The 12th Annual Alki Beach Powerlifting Championships.
(Part 1 Statistics and Summary)
The Title of this Blog Entry is borrowed liberally from The 1967 Academy Award Winning Motion Picture "In The Heat Of The Night", Starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger.
THE STATISTICS: -Jody Cranston- 181lbs. Division, 1st Place./Bench Press: 370 lbs.(WABDL) Canadian Record/Deadlift: 557 lbs. Double Bodyweight+ Bench Press and a Triple Bodyweight+ Deadlift. -Robert O Smith- 308 lbs. Division, 1st Place./Bench Press: 562 lbs.(WABDL) World Record. -Nancy Carpenter- 148 lbs. Division, 1st Place/Bench Press: 192 lbs.(WABDL) Canadian Record.
THE SUMMARY: Although I have never been Excited about Lifting Outdoors in the past, and I have Lifted Outdoors, this all changed with this Contest. Thank You Robert O and Nancy for talking me into Alki, I won't miss this Contest again.
Up at 3:15 am. I pick up Robert O and Nancy by 4:20 am and we are on our way! The Ride is smooth with minimal traffic and Border line ups. We arrive at Alki Beach before 8:00 am and weigh in. You know that you are at an Outdoor Meet when Robert O has a weigh-in problem,not his weight, branches from surrounding Trees keep getting in the way of the scale. Time for Breakfast. I've always had problems with what to eat hours before lifting, not any longer. The last few Meets I've left the Menu in the hands of an Expert: Nancy Carpenter. The positive results are immediate, Today's Pre-Contest Meal: Two Poached Eggs, Toast, a shot of Espresso. Perfect. I feel ready to Lift.
~The Bench Press~ The Meet starts on time and the Lifter Flights are short. I feel extremely rushed during my Warm-ups. To add to the challenges the Bench uprights are low, this means I have to do a half lift just to get the Bench into starting position. The Beach has now gotten quite windy. Although those challenges are difficult for a Technique Lifter like myself, The Grizzled Veteran in me knows when I hit the platform it will all be different......or will it.
Time for my Opening Bench Press Attempt: 319 lbs. I have the Bench Up-rights adjusted perfectly and Robert O is my Lift-off Man, also perfect. The bar comes down slow and controlled, than shoots up fast. It feels light. I confidently get up from the Bench already thinking of my Second attempt when I get the News: Two red lights - No Lift. The two side judges said I lifted my butt, which Nancy confirms. I repeat my opener, (text-book strategy) and more determined then ever, nail it: For the Third attempt I lift 341 lbs., it seems surprisingly light.
Time to go for The Canadian WABDL Bench Press Record on my fourth and Final Attempt. 370 lbs, well over Double my Bodyweight!! The "Team" is on. Perfect words of encouragement from Nancy matched by a Perfect Lift-off from Robert O. 370 lbs. Flies up. The Lift is good, no The Lift is Perfect!!
Robert O and Nancy do incredibly well with their Record Smashing Bench Presses. Robert O once again Proves himself to be the Best 65+ year-old Bench Presser on the The Planet by Lifting 562 lbs. with Precise Judging and Technique. I gave Robert O the Lift-offs and believe me, his Lifts would easily stand in any Federation. Nancy Benches 192 lbs. for a WABDL Canadian Record. The fact that Nancy lifted that weight in the 148 lbs. division is Phenomenal. Nancy also doesn't receive any Red lights on any of her lifts. That is nine out of nine White Lights. Awesome!
~The Deadlift~ Like the Bench Press, the warm-ups for the Deadlifts I find extremely difficult, only now there is a Blazing Afternoon Sun to contend with. Being an Outdoor meet, the Deadlift warm-ups are on the grass, anything over 400 lbs. sinks deeper into the Earth! By the time the Bar is loaded to 475 lbs. I have to reach 2 inches farther down to the Bar and therefore pull 2 Inches further up, plus the weights are lopsided. Having said all that, I am really enjoying this meet. The Adverse conditions keep things exciting, interesting.
My opening attempt is 519 lbs. No problem. My second attempt is 557 lbs, seventeen pounds more then Triple my Bodyweight and The Weight flies up fast. I feel ready for more except for one thing, something has really tightened in my Glute-Hamstring Area. Nancy, who is my Deadlift Coach notices that I am limping. After discussing the injury for several minutes, and several strategies, I respect Nancy's expert advise and do not take a Third and Final Attempt (588 lbs.). It's been a Great Meet for all of us, why get injured further, possibly seriously and miss the next one. The Drive home is full of food, stories and laughter. Thank you Robert O and Nancy, this Truly was one for the Books.
(Jody Cranston / Events)
