Day two kicked off at 10am, originally scheduled for an 8am start, under cloudless skies but with a cold breeze that cut straight through my bright pink shirt. Most athletes arrived by 9:15 and began warming up for the first event, the yoke. With the announcement that the women would compete after the men's heats, the women then warmed up again at around 10:15. The yoke was slightly lighter than originally planned, but my quad refused to participate in this event. The pick up was easy and felt a lot lighter than my practice runs, but I was unable to make it the length of the course. I did get some distance which at least added a few points to my total.
The second event of the day was the press medley. Four implements: the axle, the log, a circus dumbbell (an oversized dumbbell with a huge grip), and a keg had to go from ground to overhead one time each, in any order. During the warm-up, I picked up a keg and realized that it was loaded with sand instead of water, which makes the lift slightly more difficult. The axle was not an issue and the logs were the same ones I used in a previous contest, so I decided to save my strength with those. But, a huge mistake I made was not picking up the dumbbell. I have never worked with one of those and should have made a few attempts with the light ones.
I started my medley with the axle and immediately noticed that it was lighter than originally planned, so it was an easy lift. For my next attempt, my plan was to tackle the keg, but for some unknown reason my judge pointed to the dumbbell and said that I must go around. So after several failed attempts, I moved to the log which again he pointed to, and with one failed attempt, time expired before I even got my hands on the keg. I allowed myself to get so distracted by the judge's incorrect interpretation of the rules, that I did not stay focused on the task at hand. I ended with one completed lift, and the time I spent arguing with the judge cost me one if not two other lifts.
The final event of the day and the end of the competition was, of course, the atlas stones. Three stones of increasing weight were lined up fifteen feet from the bar, and all had to be carried to then loaded over the bar. A lot of competitors had issues with tacky because of the cold weather, and some even complained about dirt on the stones. Never the less, a lot of the women completed all three stones in less than thirty seconds. I loaded two stones rather quickly, then took the final 200lb stone 15ft, and in four attempts was not able to get enough leg drive to get it over the bar. Game, set, and match. America's Strongest Woman 2013 was in the books.
The evening was filled with athletes throwing back drinks and shots at Smitty's while waiting for the announcement of the final standings. The host bar/grill also provided a buffet full of fajitas. The top three in each weight class received plaques and prizes, pro-cards were handed out, as well as medals for those that qualified for the Arnold.
My first time participating in America's Strongest Woman will not be my last. I had a great time, got a better grasp on what it will take to be a top level competitor, and best of all got to meet some top notch athletes and catch up with others. AND I survived.
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