For most of the week an afternoon cup of coffee isn't even an option for me, so I try to savour those rare days when I do get one. Like today. In my cup is Casi Cielo, my absolute favourite Starbucks coffee which is only available for a limited time each year. I wouldn't be exaggerating by saying that I easily have a dozen or more bags of Casi Cielo in my pantry. I just love it!
Today feels kind of weird but not at all in a negative way. I went to the gym early in the morning for my last heavy bench session before competition next weekend, and I had a massage later in the morning. My bench presses felt a bit heavy and awkward, more than I think they should, but the pain in the shoulder was perhaps the lowest it has been in months. I guess I can call that a win?! The massage was both painful and lovely at the same time. As my chiropractor has pointed out to me, I am strong enough again now that foam rolling isn't enough to keep my muscles from getting tight. And naturally, every chiropractor and massage therapist is able to find every single tight or tender spot on your body, especially the ones that you never even knew existed until they start poking around. These massages are not your spa day relaxation feel good massages. Nope. These are the dig deep and hard into your muscles and proceed to inflict more trauma upon them kind of massages. The kind where the RMT asks how you're doing and you say you're just trying to breathe. Yup. The good news though, I guess, is that the right glute/hamstrings were less painful than the last massage, but the eyeball popping pain from the upper back/traps might negate that good news.
It is an absolutely beautiful day, warm and sunny. A few windows have been opened, and I'm enjoying the fresh air whenever it wafts into the room. I have done some housework and laundry is in progress, but I am not feeling particularly motivated to do a whole lot more today aside from making dinner.
Competition is 8 days away. The shoulder is improving but I know that it will still be an issue next week. A few months ago, I had hopes of breaking my personal best bench press in competition, but the past few weeks have made me grapple with the fact that I might need to be happy with not improving in that area at this competition. That sucks knowing that I set new personal bests in the gym over the past six months and that I haven't set a new personal best in competition in more than five years, but that's how this sport is sometimes. My heaviest bench press this morning was 135 pounds. It felt heavy and slow, but it is not even 3 pounds less than my competition best. My bench press can be fickle and the shoulder is an issue, but one never knows what can happen on the platform.
My weight is at a good place right now. When I submitted my registration for this competition, I had to select my weight class. I had been contemplating that decision for a while before registration even opened, because my weight at that time was just slightly over the class I wanted to be in but I also didn't want to bother with a water cut this time. While higher level competitions require you to make weight in order to compete, this particular competition is not so strict and I would still be allowed to compete even if I end up weighing over my class (I'd just be moved up to that class). It's not a big deal to be in one weight class or the other, especially for someone like me who isn't a high level athlete, but I have just enough ego to want the lowest weight class that is reasonable for me to be in. So I've been cleaning up my diet as much as I can with my highest focus on these last couple of weeks before. My weight this morning was the lightest I've been in a long time and comfortably below the threshold, but I also know that weight fluctuates daily and throughout the day. Ideally I want to be able to enjoy a bowl of Fruit Loops next Friday night as one of my pre-competition traditions, and I'd like to be able to have a doppio espresso Saturday morning before weigh-in. And if I don't make weight, I don't make weight and I compete as an 84+kg lifter instead of an 84kg lifter. I'm really only competing against myself anyway regardless of which weight class I end up next week!
My routine will be switched up a little bit next week, too. Instead of four training days, I think it is dropping down to 2 simple sessions of squat, bench, and deadlifts at lower weights and single reps. This is my deload/peak week before seeing what the past few months of hard work has done for me. This is not the week for new adventures, going for long runs, or deviating from the important wellness routines, such as sleep. If I could live wrapped in bubble wrap for the next week, I would, because I've definitely hurt myself (a stitch in a finger, a box fallen onto my neck) in the weeks leading up to a competition more than once. I want to be the best that I can be when I step onto the platform.
My cup of coffee has been empty for a while now. The lingering flavour in my mouth leaves me wanting more, but I should really pull out my water bottle and keep myself hydrated. It's the right thing to do any day, not just eight days out from competition.
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