Magnetic Pull

You would THINK that since I have been lying around RESTING (resting my proverbial ass off - and that is ALOT of resting!!!!) this past week + that I would have found some time to post in this here blog of mine. That is what one would think, anyway.... I have had too much frustration cursing within to want to touch upon anything that has to do with training, since I have had to abstain. Why, you ask? Couple a bronchial infection with a misaligned rib. Not a pleasant combination. The deep down hacking and coughing severely aggravated what may have been a minor irritation and transformed that into a major annoyance.

My dearly beloved chiropractor has been practicing his trade upon me every day. Progress is ever so slowly being made. And thanks to all of the therapeutic stretching and other tedious, painful but miracuously helpful things I have been subjecting myself to, dear Chiro has been having a much easier time getting things in me to relax and move about. :) :) :)



As a last resort remedy and mostly to appease a client of mine whi is a devout magnetic therapy enthusiast, I slapped a big old magnetic upon my leg one day. Diane suggested I try it, and so to make it that I would not lie to her when I told her I had tried it, I used a megnet that she had kindly given me for my back when I was having back pain ( it didn't work well for the back).

The voodoo Gods have are setting me free! I am, to say the least, flabbergasted, astounded, awed, amazed, thankful, happy.... I can now squat with body weight only all the way butt-to-floor without pain and strain for the first time in over a year! No, I am not ready to squat again, but I will be, I WILL be.... Doubt if ye must, as I once did, but I believe in the benefits of magnetic therapy!



Let me throw in a visual as I have been lax in providing photos lately. This was two weeks ago sissy squating. Do I look tankesque or what?


I am down to a mere 185 today, had been all the way up to 187 + for a few days last week.

Whose going to win the Superbowl??? The STEELERS!!!!!!!!

1/24/2009

Bronchial Infection - that's what I've got...and of course, it's really got me good...or bad, as it may be... :(

so, that is why the steam wasn't there on Tuesday, and it certainly wasn't there Thursday night, though the strength was. I will give a good piece of advice - don't deadlift with a respiratory illness. I was feeling like my lungs were ablaze and were about to burst. You know what your lungs feel like when you run some distance in sub-freezing weather? That's what it felt like.

I couldn't help but deadlift though...we hadn't done them is so very long - the bar was calling to me. Strengthwise I felt good, mentally on the ball....unfortunately the bronchial thing hindered my breathing...oh well, can't have everything....only did two sets. 320 x 10 and 370x 6. Can't wait to do some more when the PowerGoddess is healthy again. However, I am sure that I am feeling the wrath of those and the rest of the workout today because I am feeling B-A-D BAD!!!!

Bad as in NOT GOOD....



The rest of the workout was great - cable rows, stiff arm pull downs, dumbell shrugs, cable curls, down the rack hammer curls...felt big and bloated and sore! All good!

1/21/09

Okeedokee - I believe I have had enough "recovery" training... I will be honest, to more fit the mold of the winning "female bodybuilder", I should be training more now with the higher reps, honing and refining and shaping the muscles. I've already built them.....but H-e- double hockey sticks I need to train heavy.



Had a typically GOOD training day for legs Sunday. Nautilus leg press pausing the reps, breaking the high rep disdain/cardio revoltion with 3 sets of step-up on a bench with 25lb. dumbells. Talk about panting...I'm still panting from those. Sissy squats and leg curls. For calves we went silly and did seated calf exchange, sucha s we do the barbell exchange - 20/18/16/etc. down to 2 then rep out. Wildly effective it was.

Back to benching Tuesday night ...aaaaahhhhh :) I think my strength was bigger than my steam was last night, because I easily did 230 for 10, almost thought I was going to get my first dozen with 230...but my steam petered out first...250 for 6 and 280 for 3...405 for a 15 second static, and it was a damned good static if I do say so myself. Hips and legs stayed very stable, triceps were feeling big and strong....loved it loved it loved it.


