BDA Coaching Blog

How do we deal with Bad Meets?

Chances are, you've seen my performance from USAPL's Pro Series Finals a couple of weeks ago. For me, this was a bad meet. Not quite as bad as it could've been, but pretty close. I had some ambitious, although not out of reach, goals leading into this meet. I fell short. Nothing special about why, and I don't have many excuses as I coach myself, made my game day plan, and am the athlete that actually did the performance. It's all on me. How do I feel about it, and how will it affect my decisions moving forward though?

Mid Meet Emotions.

Let's talk about the mid meet emotion first. After squats, I knew the goals I had, all 3 tiers of the goals I had made, were gone. I needed to focus on just finishing the meet. In all honesty, I was not prepared for just how loud and how many flashing lights there would be. I should have gone to the venue the day before to make sure I would be exposed to everything prior, and that was a mistake looking back. I will most likely volunteer to judge the day or two prior to competing at all high level meets (mainly the Arnold and Nationals) moving forward to help with this.

After going back into the warm up room after squats, I was definitely defeated already. I was trying to keep myself in the mental aspect of the game, but squats were the one lift I was most confident in and they weren't there on the day. That being said, I knew I had to finish the meet. So, I did my best to shake it off and just keep trying to stay focused.

Going into bench and deadlift, I was just trying to not think much. Once deadlifts were over though and Mikey told me I finished 5th and what my total was, I was absolutely crushed. I wanted to put up something that would challenge the 69kg lifters of the world... and I just completely blew it. I had a really hard time staying composed for awards, and I know it was visible on my face. I was SO happy for everyone that placed, and Celine deserved the win. I was mostly upset that I blew it to the extent that I did. I had worked and obsessed over the plan just so much, and I wanted this to be THE meet that made me officially an international threat that it made it much more of a complete loss than just not winning the Pro Series. I was upset until I went to sleep that night prior to my flight home.

After the Meet.

On  my way to the airport, I immediately downloaded the Macro Factor app (I'm not sponsored or affiliated with Macro Factor) and set up the plan for Nationals nutrition-wise. I then started an application for a coach. Several hours of being sad was enough, it was officially time to get mad. I'm naturally just kind of an angry person. If you've known me since I was a teenager, you know that's 100% true. That means that when I have the opportunity to channel some anger into training, I become dangerously focused.

Knowing that and how I am able to channel anger into my work ethic, I have decided that this performance at the Arnold will be game changing for me. I've reached out to a coach, and I'm really hoping that they have room to take me on because I want it all. And I refuse to stop until earn it. I take pride in how far I've gotten myself, but I know when it's time to ask for help to get me to where I want to go. Whether that be internationally or to rematch Celine in the Pro Series next year. I'll wait to make any announcements until I know for certain what I'll be doing, but both are goals I have.

Decisions After a Bad Meet.

How you respond to failure will ultimately dictate how far you make it in this sport, and in life. Get mad. Channel that anger, and come back with a vengeance. I think controlled anger is a good thing to have when making decisions after failure. That being said, there are different ways you can express anger. You can be angry and just make poor decision after poor decision and thus repeat that same failure (uncontrolled anger), OR you can learn from the mistakes that lead to that previous failure and use your anger to relentlessly chase greatness and focus on anything and everything you can to not reexperience that same failure (controlled anger). Which is what I have chosen to do with my own anger at my Arnold performance.

Granted I did do A Rising Tide just 8 days after the Arnold, but that was a decision I had made well before signing up for the Arnold. I lucked out that it went well, but that was not the meet for my redemption. That was what I had left in me after a poor peak and a bad meet. That was not me at my best although it showed what I'm capable of when angry despite a poor peak and a bad meet. But I'll do everything I can moving forward to bring my best to Raw Nationals this September.

Controlled anger versus uncontrolled anger is important to note. Uncontrolled anger, in my own experience, is not sustainable and is the type that leads to burnout. Controlled anger is the anger you have that you channel at the gym every time you're there. You're being precise because you know that patience, attention to detail, and composure now will allow you to unleash everything you've got later on. It definitely requires some discipline, and it begs the question "How bad do you want it?" Do you just want to go all out and sporadically overreach before it's time, or are you willing to take that step back and trust in change for a better chance at the big win?