Ooops!

I did it again....    Could be a hit song hey?!

Meh, the past few months have been jam packed and flown by in the blink of an eye...

I became a grandmother again, with little Mia being born on November 17th.
I've completed the PA coaching course and passed the exam.
I've been on P1, more often than not - such a drag....
And... I sat thru a week long training course at work and passed my OCP exam (on my birthday!)

I still dont have title for the land I bought and have had to find a new place to live (again) as I was unable to extend my rental lease...  So I am moving again in early Jan - blahhhh.  (although the new place does have a dishwasher and aircon - a bonus for summer (if/when it arrives).

I competed at the Commonwealth and Oceania Championships in New Zealand, with some moderate success. Entered the 'Open' Division, struggled like crazy to get under 63kg, despite some severe dieting, ended up in the sauna the day before the comp to get the last 1/2 kg off.

The 2 months leading up to the event saw me having huge doubts about whether I could do it. Getting back in equipment was not easy, not like riding a bike.  I thought I'd never be comfortable and the weight felt like a tonne.  I was fortunate to have great training partners during that time, especially Dave &Tommy for squats, Bro, Jason & Big Cam for bench and Luke for deadlifts.  They got me thru, they got me over the line!

All the equipped ladies were scheduled to lift on day 1, in the morning, but the breakup of the lifting groups saw me on my own in the second flight of lifters. We were very limited for coaches as everyone was arriving at different times of the week depending on their lifting timetable.  The sharing of coaches didn't work too well will the few coaches we had concentrating on the girls in the first flight. John Myers kept checking on me thankfully, but I know he was stressing a little as he was lifting in the next session, and would have head off for his own weight-in and gear check....  So mostly on my own for warmups, my plans went out the window as I tried to work in with the Canadian team who were kind enough to help load the bar, but its unnerving to warmup without spotters and no-one to double check depth... Not feeling confident I lowered my opener 130. Wayyyy low, got wayyy low for depth too.  Still not feeling confident I only went up 5kg, all whites again.  Decided to try and make up some ground, jumped 10kg to 145kg.  What a grind... but I got it, but I was already on the backfoot, with Aimee from NZ leading with a 162.5 squat...

If I thought the squat was bad, bench was going to be worse, hearing from the first flight that the press calls were extremely long, and again very little help with warmups, except to get my shirt on, again I cut my warmups and touching in the shirt was near impossible without a couple of sets to work it down, a luxury I didn't have, and a coach who didn't know me, bombed my confidence with doubts, so I lowered my opener way low again. Hit all 3 attempts 80, 85, 90.  In hindsight, I should have backed myself and left my opener where it was, I had a little more in the tank for bench.

Deadlift...  My biggest lesson learned here...   Opened with an M2 World record, and easy opener, got it and my mind just switched off.  Went for 190, which I've pulled so many times before and dropped it.... 3rd attempt...  fade to grey....  lights are on but nobody's at home.  I've done this before, once the first deadlift is done, I just switch off.  Something I need to address, mentally!  Not a strength issue, I need to find the trigger to switch back on.  Something to work on for 2014.

Here's are few more pics from the comp:

And here's where it failed...  so close...

Finally able to relax and eat up, my weight jumped back up to 65kg in no time.  It felt good! Until....
The night I got home from NZ, I woke about 3am...  Violently sick...  I thought it was food poisoning, but it lasted over a week...  nausea, vomiting, diahorrea. If it didnt come up, then it went straight thru. Gross huh?  I lost so much weight, rock bottom under 62kg.  And to top it off, sciatica pain!  I couldnt lie down, I couldnt stand up, I was so much pain.  My plans to go back to training to do some high volume recovery training were dashed.  Stretching made it feel good, so after I was over the worst of the virus I went into the gym for some strechting.  5 mins with Bro and a bit of active release and it turned the corner.  The man is a miracle worker.

So now its the end of 2013. Time to start planning for 2014....  Time for shit to get serious!

Next 4 week block - Sheiko 31 plus equipped

Saturday's bench session went better than expected.  Trained with Jason, Cam and a new guy whose name escapes me right now.  100kg off the 3 board, which felt incredibly heavy and then back down to 80 for a triple off the 2 board.  Was great to be back in a crew for training.  Pushed a little harder - pulled up a little sore the next day.  Shoulder a bit worse for wear, but I just have to deal with it.

Monday, started Sheiko 31.  First time on this program. Raw squat to sets at 70% in a wave. ie 1 set of each 2reps, 4 reps, 6, 8, 7, 5, 3.  Then suited up for speed work off a parallel box 85kg 8sets of 2 trying to get back int he groove for equipped squatting. Quite sore today :-)

Tomorrow, morning training = raw bench and stuff, physio appt after work and then back to ESP to train with Luke - Deadlifts!  Training with Luke will really bolster up my deads, he's a very strong lightweight  raw deadlifter and has some very specific goals for his lifting.  If I can ride along on his training, the WR in December will be guaranteed!

Importantly now I need to find my camera, don't think I've spotted it since the move.  Need to start videoing my training again. I really need a proper little video camera instead of the circa 1995 canon powershot camera.  Bottom of a a long list of things I'd like tho' I'm afraid.  It will just have to wait.