I did speed work for legs with Brad again tonight. I hereby refer to Brad as Gymbag - a name we deemed him a few years ago, dumb story, and I just have a hard time referring to him as anything other than Gymbag. I finally got that box squat thing down on the last set - go down then back....We did 6 sets of 3 with the green bands, 4 sets of 5 good mornings, I think 6 sets of 6 stiff legged deadlifts, and 4 or 5 sets of calves on the smith machine.

185

For the past 2 weeks I have been training higher reps - mostly 10 - 15, sometimes 20....what a remarkable difference in recovery. I even trained 2 days in a row, which is not something I can normally do without "overreaching".

Not too very long ago, I sat down to coffee with someone and he told me that I really am "not a bodybuilder", because all of the bodybuilders he knows train 5 and 6 days a week. That statement is absurd. What, I don't "sacrifice" myself enough??? I guess what I do and how I do it doesn't work??? Let me check the mirror again. Perhaps someone installed fun-house mirrors in my house to make me look more muscular and shapely than I really am. Sure, if I trained lighter and less intensley I could definitely train more, but ergo the old quality vs quantity comparison. I dont like training less intensley - I have to use all of what I bring, and leave the gym with no reserves in the tank. I go to challenge myself, not save myself so I have enough energy for tomorrow's workout.


Last night I trained with my friends Brad and Bruce. They do their training powerlifter style - ME and speed days, chains bands and boards etc. I jumped in for speed training for legs. We used bands for box squats, good mornings, (always love good mornings!),siff legged deads, hyperextensions with bands, and speed leg extensions. I thoroughly enjoyed this new and bizarre ( for me) way of training. I can definitely see how it could help my squat (if I could squat - woe poor pitiful me). My squat has never been one of good technique, no hip thrust at all - now here comes the however.... :( However, my leg is so very traumatized this morning. It did not seem to bother me during the training, not until we got to leg extensions. However again, this morning my left IT band is hammering out the beat to some heavy death-core song. Sigh....


I got all amped and fuzzied up doing a powerlifting type workout - every time I think I can get over it, powerlifting, here it comes again.



On a positive note I have finally surpassed the 185 lb. mark.







May 09 2009 - 4th Annual APA Delaware Power Classic at the Training Center in New Castle DE. My baby!

Oil and Vinegar

OK - busted - I'm slacking on my resolution already - the one about the oil and vinegar. It's just that the oil is so... oily! And the vinegar, well, if you haven't ever had any vinegar to drink you at least know what it smells like! I still have time to get my shots in before the day is over. Yippeee...

What the f*** did we do to ourselves this morning GW????

I started out this morning with an incredibly sore back, biceps, and forearms. One week off really makes a big difference - I didnt do anything out of the ordinary on Friday's back/bicep day, maybe I did squeeze the contractions alot more than usual, so I have concluded that is what wrecked me. I have been going up to 315 on barbell rows for the past 3 or so times I have done them. TI trained alone Friday so I did things that GW hates - dumbell pullovers, I did corkscrews, and db shrugs, and hammer curls and cable curls.

Lately I have been carefully pondering the last few months of growth season, and what details I need to tend to before diet season begins.
Even though my legs are actually over the 26 1/2" mark now, 26 3/4" on the right and 26 1/2" on the left (Cowboy Rob the gap is closing,but I still have to step - drag!), my legs just don't have a "freaky' shape to make you look at them and say "WOW - big!" and my torso is still so overpowering. I still need to get those gams up to a size where they are just so big you just cant overlook that they are big....did that make sense? So I determined that the nexth 4 months are going to have to be no holds barred, balls to the wall, brutal and ugly training for legs.
I still can't squat. We have no hack squat in our gym, which I can actually do due to the angle of most of them. Sooooo i made an ugly decision - good ol' fashioned behind the leg barbell hacks. GW got his groove on these things immediately. Not me! Clunkeroooo!!!! I think I have determined that I have to almost get into a sumo stance on this. GW was making fun of me because I cant get the full range of motion in the pull with these - I have an obstacle at the top...LOL
This big ol' precipice of a butt stops the bar. Anyhooo- keeping the grip on the bar is going to take some practice, especially since we chose the bar with no knurling left on it to do these. We didn't go too heavy as we were practicing getting the hang of the proper technique, but holy moly did we feel these. I know we are supposed to be hitting quads with these, but i have NEVER wasted my hamstrings so fully in all of my lifting days. I may need to push off more from the toes rather than the heels to target the quads more...?
Wow. Then we did Nautilus Duo-squat machine. We kept the reps higher with a (little) lighter weight today, reps at 10. The hacks fried us quickly and we couldnt do as much weight as we normally do here. Seated leg curls and cable lunges...even now several hours have passed and it hurts to think about walking. Gosh I love this feeling!

