Hannah’s Meet Report

Let’s get this over with…

Hand: day-of-the-meet.

I didn’t pull 500 pounds. Not only did I not pull it, I also dropped 485 pounds and missed it again on my third attempt. I ripped my hands open in several places and was bleeding so badly, I was almost forced to pass on my third attempt.

During warm-ups, I felt incredible. I was definitely out of my element, since we had live introductions and interviews to do before warm-ups, which were limited to “around 20-25 minutes.” If there was one major thing I could change about the meet, it would be more warm-up time. Nevertheless, my speed was there, and my leg drive and hip thrust were on point. I warmed up raw to 315 pounds and put my suit on for 405 pounds, which was super light. I actually looked at Matt and said “I am going to crush 500 today.” I know, I know, just call me General Custer…

It was here that I was told that I had less than five minutes before I went live on the u-stream, and I had been joking and horsing around thinking I had plenty of time left. I took 455 pounds without getting focused or even strapping up, which was incredibly stupid. It looked so bad and felt so heavy that I looked at Matt and immediately saw my terror mirrored in his eyes. I also noticed that I was having trouble getting a good grip on the bar, which I’ll discuss in my notes below.

It was at that point that I knew 500 pounds wasn’t going to happen today – no way.

Anyone who has ever had a bad meet knows that feeling. Let me tell you, if I had thought for one second that I could walk out in the parking lot and catch a bus ride home, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. To have trained so hard, to have looked forward to this night with such anticipation, and to feel inside like you’re letting down the people who support you, well…(face crinkles up, makes “wah-wah” motion with fists in eyes) that kind of overwhelming disappointment cannot even be aptly put into words.

I opened with 457 pounds, which was my last warm-up, but we decided to take it again due to my rapidly deteriorating hand and confidence…and smoked it. The problem was that my hand was broken open in about four places and already bleeding, so 485 pounds made it to my knees and came loose. I’ve never have I dropped a deadlift. I mean, NEVER have I dropped a deadlift. Again, I’ll expand on that in a minute. I totally turned inward on myself during my third attempt, and with blood pouring from my hand I really didn’t even give it 1/3 of a half of a real effort. For minutes on end after my third attempt, I was filled with boiling resentment and anger at myself for what had become glaringly obvious training mistakes. Not obvious while I was making them, but crystal clear now for sure.

Notes Taken For Future Success:

It's The Resurrection Of The Weigh-In Abs!

*I need to stay at my lighter training weight
I let myself get about five pounds too heavy during this training cycle. That cost me precious effort and time in making weight. Six pounds is no problem to rehydrate and recover, but ten is too much for me to do. I should have kept a tighter rein on my weight farther out to ensure I wouldn’t have such a rough time. Next Time.

*I will never again take time off before a meet
Every meet, I’ve taken my opener exactly one week before the meet and stayed in the gym, taking only the last few days before the meet off. That always worked for me. This time, I thought it would make sense to take a deload week, and then the week of the meet off. THAT is why my hands are bleeding. I lost my calluses from not having my hands on a bar for almost 16 days. For my deload, I chose front squats, which also requires no grip. I thought that would help soothe my wrist, but in retrospect it was my undoing – literally. I wash my hands constantly with pumice stones since I get dirty a lot with my job. This caused my hands to go baby-soft from the combo of exfoliation and not lifting. My skin was half-gone in the warm-up room, and I remember thinking why are my hands burning already when the weight isn’t heavy yet? Calluses are not attractive, but they certainly serve an important purpose when you’re trying to hold onto heavy weight. Next Time.

I took second place to Jennifer O’Neil by six pounds. That’s an awful, and yet strangely comforting feeling. None of us women had a good day. Rheta West bombed out due to balance issues, Rhonda Clark missed two of her attempts, I missed two of mine, and Jennifer missed two of hers. It was a really disappointing day for all of us.

Allison McWeeny out-shined everyone there with her awesome and inspirational performance. After seeing her take a successful fourth attempt, it was really hard for me to stay down on myself. How could I be, when I have two legs? Really? This girl had her whole life ahead of her, beautiful and whole, and lost her leg when she got run over by the propeller of a boat, and she’s deadlifting? It kind of makes me feel like a horse’s patoot for being disappointed when I have nothing holding me back from pulling 500 pounds next time. Next Time.

This meet was such a big production and so unlike anything I was used to. I had the pleasure of speaking with the amazing and legendary Tom Eiseman, who is even more entertaining and witty in person. There were so many great people running the meet and behind-the-scenes that it’s hard to name them all, but I’ll give it a shot.

