydrated at competitions(WCCF Oly meet & LifeAsRx tour) like these so I planned a little better this time and it definitely paid off. I felt super strong all day.

WOD 1
CF Football Total
Power Clean 1RM = 139k(305#) PR!!!
- This was my best attempt ladder of the day. I started at 280ish, then 292ish, and finished at 305! My cleans continue to get easier and easier. Going in I thought 285-290 was about as high as I could go at power. A few weeks ago I just got 305 for a full clean. I did not think it was at all possible for a power coming into today. My second attempt came up way too easy and I had to go for it. I came in with the attitude that this was going to be a PR day so why not. I wish I had another attempt because that came up way too easy, but this gets me excited for the future to see what I have in the tank at my next Oly meet, whenever that is.

Power Clean 139k

Back Squat 1RM = 455# PR!!!

 - This is the one I wanted more than anything. When we maxed out at Prevail a few weeks ago I thought I had more in the tank, but didn't want to stress my back too much. My back is healthier than it's ever been and I wanted to push it today, especially on this one. The warm up area was a circus so I jumped in kinda conservative despite wanting to push it. First attempt was 415 I believe, second attempt was 435(?). During the second attempt, there was a split second coming off the rack I let "man this feels heavy" slip into my head. I took a second to get rid it of before I descended and I was good. At this point I knew I felt good for more, so I made the jump to 455#. Heading under the bar, my thought was to get the feet set a little faster this time so the bar didn't have time to get in my head. Once I was under, I kept the lightweight running through my head. Coming up, it was about fighting to keep the knees out. Another PR and a yearly goal met...I'll take it!!

Back Squat 455#

Bench Press 1RM = 340#

- At this point in the day I was pretty mentally drained and so were my hips. My left hip was starting to tighten up pretty good so I was very happy to be able to give the legs a break at this point. My focus was very low at this point and I was finding it hard to get fired up for this one, especially since I believe the bench is nothing more than a "bragging rights" lift and haven't cared for it since I stopped playing football years ago. This would be the 3rd time I've benched in about 5 years. I got 365(the first time in five years) back in October when Prevail opened messing around with Bruketta. I opened with 315, second attempt was 340, and here was my slip up...kinda. I knew I had 360-365, but I came to PR and that meant on everything...so I asked for 370. My only missed attempt of the day and I missed it by about 4 inches of lock out. I would find out later in the day, that would cost me 1st place on the day. 

Deadlift 1RM = 500# PR!!!

- I can't even put into words how excited and happy about this PR!! The way my back has been this year I was hoping to hit this by Octoberish. I did not think I had this in me today at all. My hip was still tight. It had been about 2 hours since I had to use my legs last so they felt a little fresh. The warm up area again was a mess. I was jumping on bars left and right to see how heavy everything felt. I got up to 440 warming up and really thought that was about all I had in me. First attempt was 420ish(?), second was 445....oddly it went up way too easy...much different than it did in the warm up area. 

**Before I hit the platform for deadlift I knew I was in the lead in my weight class, but only by 10#s. I talked to the guy in second, who is NOT a crossfitter. He is a pure powerlifter. He said he was going for somewhere around 525+. 

My third attempt came up and I was troubled. I knew my competition had a big lift coming and my lead was slim. I thought about going for 470ish, but I thought that was kind of sissyish since it was only 20#s over my Back Squat at this point. I figured if I'm going down, I'm going down guns blazing. Papa Roach came on over the speakers...screw it..give me FIVE HUNDO!! Unfortunately, I had no one to video this one for me because I would have loved to seen it. I haven't DL'd this much since high school and that was on a trap bar, probably with straps. I remember pulling and actually feeling the bar break free from the ground and saying to myself "holy crap..I'm moving it"....next thing I know it was above my knee and gaining speed...I locked that sucker out on top and screamed...I was frickin' pumped!!! 

   

CF Football Total = 1600lbs (3 of 4 lifts were PRs!!)

WOD 2

Death By Ball Slams (35#)

Every :30, do 1 power clean @ 70% of 1RM(215#) + 1 ball slam

-- add a ball slam every round 

= 12 + 4

- I was very anxious going into this one. I was in the second to the last heat. I finished WOD 1 in second place so I know I had to finish well in this one to have a chance at first place overall. The cleans were easy. I was fine til my last round of ball slams. I somehow jammed my finger into the ball and got a no rep, followed by another no rep because I missed the catch. Gave a big "F@#K" and finished with 4 before time expired. The powerlifter in front me dropped out at 9 and some change. The guy in third dropped out around 10-11ish. 

Here is the only negative thing about the entire day...

They announce the places of the day and I find out that there was no WOD 1 & WOD 2, but actually 2 separate competitions entirely. The CFF total had separate winners and the metcon had separate winners. I was very disappointed to find this out because of two reasons...A) this was sold as a CF competition, not a powerlifting meet (or I completely misunderstood what I was getting myself into). I figured there would be some "specific" guys coming, but that the metcon would even things out. B) part of the CF mantra, as I understand it, is that "specific" exercisers may be good in what they do, but suck in other things, but CFers can compete in all realms at high level. Advertising and running the competition the way they did really disappointed me to say the least. This really was no different than me going to an Olympic weightlifting meet and getting my teeth kicked in by guys who train nothing but that (but I still sign up for those too).

Not wanting to end on a bad note....the HIGHLIGHTS of the DAY....

1. Getting to watch so many great lifts and compete with so many great guys and girls! 
2. I PR'd on 3 out of 4 lifts....2 of those 3 were goals I didn't think I could meet til the later half of the year!
3. My back feels great!!! I woke up Sunday, expecting to be in a bit of pain...absolutely nothing!! Thanks Dr Sing for fixing me up!
4. I didn't think much of the metcon. I knew it was gonna be short and quick and I would be put out of my misery long before it just got unbearably painful and exhausting (that is the way of Death By) BUT...the look on the powerlifters face (who thought that the metcon mattered in overall placing just as much as I did) every time I walked by him was priceless! He looked and sounded miserable. I was anxious to answer the bell when it rang and perform well, I don't think he felt the same when it came to the metcon.
5. Regardless of place....I HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST ALL DAY!!! I will definitely be doing it again next year...I'll just be a little more educated on how it works...BUT know this...I'd still go for the 370 bench...it will still be about PRs all day baby!!