I cleaned UP at the Clackamas County Fair! Two first places for B&Ws (still life of chain called Links to Strength and scenic of Champoeg Park), second for the lamp still life, third for B&W frosted leaves,honorable mention for aerial photo over Nevada.
Raking in ribbons for photos at a huge county fair!
Tommy Kono Open V
Magical weekend at the Tommy Kono Open V. Took second in women's 63 KG division. Snatch 37, C&J 48. More importantly, my form has improved since previous competitions.
Stayed with the great Chip Conrad and loved visiting his gym Bodytribe, where Tommy Kono spoke the morning after the meet - an intimate group, an unforgettable hour. A lengthier post is sure to come. Meanwhile, here are some photos from the meet, taken by the highly talented Allyson Goble.
10 Things I Learned at the Tommy Kono Open
1. Having tape at a meet is like having cigarettes around smokers. People will come out of the woodwork to bum some.
2. The pull from the floor should be perfectly smooth, like diving into a pool and making no ripple. (Tommy Kono)
3. If the first pull is aligned correctly, the bar will accelerate naturally. (Tommy Kono)
4. Very few people lift perfectly (Tommy Kono). That's in the world. Period. So maybe I can lighten up on myself a little as I work on my flaws.
5. The shrug is not to bring the bar higher, but to bring the body lower. (Tommy Kono) And almost no one shrugs, sayeth Tommy.
6. In going from a 20KG bar in training to a 15 KG bar in a meet, there's really no difference (to me). If anything, some folks swear the lighter bar goes up more easily. I was anxious about using a 15KG for a C&J for the first time, but I forgot all about it on the platform and didn't even notice. Meanwhile, I appreciated the 15KG in snatch warm-ups.
7. I don't need to see the flag, the judges or the lights. I was oblivious to all three and yet was in synch with the commands due to practice, familiarity and the energy of the room.
8. My nerves are monumentally difficult to quell in a meet.
9. Various states of mind do not affect my lifting much. I have hit the same numbers totally relaxed out of a nap, joyfully kicking ass on a macho high, and fretting myself silly in supreme seriousness. So let's just lift.
10. Tommy Kono and Chip Conrad are both unique and magnificent beasts who contribute to the betterment and beauty of the world and communities around them. I did already know that, but now I realize it on much deeper levels. And I'm honored to be associated with both.
Tommy Kono on perfect practice
"People say practice makes perfect, but I say practice makes permanent. ... When someone says to me, "I haven't worked out in two weeks," I say, "Good, that's two weeks you didn't make a mistake."
Chip coaches me between lifts. Photo by Allyson Goble
Penhallow Band "Living on the Moon"
My friend Jill Robinson is drummer. If you're in the extreme NE, check them out live.
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