The COVID Comp
Every competition is another opportunity to learn
My 8th powerlifting meet is in the books! After 9 months of COVID restrictions, we were finally able to have a face-to-face comp, and it was a very strange experience…
The good news:
🥇 Gold medal for my weight & age (M1 63kg)
🥈 Silver medal for the 63kg open class
🚨 Beautiful 5kg pr on #squat with plenty more in the tank
✅ Added a little bit more to my total, more than enough to earn my place at Nationals in Feb.
The less good news:
🎀 Tied comp max for #bench & #deadlift, even though I’ve lifted more at home this year.
💭 It’s been a year since my last comp and now that this one is over, I realize I forgot everything I learned last year. Today did not go the way I wanted, but it did provide me with some important reminders that I can take into Nationals in Feb.
An opportunity to learn…
1️⃣ I need to stay focused on me & not let myself get distracted by my surroundings.
🎪 A lot was going on today, from my first time in 9 months being in a packed room with no masks (also my first time in 9 months being a packed room, also my first time in 9 months being around other people), to
👶🏼 some shitty childish behavior in the warm up room that pissed me off so much I confronted the same person twice, to
💻 technical difficulties with liftingcast which caused delays (and me to lose my cool advocating for all the lifters), to
🐣 supporting an (absolutely lovely) newer lifter throughout the meet. Which was definitely a highlight of the day. I think I would really enjoy being a handler if I was not lifting myself.
❤️ Some of that was great (I love helping other lifters), but most of that just distracted me from what I was there to do. I know I need to shut all that out and focus on me, but I forgot. It was a lot. All at once.
2️⃣ I need to force myself to eat. I have learned from experience that I need to eat before deadlift.
🤦🏻♀️ But I was just so distracted today that I ate breakfast, and then a bubble tea and that was it. Not enough for me to pull what I wanted for deadlift.
3️⃣ I need to compete regularly. Competing is a skill and having a whole year “off” is not something that works well for me (clearly).
🎁 So, although today was not the day I wanted, I still set a total PR. And now I’ll be more prepared for Nationals in Feb.
Meet Highlights
🌈 It didn’t go as planned, but I’m going to intentionally focus on the positive so I don’t let myself get lost in what could have been, but instead recognize what I did.
1️⃣ #Squat PR at 120kg
❤️ Pleased with this because I had just attempted the same weight for my second and my right foot moved just before I got the rack command so I missed the lift. Sometimes little technical things like that can get in my head, but I didn’t let it.
❤️ Pleased with this because I am often stubborn about technical fails and will go up anyway, but I made the right call in taking the weight again and nailing it.
❤️ Pleased with this, because depth. This is the absolute best this weight has ever moved.
❤️ Pleased with this because I clearly have more. Was planning to go to 125kg for my third, and I’m very confident I would have had it, if I hadn’t stumbled on my second.
2️⃣ Match #bench comp max at 60kg
❤️ Pleased with this because it moved better than any attempt at 60 has over the last year. Felt easy, pause was solid. I generally have low expectations for bench so when I can build some confidence, that’s always good.
3️⃣ Match #deadlift comp max at 140kg
💔 This is the hardest one to be happy about. I pulled 145kg in my last week of training for this meet and almost locked out 150kg on the same day. I did not expect this lift to be this hard.
❤️ I am pleased that I took much larger jumps in the warmup room and between my last warmup & opener. That’s something we’ve been working on, just needs more practice.
❤️ Pleased with this overall because I took what was there on the day instead of overshooting and going for what I wanted on this attempt (145kg), which is what I often do.
4️⃣ The expression I make when I recognize I just don’t have another lift in me for this day. I was real animated on the platform today 🤡
❤️ Kind of a random thing to be pleased about, but I always have fun competing. The energy on the platform was great. The spotting & loading team was wonderful. It’s fun to have fun up there (more fun when I hit my numbers, but still fun).
Always Grateful
🇹🇭 So grateful to have the opportunity to compete here in Thailand!
🔥 I love competing for the environment and energy, the experience of being judged at my sport, the opportunity to learn, and most of all, because I get to share the platform with other amazing, strong ass women who love the sport as much as I do!
🥇 🥈 🥉 So honored to share the podium with @missnobodyisherenow and @rach3oc, and the platform with @nurkigurung@nitilifts@ssaritagfit85@thanyavoness (among others).
🥇🥈 Proud to take home two medals and beat my own national record for #squat. Next time I’m coming for you #bench and #deadlift.
🙏 Thank you to the @thaipowerlifting team for working so hard for us! We are so lucky to have the opportunity to compete at this level! Admin crew, technical team, judges, spotters and loaders, you all made the day a success. Thank you!
👀 Already looking forward to Nationals in Feb!