How was the Arnold? Or how to live and die at a meet

"Well, how was the Arnold?"  That is a question posed to me every year to people I meet post-Arnold.  Clearly, the questioner did not go to the Arnold. 
It is not an easy "...fun.."  or "...great...".  It is more of a long descriptive answer along the lines of:  exhausting, exhilarating, exciting, disappointing, dramatic, no big deal, insanity, and more highs and lows.  It is a paragraph of answers.  This year's was no exception.  

Without naming names, here were the highs and lows or as I like to call it:  Life and death through 6 lifts.
The first two lifters for the club performed quite well.  Weight was on target or at least close enough (proof that desk job may contribute a bit to keeping weight on)  Training was going well.  the 10 day out and 7 day out checkpoints were good.  Hopes were high.  They did not disappoint. 
Snatch lifts were perfection.  Each lifter hit PR.  Life.  Clean and jerks:  more progress.  solid openers kept me alive.  After 5 for 5 days, it was time to just let the energy loose.  Neither lifter made his final CJ.  Who cares?  Life.  Still, the analysis:  how did I manage them each in the warm up room?  what did I say, do, think, move to ensure each lifter's success?  how can I repeat that? 

Third lifter had been having a rough time over the past few training weeks.  Careful management of warm ups and energy might get her to hit a total.  Warm up progresses, but it is not as smooth as hoped.  OK, let's give it a shot on the platform.  Ugh, opener missed.  The Grim Reaper appears in the doorway.  Come back after it.  Miss.  The Grim Reaper smiles.  Come back for the third.  Miss, bomb out.  Death of a coach. 

What did I do wrong?  How did I not set her up for success?  What was every word, action, movement, thought, that I did during warm up?  how did those affect her?  What am I doing for her for the CJ?  How to adjust?  Is it damage control or is it a quick fix that will right a sinking ship? 

No matter.  CJ warm up causes her more pain than anything and she must scratch from the meet.  Death.  Can I come back to coach another day?  Should I even be coaching?  What did I do wrong?  How can I salvage her for the next meet?

Fourth lifter.  Prepared better than I have ever prepared him in the past.  He is in peak condition for this meet.  Aiming for a nationals total which has been accomplished in training, it looks like it should be a simple matter to get the job done.  Warm up room is managed great.  Good attitude, things look good.  he approaches the platform for his opener.  Suddenly, he is distracted by a bright light and waves. 

Loss of focus!  Ahhh, my head explodes, I hope that the brain matter does not get on bystanders.  I know that the lift will be missed and, unfortunately, he misses it.  FUUUUUCCCKKK!  My head reels with the tactics and strategy of how to get his focus back.  Get it back fast and get it back in a good way.  All the while, I cannot contaminate his thought process so that the entire 5 remaining attempts are smashed underfoot. 

he comes back and makes the second, misses the third snatch.  I am shaking hands with the Grim Reaper.  Focus has to be the focus.  The job can be done, it is just gonna take a bit more work.  Opening CJ:  easy.  Should have opened higher, but he is in a good spot.  Second, easy clean, jerk not locked.  GR has his arm around me.  Third lift:  do or die, channel Matias Steiner.  A miss.  No nationals total and training lifts two weeks prior to today were better.  Death again. 

Fifth lifter.  He comes in OK.  Heavier than he wants, nursing a bit of a cold and sinus thing; he should be able to pull through adequately.  Just gotta massage him the right way.  Opening snatch:  easy.  Sigh of relief.  OK, we can plan some stuff now.  The second snatch, just a minor correction and the third will be made.  Yes, the third is made.  2 for 3, let's go to CJ.  His CJ suffers the most when he is ill and sure enough warm up was a bit ragged.  Calling for an extremely low opener, he makes it with no problem.  Life.  OK, I think, let's go up to something reasonable and see how it goes.  Back to warm up room and lifts just 5 k more than the opener are not even racked.  AHHHHH! My hair is on fire and I run to the scorer's table to change the next attempt for him. TOO LATE!  Can his meet be salvaged?  Will my stinkin' thinkin' contaminate him?  Why is only pulling his clean and not even racking it?  Disaster as he misses his next 2 CJ.  Death. 

Sixth and final lifter, third day of Arnold.  There is not enough coffee to keep me going, but the kid has tons of potential and I cannot let him down.  I need to set the table so that he is successful.  he must be nudged, but not shoved.  Challenged, but not stretched too far.  How will it go?  What will I say?  how will he react? 

Opening snatch:  bang.  Nice.  Life.  Second snatch:  bang, more life.  Third snatch, PR attempt, he is ready, and does it.  Nice.  Tons of life. 

I hope I can manage the CJ warm up so that he continues the trend.  He is well warmed up, looks good in the back, and nails his opener.  He nails his second attempt setting a PR CJ and total in the process.  Tons and tons of life.  He goes for more.  Tough clean, nearly sticks the jerk:  a mere coaching flesh wound.  Life.

so, how was the Arnold?  Life and death, exhausting, exhilarating, exciting, disappointing, dramatic, no big deal, insanity, and more highs and lows.  And this is just for one small subset of lifters with one coach.  Now bring all the rest of the players into the mix.