Well, I feel pretty fancy right now because ive downloaded an app for my blog so I can update via my phone! Wahoo! That's extra exciting for me because my dear olde mother still has dial-up Internet. I think she's still living in 1996... But thank god for iPhones! :)
Yesterday was my first full day in pasco and I ran around with my mom for the first part of the day and then was exhausted so I napped. Oh shoot before that my mom and I went to have breakfast with my dad. It was at a casino I got carded didn't have my ID had to leave, go get my ID come back and then breakfast could start. It was uneventful...
Now im back on track.. Breakfast was finished and my mom wanted to run around. Off to Costco we went.. Got some pretty fantastic kbell socks and some warm fuzzy slippers.. Yay! After Costco we went to a craft store so my mom could make some pillow cases for Christmas presents. The fabric I do have to say is pretty fantastic! After that mini shopping spree I was wiped out and napped!
Once I woke up it was time to meet up with Vanny! It'd been too long since I'd seen her or chewy!! We laughed and were ridiculous instantly and then we went to jobys. I was told there were children sleeping and I had to be quiet.. If any of you know me y'all know how good I am at being quiet, you'll know the moment I stepped in jobys house I yelled. Oops!! I was just excited to see his little dog snowball!
Joby was cooking.. Okay baking.. while V and I supervised. His mom had bought a toy (for the grandchildren) called "ring around the nosey" and we got it out and put it together and laughed and laughed and laughed... Here are some pictures from the hilariousness... Ok these aren't as funny because they're just of me.. But we all had them on!! It was a good first night back!
The goal of this blog is to keep the Wake Forest community (and others) updated with my life and lifting in Bridgewater, MA. I have grown to love the community of Wake Forest, and although it was difficult to leave, leaving as the only way I would be able to reach my full potential as an Olympic Weight Lifter. For those of you interested in following me, WELCOME and Thank you for your support!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
im going home!
in a few hours I'll be on my way to the great state of Washington.. okay well i'm most of the way there now.. San Fran to be exact. and thank gawd for free wi-fi in airports because I have a 2 hour lay-over... not the worst i've ever had, but still after being on a plane for 5-6 hours and waiting around for another 2 hours before i have to get on another plane and sit there for two more hours, the wi-fi is a welcomed distraction from just sitting...
while i was on the plane from boston to san francisco i slept a little, watched most (i think) of a pretty lack-luster movie, got bored so i got out my computer and started editing videos and looking at my progress throughout the last few months since moving up to ma, then i played games on my phone and then tried to nap, then chit-chatted a bit with my neighbors and then 6 hours passed by and taaaadaaa i'm here in SF...
heres a video montage of my snatch from september until december... enjoy.. i'm going to get some food before I have to sit without internet for another few hours.. I may not be able to update my blog while im home because my mom STILL has dial-up internet.. yes. that's the truth. and it's awful. so we'll see what happens while im home..
thanks for all the words of support and encouragement and support with my surgery i appreciate it all...
while i was on the plane from boston to san francisco i slept a little, watched most (i think) of a pretty lack-luster movie, got bored so i got out my computer and started editing videos and looking at my progress throughout the last few months since moving up to ma, then i played games on my phone and then tried to nap, then chit-chatted a bit with my neighbors and then 6 hours passed by and taaaadaaa i'm here in SF...
heres a video montage of my snatch from september until december... enjoy.. i'm going to get some food before I have to sit without internet for another few hours.. I may not be able to update my blog while im home because my mom STILL has dial-up internet.. yes. that's the truth. and it's awful. so we'll see what happens while im home..
thanks for all the words of support and encouragement and support with my surgery i appreciate it all...
hard cast- day 7
Yesterday i had one of my follow-up appointments for my wrist. My soft/quarter cast was removed and i got my permanent/hard cast on.. the cool or gross or awesome thing about yesterday was getting to see the pins/stitches/etc of my surgery and i took a few pictures too!

