I got a puncture...I'll explain. It's called deflation. It's called an unexpected but always anticipated event. It's something that buggers up your plans...a little prick in your world, as it were.
Let me take you back a bit...back to July 2011. I'm sitting in a bus. Inistiogue isn't far away. We've just come from the Irish Kettlebell Sport Championships. Wexford Kettlebell Club did well...very well. A phone rings. Mick says that Kilkenny are suggesting using the National Championships next year (2012) as a means of selection for a national team. "Ah, you'll have to use 24's for that" says Mick. The chicken just laid an egg that was to hatch in mid 2012.
There, in the span of a phone call, was my goal. Qualify for a National team. I'd represented my country before, and won, but that wasn't physical. That didn't demand sweat, commitment, sacrifice and pain. It didn't require mental toughness. It didn't require failure. Age didn't matter...I was on a plan to become an international.
Now, lets put our feet back on planet earth. I was only using 12Kg kettlebells back then. I'd only touched a 16 at home but not for long. I hadn't competed. I had bought 2 x 20Kg kettlebells but they were going nowhere. SO was I capable of 24Kg within a year? I thought so.
So the winter passed. 16's became 20Kg. An RGSF rank of Level 1 was the gate to open to 24Kgs...my aim. They were/are heavy buggers. They move differently to 20s...there was a lot to learn about proper technique that brute force and ignorance would get you by with on 20Kgs.
The AIKLF had announced that on May 19th/20th the potential selection for a national team would take place...the time had come. Plans for the Biathalon took place. Increases in reps and time snowballed. But we had to know was it feasible...10 minutes with 2 x 24Kg kettlebells in the jerk then another 10 minutes in the snatch.
The first test lasted 7 minutes 40 seconds. Not to worry - a fail is a point where you understand what went wrong and put them right. A stomach bug put off the second planned recompensing test. Monday 30th April...the day before the deadline for signing up for the competition was to be that day.
But I got a puncture. I had failed before I set foot on the premises. The failure of the 10 minutes had grown roots in my head and they wouldn't shake off. 5 minutes into the test and that was that. 1 year of a plan collapsed. I'm not one for lovely sayings like failure is just a hurdle or failure is a problem to solve. It makes as much sense as gift wrapping a dead puppy. Failure leads you to reassess your aims, your values and your plan.
I'm not dismissing 24Kgs as a competitive option. For now I need to be real - 20Kgs are now my competitive strength. 24Kgs will take a little longer.
But one saying that does connect is - "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." On May 19th I will be using 20Kg kettlebells. And on that date I will be as competitive as I can be. A puncture never stopped me before...it just delayed my progress. But it does give you time to catch breath, to review your situation and plan a new route. Here's to May...and August...punctures permitting.
