Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Ever So Bigger Snatches

Today was a tough one getting out of bed. We had a very nice, comfortable, cool night here in NY. Temperature was just right so that it made you want to stay under the covers and enjoy the contrast between the cool air on your face and the warmth of the blankets.

But that was not to be had for me. I had Snatching to do!

Each morning as I start to rise, my attention always immediately shifts to my shoulders. A conditioned response from years of shoulder injuries and their associated discomforts. As of late, I then scan down each arm and checking in with each forearm. I flex my elbows a bit, then rotate my wrists, checking for the "state of injury". I wasn't sure what to expect this morning as a result of yesterday's Snatches. Yesterday was the first day in a long while that I performed anything that resembled a real Snatch workout. This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find no new pains! Forearms still hurt from my ongoing saga, but yesterday's session did not make them any worse. And shoulders feel good! Hurray!! My lower back is pretty tight, but considering how long I spent holding a kettlebell overhead yesterday, it's understandable. And it's nothing that won't be fixed with some stretching.

So today I had planned to perform a similar Snatch workout as yesterday, only to increase the weight and decrease the volume. And here's the result...

Snatch: 16kg - 1 rep every 8 seconds - 15/15

That's it. Four minutes in total, 30 Snatches. Once I completed this round, I was still feeling good enough that I considered going through a shorter round using the 20kg. But that wasn't part of today's plan. First, I have to see how I feel tomorrow morning. This is going to be a long and steady process for me. I'm not going to get overzealous again and risk more injuries. Slow and steady. Only 120 days to RKC, the uphill climb has just begun.

Tomorrow is a rest day. On Friday I start the Brett Jones Prep Sessions again. Things are looking promising. Swing 'em high everyone!

3 comments:

Gabi said...

I'll give this a go, too :)
I was so after speed in the last couple of months, VO2Max and the like, time to re-learn to rest at the top. Also, reading Dave's suggestion about counting breaths instead of reps makes me remember how I liked breathing ladders last year. I'll also continue with VO2Max but these could serve as a nice antipode some of the time.

Howie B said...

I learned that the 8 seconds lets me take 2 comfortable breaths at the top. Seems like a good pace for me at this time. As my cert weekend gets closer, I'll start increasing the speed as well.

Franklin said...

I am following your progress carefully as I know well enough to "stand on the shoulders of giants". This is a great plan and I admire your restraint in its execution.

Your morning injury check really gave me big smile .. I have been doing this every day at least the past 15 years.