American Open!

It was my first national meet back!!! i cant say i did amazing or had a crazy total but i had fun and i remembered what it felt like standing alone on the platform in front of the judges with something to loose. I MISSED IT! leading up to the competition i kept a little diary to share with you guys to see the struggles i'd say a lot of athletes go through going into it.

for starters i train in Boise, ID but my coach just had knee surgery so he wasn't going to be there to coach me at the meet. so i went home to Florida for my club coach to see me train and coach me at the meet.

2 weeks out:
I arrived in florida today i'm starting to get a little bit nervous but i'm so excited to be home and see my family and friends. When i walked into the gym the other lifters that are going to the American Open right away approached me they seem just as anxious as i feel. We talked about flight info and hotel rooms and lifting schedules. Our coach like always before nationals is really excited he cheers for my lifts saying things like "2 weeks! or this is what we'll open with!"

1 week:
I've been having a hard time sleeping i dont know if it's the time change or just because my mind is running around like crazy. I'm starting to feel a little like i'm not ready. My training hasn't been fantastic and i'm not sure i feel confident with the numbers i originally planned on using as first attempts on the platform. Maybe it's too soon to compete. When i decided i wanted to make another run i wanted to not lift in a meet till i was back to my old numbers and i'm close but i'm not quite there yet.

Time to travel:
OK so i slept like 2 hours last night but i'm ready. I feel good. My body weight is pretty light but i'm trying to eat everything in sight and stay hydrated. I talked to a friend about competition and realized i need to trust my training. I did everything i needed to do and i did it well. I'm really excited to lift and to watch when i'm done. I haven't seen a national meet in two years almost now. I don't want to start to focus on the lifts or start visualizing or any of that yet it's too early i just want to get there and relax.

Thursday night (i lift friday):
The lifting schedule changed so i'm not lifting till friday night which is good and bad i'll have to find something to do during the day so i dont get tired or stiff from sitting around. I had a good training session today it was fun seeing all my friends i haven't seen in a long time! it's nice to see they're happy to see me too. It feels like a little welcome back :) I'm really excited to be here. Hopefully i sleep well tonight.

Friday morning:
I FINALLY SLEPT! My plan for the day: get adjusted by the chiropractor watch some lifting not a lot rest but dont sit down all day and maybe around 2pm i'll get up and stretch a little bit. I have a teammate lifting at 4 maybe i'll watch that session but then go back upstairs then check weight.

later:
ok, since i'm 55.6kg i should probably go eat.


Before the meet i felt really energetic and excited i wasn't too focused, too calm or too much of anything (besides maybe weighing too light) I warmed up and smiled the entire time i went 4 for 6 and loved every second of it. Thank you to all my family that came to watch and all my friends that supported me throughout the journey. i love you all! -Jessica