the first picture is of my wrist right after they took off my soft cast and before they trimmed the edges of my stitch (i guess its one continuous stitch under the skin that will eventually dissolve) the pins (two) are sticking out of my hand and will be removed in 4 weeks when my cast is taken off. it was weird, odd and a little bit disgusting to see those sticking out of my hand- i guess it's one of those things where your body knows and realizes there shouldnt be things sticking out of the skin... okay that doesn't make sense like i want it to when i type it.. it's just disgusting and kind-of cool at the same time.. here are more pictures...
my hand looks really beat up and swollen in the picture on the left.. and there's another picture of my pins and some of the antibacterial gauze that was wrapped around the pins... that was removed and replaced when i got switched over to my hard cast.
one of my teammates told me if I didn't have my cast on I could use the pins to hang my keys... ouch and no thanks!
These last two pictures are of my cleaned up mess of a hand and of my hard cast.. when I was at the drs office I asked if they had a PURPLE cast they could put on me and they were boring and lame and said they only had white.. boooorrrrrrriiiiinnnngggg.. but that does allow for all sorts of colored sharpie markers to be used.. so that's a good thing! And my thumb is out so i might be able to try to attempt to paint my own nails.. but im sure it wouldn't turn out very well!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
day 5
and the pathetic and useless feeling has hit. yep. i feel great. apparently i cannot be trusted with my own body. yahhoo. feeling even better. because i want to be able to be self sufficient and on my own i am deemed untrustworthy. i dont want to have to depend on everyone or someone or anyone but myself to be able to put myself together on a daily basis. that just makes me feel even more pathetic (useless) when im told i cant or shouldn't do every-day simple things.
let me make it clear im not mad at the people who have said those things to me.. im just upset and hurt(?) by having those things said about me. It's like parents who tell their kids they are angry/upset with the things their kids have done, but not at the kids themselves. same thing here.
I want to be better and I want to be lifting with the team already. Today when I lifted i was on the other side of the wall starting, doing, and completing my workout before most of the team even started... granted I had to rush off to be with the craziest kids i have ever met for 7 straight hours- but i already felt alienated(?) separated (?) apart(?) different (?) alone (?) etc from the team... i dont know if it was the shortened and modified workout, my own crazy brain, the physical separation, being 'kicked off' my platform (i know i wasnt- but it felt like it because i was on the 'other side' of the gym, cant use a bar, or two hands, etc and i know itd be dumb for me to take up that space with my one legged squats and bicep curls). but these are my thoughts and these are my feelings about day 5. i know people may be offended and/or hurt by my rambling, but it's not meant to be censored. Am I embarrassed i feel this way and think this way? yeah, sometimes I am and sometimes it's a lot worse than others. I've thought about writing my darkest thoughts in this and waiting to post it until a day or two later when the biggest waves have come and gone... right now I don't really care. I dont think i can feel worse. i dont know if i can be more upset. maybe when i wakeup at 4am tomorrow i will be, but i dont even know if that will make it worse.
i guess today i was good at being pathetic and self-destructive
let me make it clear im not mad at the people who have said those things to me.. im just upset and hurt(?) by having those things said about me. It's like parents who tell their kids they are angry/upset with the things their kids have done, but not at the kids themselves. same thing here.
I want to be better and I want to be lifting with the team already. Today when I lifted i was on the other side of the wall starting, doing, and completing my workout before most of the team even started... granted I had to rush off to be with the craziest kids i have ever met for 7 straight hours- but i already felt alienated(?) separated (?) apart(?) different (?) alone (?) etc from the team... i dont know if it was the shortened and modified workout, my own crazy brain, the physical separation, being 'kicked off' my platform (i know i wasnt- but it felt like it because i was on the 'other side' of the gym, cant use a bar, or two hands, etc and i know itd be dumb for me to take up that space with my one legged squats and bicep curls). but these are my thoughts and these are my feelings about day 5. i know people may be offended and/or hurt by my rambling, but it's not meant to be censored. Am I embarrassed i feel this way and think this way? yeah, sometimes I am and sometimes it's a lot worse than others. I've thought about writing my darkest thoughts in this and waiting to post it until a day or two later when the biggest waves have come and gone... right now I don't really care. I dont think i can feel worse. i dont know if i can be more upset. maybe when i wakeup at 4am tomorrow i will be, but i dont even know if that will make it worse.