For Jay R.

Absolutely Louise, Facebook and social media in general has taken me away from the blog.  A quick one liner  here and there and it’s no longer newsworthy or blogworthy.

3 weeks ago  I resumed training starting sheiko 39, shoulder feeling somewhat better after the cortisone, but still niggling....  But the week didn’t go as planned or rather it did, but the plan was not well planned.

A work training event in the U.S. which  I committed to attending via web conference had me getting up at 2 am Tuesday thru Saturday. Wednesday's deadlift session was done on auto pilot! Friday's session I postponed until  Saturday and as I had a massage booked for 8 am training was cut short!  The following week was a little better although being on P1 all week I needed to be at training by 5.40 latest which means getting up at the glorious hour of 4.40am

Got a solid week of training in, pretty pleased about that and a new pair of Tommy Kono knee sleeves made squatting this morning more comfortable.

As I’m approaching the end of this cycle now, I thought it best I test my equipped lifts, it’s been so bloody long since I’ve lifted in my kit.  Squatted straps down and just knee sleeves. Worked up to 3 triples at 110kg. Felt disgusting! Slow, heavy and uncomfortable. A far cry from 150kg last year at Nationals.  This is going to take some work!!  

 

Welts from the squat suit.

Next test, last weekend, was deadlift. Full kit, straps up. Pulled 180kg with a little still left in the tank – so surprised at that,  I had expected much worse.  Feeling good for the 200 I need to take back the M1 World record in December.  This weekend, a little play in the shirt, perhaps just some board work. I’m not expecting great things given the bursitis hampering my bench press progress. 

With Commonwealth/Oceania Championships looming I’ve decided it’s time to come out of my self-imposed exile from group training.  Have tee’d up with Dave to jump in on Fridays to squat heavy (equipped) and Saturdays to start shirting up for bench.  And Luke has invited me to join in his ‘deadlift parties’ as he calls them.  I’m looking forward to hard sessions.

In non-lifting news, Bridgette has layed her first egg. The white one on the left is hers.  Granted, she is not a laying hen, so not a bad effort  :-)

 

Bridgette's egg compared to a normal sized egg.

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?

Jan 31, 2013

10 weeks post right shoulder reconstruction and I've been given the go ahead to start a benching program!  Hooray!  Tested my bench Wed Morning:

bar (20kg) 15 reps
25kg 15 reps
30kg 15 reps
35kg 10 reps


Checked back in my blog to compare with my left shoulder reco.... Note: This post was 14 weeks post surgery


Feb 27 2011
Whoops!  There goes another month!

Tuesday marks 3 months since my shoulder surgery - 3 months!  Tomorrow I have my 3rd post op review with Mr Hoy.  it will be interesting to hear what he thinks of my progress and perhaps some explanation for the dull ache in my shoulder, the flicking sensation and shooting pain in the front deltoid when my arm moves across the front of my body.

For me, if not for being a lifter I'd be quite happy with the range of motion, but i need more to get comfortably under the bar to squat.  I'm almost there. Looking in the mirror I can still see significant muscle loss on the left and my traps are not symmetric. In fact the left side (operation side) is higher than the right and this contributes  feeling uncomfortable under the squat bar.  My left arm, bicep and tricep, and latissimus are all quite weak.  :-(

I'm box squatting raw using the safety squat bar with about 65kg max and doing 5x5. I'm not allowing myself to put on a squat suit until I can squat with the straight bar - that will be the reward.

I'm am permitted to bench the bar (20kg) - woo-hoo!  I tried benching 30kg and it hurt too much - this is going to be a long road back.

Jan 17 2013

Mid January already,  time flies when you're squatting 3 times a week.

Post op review last Monday was positive.  Can start with some strength training although at least another 2 months before I can go heavy.  Having fortnightly physio, mostly still involving mobility but from Friday I can add in some light (5kg) dumbell press - neutral grip,some dumbell rows and shrugs.  High rep, light weight, slow tempo.  All about control.  So not too much there, best I keep squatting 3 times a week and just add these in to each session at the end..

***

Training looks like this at the moment:

Monday: Heavy
Belt squat - work up to max 1rm,  3 sets  (High box)
Reverse hack. 60kg 8x5
Glute/ham raise
Abs
Sled

Wednesday: Volume
Spider bar 4-5 warmup sets then  5x5 at nn kg currently at 60kg
-  (adding 2.5kg each week until I stall)
Good mornings or back attack....
Side sled
abs

Friday
Belt squat - speed  8x2 (low box)
Single leg squat
Back raise
Abs
Sled

***

Chucky has suggested switching around to do sled first to pre fatigue so in a couple of weeks I'll do that so that my body does become accustomed to the above routine. Gotta keep it fresh!

Need to pull my head in with the diet, clean it up a bit.  Have put on a few kgs over Christmas, well who hasn't..  Anyways, need to drop about 4kg.  Ughhhh.....

***

Outside of training, I'm attending  a summer intensive course for French, not really what I had expected.  5x3 hours classes, but not revision, just conversation topics. Never mind I'm sure it will still be beneficial, so I need to find some time for grammar revision on top of this.  Perhaps I should blog in french?