Champions Rise

This week of training and work has literally FLOWN by. I am currently at the NCAA championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Being at the indoor meet is a first for me. The closest I ever came to making an NCAA Championship was coming within one spot my senior year in 2004. Watching the women’s weight and the track events yesterday really made me appreciate how much I really have accomplished since 2004. Although I will never have the “All American” credentials, and have never made NCAA’s, I have worked hard and proven that I am one of the best in the country. I have been determined to place in the top 4 at the USA National indoor meet, and top 8 in the outdoor USA National meet for the past six years (except indoors this year, lol). The women’s weight field was impressive with first through third places all placing with personal bests and strong marks. Watching the mental capacity of some of the athletes who entered the meet with big marks was interesting to observe. Some of the women who did not make finals or who were seeded much higher than they finished, seemed to crumble under the pressure of the meet. Better athletes and technicians were beat by those less technically sound, but who COMPETED well. Watching the women’s weight yesterday solidified my belief that on the day of a big competition the winners will be those who have the mental capacity to COMPETE and RISE to the challenge. The same is true for the USA level meets. Previous marks will only get an athlete so far, once at the meet, its “competitors compete and champions rise”!

My training week has been solid once again. My weight room stats continue to be above anything I have put together in the past. Monday night was a bit of a challenge as I couldn’t get my workout started until 8:45. Its nights like this when I would much rather get ready for bed and unwind instead of heading to the garage and pumping iron for an hour. But the feeling of accomplishment when I have finished one of these workouts after a long day of work make me believe that I have the fortitude to accomplish my lofty goals. My sets that night went really well considering I was lifting well past my typical bedtime. My clean pulls are moving up, my sets of 2x5, 2x4, 2x3 all over 225lbs , my hang cleans were in the 180-190range for reps, then weighted box jumps for 8x5, and a killer core workout.

Tuesday was solid in the ring, I threw 10 throws with the 16# on a 15” wire, with my range between 85-92’, then took 15 throws with the 4k, with a close grouping around 60m. After throws I had a short sprint workout that kinda’ killed my legs, I haven’t done much sprinting in a while, so my two sets of 5x50m wiped me out!

Wednesday was a rough training day, my throws were better off not having been released, I think I got through three sets and decided it was just one of those days for my mental sanity that I decided to stop and drill rather than become more frustrated and get my reps in. Drills went ok, and gave me some insights as to why my throws were not on par for the day. I was rushing out of the back after wind two, and then dropping my hands on the catch for all of my turns. Anyone who knows the hammer well can easily tell you that those two things are a recipe for poor throws. Anyway, from there I had a jump circuit. I had 75 contacts to make total so I broke it into 3x5x5 over the 33” hurdles. I have recently been able to jump the “big girl” hurdles and have been feeling confident about my power output. Wednesday night however, my body was not responding the way I need it to. I was just starting on my third set when I landed with my right shin on the top of the hurdle. Don’t ask me how this was possible, I probably couldn’t ever do it in the same manner again. Obviously landing on the top of the hurdle caused me to fall, land on my face and feel like a total idiot. Not to mention that I was about ready to explode because of the numbing pain. Think about it, nearly 200 lbs of body weight coming down on the small top of a hurdle through my shin. Not too cool. I did my typical roll around on the track in agony, punching the mondo time and again before gritting my teeth and “walking it off”. To my credit was not a pansy, I didn’t cry. I completed my set (my last couple of jumps became more of a one legged bound over the hurdles) and completed my 20 sets of agility ladder exercises for the day. I look at the gash in my shin today and my pathetic bruises and am slightly proud that I still have the “just rub dirt on it and get back into the game” ability. LOL.

I traveled Thursday after work to Arkansas to join up with Derek and the LSU team at the NCAA Championships. Derek and I did a “shake out” late that night (again, starting at 9:45pm…) that consisted of a power-walk alternating with ¼ mile run for 2.5 miles and an abdominal circuit.

Yesterday Derek and I watched the women’s weight throw and spent nearly two hours searching for the mysterious and evasive “other ring” to throw off of. When we finally did find the ring we couldn’t access the circle due to a locked gate and barbed wire. There wasn’t even space for me to crawl under or through like I would typically do, so needless to say we had to resort to drills the past coupe of days. Once again though, my lifts have been going well. Derek found an awesome “hole in the wall” Anytime Fitness where I was able to get my squat day in yesterday. Squats went well, 2x5 @ 315, 2x4 @ 335. I was definitely favoring my right leg and my shin was still sore from my hurdle misshap, but the rest of the workout went well. 5x8 of SLDL, 3x5 jump squat, lat pull downs 5x8 and rotational abdominal circuit.

This morning I was able to get a quick lift in before heading to he men’s weight throw to watch Walter and Max . My lifts were easy today, overhead squat 5x5, snatch pulls 2x5,2x4 , dumbbell snatch 2x4, 1x3 and switches 8x5. Today will be off from the hammer and will get back to the ring when I return to Baton Rouge tomorrow.

Watching Walter and Max compete in the weight throw was quite possibly the most stressful thing I have experienced in a long while. I know how hard both of them have worked all year and how important it was for them to have big performances. I am definitely guilty of living vicariously through them for the competition as were many of those who watched. I’m not going to deny that I was shaking when Walter nearly gave Derek a heart attack with a foul on his first throw, but then settled in on the next two preliminary marks. I thought that Max competed very well for his first time ever at such a big meet, he was able to remain technically sound and improved his seed from 15th to 11th. Walter solidified the ”competitors compete and champions rise” saying. I am proud of how he handled the stress, pressure and expectations that have been put on him for this meet. He was able to keep it together, rise above all, compete with the best in the nation and come out on top. Being in his situation could not have been an easy task, but he had the mental fortitude to overcome it and RISE above all with his first NCAA Championship title. His win marks the first and a very memorable National Champion moment for my husband. It has definitely been a memorable weekend, I am so proud of Derek, Walter and Max! Geaux Tigers!