Dec 1 2009

'Tis the season to be jolly......
I need to fatten up, I feel like one of those stick insects I so despise....

So, the comp - huh?  What a disgrace....  Ok so I still got best lifter, but that wasn't really the point....   I had a great pre-comp season, everything went well, so how did it go so pear shaped on the day?

Weighed in at 67.1kg, 400grams to spare and then had something to eat, being local I was able to bring my own brekky, my usual porridge was still warm in the thermo cup inside the House of Pain thermo bag...

The squat:
The comp started a bit late at 11.30 and I had a rather lengthy wait between my last squat warmup at 125kg and actually hitting the platform for my opener at 135kg. It felt heavy and wrong...  and I was red carded on depth from all three refs.  The first blow.....   2nd attempt at 145kg and I was feeling the pressure.  Head ref, Robert Wilks, red carded me again but the two side refs were a little more generous and so I got the lift.  Tried to get my knee wraps a little tighter and in doing so lost valuable time trying to tie off the last wrap, I rushed out onto the platform for a 150kg final attempt with my wrist wraps undone....   fail!


The bench:
Easy opener on 85kg - flew up.  Next attempt at 90kg, I felt confident, tight, all the right things.  Long wait for the press call and it flew off my chest and stalled about 3/4 up, the bar came down just a fraction, and I saw it, then I locked it out.  No lift...   Confidence down....  attempt 3 90kg again.  Reviewed in my mind all the points for the lift, lats on, pull the bar apart, tuck the elbows....  have a nice conversation with myself waiting for the press call.....   PRESS!  The bar flys off the chest and stalls, finally lock it out but no lift. Double press apparently but this time I didn't see it happen...

The deadlift:
Dodgy as....  Already nearing 5pm - what a long day! The bars in the warmup area were thick  with no knarling....  warmups went ok until my last warmup at 160 and it just wasn't right.  Long wait after the last lift before going out on the platform for my 175kg opener and when I went down to the bar my chest caved, my hips went up and I had to pull with my back - bad, bad, bad.... Got the lift but wrecked myself in the process.  Next attempt 185kg wasn't going to move and I found myself in the same bad position to lift...  but this time I couldnt.  Bar got to mid shin and back down to the floor.  So with one final attempt left and sitting on a 230 total I was in need of a 190kg deadlift to hit elite 1. I had nothing to lose, 185 wasn't going to but it. It was do or die....   Out on the platform knowing this was it, I tried to setup properly, my back was screaming from the bad 175 pull but I gave it my all, the bar moved off the floor, my chest caved again but I kept pulling and got the bar close to my knees, but it was just such a bad leverage point and I couldn't bring my hips thru, so the bar went back down. I lost balance and ended up flat on my back - cant say it didnt give it my all! 

Oh well,  No fairy tale ending....  No elite 1.

But there were some positives that I took away from the comp,  I got a comp PR for my 145 squat.  I did actually get both the 90kg presses, albeit not technically, still better than my nationals attempts and my technique was better.  Even the 190 deadlift, came off the floor, which was better than nationals where it stayed firmly glued down...  so I know it will come soon.  Next comp - Elite 1.

For now - a bit of recovery time, maybe a full body workout on Thursday, just light stuff to get blood into the muscles again.  My back is still caining - despite the copius amounts of voltaren and hot radox baths etc...  I have a recovery massage booked for tomorrow and I might even take myself to the pool later in the week.

Next week I may embark on a  4 week shieko program, that will take me up to Christmas and by then the comp calendar for next year should be published.

Gonna be full on next year, I plan to make swimming part of my regular routine for recovery each week and outside of lifting I'm enrolling in french language classes in preparation for my European holiday in October.  Plus since I've let my Doherty's membership lapse, I'll be spending more time at Apollo, working on my bench technique via one-on-one sessions with Martyn. 

A big year ahead in 2010.

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