The Ups and Downs of Comp Day!

When it comes to competing, you need to be prepared for highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

No matter the type of competition, be it a running event, strongman or powerlifting comp or even a fight, it’s all a crazy rollercoaster.

Ballarat’s Strongest Man and Woman comp Day!

The day was long, it was gruelling and by the end, you felt exhausted mentally and physically.

But, there was this sense of achievement, something that regardless of where I placed I couldn’t shake. I had just completed one of the most difficult and arduous days in my life, I made my body push past its barriers and doing something it has never done before.

And that is absolutely an amazing feeling!

But that’s not how it started.

I went out with a plan and from the first event, it went to crap.

I got red flagged on my second attempt of my bench at 107.5kg (That means an incomplete lift). It was a weight that I had not hit leading up to comp day, but I thought I could do it, because I had hit before quite a few times.

I was not super confident with the bench and that all came down to my prep leading up to the event.

I concluded the bench event on a high, hitting the 107.5kg and getting three white flags, which gave me some confidence leading into the deadlift event. I was really here for the Deadlift event anyhow…

I decided to compete because I wanted that 200kg deadlift.

I wanted it so bad, it was a weight that I wanted to lift off the floor for years. It was scary and felt so far away, and yet it was so close to reach.

I knew that the fear and self doubt that had crept into my mind would be the thing that prevented me from hitting my goal, so I had to push it aside. I pumped myself up, built my confidence back up and got on that platform.

My first attempt I opened with 185kg and it felt good.

So I decided to get the PB. So I set the weight and I jumped to 197.5kg for my second attempt.

I knew this was an audacious jump, and because I had changed my original plan (was going to be 195kg), a little doubt started creeping it’s way in, “You have never hit this weight before…” So again, I pushed it aside, took control of my thoughts and I took a deep breath in, used some of my nervous energy, visualised myself lifting the weight and I stepped up on the platform brimming with confidence.

This was my process, I needed to see it, feel it, believe it. And because in my minds eye, I had already lifted the weight I knew I couldn’t fail.

I hit the 197.5kg for a lifetime PB and then repeated the process and when I went for the 202.5kg, It lifted right off the ground like I had done it 10 times before!!

Yelling out in celebration at the top of the lift, hearing the down call and getting three white flags gave me the feeling like I could do anything.

The moment was a short-lived as achieving all goals are, there was still the rest of the comp now.

I was able to get a 110kg clean and jerk, and then missed the 115.

I was able to Yoke carry 290kg (3.25 x body weight) 8 metres.

But it was supposed to be 15m to complete the lift.

I dropped it 3 times in that 8m and it was absolutely soul crushing (physically and metaphorically speaking).

And the only reason I missed it was because I hadn’t chalked up my shoulders and it kept slipping.

So the 15m alluded me, however I felt great, because I got a PB Yoke carry at 8 metres.

My emotions went up and down like a yoyo all day.

I hear people talk about self doubt and fear so much when it comes to comps and for some reason we all seem to believe that we’re the only ones that feel or think that way.

Here’s a bit of insight.

If you think you are the only one that doubts themselves, you are completely wrong, every single person I know does.

The difference between the people that seem to have all of the confidence is what they do after they feel the doubt sweep through. It’s the process that they take when the whispering voice inside their head says it isn’t possible.

So create a process to beat your fear and doubt, because that’s all anyone else does. That’s the only difference between you and them.

You see, every comp you are in, there will be ups, there will be disappointments, and mistakes.

And then there will be times where you feel like you can do anything,

That is the feeling you chase.

Overall, I came third from three, it was a comp that I came in knowing that I would come last, however I was super close to second the whole day, surprising myself. I was always pipped at the end of every event by the smallest margin, which is better than I could ask for.

It was a great learning experience from my point of view, seeing some of Australia’s strongest compete and see how they go about it and also being able to take a lot back into my own training.

So a lot of positives taken out of the comp, some weaknesses I need to work on of course, overall though it was a great day and I really enjoyed the experience!

The lesson that I and hopefully you take from all of this.

Don’t ever let a mistake, a missed lift, a last place finish ever take away from the amazing things that you can do. Train hard, prep well and have a process to beat that self-doubt. If you do that, no matter how much fear and doubt creep into your mind, you’ll be able to defeat it.

By Joel Perryman,

written about the Ballarat’s Strongest Man and Woman comp Day!