20/03/2009 - It all starts again....defending titles, increasing totals etc etc etc!
I never really stopped training after the Worlds, although I took it easier in the gym for about a week and relaxed my diet slightly over the Christmas holiday period. I know there's a school of thought that you should step away after a big event to get yourself re-focused and ready for the next challenge - but I'm the type to feel that once I'm on a roll I need to keep going. So I arranged to do my qualifying lifts up in Bradford in January. To ensure you're invited to the British Championships it's compulsory to achieve a certain weight lifted to qualify, and I wanted this done and dusted early in the year so that I could get the training schedule right to peak come April and the British Championships. There's 2 in the same month; firstly it's the 'Singles' which are separate events and I competed in all 3 last year (Squat, Bench, Deadlift). Followed by the British Powerlifting Championships (all 3 events on the same day - much tougher and I much prefer it that way!) just 2 weeks later. This makes April a pretty tricky month to get the training right, stay strong, injury free and be able to peak twice in failry quick sucession. I'm hoping to increase my lifts this year as well as defend my titles and so far training has gone well. I'm fairly stable on my Squat, have increased my strength on Bench so hope to make so big gains. As for Deadlift...well I know how I feel about the Deadlift....! Watch this space for my results in the next few weeks...
26/11/2008 - The World Powerlifting Championships USA - The Aftermath!
I'm still in the USA for my last few days before I return home and I've travelled about 2000 miles and visited 6 states (Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio). I've trained in some local gyms before the competition; Gold's Gym - Bloomington, Cross Fit - Memphis (great gym, great gear and top people there!) and Elizabethtown Sport & Swim Centre.
I had felt fit and healthy on the days prior to the event and when the day came I guess I'd underestimated how much the prior month's excellent totals (and PB's all round!), plus change in food to some extent, staying somewhere different every night, time zone changes and all that driving had affected me. I put alot of pressure on myself to pull the same weight as I did in Belgium and without such close competition I found it hard to perform at that same level. I was incredibly unhappy with my Squat and Bench - but looking back I should be happy that I managed those, given that this is still only my first year of competition and I've improved at each event thus far. By the end of competition day when it was Deadlift time I did feel fired-up (Deadlift always does it for me!) and ready to see what I had. During warm up I realised just how completely fatigued I felt and that my legs and back were already stiff and that maybe the 165kg I wanted might be unachievable. I really didn't want to risk failing an attempt so I opened on 145kg, then 155kg and settled for 160kg last lift. It was a grinder but proved I can still pull a strong lift even when I'm shattered which I needed for my confidence. I made up alot on the Deadlift and had lifted much more than many of the heavier women in the competition, plus I suspect I came top 3 overall across all weight categories. So with that, winning and being World Champion in the 55.5kg weight category, beating my own Deadlift (full power) world record, plus a new world record total weight of 312.5kg; I can't be disappointed!
My goal for 2009? I'll do only Deadlift in Single Lift competitions (because I love the Deadlift and want to compete in it as often as possible), and I'll work, work, work my Squat and Bench to get those full Powerlift totals up.
Plus I WILL get that 3x BodyWeight Deadlift to prove I can do it!!!
16/11/2008 - One Week Until The World Powerlifting Championships!!!
I've been in the USA now for 3 days and spent the first 2 in Chicago where I got used to the time difference, did some shopping and took in the sights. The main exercise I took was lifting my cases and walking around countless streets and shops!
Since then I've picked up my hire car and have left Chicago and travelled 160 miles to Bloomington (Illinois) where today I trained at a Gold's Gym. I did a Bench session and also plenty of core work and felt technically pretty good, strong though didn't push it as now isn't the time to be going for a PB. Diet has been good since I got here as I've managed to steer clear of all the wonderful temptations US cuisine has to offer and on my road-trip I'm booking into Hotel suites with their own kitchen so that I can make my porridge and evening meals and generally stay eating clean. Whilst on the road I've plenty of water and protein snacks including Jerky (Chicken Jerky is particularly tasty!) to keep me going. It's going to be difficult to know what my weight is doing since a weigh-in at a gym at the end of a day isn't going to be the same as a first thing on an empty stomach one. But I'm confident that if I continue to eat clean,often and the right things for the next week then it'll be fine.
It seems strange to think that the Competition is next week, since there's so much to see and do between now and then starting with tomorrow St Louis, then Memphis, Nashville, Elizabethtown, Louisville and then to Evansville the day before the competition to get rested and ready. I'm stretching every day in the hotel rooms to make sure I don't get stiff and making sure I get enough sleep too. I plan to do a Squat and Deadlift session this week, not heavy but tapering down towards next weekend. After that....I think it'll be pancakes, bacon and maple syrup for breakfast every day afterwards as a treat for showing such restraint!
07/11/2008 - The Countdown to The World Powerlifting Championships...