It is 2009, and I frequently come to the blog just simply bored and tired of scribing about sets, reps, weight, etc. Oh, i won't neglect that part, as that is what this journal was created for, but I do think that I may be adding a little more from the inner cranium of Kate Baird, just for flavor from time to time. So look to be either more enlightened, disgusted, entertained, bored, puzzled, or simply have just a tad more to read on these pages in the coming postings....

By the way, I have been hanging around 180 for the past few weeks. Time to jack it up again....groooann...I wish I could do it without eating, as eating has just become an annoyance for me. Soooo, I best be off to dig into the ginger snap cookies and a glass of milk now...right after I shoot down a bit o' oil and vinegar, of course.

2009

It WILL be a better year.
Faith - without it nothing pursuable is rewarding.

2009 - I resolve:

to ingest more olive oil and vinegar

to follow my heart but listen to instinct, because instinct is the precursor to reason

That's it. Those two resolutions will guide me enough to a better existence.

Thanks to those who follow my blog - it keeps me going sometimes just knowing I have to check in from time to time.
I could list my competitive plans for the year, but somehow whenever I schedule things, the plans go askew. I will forever be a "winger". I do, however, plan on stepping onstage in Pittsburgh at the Masters Nationals in July. I'm going in as ME this time, that much is a given.

GW and I took almost a week off, and were back in the gym Tuesday for chest, delts, triceps.
Amazing how the sorest spot on me is my lower lats.... not a bad session, actually got some good burning in all of those muscles, but it was not a session out of the ordinary either. The week off was mandatory according not only to my physical self, but to my mental self. I'm not even sure that one week off was enough, but it helped.

SNAP

I stand amazed.
Certainly we are all aware of my persistent leg tribulations, and my quest to alleviate the problems(s).

Therapy was proving to bring much relief for several weeks. Hope positive - until the past couple of weeks. The pain became a constant, and new pains awakened, such as in my knees where I have never felt it before. I was getting concerned that perhaps I was truly breaking, and coming to a point where I might have to face the end or at least serious modifications of my joys and passions.

Last night I was sitting on the couch thinking about the prevalent and constant pain in my leg. I realized that I needed to stretch and do my other therapies - it is and must be ongoing. I do one particular stretch where I often find it difficult to find just the right pull to my IT band. I was feeling tremendous discomfort and shifting to find just the right position, when "SNAP" - a most uncomfortable popping feeling and sound. It was so intense that I automatically cursed the pain that I thought was sure to follow. However, the most amazing feeling of relaxation proceeded to flow through my left leg. In no way do I believe that this is the end of the problem, but I sit here this morning relaxed as can be.

My goal to get 315 on my back and squat once again by the end of the year may be a lofty goal, as we only have a few days left in it, but damned if I don't have hope anew that yes, I will squat someday once again.

My new year resolution....I dont usually make any, but this year I will. I vow to include more olive oil in my diet. Anyone who knows me very well knows that I'd rather eat dirt than put more fats in my diet, but rather than have all of my hair fall out, among other physical maladies, I will consume.

