November 2009

Weekly Friday Fun Videos

26 November 2009

I came across a cool series of videos on YouTube about changing our behaviour by making mundane things fun. First up: Will more people take the stairs, if it’s been converted into a giant piano: WPvideo 1.10 What about throwing rubbish away if the bin makes a huge falling noise? I actually love the fact [...]

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This Weekend’s Weightlifting Shambles

24 November 2009

It’s hard to start this post… without resorting to impolite expletives! This weekend’s weightlifting competition went about as wrong as it could have done, short of bombing (failing to get any lifts). I could wax lyrical about my failures, but can’t quite face it to be honest. It was a shambles that’s soonest forgotten. The [...]

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It’s Competition Day!

20 November 2009

The day I’ve been waiting 2 months for has finally arrived – the Northern Open Olympic Weightlifting competition, held in Mytholmrod, West Yorkshire (England that is). First the important stuff: I made the weight. For the last 5 days I’ve been at or under my target weight, which is the upper limit of the 77kg [...]

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Weekly Friday Fun Videos

18 November 2009

Frisky cat climbs on cops head: WPvideo 1.10 Seesaw face plant, wait for it… This doesn’t go quite as anticipated: And finally, this kid learns the hard way that most famous of Newton’s physical laws: “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

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Olympic Weightlifting Update – How has 2 months of concentrated effort worked out?

14 November 2009

With a few weeks to go before the competition, it was time to focus on some full Olympic lifts and see how the last 2 months of focus on weightlifting. 2 weeks ago I decided to see if I could pull off any new personal best lifts. To do this, I needed to get up [...]

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Weekly Friday Fun – Underwater Bubble Ring Videos

12 November 2009

Three videos this week showing a cool underwater phenomenon: bubble rings. They are a bit like smoke rings, but hold their shape for an amazingly long period of time. This first video shows Beluga Whales playing. Start from around 0:30s till about 1:40: WPvideo 1.10 It’s not just Beluga Whales that are clearly very intelligent [...]

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Can I lose 1/2 stone in 12 days?!?

9 November 2009

So this time last week, I had 1/2 stone (7 lbs or 3 kg) to lose in order to get down to my required weight for the Yorkshire Open weightlifting competition on 21st Nov. I’m lifting in the 77kg (169 lb or 12 stone 1) category, but was tipping the scales at 80kg (176 lbs [...]

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Weekly Friday Fun – Dilbert, Pumpkins and Comedy

5 November 2009

3 videos for you this week. The first is a hilarious Dilbert cartoon sketch, especially funny given that I’m a Chartered Engineer! WPvideo 1.10 Given that it was Halloween last week, it seemed only appropriate to show a Halloween related video. Here’s what happens when you drop some thermite in a pumpkin, with a few [...]

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17 days to the Weightlifting Comp

4 November 2009

I didn’t get round to posting what I did last week, which was week 7 of the program. Because of holiday I only managed to get to the gym twice, and was recovering from the back niggle from the previous week, so took it easier that I perhaps should: Day 1 Snatch – singles up [...]

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General Life Update

2 November 2009

Had 2 weeks off holiday, which was great. Got to spend some quality time with the family, going to sea side resorts, the zoo, stroking deer, watching otters, going down caves, playing games, buying fireworks, doing the whole Trick or Treat thing, going out for meals, eating too many sweeties, reading books, karate gradings, buying [...]

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