Competition bound!

[Catrin]

The link isn't working, but I've heard very good things about her. The very first woman to qualify!

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Here is another link that is working, at least I hope it works for others. This little lady just plain kicks butt and takes names, she is awesome!

[Catrin]

My coach put us through our very first 2 sets of full 10-minute competition rounds yesterday. 10 minutes of jerks, 15 minute rest, 10 minutes of snatches. It may not sound like much but it is...it is! The jerks were fine, my weak arm started tiring halfway through the snatches on that side so I had to cut the second set a little short. Not bad for a stubborn old broad on her first two competition sets! A total of 182 reps between the two lifts! Quite the confidence builder.

This picture was taken afterwards, and that smile is one of relief :-) I was pumped all day yesterday about this, and NO repercussions from the work. Thankfully our coach didn't warn us so we had no idea what he had in store for us. That is preferable than thinking about it all of the previous night! I don't even appear to be sweating in this picture, but the facility we were at is VERY cold! Also got to try out my lifting shoes for the first time, and I decided they had magic powers :-) They are expected at competition so I figured it was time to start training in them. All joking aside, even at MY level I found they made quite a difference, especially as I became fatigued.

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[Crankin]

That sounds extremely challenging! You must really love it!

[Catrin]

That sounds extremely challenging! You must really love it!

Yes, I do Crankin! I love the challenge, but it is even better because a mere 5 months ago I literally wasn't capable of getting ANY kettlebell, of any weight, over my head with ANY kind of lift. That was after working with my former intense coach for 22 months! 5 months later, I am preparing to compete as a beginner It is the crowd of strangers that will be in front of me that has me a bit nervous. My coach says he knows how to prepare us for that, so that will be interesting!

[ridebikeme]

I'm so excited for you Catrin! It seems like you have come a long way, here's to hoping that this is simply the start of your journey. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

[Catrin]

Thanks for the encouragement! Today my coach put me through an even LONGER set, well, not really, it was just divided up differently. Instead of 2 ten-minute non-stop sets. I had five sets that added up to 20 minutes of lifting, this time all of the same lift. He gave me a pace to set and I did it. The surprise was that, at the end, I didn't feel like I was done. For the first time, I could have done more, and I had just completed 221 jerks!!!! Granted, beginner weights are light but still, I am very pleased :-)

[ridebikeme]

Glad to hear that you are enjoying yourself and progressing! Keep up the good work Catrin!!

[Catrin]

Things are still going well, and my shoulder lockout gets better every week! WHO KNEW that this is what my shoulder needed to "get over" the consequences of all of those multiple injuries over the years. Of course it helps to have a coach who has been doing this for over 40 years - he KNOWS what he is doing!

Mimi is one of my role models - 67 years old, she just won her THIRD Swiss championship. This video shows her playing with the 8KG (snatch) for 10 minutes (full competition timed set) - and happened to set a personal record for herself, I think she did this after her official competition set earlier that day. Since the weight is lighter than what she normally snatches with she is belting them out. Her motto is "never stop", and she doesn't until the clock runs out. I hope I am like her in another 13 years ;-)

[OakLeaf]

So glad you've found something your shoulder likes!