December 26th

Apologies for being scarce again. It is December 26th, the day after Christmas, and I can't believe I'm saying thank God I got through it, it is over. I don't know where the spirit of Christmas was this year. I really looked hard for it. I have always been the gladsome Christmas elf spreading cheer and love and happiness etc. etc. I just couldn't seem to find it this go round.
Maybe I just wasn't ready this time. That leaves a cloud of guilt engulfing me, I shouldn't be like this. It really makes me sad. I did spend Christmas with family and friends, that is a blessing.
My son is 15 this year. Having him with me is really all the Christmas I need.

Much has happened recently, this entire year. I don't think I've mourned properly for any of my losses, or for that matter even revelled joyously enough in my gains. I need to stop and sit and just be, turn off the engines for a bit, be still, reflect, before I can gather up properly and soldier forth and have faith that 2009 will be fortuitous. So, before the new year comes, I'm slowing down - even if for a few mere moments, because I have to.

So anyway, what is it with this inflatable Christmas we have these days??? Those big tacky blow up figures in peoples' front yards? What is even worse is when they are are deflated, laying there in big plastic heaps, void of air. Merry Christmas, blow me up -

Enough Bah Humbug - hey?

Jody - I hope you are light and free now. "Silence is the loudest words you'll never say..." I miss you, Merry Christmas.

182 !!!!

I am up to 182 lbs... yikes! That's insane. I like it! :)

Back day - we did rack pulls from the knee. We hadn't done these in ages. I went up to 605 for 5. That's where I left off, good, no backsliding there. Then we used the T-Bar machine. It is an Icarian. I had never used this one before, and I will never use it again. It was awkward for me, very awkward. I also prefer a close grip on my t-bars, and this machine only has wide grip, so I'm crossing it off my options list.
Rope pull downs - my teres major feels back to normal now.

Biceps - good old barbell exchanges. This is the one movement I absolutely hate but love to do , because it WORKS!

Leg day I was solo. I planned on walking 225 out and doing one set of 10 squats. I did do these, and did them perfectly fine, but my legs have been totally f***d up for the past 4 days. I do not believe it is due soley to the squats, but definitely they had their negative effect. I have an idea in my head about something else that is proably affecting the tightness in my legs. I shall test the waters, so to speak, before I elaborate. I was making good progress with the therapy I had been doing, but, unfortunately, I had been neglectful for a few weeks due to all of the crazy stuff that has happened in my life during the past month +. I need to get back on track.

Did smith machine lunges, sissy squats (free-style), lying leg curls - I actually incorporated a set of 10 10 2 20's into these - OMG! Talk about insane intensity - I can still feel these. Then onto leg extensions and calves - I think donkeys on the machine and seated.

Yesterday's workout wasn't stellar, not terrible but absolutely no zone. I did my standard 230 x 10, 250 x 6, and actually pushed a 280 for almost 4, but there was no zone. The zone is part of the rush of the whole experience. Tried to do a static with 420, but I was laying on an adjustable bench, and my butt was lying upon the space where the bottom and back of the bench separate, so there was no stability there. But, of course, I am going to have to go with the no zone excuse here , too. I held it for a few seconds, but the rabies just wouldn't surface enough for me to own it.
GW strained a pec muscle - not too bad, I hope, but good thing he stopped when he did.
Then I finished with Nautilus declines, internal preses (or KATE presses as we call them for lack of a better name - hah!), reverse press-downs, kick-backs, Nautilus shoulder press and cable wide grip uprights.

I am now off to a festive root canal...sigh... novacaine face for the rest of the day.

Static

I think younz all know I recently started incorporating static holds into my bench night. Last night wasn't a stellar bench night, considering all the f***ing pain lately and all of the pain killers and now the antibiotics - wasn't too far off, but I didn't feel a groove at all. However, the plan was to do the 400 static, and so I had to do it. GW wouldn't let me back off of the extra 5 pounds. SO here is my first foray with 405, and let me tell you - It is HEAVY! And I loved it way too much. I'm still all warm and fuzzy.
I'm going to start incorporating lots of new stuff into the routine. I want bigger, heavier , more bone crushing weight than ever. Do or die time.
and today - back up to 178.6 lbs.