First off, we have the man who orchestrated it all, the tireless and charismatic Alex Campbell. He and his wife (who by all accounts should be a professional hairdresser, really) worked round-the-clock these past few days to ensure that the meet ran smoothly and that everyone had a great time.

Now, we have the often under-appreciated spotters and loaders, who were incredible, especially considering the amount of weight that bar was holding tonight.

Of course we have our judges, who did an excellent job and were very supportive of our lifters. It’s always SO cool to have judges cheer on the lifters. SO, so cool. Talk about an electric atmosphere tonight!

It would never be a meet without the audience. This was an awesome crowd, and I have to say that even when I didn’t do what I came to do, they still hollered for me just as if I had. What a good feeling it is when people refuse to let you feel like you failed and applaud your effort.

My fellow female lifters were amazing. I loved talking to Rheta West, especially about her tattoos. She’s very down-to-earth, and also super smart. I’m plus-one new friend…

Rhonda Clark was very pleasant and also incredibly tough, having served our country in Iraq and re-enlisting even when she qualified for retirement. That’s plus-two new friends…

Allison McWeeny was not only beautiful, but incredibly humble and gracious as well. What an inspiration! I’m up to plus-three new friends.

Matt and I had the BEST time with Jennifer O’Neil and her man. She recently moved from Ireland to America to be with him. Not only is she an amazing lifter, but very supportive and a team player as well. That’s four new strong female friends I’ve made in one evening. It doesn’t get much better than that.

I see it like this: it’s one thing to be competing against these women. What I loved about tonight was the feeling of competing along with them. That, to me, is the camaraderie that powerlifting embodies. Supporting, motivating and encouraging one another to “Pull! DO IT! Let’s go, now!” All of us left weight on the platform and all of us missed attempts. All of us hugged one another after the meet and assured each other that we will meet again.

Is there anything better than the feeling of universal acceptance, whether you do well or not? There’s a difference in trying something stupid that you know you won’t be able to achieve, and going for and missing something that you know in your heart that you’re capable of. Yeah, it sucks big time, but it wouldn’t be so rewarding to catch a unicorn if the darn things weren’t so wily, right? Chad said that on our sad, quiet ride back to the hotel. I had already warned Matt and Chad that the tears were probably going to start once I got by myself, so Matt tried very hard to circumvent that by whipping us into the Cook Out drive through. I’m proud to say that after a few hours of self-reflection, a grilled chicken club style sandwich and an Oreo milkshake, that I didn’t feel much like crying anymore.

At The End Of The Day…

• I didn’t get hurt.
• I didn’t bomb out.
• I pulled a seven-pound meet PR for second place.
• I will live to rope my unicorn another day.

Several times yesterday and today, Matt and I got to spend a few moments with “The Man” Andy Bolton. I have to say that to-date, I’ve never met anyone so great and still so honest, humble and gracious. He was telling Matt and I about how he competed last week and pulled over 900 pounds, then caught a virus and lost nearly 35 pounds, then flew eleven hours to be here and compete again. He actually said people back at his home town were begging him to pull out of this meet because he was so sick, and he told them “I can’t; I’ve committed myself, it’s my challenge and I can’t let them down. I can’t do it,” which sounded something like, “I kaahn’t duu eht.” Matt and I were saying how we could listen to Andy talk all day and never get tired of it.

What my hand looked like the next day.

Hearing Andy so committed to the meet and refusing to let us all down made me realize something important about sportsmanship. Winning or losing should not make you less humble, gracious or grateful to those who support you. Yeah, it’s definitely easier to be grateful and happy and thank everyone when you’ve had a great day and not-so-much when you feel like you could just crawl in a hole and cry until you’re a slobbery blubbering mascara’d mess. But, like him, I did it anyway. These people are the ones who make the sport what it is, and to have their unwavering support, love and approval is something even money can’t buy. I feel like I’ve won respect in this sport, that I’m taken seriously and I have very real potential to pull 500 pounds. To hear from so many today that they follow my log, that I inspire them to lift heavy, that they came to see me…to know that I have made friends in this sport that will last a lifetime. That makes it all worth it.

To Dave Tate and my fellow teammates here on elitefts™, to Biotest and their awesome staff, to my family…Thank You. To the love of my life, My Everything Matt…Thank You. To my best friend and traveling supporter Chad…Thank You. To my readers here on elitefts™, who have written, called and text today nonstop…Thank You.

Check my log for some more later, but right now it’s past 1AM and I’m beat. Leaving the meet venue, Matt, who carried my bag everywhere, said I could carry it to the car because, “You haven’t picked anything else up today.” Har, har, har….

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