How often do you need to compete to keep your edge?

Alexa RnQ

Alexa RnQ

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When VQ first started wanting to go to comps, I was fine with once in a fairly great while. But over the last year, we've noticed that we lose a little something over a layoff, and that home practice doesn't quite hone the edge like a fo-real comp does.

We're not in an area that has a comp practically every other week, like some of you lucky farkers. I'm staring at an ENTIRE MONTH till our next scheduled comp, and starting to get the shakes.

If gas weren't such an issue, how often would you ideally like to compete?
 
Home Training...

Try this.... Pack up the vehicle like your going to a comp. Drive around for two to three hours. Then return home unpack everything in your back yard. Setup a tent and cook like a comp. This must be done either on the hottest day of the year, coldest rainy or snowy even a combination. You must not go into your house for any reason. If you need to use the restroom walk to the local quicky mart... Saturday morning wake up make coffee on open fire. No showers until its over. Create turnin boxes and give them to neighbors at 1200, 12:30, 1:00 and 1:30 with a slip of paper asking for a judging score of 2-9 and have them come out and announce the scores at 3:00. Then pack up and leave. Then drive around another 2-3 hours come back home unpack and clean everything. Then rest on Sunday!


On a serious note! I have a journal that I write in about the contest, times, meat where I bought it, Temp of meat, wrap unwrapped any thing I can think of during the contest and the days following. If your team has several people I ask them as well. Sometimes funny stories get in the journal as well to save for the next time your together. Review the journal many times before the next contest. Anyway it helps me not lose anything or do something stupid again. (Not that I have done that) Hope it helps... Have a great day....
 
I don't know if we have an edge yet :-D I'd say once a month would be a minimum. After Shannon this weekend we're not competing again until the end of August, so the will be 6 weeks off. We'll see how if affects us. I'd like to do more during that down time but we have a friend's wedding, a family weekend, a vacation and a business trip that screws up a competition weekend to keep us busy :rolleyes:
 
We won't get to do another comp until September (unless something else comes up close to home).

I've made it a habit that I only Q out of the BBQ trailer. If it ain't there, then I can't use it. I keep a list of things I wanted that I didn't have.

It's not quite the same as being there, but it helps a little.

Edit - Once or twice a month would be perfect if it were possible.
 
I only compete 7-8 times a year, and it seems to take me the first 3-4 contests to get going good. After that i seem to stay in a groove. I wouldn't want to compete much more than that because i feel i lose focus if i have too many weekends competing in a row. 3-6 weeks apart seem to do well for me.
 
We compete every weekend with the occassional weekend off.
 
Ashmont, good ideas! I have a question, since Im just starting out and have NO experience and No built up supplies. How do you farkers afford all this? between the entrance fees, the meats for practice, the comp meats and the incidentails, my bride is about to have a cow! The best thing I could do at this point is finish dead last, and go back to being a a backyard cook thats really learned a lot! If I walk, gee, Ill be hooked and want to do it again and again.
 
Ashmont said:
Try this.... Pack up the vehicle like your going to a comp. Drive around for two to three hours. Then return home unpack everything in your back yard. Setup a tent and cook like a comp. This must be done either on the hottest day of the year, coldest rainy or snowy even a combination. You must not go into your house for any reason. If you need to use the restroom walk to the local quicky mart... Saturday morning wake up make coffee on open fire. No showers until its over. Create turnin boxes and give them to neighbors at 1200, 12:30, 1:00 and 1:30 with a slip of paper asking for a judging score of 2-9 and have them come out and announce the scores at 3:00. Then pack up and leave. Then drive around another 2-3 hours come back home unpack and clean everything. Then rest on Sunday!
Click to expand...

Wow, now I'm just thinking to myself ... why, why why why????




Ahh, you didn't cover the beer drinking with friends part and the anticipation/hope of hearing your name.


And as for the question, we haven't found our edge but if able, I'd like to compete every 3rd weekend. 1 on, 2 off
 
Well

Just like perfecting BBQ it takes time. Some do it with sponsors. I have collected the stuff I need over the last 4 years. Just got my excellent super fast thermapen for my recent birthday. One step at a time...
 
Dont forget

KC_Bobby said:
Wow, now I'm just thinking to myself ... why, why why why????




Ahh, you didn't cover the beer drinking with friends part and the anticipation/hope of hearing your name.


And as for the question, we haven't found our edge but if able, I'd like to compete every 3rd weekend. 1 on, 2 off
Click to expand...


About the odifferous two flusher on Sunday. Then saying I dont remember eating that!!!!
 
Our best results last year were in back to back comps in Madison, IN and New Holland, PA.

We learned from the mistakes we made in Madison and corrected them in New Holland.

Doing a back to back next two weeks in Franklin, PA and Kettering, OH. Hoping for similar results.
 
I don't think we have ever achieved the edge. This year we are pretty rusty.
 
Here in Dixie there aren't a lot of contests in the hottest part of the summer. I've noticed that if we go more than a month between shows during that time we seem to be less organized and feel more rushed when we start back at it.
 
I hope we can get an Edge like Rhythm and Que one day. Unless we come up with a backyarder or a new contest in SoCal, we don't have another contest until Viejas. Can't afford the gas to go up north.
 
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