Innocent

Words of advice - never, never under any circumstance get a toothache on a holiday weekend...
I'm still a miserable f*** This hit Wendnesday evening, no dentists open until Monday. Mine won't even be back until Tuesday. Why can't they all just get together in localized areas and appoint one dentist to be on call on certain days and weekends....geeeezzzz..
Anyhooo - Eating on Thanksgiving was indeed problematic . Of course I'd chew on the opposite side, but every now and then on the sore side I'd hit tooth against tooth, and pow! There would come the throbbing again. Worked the pain to my advantage however, on Friday. I stopped in at The Training Center to do back and biceps. I was so consumed with pain in the mouth that the pain in training my back was going to be cake. I have always been wary of overloading too high on barbell rows, but as I was in that particular pain induced zone already, I thought what the heck, slap that 300 on the bar. I did 8. HAH! 2 sets. ANd I had to do dumbell rows only because TTC has those dumbells up to 190's. :) :) :)
I still have alittle problem with the teres major with movements where I have to pull down, so obviously pulldowns were a no go.
Hammer Curls with 70's and cable concentration curls.

High School reunion on Friday evening! I forgot how truly wild and crazy I was in high school until we all started reminiscing...HAH! No, I'm not sharing !!! LOL... I do believe I am a whole lot more innocent these days than I was back in those days... LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving

I am coming back around - seems like I say THAT phrase way too frequently. Life has its setbacks, for sure. Perseverance is vital. I feel pretty good, physically and mentally. I have had to make alot of decisions unexpectedly, but I feel quite comforatable with myself and the directions I aim to move forward in. Away with the show...

GW and I thoroughly trashed our legs Sunday, so well that mine are still screaming, and it is Wednesday. I tested myself with one set of squats with 135 for 10 reps. So far so good! I will try to add weight each time. I am hopeful, but there is still the chance that I may not ever be able to squat again, so hope is my best course. Lunges on the Smith Machine with a box are friggin' killers if you do them properly. We even went as far as high rep sets of 20.

Last night benches. I had been planning to bench on December 06 in a meet, and possibly deadlift, however with the way things have worked out in my life that is not to be. No sweat, there will be more in the future. I was back on track last night, however a little tight in the upper chest and shoulder tie ins. 230 x 10, 260 x 6, 280 x 3. Then static holds - I must have held the 370 for 20 seconds and would haveleft it at that, but felt that it was way too light so I then held a 390 for 10 seconds. Next time is the big 400 for sure...

:). When I get that big weight in my hands, I just get ridiculously giddy. I love it!

I have been a miserable f*** for the past 24 hours due to a throbbing lower left jaw. Of course, it is a holiday and I cant see the dentist today. If anyone has any home tootache remedies PLEASE share. Nothing is working that I can come up with. My dad will get out the cotton balls soaked in whiskey later on today, I'm sure. Whiskey is pretty much the base of the Baird first-aid box. Lol.
Today is Thanksgiving - have a happy, peaceful and blessed day.

11/22/08

It has been a tough week and a half. I lost my friend and business partner, hence my "job" as well.
If you don't think that kind of stress takes its toll on you physically as well as mentally , think again. I am physically beyond exhausted and mentally drained. So, no gym news, as it has been more like going through the motions just to get through it. I missed a couple of days as well.

My massues commented last week that my right leg was so much more muscular and dense than my left leg. Of course, I had to immediately go home and measure. Sure as shooting, left leg is just a hair under 26", and the right leg is 26 1/4". Now I am self consious and standing with my left leg behind me all of the time! LOL.

My weight is down to 173. It has been hard to concentrate on eating.

So where do I go from here? Hopefully nowhere but upward.

Farewell my friend....

