Bounce out of it

It's been a fairly productive day.  Practice took a billion hours (but they were enjoyable-mostly!) and then an interview/meeting with some important people at a YMCA, a few random errands (and a pipe to roll out with) and back to the apt for food and a little cleaning.

Practice today was good I put that in italics because it was a good practice (got stronger and got better with technique issues), but like I said in earlier posts, I want it fixed now.  I want to snatch perfectly every time.  I want to hear the clink. I want to finish in the right positions. I want to catch low. And be strong in all of those positions.  But perfection didn't come today. Is anyone surprised but me? probably not.  I'm new. and learning.  and hopefully getting better each time.

I got a little moody with snatch today.  We were doing lighter weights but we were on a one min rest- so it was supposed to be challenging because of the lack of rest.  I think my biggest piece missing with my snatch is the last little bit of pull and "oomph" before I make contact with my hips.  This "issue" I have becomes screamingly obvious when I do hang cleans. I wiggle alllllll over the place. my hips go forward and backwards and my whole torso moves down before there's anyyy thought of moving the bar up over my head.  Now, here comes my frustration.... I can describe what's happening and I know (somewhat) what I SHOULD be doing.  Can i do it?  ugh no.  I can- but it hasn't happened yet.. paaaaatience..

I dont like to say I was angry when I was lifting(snatching) today because I don't think angry is the right word for how I feeling.  I was getting, I think, a combination of frustration and increased focus mixed with a competitive mindset- and so I entered my "timeout box".  My timeout box or TOB was created by Ellyn when I was at lifting camp this summer.  It's original purpose was to save me from being over coached by the 15 coaches that were at camp. but ssssshhh dont tell anyone! :) My TOB is a place where I focus my thoughts and I am left alone by other people and where I don't talk to anyone else... I focus on what I need to do for the lift.  Today, I placed myself in that box.  I wasn't happy with the snatch today so I got a little moody with that and it carried over into the jerk balance.  Around the 2nd or 3rd set of jerk balances everything was off- I wasn't completing the lifts and I was being sloppy and lazy with my positions.  here comes the TOB with a little more attitude.  I'm not going to lie I was pretty angry and frustrated at this point. But ironically enough I remembered writing in a post yesterday that talked about where I was going to put my energy... will I waste some of my 120% on beating myself up and not getting better or will I put that behind me and focus and get better now? I chose the second.  My next 3 sets got heavier and heavier and the precision and focus with each of those sets was better.  I ended up putting more weight over my head than I ever had and got better with my jerk position.

Back squats are fun for me on days I've been frustrated.  There isn't a lot of thinking involved and you just get to work and get stronger.  Down and up. Simple.  Before I started squats Ellyn told me she likes to push people when they are squatting unless its right before a meet. So today I got pushed.  The first 4 sets went on without a problem and on the last set Ellyn asked me how I felt about the number we picked for my last set.  I told her if the goal was to complete the set I could do the last set without issue, but if the goal was to push myself and to have the last set be a challenge and maybe struggle with it- we should add more weight.  Ellyn asked me if I was here to play it safe or if I was here to get better.  We added more weight.  There were two reps. First one down and up, took a few breaths, held my breath and went down for the second one. I got about half way up and couldn't finish the lift.  I was stuck at the bottom and wasn't sure what to do from there.  Ellyn told me to keep trying and I tried to stand up again. It didn't happen.  I dropped the weight and Ellyn and Bill put the weight back on the squat rack.  I had one more shot at finishing the set.   I went for the second rep.  Down and a quarter of the way up and back down.  I didn't make the lift, but Ellyn had a teachable moment for me.  If I'm ever down in a low squat and cannot get out, I should bounce up and down so I can get some momentum like I would have if i caught a clean or if I had just gone down and up from the squat.  Lesson learned.

Practice took about 4 hours from start to finish and by the time I had finished all the abs and smaller muscle groups it was almost 1pm and I had a meeting with some higher ups at a YMCA 30min away.  Quick shower, quick bite to eat and out the door to the Y.  I met with two people there and they seemed interested in having me and I should hear more back next week!

lesson from today: bounce out of it. Bounce out of the heavy squat, bounce out of the lack of focus, bounce out of a bad attitude and make it better.  Finish what you start. 120%.