i guess today i was good at being pathetic and self-destructive
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
post op day 3
I'm already bored and tired of having this quarter/half cast on. I want to take it off so badly! i have messed around with the ace bandage a little and i can see some of the incisions/dried blood/tape that's hiding underneath the wrap and padding. Sometimes it feels like the incisions go from the middle of my hand to past my wrist. I just want to see it. ugh. Friday I get my real cast- kind of excited and kindof dreading it. I'm hoping hoping hoping i wont have to be in it for 8 weeks, or even 6 weeks. anyone want to take bets about how likely either of those options are. any of my med school friends have thoughts or opinions about it...?!
Yesterday I was able to get back into the weight room and I did a few different things: front squats and abs. gotta be good at something, right? With front squats Ellyn wanted my first working set to be at 85k and to take it easy because I would feel weak and not 100%. I wasn't sure how weak i would or wouldn't feel, so once i did 85, I went up 5 kilos and proceeded like that throughout the workout.. 85, 90, 95, 100, and when i got to 100- it was challenging, but I wanted to be able to front squat at least 103 which is my clean and jerk PR. I asked Bill or Derek if I should go to 103 or 105 and it's one of those questions where you know the answer as soon as you ask it. 105 went on the bar. Derek was spotting me just incase I had any trouble, and I made it through all but the last one when he stepped in and helped me finish it. Is that good or bad? normal? average? I'm not sure. But i was happy I was able to front squat more than my cj pr 3 days after surgery.
When I talked to my mom that evening and told her I was lifting, she thought I was crazy and that I was breaking the rules with my wrist. Even though I explained to her I wasn't using my left wrist when I was front squatting- but she wasn't happy about that. Bill suggested that next time I squat we film it so we can send it to her! :)
I've got another workout today- this time at the Y- we'll see how it goes. One armed stuff this evening..
Yesterday I was able to get back into the weight room and I did a few different things: front squats and abs. gotta be good at something, right? With front squats Ellyn wanted my first working set to be at 85k and to take it easy because I would feel weak and not 100%. I wasn't sure how weak i would or wouldn't feel, so once i did 85, I went up 5 kilos and proceeded like that throughout the workout.. 85, 90, 95, 100, and when i got to 100- it was challenging, but I wanted to be able to front squat at least 103 which is my clean and jerk PR. I asked Bill or Derek if I should go to 103 or 105 and it's one of those questions where you know the answer as soon as you ask it. 105 went on the bar. Derek was spotting me just incase I had any trouble, and I made it through all but the last one when he stepped in and helped me finish it. Is that good or bad? normal? average? I'm not sure. But i was happy I was able to front squat more than my cj pr 3 days after surgery.
When I talked to my mom that evening and told her I was lifting, she thought I was crazy and that I was breaking the rules with my wrist. Even though I explained to her I wasn't using my left wrist when I was front squatting- but she wasn't happy about that. Bill suggested that next time I squat we film it so we can send it to her! :)
I've got another workout today- this time at the Y- we'll see how it goes. One armed stuff this evening..
