Sunday 20 February 2011

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.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Went "a little mad"???Little?????ha ha
Well done.

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