2010 GOLD CUP CHALLENGE "Recap"

Friday Oct 22nd, Joey and I get on the road and head toward Bridgeport to pick-up Tom, another member of Team CT Weightlifting (currently he's 22nd in the nation in the 85kg class).
TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC...arrival in Bridgeport.....Depart for Moorestown NJ...TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC...arrival at the not so great Red Roof Inn (it had a nice mix of Junkies hanging around the lobby and roaches in the room).

Saturday Oct 23rd, weigh-in at 12pm and start warms-ups at 1pm. Joey was planning on competing in the 85kg class, but he weighed in at 85.2kg and had to bump up to 94kg class (I made fun of him for being fat and to rub salt in the wound we would have placed 2nd or 3rd in the 85kg class)..anyway I weigh in light at 90kg and that was the start of a not so great meet for me. As I began to warm-up for the Snatch, I just could not get loose. I was planning on opening up with 80kg, but when I took my last warm-up with 75kg, I went up, but it didn't feel right.

I take my first attempt w/ 78kg, MISS out in front, I shake it off and then start to get a good adrenaline rush. Second attempt w/ 78kg, MISS it goes up way to fast and I lose it behind...At this point, I was in the position that if I missed my next Snatch I will not be able to total and that would suck ass. Gary (Coach) comes over too me and gives me his usual WTF look and I tell him that I just can't get loose..."G" tells me to just make this lift and we'll worry about C&J's. I approach the platform and nail 78kg no sweat...its just one of those things in weightlifting...

Joey is up for his first attempt Snatch at 80kg...easy lift. Second attempt is 85kg and Joey starts his first pull with his arms and misses the lift. What to do now??? Gary walks up to Joey and tells him to move his grip out just a little and nail the lift, but not 85kg...oh no "G" has Joey attempt 88kg which would be a 4kg PR and a weight that Joey has never even attempted. Joey takes a wide grip on the bar and nails a PR 88kg Snatch....Joey then leaves the platform and tells Gary and me that he is never going to waste his time with anything under 90kg at a meet again.....

Clean and Jerk time, my warm-ups are the same as the Snatch, I can't seem to get loose and when I take my last CJ at 95kg, it feels heavy....shit my goal was to PR with 105kg today. I take my first attempt with 98kg and make a good lift. My second attempt was 102kg and it also was a good lift. I take a crack at 105kg and with perfect form I'm able to get under the bar and I make it about 3/4 of the way up and loose the lift!! I totaled with a 180 which was the same total as the CT Open Meet in August. I felt this meet was a great "learning" experience and I'm more motivated then ever to compete again.

Joey opens with 122kg CJ and nails the lift easy. After talking with "G", Joey decides to go big and takes 127kg for his second attempt. Joey nails the Clean, but misses the Jerk out in front. Joey takes another crack at 127kg, and makes the Clean look even easier the second time, but once again misses the Jerk out front. Joey finishes with a PR total of 210kg.

Once again thank you to Coach Gary Valentine and the rest of Team Connecticut for a great weekend....Oh yeah and the trip back to CT.....TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, 1HR at GW Bridge, TRAFFIC....I hate New Jersey.