Farewell to my friend and business partner, Jody Hudson.

Jody, I hope you are finally in a place free of pain.

I miss you.

You taught me so much, in so many aspects of life, as you did so many others.

Peace my friend.

Here I am

I agree - I've been scarce here lately. I think it is just that sometimes I want to fade away into the woodwork and go about things quietly... oh, I hear the chuckles with that statement, but it is true. However, here I am -

I strained my teres major the other night in the gym. It was more an indirect result of being out of whack from hovering over the computer so much lately. Computer arm, computer neck, computer wrist, computer shoulder... I knew I should have not only stretched everything out before commencing training, but should have seen the chiropractor that morning too. I had absolutely no problem deadlifting - was a little lackadaisacal, but did pull 410, so really no problems there.
Third set of cable rows I felt the pull. Stopped right away. Ended the session right there and then.
Legs were no problem Sunday, of course. Though it is kind of strange how doing Smith machine lunges on a box does not hurt me, as they are technically one legged squats.... but I can't squat????
I did go to the chiropractor Monday ( better late than never). Usually he hates when he has to push on my side to unlock the hips etc, because half the time I don't even move at all. This time, I was much looser, and things moved as they should. A MILESTONE!!! Gives me loads of hope.

GW and I stuck to machines for chest last night, and I focused on keeping any back out of the movements. I did not train shoulders or triceps, however, so as not to pull the pull. I abhor being damaged.

Thank goodness the election is finally over. No matter how anyone voted, we Americans all need to stand together and move forward with a positive state of mind. Times are tough for so many of us now. I am a real estate agent and my pockets are hurting these days. I can only pray that things get better soon....

Perf

Benching : 240 x 10, 260 x 7, 270 x5, all paused...that all equals up to about a 315 - 320 one rep max.
Oooh, I'm all silly, warm and fuzzy now. PG is on the rise again. I'm also playing around with static holds at the end of the benching again, too. Incredibly perfect, it was.

I have been doing my therapy for my legs like a good girl. It is so time consuming. Friggin' painful at times too. I can't expound on what I am doing out of courtesy, but even after only a few days I think I feel some progress. I got up out of a kneeling position on the floor today rather effortlessly, and THAT is noteworthy. Time will tell -

Congratulations to Big Al Fortney and Andy Sedar, who both set raw deadlift records at the IPA meet in Leesport, PA last weekend. Al in the 308 class with a 675, and Andy in the 242's with a 625. Al was ripe for a 700, but he pulled his hamstring on the lift . Heal up quickly, big guy.
And dont send me any more pictures of the injury - LOL...looks nasty.

Perhaps the Answer -

I finally met someone who has the same "syndrome" that I have - the leg pain issues. I spoke with him for quite a length of time recently, and I am now on the beginning of a rehabilitative journey and I have high hopes of combating and beating this thing. GOAL = to squat once again. I will keep you advised. It is going to be a lot of time invested and a heck of alot of grueling therapy, but we do what we must do to acheive the results we so desire. J.R. has experienced the same type pf symptoms as I, but even more severe as it sounds. He actually went to the professionals to seek treatment and answers. Thank you J.R. My gratitude for your time, advice and opinions.

Dealifted last night. The bar we used has absolutely NO knurling on it, so the hardest part was keeping grip on it. I think my callouses are 4 times thicker today than they were at the start of training last night - LOL. Oh well, I suppose holding a real deadlift bar will be all that much easier come meet day - ???!!! Maybe I should use that decisive theory with my benching, too.

Only went up to 370 x 6 on deadlifts last night. I actually have a kind of "plan" this time, instead of winging it. Shrugs and cable rows and machine pullovers. Biceps - inward hammer curls (went up to 80's on the third set) and machine preachers. It was a very good session - yes. I didn't feel all that much pump, but we hit hard and pretty heavy, and THAT, my dears, is what I like!
I am sooo glad that Midway Fitness Center has the big whirpool. It is very therapuetic , not to mention relaxing. So I soak in it after almost every workout...aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.