Sunday, December 11, 2011
post-op day 2
baby steps... my wrist is still sore and painful.. maybe even a little swollen.. not a lot of movement happening today. but life must go on.. Yesterday and todays pain levels are about the same. Yesterday I had a lot less strength- couldnt grind the salt and pepper shakers, couldn't open string cheese, and other various tasks that had me cringing. Today on the other hand I've gotten used to/able to tolerate/ignore the pain. i was able to grind some salt and pepper- although it was a kind-of pathetic showing, but i was able to do it by myself. the hardest task of the day was opening string cheese. again, its pathetic that the milestone i had today was opening string cheese, but i'll take it.
another exciting point for me was showering. i cant get my splint wet so i had to wrap my arm in 2 plastic grocery bags and tie them off with packing tape. it looked like a hot mess, but i was able to shower and change clothes. and that means I was able to NOT be a hot mess.
i'm sure everyone knows how patient i am.. and with that said i'm already itching to get out of this splint. i want to look at the incisions, my ballooned hand, the bruising, etc... so ive wiggled it around a little and i can see where the tape covers part of the incisions and i can stick my fingers down the splint and feel some of the tape and stitches.. Friday i get my real cast on so i'll have a few moments of fresh air to look around and poke around my wrist then it'll be sealed up for another 6-8 weeks..
I'm not sure what my training will be like while i'm casted.. I'm sure Ellyn has plenty of ideas of things to keep me busy... :) Gotta be good at something... I'm ready to get better, Ellyn said to me the other day.. after i'm done with surgery I'm done being injured- the healing and moving on process has begun. so I'm 2 days of better lets see what day 3 brings...
another exciting point for me was showering. i cant get my splint wet so i had to wrap my arm in 2 plastic grocery bags and tie them off with packing tape. it looked like a hot mess, but i was able to shower and change clothes. and that means I was able to NOT be a hot mess.
i'm sure everyone knows how patient i am.. and with that said i'm already itching to get out of this splint. i want to look at the incisions, my ballooned hand, the bruising, etc... so ive wiggled it around a little and i can see where the tape covers part of the incisions and i can stick my fingers down the splint and feel some of the tape and stitches.. Friday i get my real cast on so i'll have a few moments of fresh air to look around and poke around my wrist then it'll be sealed up for another 6-8 weeks..
I'm not sure what my training will be like while i'm casted.. I'm sure Ellyn has plenty of ideas of things to keep me busy... :) Gotta be good at something... I'm ready to get better, Ellyn said to me the other day.. after i'm done with surgery I'm done being injured- the healing and moving on process has begun. so I'm 2 days of better lets see what day 3 brings...
Saturday, December 10, 2011
post-op day 1
yesterday was pretty smooth. Today was a different story.. more pain, more stiffness, more ouch. Its not completely useless because of the pain, but I just have to keep moving it and messing around with it. I slept whole lot today.. i got up at 11 then was just hanging out and i think i went back to bed round 2 and slept until 6. its 1030 right now and I'm thinking i may not make it past 11...
Surgery went well. The damage wasnt as bad as the drs thought it was going to be... I had a partial tear (they cleaned that up) and then they also took part of another ligament to reinforce the damaged ligament. I do have pins in my wrist and a soft/half cast on right now. on friday i get my hard cast (and I need to pick the most fantastic color(s) when I do go. After I get my hard cast on it'll be on for 6-8 weeks then ill go back in and get my pins removed. From there, i'm not sure whats going to happen.. how long i'll be unable to do full lifts or overhead stuff...
I dont think the magnitude of recovery/limitations I'll have have hit me yet, Ellyn has given me some mental training to start working on.. so i guess it's time to get started with my training and get better. I've said this before, but.. I've gotta be good at something... so here i go. getting better today...
Surgery went well. The damage wasnt as bad as the drs thought it was going to be... I had a partial tear (they cleaned that up) and then they also took part of another ligament to reinforce the damaged ligament. I do have pins in my wrist and a soft/half cast on right now. on friday i get my hard cast (and I need to pick the most fantastic color(s) when I do go. After I get my hard cast on it'll be on for 6-8 weeks then ill go back in and get my pins removed. From there, i'm not sure whats going to happen.. how long i'll be unable to do full lifts or overhead stuff...
