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
4 comments:
Nice collection of wisdom from the meet! It was an honor lifting with you, and I second your appreciation of both Chip and Tommy Kono.
Paige! Thanks for stopping by. It was an honor lifting with you as well, and wow, did you kick ass! We'll have to do this again sometime.
Congrats on those lifts! Nice work. I'm mega jealous that you were able to meet and talk with Tommy Kono. Love it!
Thanks, Nick! Tommy Kono was completely awesome. Blew me away.
And you just did some strongman stuff, right? Most excellent! I had no idea there was strongman going on in PDX
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