May 14 2010

Crap!  Been a month since I wrote anything.  Oh well it was a busy month getting ready for the Masters Nationals in Mannum S.A.

Flew over to Adelaide on the Friday morning and met up with Sydney lifters, Mark, Damien and Chris to share a car for the long trip to Mannum.

Pretty good comp for me but it all seems like a blur now. Weighed in at 66.3kg. 

Best ever squat result - 3 for 3 !  Unheard of for me.  Opened with 140, next jump to 147.5 (PB) then a crack at 152.5 (PB again)  All felt great, have to admit 152.5 felt heavy when I first got it on my back but the squat was easy - so easy in fact that I honestly thought I must have cut it shallow but not one ref knocked it back. 

Bench was going to be a worry, since I hurt my shoulder at the last comp, I've been having physio but have this weird, random, painful flicking sensation when I move my arm.  Opened with a safe 85kg and got it, but felt the joint grind - yeow!  The next two attempts at 90 were abysmal - no chance, but still in the competition.

Finally to my pet lift - bit of strife with the new velocity but my excellent handler adjusted the suit and off I went.  Easy opener on 175,  equal PB at 185 and then the record attempt  - 193.5....   came off the floor easily, as I came up to lock out I could feel my left hand starting to open, no way was going to be able to hold it for down call - and down it went.  The audible "Awwwwwww" echoing in my ears.  Still, as disappointed as I might have been I was actually ecstatic to have gotten it up to start with.  The record will be mine in July at the Open Nationals - albeit I'll have to pull a full 195 to get tho.

So all in all a good comp with a 7.5kg PB for my squat and a further 7.5kg PB on my total at 422.5kg.  Sheesh that would have been an 'Elite I' total last year.  I had the best handler on the day - just worked a treat for me.  Kept me calm, wrapped my knees perfectly, gave me all the right cues and all from someone I'd only met properly the day before!  Many thanks to Damien for his help.

Oh yeah, and I got BEST LIFTER!  :-)

Tomorrow, off to have a MRI on the shoulder, see whats going on in there and start training towards Nationals in July.   Its gonna be BIG.

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