I dont think the magnitude of recovery/limitations I'll have have hit me yet, Ellyn has given me some mental training to start working on.. so i guess it's time to get started with my training and get better. I've said this before, but.. I've gotta be good at something... so here i go. getting better today...
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Surgery at Sunrise
Where to begin….?? Umm. I guess with my plans for tomorrow. I’m having surgery in the morning. I tore a ligament or two (hopefully that’s it) in my wrist at the beginning of November and have had appointments with doctors for MRIs and Xrays, more x-rays and follow-up appointments and surgical consultations. And it all comes down to tomorrow. On the MRIs there wasn’t a lot of clear information about what exactly was wrong and how wrong things may be- so that’s what surgery is for. Depending on how bad, or good (whichever one is appropriate to use) the damage is or isn't, I could be back to lifting in two weeks or worse case scenario I have pins put in my hand and am in a cast for two months and back in full swing in a year. That’s hard to wrap my mind around. How do I prepare for that? how do I hope for the best (2 weeks out) and still have the bad looming. Is it better for me to start preparing myself to be out a year and be pleasantly surprised when it’s less? Do I hope it’s only 2 weeks and then be devastated when it’s longer…?
Is there a right or a good way to prepare for something like this? Will I be relieved when I wake up or will the reality of the situation be too much (especially if it’s bad news)… I like to have things planned out and know what I’m doing and what I need to do. I don’t have that right now. Surgery is the easy part. I know that’s going to happen. It’s what happens after surgery… that’s the scary part.
This was what I was referring to in my last blog about the American Open… These thoughts, feelings, and emotions all hit me as I walked off the platform. Up until the American Open I was lying to myself about the situation and not letting myself think about surgery when I still was lifting. Maybe that was dumb. Maybe I should have processed it all as it came. But there’s still not a lot I DO know for sure. The only for sure thing is surgery. What they’ll fix and exactly how they’ll fix it… fill in the blanks and take your best guess..I have no idea, but in about 12 hours it will all be said and done and there might eventually be a blog entry about the results…eventually.
Here's to hoping for the best...
American Open
I know this is a few days behind (and I have a TON of stuff to fill y'all in on) but if I would have written a blog over the last 3 days about my thoughts, feelings, emotions, reflection etc of my performance at the American Open- each of the three days would have been completely different. Day one would have gone something like this: it was awful it was horrible I hated it awful awful awful awful. Let my coach down, let my team down, let myself down.. it was a great day. not. Day 2 would have been like this: Ok maybe I over reacted. it wasn't that great. but it wasn't that bad. im okay with it. no im not. yes it was fine. no it wasnt. up and down up and down. When I got back to Massachusetts Ellyn and I had a chance to have a talk about what happened, how I was feeling, what I was thinking, and a chance to reflect on what happened...
The talk we had was really productive. We talked about what we wanted and what we needed from each other and what worked for us and what did not work for us as a coach/athlete team. We're still 'new' to each other. This was only our third meet together- so there was a lot we didn't know and a lot we're still learning about what works best. Before the meet Ellyn and I had a few different conversations about what we wanted to do and the numbers we wanted to hit and what we would do if we had to or wanted to change numbers and what our ultimate goal would be at the meet. Would it be placing? would it be getting a higher ranking? would it be PRs? What if it's one of those things and not the others? I think each time she asked me what I wanted to do my answer changed or I wanted all of them. My new-ness was a disadvantage when it came to strategy and really knowing what would be the greatest good for me. I'm new, I can't help it! :)
Retracing the steps back to the American Open after I was done with snatch I was in the middle of the pack maybe sitting somewhere from 6-8th place and being comfortable with where I was because my clean and jerk is a good 30 kilos heavier than the snatch (which is atypical... usually the two lifts are a lot closer than what mine are). With that said, being in the middle of the pack after snatch left the possibility for placing because I could make up the 10-ish kilos I was behind in the snatch. With snatch I was the second lifter and with clean and jerk I was the third to last lifter... so i had a while to wait. From a strategy point, it was nice having the girls who lifted more than I did in snatch being completely finished before I started my clean and jerks. (please note hind-sight is 20/20 and most of what I'm telling you now I had no idea about while I was jerking... the only thing I knew was that I was in the middle of the pack after snatch)
