Coolmine Clearwater Revival

Well done to everyone on the weekend. Every member of ECB lifted pr's and we had Richie Pedreschi lifting in his first competition. Here is a video of the competition as a while that Stephen Kinsella (who also lifted pb's of course!)made:



Well, I suppose I ought to start my good news. On Saturday I competed in the Dublin Open in Coolmine and I Snatched 120kg. This lift has been two frustrating years in the making and when I finally got it on the platform having never even attempted it before, the elation and sheer exhiliration was something I have never felt before in this sport that I love so much. I have experienced this in rugby a few times, but never in weightlifting. I am still off the 272kg total I need to qualify for the European Championships, but I know I will Clean and Jerk 150kg soon. I may have gotten my ass handed to me by a 17 year old 79kg lifter in his second competition, but I still enjoyed myself immensely. Clarence is the best talent Irish weightlifting has ever had and I hope to see him progress like the mutant that he is!

First off, here is my third attempt Snatch:



I will start at the beginning. My previous week was one of the hardest I have experienced in a long time. My lower back was still extremely stiff and sore from learning how to contract it for the first time and I had to take a download week to let it heal. This week also proved to be incredibly demanding in both work and also in ECB and by the end of it, I was in an absolute heap.

I still wanted to compete in the Dublin Open so I decided to train on Monday and Wednesday and have two days to rest up before the competition. On the Monday, I Snatched up to a single of 108kg which was really my max for the day. It was strong and decent technically, but very slow because I was still knackered. I went back down to singles with 90, 95 and 100 to get some speed back into my lifting. I then skipped my RDLS's because my back was still recovering and made a 2.5kg increase in my 5x5 squats.

On the Wednesday, I worked up to one triple with 90kg in the Hang Snatch. I would usually do three, but I was still very tired and I needed a bigger single in the Jerk so I went straight onto the Clean and Jerk where I worked up to singles with 130 and 135kg which felt pretty hard, particularly mid week. I only did one triple with 130 in the Front Squat. Three triples is what I would usually do for my recovery squat workout, but I was knackered so I left it at one. My right shoulder was too sore to do my presses so I worked up to five reps with 92.5kg in the Pendlay Row and left it there. I did some soft tissue work on my IT bands and quads in particular and some joint mobility and flexibility work. When I finished up in the gym, I did some hot/cold contrast work in the sauna and cold shower.

By the time Saturday came around I was feeling pretty good. I weighed in at 96.5kg--I was not willing to cut weight for a small competition--after eating quite liberally in the preceding days. I chilled out for a few hours and when I started my warm up, I did an initial 20 minute warm up and then relaxed for fifteen or twenty minutes. I wanted to do this earlier but there was not enough room to do it. I started off some bar work and then with two doubles at 50kg. I did singles with 70, 80, 90 in the Power Snatch and then I Snatched 100 powerfully, but it was not a Power Snatch. I went outside and relaxed for fifteen minutes or so and then came back again. I did two doubles with 50 and did singles with 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and then 105kg, calling 110 as my opener.

I hit my opener of 110kg quite easily, but for some reason I have a habit of underpulling my first attempts every time. I am not sure if this is simply due to complacency, but it is what it is. All I can do is try and improve it I guess. Wayne called for 115kg for my second attempt and in my mind I knew that if I got this, 120 was on. This was probably my best Snatch of the day technically, or at least it felt like it. It shot up and Wayne asked me if I wanted 118kg (this was my pb) to which I replied "f*%k 118, you know exactly what I want." We called it and I had two minutes to get myself ready. I slowed down my breathing and tried to focus and visualise a solid catch position. I went out, got the lift and went a little mad with sheer relief and joy.

It took me a while to calm down and relax before warming up for the Clean and Jerks. There was a five minute break so I chilled out for ten minutes maybe. I warmed up with 60kg for a few singles and hit 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, and 130 as my last warm up. I had between ten and fifteen minutes to wait and in retrospect, I probably should have lifted 135 in the warm up and put my opener up.

I opened up with 137kg and I actually felt like I pressed out the Jerk. It was shaky, but I thought I was just a little cold from waiting. I went up to 142kg and this felt pretty rough also. I knew I did not have 150 in me on the day so I asked Wayne to call for 148 which would be a one kg pb but I did not go under the Clean. I rushed it off the ground and completely lost my position. Embarrasing, but I will learn from it and get on with it. I will Clean and Jerk 150kg very soon.