PLE2 Experience recap

By now, you have probably already heard about how great the powerlifting experience 2 (PLE2) was last weekend. I had been so excited leading up to the event that I worked 6 straight 12 hour days to ensure I would have most of Saturday off to see my awesome teammate, friends and fantastic attendees. Also, since my PhD program started in June, and I’ve been all basic science(d) out. My inner coach has been itching, well screaming, to come out. Needless to say I had been counting down the days until this event since early May. I felt beyond lucky to be part of such an amazing event!

Friday (UGSS and Check Ins)
Well Friday was supposed to be a team training session, but academic life disagreed, and I got to the compound around 6:30ish. I was immediately greeted with numerous hugs from my training-sweat-soaked teamates. Additionally, an attendee, the very funny and strong Dani, embraced me with a huge hug and a funny one-liner about Facebook statuses.

After everyone was done training, we briefly met up with our groups. Mine was the Strong(er) group. The coaches consisted of JL, Rhodes and Vincent (aka Chenzo), Christine and Meana, Clint (kinda, since he was a floater), Christian (aka hair cut of the year), Mike S (aka world’s best knee wrapper) and Joe. We had a great group, who across the board just really wanted to fix their technique. It was great to hear that, since so often people don’t want to take the time to do the things they need to to get better; yet here was an entire group who wanted to do just that. To me, numbers are great, but intent is everything. After they shared with us their hopes for the weekend, JL jokingly scared them about a bit by telling them about the things to consider when joining a lifting crew (loading plates, not asking questions, doing what you say you will, etc). We then sent them on their way. I said a quick good bye to everyone and headed back to Columbus to get a bit of work done before the next day.

Saturday; PLE2
Like the crazy-pants I am, I woke up around 3 to hit my ME bench session and get some work done before arriving in London at 8ish. On the way there I passed JL, and his big lifted truck, on the freeway. Of course, the only reason I knew it was him was because he came bulldozing into my lane and attempted to Tokyo Drift side swipe me!! Needless to say, I arrived at the compound talking a ton of smack about how he needed to learn how to drive well. What can I say, I’m feisty.

We had decided the night before as coaches we would break the sessions down into three lead coaches per session
Squat: Me, Mike, Christine
Bench: Vinny, Rhodes, Meana
Deadlift: JL, Joe
Plate Loading Extraordinaire: Christian

For the squat, we started out by teaching everyone about types of warm ups (general and specific), the purpose of a warm up in training and on meet day, and then taking everyone through a warm up example. We then went over rules for the squat at a meet, what some of the common cues people would hear for the day actually were, and then got people squatting. We had potentially one of the most coach(able) groups a person could ask for. Everyone was really great at taking feedback and then fixing it on the next rep. Before I knew it, everyone was inching up in weight and blowing by their old PRs. What an amazing feeling to be around. It was essentially the high of a PR maximized x 12!

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After that, we moved on to bench, we Vinny took the stage and killed it in his element. Rhodes was busy giving the best hand offs any lifter could ever come across and as time flew by, the PR board again filled up almost as fast as Rhodes trap pump did.

As people grabbed lunch Vincent took off with me to quickly go on a powerbar market run for some deadly peanut butter (aka no way these things are good for you) bar run. I honestly can’t say enough good things about him. Not only is he a great coach and super smart, but he kinda has a very similar personality to myself, and I found his jokes to be beyond funny. We may or may not have come back to the compound to do voice overs to certain people’s conversations from afar. I would tell you about them, but I’m afraid they might be a tad NSFW. Unrelated, or slightly related, he and his wife have the coolest relationship of all time. She is pretty funny (he called her on speaker in the middle of the day), and they have that whole, "we are best friends but I’m still crazy attracted to each other after all these years," thing going on. I kinda think all relationships should aspire to that.   So Vincent, you sir are a boss.

After that we headed into deadlifts. JL, Joe and the group took the floor while I worked the expediter role. Given my organized, and sometimes** loud self, this is quite a natural thing for me. Lifts went fast, PRs were crushed, and it was an epic way to end the hands on portion.

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After there were great talks that went on from Dave, Vinny and Clint ( which you may have heard about).  Thus, I will then fill you in on another great talk that happened later in the day that has nearly nothing to do with powerlifting.

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At some point near the end of the day I had headed back into the office where Jordan and I were talking about relationships. Chuck, Swede, Sheena, and Alexander joined in on the conversation. This capitulated Chuck into giving us a lesson (with the white board) about expectations (under-promising and over-delivering v. over-promising and under-delivering).  There is nothing better then getting this lesson from the EFS purchasing director turned dating and relationship advice giving expert!   At some point, Swede and Alexander decided to further make the conversation a train wreck and went on to use this concept called “periodizing your affection.” The whole conversation had Sheena and I rolling on the floor the entire time. The cherry on top? Josh filmed the entire thing (unknown to all of us). I expect to see a, “so you think you can date,” video in the future.

The day wasn’t over then though, as afterwards we had a team dinner-plus. The biggest take away(s):

1. Harry Selkow is dangerous with a camera

2. Mickey is my new favorite person

3. I will always never see enough of Yessica

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4. Casey and Bob will always make fun of me and use me as the easy* target

5. I am beyond lucky to be apart of the best team ever.

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Till Next Time!

 

*as in “easy” to make fun of; only.