This is what I knew: Ellyn and I had a plan. our plan was 97, 102, and 105. And I needed to hit all of my lifts to finish 3rd. Okay. I can do that. I got attached to the plan and to the numbers. I hit 97 and Ellyn asked me if I wanted to do 100... i was a little taken aback by her question because I didn't understand why the plan was changing-and with the clock running there wasn't time to sit down and have a full-length conversation about why 100 would be better or why 102 would be better. So I told her stick to the plan. 102 should be next. So she put me in for 102. What I didn't know until I got back and Ellyn and I had our sit-down chat about the meet was that 100 would have put me in 3rd place. And what I was thinking when she asked me that was 'snatch didn't get me to the numbers we talked about, so now i need the 105 to just be close to 3rd and to stick with the plan.' 102 was on the bar and I went out and cleaned it.. setting up for the jerk.. got the jerk over my head and wasn't able to stick it. missed attempt 2. 102 stayed on the bar and I was up for my 3rd attempt. Ellyn told me she needed everything I had on this last lift. Okay. i can give you everything. cleaned it and setting up for the jerk got the weight over head... but wasn't tight (or something else) and I walked all over the platform and eventually dropped the weight.
Was i disappointed, yeah. I had a flood of emotions (that will be discussed in a later blog) that i had been putting off and not thinking about until the American Open was over.. and once it was over WHAM. they all came. but that's for later.
Back in Massachusetts Ellyn and I talked about it all.. the lifts... the preparation.. the disappointment.. the training... the next step.. the lessons learned.. where we go from here... what we do next...what we don't do next... what we'll change.. and how we'll get better...
Here's the video from the meet... Enjoy it. I got better because of these failed attempts...
The talk we had was really productive. We talked about what we wanted and what we needed from each other and what worked for us and what did not work for us as a coach/athlete team. We're still 'new' to each other. This was only our third meet together- so there was a lot we didn't know and a lot we're still learning about what works best. Before the meet Ellyn and I had a few different conversations about what we wanted to do and the numbers we wanted to hit and what we would do if we had to or wanted to change numbers and what our ultimate goal would be at the meet. Would it be placing? would it be getting a higher ranking? would it be PRs? What if it's one of those things and not the others? I think each time she asked me what I wanted to do my answer changed or I wanted all of them. My new-ness was a disadvantage when it came to strategy and really knowing what would be the greatest good for me. I'm new, I can't help it! :)
Retracing the steps back to the American Open after I was done with snatch I was in the middle of the pack maybe sitting somewhere from 6-8th place and being comfortable with where I was because my clean and jerk is a good 30 kilos heavier than the snatch (which is atypical... usually the two lifts are a lot closer than what mine are). With that said, being in the middle of the pack after snatch left the possibility for placing because I could make up the 10-ish kilos I was behind in the snatch. With snatch I was the second lifter and with clean and jerk I was the third to last lifter... so i had a while to wait. From a strategy point, it was nice having the girls who lifted more than I did in snatch being completely finished before I started my clean and jerks. (please note hind-sight is 20/20 and most of what I'm telling you now I had no idea about while I was jerking... the only thing I knew was that I was in the middle of the pack after snatch)
This is what I knew: Ellyn and I had a plan. our plan was 97, 102, and 105. And I needed to hit all of my lifts to finish 3rd. Okay. I can do that. I got attached to the plan and to the numbers. I hit 97 and Ellyn asked me if I wanted to do 100... i was a little taken aback by her question because I didn't understand why the plan was changing-and with the clock running there wasn't time to sit down and have a full-length conversation about why 100 would be better or why 102 would be better. So I told her stick to the plan. 102 should be next. So she put me in for 102. What I didn't know until I got back and Ellyn and I had our sit-down chat about the meet was that 100 would have put me in 3rd place. And what I was thinking when she asked me that was 'snatch didn't get me to the numbers we talked about, so now i need the 105 to just be close to 3rd and to stick with the plan.' 102 was on the bar and I went out and cleaned it.. setting up for the jerk.. got the jerk over my head and wasn't able to stick it. missed attempt 2. 102 stayed on the bar and I was up for my 3rd attempt. Ellyn told me she needed everything I had on this last lift. Okay. i can give you everything. cleaned it and setting up for the jerk got the weight over head... but wasn't tight (or something else) and I walked all over the platform and eventually dropped the weight.
