As you turn towards the platform you see your arch enemy lying there waiting for you. He has your failure already planned out but you know he is not prepared for the fight that you are about to bring. You grab him firmly in your strong hands, feeling as if you could shatter him with your grip alone. You get into your start position feeling all of your blood and emotion coursing through every pore of your body like electricity running through high wires. The second you start your pull you smash him into your hips, driving him upwards into utter weightless-ness. As you catch him on the way down and stand up, you know you've won this battle. Having destroyed him in victory you slam him down hard onto the cold platform.
This is only a small subset of the time that you will spend at any given competition. What takes place the rest of the time leading up to that will greatly influence your mindset and success as a weightlifter. I have read more articles than I care to remember and I have listened to more coaches and athletes of all calibers. All of whom are trying to convince you that their way is the better way,the only way... the superior mouse trap if you will. But I've never heard someone talk about what happens the other 90% of the time during a meet and how best to handle it.
I've had to learn on my own, (just as all of the athletes that have come before me) how to handle the down time in a way that will benefit me the most and give me the best chance for success. Every person is different, so there many different ways to prepare for your day of personal battle. All I can do is tell you about my experiences and what works for me. Like with anything, you must try and experiment to find out what works best for you.
My first foray into competitive Olympic Weightlifting was a real eye opener to say the least. I was nervous to the point of nausea the entire week before and it got considerably worse as I got closer to the venue. I made many mistakes such as: don't arrive too early, know your weigh in time and know your sessions beginning time. I got to the event three hours before I needed to be, so inorder to calm my nerves I put on my headphones and began to warm up. Unfortunately for me my warm up is fifteen minutes long, so I would warm up...then cool down...then get spooked that I'd be too cool and lock up, so I would warm up again (I repeated this process for the next three hours).
By the time weigh In's came, I was mentally and physically exhausted. From that point on, all the weights felt heavy to me and I couldn't help but to worry about my performance and how it would suffer because of my mistakes. Suffice to say I was not in a good mental place at all. My time eventually came and I didn't do half as bad as I thought I would, but I knew I could do a whole lot better. I left that day tired and exhausted and I felt the after shock of it for the next few days.
My next goal is to compete at the American Masters in Georgia in early November. I am on a great program, I have a fantastic coach whom I trust implicitly and I have a sound nutritional plan to be at weight without having to "diet" or "cut weight". I feel good and I look forward to this next goal and accomplishing everything that I have set for myself.
A few weeks ago as I walked into the gym, my coach looked up at me and said "your competing at the MDUSA meet in October right?" To be fair, he was asking me, but I knew he wasn't really asking, more like informing. Without knowing any of the details I said yes of course I was. I firmly believe all athletes should emphatically trust their coaches, if you don't... you don't have the right coach for you.
I had exactly two weeks to prepare for this "surprise meet" and I'm smack in the middle of training for the American Masters in November, so I knew right away I would not be at my typical competition body weight. I compete as a 105KG lifter, but in training I'm usually around 110KG. To put the cherry on the top was a little fun fact that my wife sprung on me at the last minute. We would be attending a birthday get together for one of the doctors she works with the night before this competition and we would be out late, oh boy. Not the way you want to start out at any competition.
This scenario had all the tell tale signs of warranted panic. But unlike the last meet, I quickly adopted the mindset that I would do what I could to prepare as best I could, but I wasn't going to worry about it no matter what. I did taper my training and for two weeks and I cleaned up my diet, I even had a lite salad for dinner the night before the meet. I intended on staying at the birthday party just long enough to wish him well and then off to bed so I could get a good eight hours of sound sleep.
Two o'clock in the morning and a bunch of beer and wine and even a "birthday cake shot" (yes, it actually tasted like birthday cake) later, I was finally in bed. I had set my alarm for seven the next morning and had a hour and thirty minute drive with a ten AM weigh in time ahead of me. The alarm seemed to go off before I knew it and as I got up, old Mr. Hangover was sitting squarely on my head. I was slow getting up and getting ready to go. I only allowed myself one small cup of coffee to try and deal with my head until after weigh ins.
I just kept telling myself on the drive to the meet, "it's just for fun" and don't be too serious. I got to the meet a few minutes earlier than I expected, and almost immediately I was put to work judging the women's session. Luckily for me I was able to judge with a few guys that I really look up to in the world of weightlifting (one of them is even on the worlds team...James Tatum). Hungover...yes, having fun...yes, worried at all about how I would do that day...not at all.
After weigh In's (btw, I was at 110.3 so I should have had the steak instead of a salad, Grrrr), I went to the warm up area. I would be one of the last guys in my session to go, opening with the 2nd highest snatch. So as everyone around me hurried to get ready, I calmly ate my banana and sipped my water. I took my fish oil and B-12 pills and slowly began my ritual of taping up and getting ready. I even found time to take notice of a younger lifter next to me who was having wrist issues. I offered my back up wrist wraps and even adjusted his wrist for him (I'm in school to be a chiropractor). He and his coach were both thoroughly grateful and we exchanged contact information.
I know typically, the warm up room is where you prepare for war and get inside you own head, but today I felt different. Like no pressure could get to me. I finished getting ready and waited for my coach to tell me the weights and reps to warm up with, so I sat in my chair talking to an older guy who had been in weightlifting for over forty years. His love for this sport was just as strong as mine and I enjoyed his company and conversation about the old days of the sport. I did my warm up lifts at my coaches calling, mixing in time for conversation and joking in between. I no longer had my hangover and I felt great, I was calm and in good spirits.
My coach came into the warm up room and gave me the look and said it was time. I immediately stood up, switching gears seamlessly into a focused warrior. I walked towards the platform in confidence and determination. I did great that day, setting two new competition PR's (Personal Records). Even though I missed my last attempt on both the snatch and clean & jerk, I had won. I was victorious that day, I not only lifted good, but I had conquered my fear and nervousness. I stayed around for the next session and I even volunteered to judge it. I had a great time doing that with a few great people (one woman who is also on the worlds team, Morghan King).
I had found the best possible way for me to succeed that day and the recipe was simple...just take it easy. In weightlifting a competition can be a scary place for a new lifter, but it's important to take the time to relax and enjoy the experience. After all, we are not in the Olympics fighting for gold...yet. My advice to any novice weightlifter who is going to compete or anyone who is scared to compete, is to put yourselves out there. Take that step out of your comfort zone and go for it, it's only you against you...it's really no big deal. Like the first time you dive off the high board into a pool...it is scary, but if you push past that fear, it's fun as hell and you cant wait to do it again and again!
Take your time and know you basics...what time is weigh In's; what time does your session start? Other than that, just go and have fun...keep in mind that this whole experience is just for fun. It doesn't matter what you lift, how many lifts you make or even if you bomb out, it only matters that you have fun. Fun is what will foster your love for this sport, and fun will keep you returning to fight another day. Another thing to keep in mind is that ALL of the worlds greatest weightlifters bomb out and continue to make mistakes, so don't hold yourself to an unattainable standard. Lastly, you will meet some of the most generous and caring people in the community of weightlifting. These strangers will immediately be your support system encouraging you on and being there for you when you need them, after all we are one big weightlifting family.
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