2011 Nationals

I bombed out for the first time in my life at this years nationals. While it was sweet to become a two-time qualifier it is bitter to have bombed out. My weigh-in was scheduled for 6:30am and lifting for my session began at 8:30am, this was a little earlier than I was used to for maximum performance. Non-the-less I made it to the weigh-in and warm-ups in snatch went as planned with no misses back stage. I came out for my 101 opener and behind me it went, the next two attempts were closer and closer but still out the back door they went. This all seemed to have happened in a flash as if the three attempts were all just one attempt and boom I was out. I went backstage and took my shoes off, I'd never bombed out before and I thought the day was over. It dawned on my later that I was going to have to pull myself together and clean and jerk. I wasn't exactly in the right state of mind at this point and when clean and jerk warm-ups began my lifts felt uncomfortable at best. Somehow I squeeked in my opener at 135 as originally planned. There was a dozen attempts untill my next attempt 140, I cleaned it well and I was starting to feel a good rush of adrenaline flowing through me, it felt good. I lifted the weight overhead but one arm didn't lock out and must have pressed out. I got called on it and three red lights I believe. A dozen attempts later I came out for 145, an attempt that would save face somewhat if that's possible. I pulled on it and racked it forward and on my heels. It kicked me on my ass and the day was over. I went 1/6. Looking back throwing two sessions in per day two weeks before Nationals was maybe a mistake, that's a big change right before a big show, but at the time it was hard to argue with the 108 snatch one week out that it yielded. Other than that I regret going so light leading up to the competition. My body and mind were getting very used to lifting heavy all the time and I believe a negative shock can happen when I all of a sudden did the light weights. I remember my last session everything feeling very tight and unrelaxed. The light workout didn't shake all of that out, but perhaps a heavier workout would have got some of that out of my system. I saw personally the guy that won my session, who jerked 145, went up to 130 the day before. Sometimes it's not a bad idea to "check" if everything is in order.