Was i disappointed, yeah. I had a flood of emotions (that will be discussed in a later blog) that i had been putting off and not thinking about until the American Open was over.. and once it was over WHAM. they all came. but that's for later.
Back in Massachusetts Ellyn and I talked about it all.. the lifts... the preparation.. the disappointment.. the training... the next step.. the lessons learned.. where we go from here... what we do next...what we don't do next... what we'll change.. and how we'll get better...
Here's the video from the meet... Enjoy it. I got better because of these failed attempts...
Saturday, December 3, 2011
It comes down to this. . .
Another day gone and only one more night until I lift. Training went well today. Again, I was consistent and tight. I kind of felt like I was showing off a little bit because there were a few people there who don't have my best interest in mind, and who I felt like were waiting for me to mess up and fail. Ha. Jokes on them because when someone doesn't think I can do something- I'll do it. The challenge is what I love. Being able to look someone in the eye and be able to say to them, you don't think I can do it, huh? ... well, let me prove it to you. I'd say more often than not I rise to the occasion and prove the nay-sayers wrong. :) Tomorrow is going to be no different. :)
Some of you may be wonder what my 'pre-meet' routine is and what I'm doing to pass the time while I wait for tomorrow to come... I guess a play-by-play of today might be helpful.
I got up around 745-8, weighed myself, gathered my lifting stuff for training today, and then went to the venue and watched Kat lift (she went 6/6!), once she was done I started my training session. I finished right before Adam started warming up, watched him, got lunch, came back to the venue, watched Patty, the came back to my room, showered, straightened my hair, relaxed, stretched, hydrated, ate, blogged, tv watched etc.
Now it's 845 and I'm trying to keep myself calm and collected for tomorrow. I keep telling myself I don't have anything to lose. Just go out there and lift. I've been in good hands and I've worked hard to get to where I am now and to hit the numbers Ellyn and I have on the plan. Stick to the plan. I can do this. Relax. Compete. Get better. and get out of your own way. The numbers I have planned for tomorrow I have had over my head before.. so tomorrow will be the finishing touches.
Don't forget to tune in tomorrow! http://weightlifting.teamusa.org/ I lift at 10am alabama time.. for my friends on the east coast that's 11 your time and for my friends back home that's 8 your time... :)
Friday, December 2, 2011
Time to get focused
I had my first training session at the venue today and things went really well. Snatches are getting better and better every time. They are faster. Closer. Tighter. Stronger. Better. My clean and Jerks are also improving. They are much more consistent. Much more powerful. Much more in-line and in-tune with what they should be. One nice thing that happened while I was training was a lot of people I had trained with a few months ago said I was a different lifter and my lifts are much improved.
Ellyn was excited to hear those things as was I, but I knew (and said to her) that it doesn't matter what I do now, but it's what I do on Sunday that will really show off all of our hard work, time, energy, and commitment to each other and to the sport. Sunday will be the day when it all come together. Sunday will be the day when both Ellyn and I can accept the compliments and stand tall knowing we have gotten better and that we have become a success.
