Max Outs

Strength and conditioning for track started seven weeks ago. We started off the first week by maxing out except it wasn't a full max out. Coach Norton was only letting us go to 85% so this week finally are able to try to lift 100% of our maximum weight. We had our first day of max outs yesterday that included the power clean, front squat, 300 m shuttle, sit ups, and push ups. It was a tiring process but in the end it was totally worth it. Seeing how much my maxs had gone up made me feel really good about myself. I found out a lot about myself. I realized that if I put my mind to something and told myself that I could accomplish something I actually could. For my first lift, the power clean, I ended up raising my max by 25 pounds. I could do over 100 pounds and I never thought in my four years here that I would be able to do that so getting it done in my Freshman year here. The second lift, the front squat, I thought I was going to be done at 135 because I struggled with it a little bit. However the girls at my platform thought that I could do more so they encouraged me to try going up five pounds. I trusted them so I said I'd try it. I told myself that I could and with a little encouragement from my teammates I ended up being able to put it up. The best part of being able to lift that was looking at Coach Norton and seeing her give me a big smile of appreciation. The only thing she wanted out of us for that day and the day to come is to give it our all and to push ourselves. Every girl in that weight room gave her just that and made her very proud. It's a good feeling knowing that you did something right and that someone else is proud of you for it. It makes all the pain and fatigue worth it.