The World Powerlifting Championships in Indianna, USA are just over 2 weeks away and I'm doing my last few gym sessions on home turf. Next week I fly to Chicago, not specifically to meet President-elect Obama, but to start my 2 week road-trip where I'll be visiting, staying overnight and training in 5 different US states. The Championships are the middle weekend I'm there which will give me time to adjust completely to climate, time difference and food whilst keeping the training going right up to a couple of days before. I've no idea who'll be my competition in my 53-55.5kg weight class; competitior lists are never circulated until they're displayed after everyone has weighed-in on the morning of the competition. But as far as I'm concerned I'll be running my own race and aiming to achieve the same competition PB's in Squat and Bench as I did in Belgium and I'm seriously hungry to beat my Deadlift record again.
It's been quite difficult keeping at the peak so soon after Belgium and training for a competition, then the actual event(s) themselves take alot out mentally as well as physically so I've tried to keep momentum going despite having picked up (as usually expected post-comp!) a cold and being a bit physically run-down. But I remain positive about my lifting and the fact that I'm still on an upward curve of improving my lifts. I love the USA and am excited about just going back there - potentially winning the World Powerlifting title would be the icing on the cake!
14/10/2008
It's been a whirlwind of a weekend in Antwerp and I'm completely thrilled with my performance. My main opponent and I had the closest competition I could have wished for which made for a brilliant set of events. Travelling to the event by Eurostar made for a relaxed lead up and I'd planned my food and training to peak specifically over those 3 days. Bodyweight came in exactly as planned too so I knew I was light yet strong.
Day One - My Squat total of 100kg was a competition best for me and I since my opponent and I both lifted the same, but she was heavier, I won on bodyweight. I couldn't have been happier with that since I've only recently made some gains on Squat technique.
Day Two - Bench Press felt comfortable but with another neck and neck match of strength between my main opponent and I meant I think the pressure led me to lose some focus on my last lift, failing at 70Kg and hence falling back to my previous lift of 67.5Kg as my total, bringing me in at 2nd place. I couldn't be unhappy with that since it's again a competition best and I knew what I'd done wrong. I now intend to work on my weak spot and lock out in my training sessions pre-November's competition.
Day Three - Deadlift is always my favourite event and the one in which I feel most confident so I knew how much I wanted to not only win but up my current World Record. Again we both opened on the same weight (145kg), then both lifted 150kg, then finished on 155Kg; again my bodyweight being about a kilo lighter meant I'd won the World Title. Now it was a case of us both being offered a 4th lift to beat my existing World Record. Given the previous massive exertions and the fact that at this point I did not want to risk losing my record I went for 160.5Kg and was thrilled with the lift. And I know I have more in the tank for that much-wanted 3x bodyweight which I plan to do next month in the USA full Powerlifting Championships!
07/10/2008
The Championships are THIS WEEK and I've just had my last training session in the gym. I did all 3 lifts to get the movements ingrained in my muscles and just as importantly, my mind. My Squat technique has been sharpened up quite a bit recently with help from Dave, the owner of my gym (and an ex-Powerlifter himself) and although I know it's not my favourite and best event, I'm much improved.
Benching today also felt pretty comfortable and after this weekend I'm going to experiment with a slightly wider grip as so far I've been pretty narrow trying to protect a previous shoulder injury. So far my tri's have been doing alot of the work and now since strength has improved there too I'm looking to get the chest to do more than it's fair share. But the week of the competition is not a time to change technique so that's one to work on before the World Powerlifting Championships next month.
Deadlifting never feels the same in the gym as it does on the platform as I can never recreate the adrenaline I get from it. So I kept lighter today and technically it was pretty tidy and I stopped lifting at the point where my hands were just starting to crack. Again the last thing I need pre-comp is a problem with grip because my hands haven't healed properly.
So it's all good and I'm confident. I know I have the ability to do well, I am going there with the intention of winning each event and if not having a good tussle with my opponents in the process. Come on The Fox!!!
01/10/2008
It's less than 2 weeks until the first of the World Championships I'll be attending and training has so far been on track.
I've lifted great 1RM's in the gym and have been feeling pretty confident about competing. I'm nervous but also excited about the fact that this is my first year of competing in Powerlifting and I've done well enough to get to what's touted as being the biggest WDFPF (World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation) Singles Championship yet.
The Singles means that the 3 events associated with Powerlifting (Squat, Bench, Deadlift) are run as separate competitions each on a different day. I'll be competing in all 3 hence 3 lots of weigh-ins, 3 nights of sleeping and dreaming of nothing else (!) and 3 days of being mindful of what I eat to keep the weight down but the energy up. Which is all quite a test let alone the actual lifting.
Making weight has never been an issue before but I'm lifting heavier in the gym than before, have upped my protein intake massively and so I'm nearing the top end of my weight category (53-55.5kg). But I'm confident that making weight won't be a problem on the day(s!) as I'm eating lean, clean and drinking water like it's going out of fashion.
I have, however become pretty paranoid about being around anyone with a cold as its the last thing I need right now and any minor sniffle or tickle in the back of my throat sends me into a panic. But I'm told by experienced lifters that this is totally normal and that having feelings of becoming a recluse are also justified. In the meantime I'm putting my faith in good supplements, diet and covering my nose and mouth if anyone sneezes in my general direction.