Here's what I'm focusing on the next few days before I compete... The first is making weight. I'm close, and in better shape than I was this time at Nationals this summer (a plus- but not there yet, so i can't celebrate) the other things I'm working on is getting my head wrapped around the numbers I want to hit and the positions I need to hit in order to be able to make those lifts. 6/6 is the plan. My body is ready and has been ready, but my mind needs to get there. I've got to go out on that stage and give it my 120%. Everything gets left on the platform. No regrets. No looking back. Focusing on each lift and giving EVERYTHING for that ONE lift. My numbers and goals are not out of reach. I've got to work my mind so it will happen...
Another day of training tomorrow... dropping a little more weight.. and a lot more focus and tuning in
Ellyn was excited to hear those things as was I, but I knew (and said to her) that it doesn't matter what I do now, but it's what I do on Sunday that will really show off all of our hard work, time, energy, and commitment to each other and to the sport. Sunday will be the day when it all come together. Sunday will be the day when both Ellyn and I can accept the compliments and stand tall knowing we have gotten better and that we have become a success.
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Photo of the training hall and competition warm-ups |
Another day of training tomorrow... dropping a little more weight.. and a lot more focus and tuning in
Thursday, December 1, 2011
sweet home Alabama!!
the south. yay. so excited. happy. sunny. warm(er). yay! It was and is good to get away from the yucky frozen tundra that is Massachusetts and be in the south! :) I have missed the souther drawl and the manners and the warmth the 'y'alls' everything! I Can't wait until I can actually eat some of the food!!
The flights down went pretty smoothly- I about barfed on the first flight because Ellyn and I were 'reading' sky mall and wooohh the reading and motion and movement of the plane did not make for a good combination. Luckily for everyone I didnt get sick and made it through the rest of the flight. Landed in CLT and i was ecstatic! I loved the sun and just being back in NC- even if it was for an hour. Then we were off to Alabama. That flight was less dramatic than the first and we landed and got to the hotel with no issue.
After all the meetings my schedule stayed the same. I'm still lifting in the 75k weight class and will be lifting Sunday at 10am and it is going to be online... here So watch!! :)
Tomorrow is some training and watching Heather (new RWL-ish member) lift. Getting down to the wire...
The flights down went pretty smoothly- I about barfed on the first flight because Ellyn and I were 'reading' sky mall and wooohh the reading and motion and movement of the plane did not make for a good combination. Luckily for everyone I didnt get sick and made it through the rest of the flight. Landed in CLT and i was ecstatic! I loved the sun and just being back in NC- even if it was for an hour. Then we were off to Alabama. That flight was less dramatic than the first and we landed and got to the hotel with no issue.
After all the meetings my schedule stayed the same. I'm still lifting in the 75k weight class and will be lifting Sunday at 10am and it is going to be online... here So watch!! :)
Tomorrow is some training and watching Heather (new RWL-ish member) lift. Getting down to the wire...
Last day in MA
Tonight is my last night in MA before returning to the SOUTH! I am so excited to be in warmer weather and humidity!! Cannot wait.
Made it through my last night in MA for a while... and now im sitting in the Boston airport waiting for my first flight to take me to CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA.... it'll be good to be back in NC.. even if it is for an hour!
I'm ready for the meet. but now I have to wait and drop a few more pounds... or kilos if we want to be official... :)
The last practice at Kelly went really well. Hit my numbers, the lifts were moving quick and were staying close. the cleans felt supa easy. Snatch was fast. I'm looking forward to putting up new numbers this meet as well as surprising and maybe pissing off some people.
no-go-deacs!
Thanks for the continued support!
Made it through my last night in MA for a while... and now im sitting in the Boston airport waiting for my first flight to take me to CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA.... it'll be good to be back in NC.. even if it is for an hour!
I'm ready for the meet. but now I have to wait and drop a few more pounds... or kilos if we want to be official... :)
The last practice at Kelly went really well. Hit my numbers, the lifts were moving quick and were staying close. the cleans felt supa easy. Snatch was fast. I'm looking forward to putting up new numbers this meet as well as surprising and maybe pissing off some people.
no-go-deacs!
Thanks for the continued support!
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