# @pvellner on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DeUtBKsCY1c
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/71475077-pvellner-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/285541c935.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-10-10T18:14:42.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Vellnerd (@PVellner) — https://gondola.cc/PVellner

## Caption

#SaturdayStorytime - The first of many
In honor of the upcoming rogueinvitational I’m going to tell a couple stories from the inaugural Invitational in 2019.
This year was the sanctional qualification system and the invitational offered higher prize money than any other competitions around. It took place in June so athletes who were already qualified were excited to use it as a tune up comp and because of how many people had qualified at the time you could earn a games spot with basically a top 10 finish in the field. When they were firing this up and looking for interest some agents and managers were talking to athletes and it got pitched as this: “2 day comp for 50k, not a beat down, more of a showcase”. For a 2 day comp you don’t need as big of a prep phase because there’s less volume. No brainer. Yes across the board. More on that later… (this is what we call foreshadowing.)
I was in good shape in 2019 and had been beating on basically anyone who stepped up to the plate other than mathewfras for most of the last 2 seasons so I think the expectation was we would exchange some blows at rogue and put on a show.
When we arrived we had a cool welcome dinner and briefing in the roguefitness warehouse and were given a tour of the facility. The warehouse is massive. They built a 10 lane competition floor and spectator bleachers inside the warehouse, as well as a full raised turf field with Zeus rig outside next to the warehouse. It was genuinely insane to see the scale. It got everyone pretty fired up. This was gonna be cool. 
Our dreams of a chill showcase weekend however were immediately shattered as the schedule and workout were revealed. Yes it was 2 days. But 8 events.
Each day was 2 events outside and 2 inside. The weights weren’t light. The volume wasn’t comfortable. We all exchanged some looks that made me feel a bit better since it seemed we were all equally underprepared and had been sold the same lie 😂. 
I need to speak to my agent..
(Continued➡️)

Sparing you some of the details for another novel, my good friend Mat made some mistakes on day one and I found myself in first place at the halfway point of the weekend. I had a pretty good day, but really

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saturdaystorytime

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