What a week!!

The last couple of days have been fun. 

Yesterday, Bench Press - 5/4/3/2/1 

I've been stuck in the 140-145 max range for, well, I think it was July or so.  I got 150 once during that time, never to be repeated.  This time, I asked where to start, and we did the same as last time, with the plan to go up 10 lbs each round.   So, I started at 115 for 5, then 125 for 4, 135 for 3, 145 for two - whoops, failed on the 2nd one.  Then 155 for 1.  This was the big one, but I tried really hard to keep the amounts out of my head.  My head always gets in the way.  I brought the bar down, then up, not quite half way, and my right arm just decided to quit. This was one time, I knew I had it.  I was so close, an inch further and it would have been past the sticking point.  We had extra time, so I tried again, and holy cheeseburger!! I got it.   It wasn't necessarily the most beautiful lift, but I got that sucker locked out.  YAY! New PR!

Today was Randy - 75 snatches for time 55#.  Last time we did this I was a bit more than 10 minutes.  This time, the snatches didn't feel bad at all.  The hard part was the cardio aspect, how to  keeping enough oxygen in my lungs so I wouldn't pass out.  I finished this in 8:09.  Damn! That's another PR.  2:00 off my last time!  Have I mentioned that I like snatches a heck of alot more than those freaky cleans?

It's a full moon week, Friday the 13th was yesterday, and a really strange thing is happening.  After a long time of what appears to be little to no improvements in my workouts, I'm suddenly doing really good - getting PR's,  taking big chunks of time off, doing things that I've never done before.  I've been talking to Cheri R, and I told her that right now, she is in a really fun phase, because she can now see where she was and how far she has come.   In the first couple months, the improvements are vast, and apparent.  Then you hit the point where improvements are hidden.  Times don't increase, in fact, sometimes they decrease, the heavy lifting part is stuck in a rut, and won't move.   I feel like I've kind of been in this phase since about July or so.  For a while it was really bothering me, I just couldn't see any improvements at all.  This is when Jonathan's words of "t make sure you mark down exactly what you are doing" kind of set in.  At that point, I started noting, or trying to note, exactly what I was doing.  I had to be brutally honest about it with myself, and I did try to note the range of motion, etc.  This was the only way I had to see if I was doing any better at all, searching for those little improvements that are there, but so very difficult to see.  It's frustrating to be stuck, that's when it's great to have the comeradery of others to keep you doing what you're doing, trying to do better and not left "wallowing in mediocrity" like I usually do.

I must say it certainly is gratifying when that invisible wall is broken down and suddenly you've broken through to the next layer of "fun".    The last week, or so has been crazy, but probably one of the most gratifying weeks I've had.   In retrospect:

Annie - took 8 minutes off

Fran - took 2 minutes off

Fight Gone Bad - added about 5 points (better, but not by leaps and bounds!)

Squats - yeah - these weren't so good.

Did my first Pull to Inverted Hang, granted it was jumping, but I was upside down.

Bench Press - new PR 155

Randy - took 2 minutes off  

So - of the last 7 workouts, 5 of them had huge improvements.  I can't really ask for a better week, I hope these things continue this way!!

Now...if I can only get that dastardly pullup!