Bizzy

I have been negligent on posting here - so sorry. Bizzy ...no money, but bizzy....

AS far as training, I'm just kind of sliding in to things since that miserable cold. Workouts have been good, but not stellar by any means. I have been training with some "fresh blood" (insert evil laughter here) lately, which always ignites a new spark of motivation in me. Cowboy Rob has been training with GW and I frequently, and Paul (no nick name yet) - was in for legs the other day.

Leg day was actually quite swole producing. I usually stick with the Nautilus Duo-squat due to the leg pain issues. Sissy squats - one of my all time favorites, and leg extensions...why, oh why were these ever invented??!!! And leg curls.
Chest day sucked, probably due to the crappy bar we were subjected to use. My plan is to take my personal Texas Power bar in next time.

I'm trying to incorporate some slllllllllooooooooowwww reps back into my training, and lots of pausing on whatever I can.

Hey, got to run - bizzyness is calling -

Gasp

Still trying to shake the last remnants of this wicked cold thing, but I can finally see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnell.

It makes training so hard when your nose is glued shut and you have to gasp for breath.

I trained legs on Saturday with GW, and last night chest, delts, and tris with "Cowboy Rob".

He knows we trained "easy" last night because I was off, but he CAN keep up. "twas fun Rob - new blood is always a pleasure to break in (insert evil laughter here).

Just for the heck of it I measured my legs about 2 weeks ago

25 3/4.

My weight is hanging around 177 + this week.

First State Power Frenzy 2008

Mr. anonymous poster - the Nautilus Duo-Squat is an incredible piece of machinery. It is actually one machine that I can use that allows me to work around the pain in my legs. And using it unilaterally allows you to focus on one appendage at a time -always good. We did those full stack last week for 3 sets somewhere in the 15 reps range... I won't be trainng tonight, however.
:( The virus going around has got ahold of me - of course! I get EVERYTHING!!!! At least it waited until after the First State Power Frenzy to release full force on me.


The meet was INCREDIBLE! I DO hold the best meets! Not all my doing - it is because I have the absolutely BEST help. The Dynamo Club out of northeast MD, the Jersey Iron boys, various ANIMALS in the house (Andy Sedar, Boz, Phil, Hoomgar,Big Al) and Len Walker and George Wilson, my right hand men (left hand , too, for that matter)!!!! Rob Haas - you rock, thank you for ALL you did, Justine Dohring as administrative assistant., and Big Al Fortney - "you told me so!!!" HAH! Thanks for wrapping me, and doing 285 lbs. for 35 reps is just SICK SICK SICK!!!Hank Stoklosa for all of the high quality photographs. Big Tone - I don't ever want to have a meet without you there - helping or lifting. You are awesome ( and NOT really that MEAN - lol!!!)
And everyone else who came to help, spot, load, judge, lift, watch...THANK YOU!!!!!

I had a rough morning getting up to the meet - I woke up 45 minutes late - then something in my car exploded on the way up ...me and the boys were covered in this strange white powder...at least my car wasn't on fire like I thought at first! It still runs - have to get that checked. So I was about an hour late, but things still ran perfectly and seems everyone had fun.

I actually managed to bench press - I wavered back and forth on that all the way up until time to roll. But I managed a friggin' easy as cake 280. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to go for the 300, or go for the 3 for 3. I had never achieved 3 for 3 in the bench at a meet before. I played it conservative and went 3 for 3. Get over one hump at a time, I say. I did go for the 300 on the fourth, but no steam left to lock that out. It is funny watching the clips of me finishing the lift then literally RUNNING back to the microphone.













I really just wanted to be able to hear myself say "Kate Baird, you are in the hole"...LOL!!

That's Big Al wrapping my wrists, even though you can't see his face! And Big Tone Barbaccio hitting a 750 bench. What a great time! No, I do NOT make but a pittance from these meets. I do it because I love it. I truly love it.