We Did A Thing

Evening all! Megan here. As promised, some quick reflections on today's competition.

There was a moment halfway through my flight (the group in which one lifts in a powerlifting competition), where I was chatting to another lifter and she said, "I reckon if you make a lift on the platform, you should be proud.

To which I said, "If you get on the platform, you should be proud. Not a lot of people even do that."

Carl and I did awesome. Carl lifted a total of 435, and I got 80kg in my squat and 120kg in my deadlift. Unfortunately, I failed all three of my bench attempts, thanks to a combination of failing to listen to the calls (who would have picked me, not listening?!) and then being a little overconfident.

But, my God, I learned a lot. A non-exhaustive list:

• What you can lift in the gym has no bearing on what you can lift in a competition - or not that much. We both failed lifts we would get on an easy day, and some of our heavier lifts went way more easy than we thought. The calls, the atmosphere, the equipment - every vibe was different.
• Maintaining energy and focus over a whole day, eating and resting and supporting each other was hard. We handled each other - helping to rack weights when we warmed up, deciding on the attempts, generally being a huge hype person - and that was more taxing than we expected.
• Lifting in front of a crowd was really weird. But in the opposite way I expected. I did not even notice they were there. In one of my bench attempts, the crowd was apparently roaring. I did not hear a thing. I have lifted alone for so long, that having to work around other people was foreign.

• On that note - listen to the judges. I was so zoned in that I just completely forgot to listen for the calls.
• I was so very in my head about depth - getting that first squat out was amazing, because it gave me something to work from.
• I have never cheered harder for people I don't know to do something. The room was so supportive, kind, and friendly. There was so many good bants to be had.

In Saturday's newsletter, we asked "will we want to do this again?" I had decided by my second squat attempt that I would be back. Aside from anything else, I need to prove my bench wrong.

From me (Megan), a shoutout to Carl for being unbelievably supportive on this very silly journey, the boyfriend and the bestie for catering, support, and Instagram fodder. And Mel for taking pics and being a supportive legend.

The organisers, volunteers, and supporters did a fantastic job. We're blown away by how cool that was.

Carl here, tired, wired and inspired. Firstly, wow, we did a thing, the first physically competitive thing where I've been well outside of my comfort zone in many years. It was not like I expected it to be, and I was not like I expected to be, but that was expected! It was well run, the community was great, and there was a diverse range of competitors.

Megan was awesome - as her handler (the person to prep and support her), I could not believe how relaxed she was (or at least seemed), self-competitive and also adaptive. I did, however, have the opportunity to learn from her mistakes (kinda!), specifically attempt selection (go conservative to start!). On that note, here are my lessons:

Have a go - it's uncomfortable, but so rewarding, and the more uncomfortable there are more potential lessons.

• Get support - the crew are essential, in the gym, on the day and even the messages from afar!
• It is an endurance event - A full day on your feet, it's physically and mentally taxing.
• Find your zone of optimal function - I was too relaxed at first, but found my mojo halfway through! Don't be over hyped, and don't be too relaxed. This may come down to fuelling and energy management. Next time, I will have an actual meal prepared for halftime, not just snacks and coffee. I will also manage the 'handler‘ role better as being on my feet for hours took its toll.
• Avoid people - Well, not really, but I got the flu 2 weeks out, and it floored me, messed with my prep, and made me doubt my plan. However, this is life!

• On that note, life happens, you will get physical niggles, you will have stress, you may get sick- accept that these barriers are opportunities for growth and give you trust that consistency and support will carry you through. Adapt, move on.
• Technically - Train like you have the toughest judges, understand the rules, train your deepest squat, train with longer pauses in your bench press, and know the calls inside out!

We will reflect heaps more in the weeks to come, but for now, we have a well-deserved steak and wine to consume. Thanks for coming along on this journey - there's another comp in November. So, who's joining us?