Thursday, August 29, 2013

Is anyone even reading this...

I havent updated the blog for 6 months.  3 Comments and 1 email is the total sum of feedback in that time....   Do I continue to blog? 

A lot has happened in the past 6 months. In summary:

Jan 28: My first venture back into equipment after shoulder surgery and I tear the meniscus in my right knee while squatting.  Wasnt even heavy, 110kg  (1/2 suit and knee wraps)  Couldn't walk!

Feb 7:  In for knee surgery to clean up the tear.

March: Commence rehab and bench training.
             Put my house on the market.

April: Commence training (light) sheiko.
           House sells (4 month settlement)
           Develop a bakers cyst at the back of my knee, which causes my leg to swell and eventually the cyst bursts inside - Yumm! :-(   

May: Recommence rehab and light training. 

June: Purchased a small parcel of land out woop woop in Chirnside Park - title not completed. (waiting still).  Benching 70kg as a 1 rm  - happy with progress.

July:  Move into rental place from hell.  Heating not working - middle of winter. No Cooling for the upcoming summer.  No room to swing a cat. AND,  by now, my shoulder is giving me hell because of all the benching volume - bench numbers regressing, max 1rm down to 60kg  :-(  I'm having to cut training and  people are starting to ask me  "Do you even lift?"    FML

August 18.  First raw comp  Squat 90 /95 /100(x)  Bench 60 / 65 /67.7  Deadlift 145 /155 / 160.5(x)

Worst comp prep ever, couldnt shift my weight and a week out still had 2kgs to drop.  Ended up sitting in the sauna at Genesis Gym in Ringwood off and on for 3 hours.

Comp day was not very stressful, unlike an equipped comp, there wasnt the sense of urgency that comes with making sure your equipment is right before you waddle onto the platform.  The last dead was an attempt at a National record in the 63kg open class.  Not a chance...  And an ASADA represenative was waiting for me as I came off the platform.

Totaled 317.5  which is an EliteII total, won my weight class and place 2nd overall, missing by just a few points...   Rankings have just been posted on the PA website.  I'm sitting in 3rd place in my weight class and 17th overall Nationally.  

Post comp visit to the physio and then the sports doc, confirmed  rotator cuff/ shoulder impingement - likely due to overuse (benching too much cos I couldnt squat...)  Doc went straight in with cortisone.   Have taken the past 2 weeks off benching and only went back to the gym this week to squat.  Shoulder feeling good,  squats feeling hard.

The plan going forward....   Another month of Raw sheiko training then back to equipment and start gearing  up for Commonwealth Championships in New Zealand first week of December.

Do I continue to blog?