Oh look, Juliet is talking (whining) about kettlebells...AGAIN

45.5, hot in my reading glasses, yo 

I lift kettlebells because I love LOVE lifting them. The technical aspect keeps me from ever getting bored (like having a child, it's never boring and often frustrating), the fact that I am actually a decent lifter at the age of 46 (I know! I only look 45.5)  feeds my vanity and helps my self esteem.

I am getting ready to compete in Chicago at the WKC worlds. I registered in June (being the super organized lady I am) thinking I had sooo much time to train. How the fuck did it get to be four weeks away? I feel like I've procrastinated, but I know I haven't. I just don't feel like I'm getting any better.

i perish...

My training protocol is brutal right now. I'm almost into stage 4, when I start to taper so I don't explode into little pieces when I compete. Stage 3 is the hardest stage, I am under the bells either at a brutal pace, numbers or weight. I often can't/won't finish sets*, actually I am shocked when I can. My body constantly feels beat up and I am exhausted. I do my last viciously hard set, why...TOMORROW. I cringe just thinking about it.

tether? i'll show you tether...

*Note-often when I can't finish sets it's because my mind tells me "nofuckingway...NOFUCKINGWAY" and I put the bell down. This is a different type of failure than the physical donsies. This is the mental quitsies, and is much more insidious.

Here is a conversation I had with my glorious (read-big meanie) coach after I put the bell down early in a set:
me-"I'm at the end of my tether!!!"
jwb-"no, you're not."
me-(almost in tears) "But...I just...am..."
jwb-"you're not."

who doesn't love sexy anime cheerleaders?

And he's right. I am not at the end of my tether (the husband has informed me that rope would be the correct noun in this saying, but fuck him) I am at the end of stage 3, about to start my competition season at a much higher level than last year. So on a positive rah-rah note, with very little eye rolling, I am better, WAY better. I am ready for the next two competitions. I have trained hard, I have competed many times in the last 2 years and have done well. I look forward to being on the platform and doing my best, I always do in competition, it's where I thrive. I can snuff out the mental quitsies when I compete, all that hard work and frustration finally pays off.

UPDATE-it's the next day, I did the way hard set today. I didn't do the numbers in the time I wanted, but I held onto the bell.