Some people are just born with an itch I guess. An itch thats never quite satisfied no matter how many times you scratch it. The only relief is improvement and the satisfaction doesnt last long before its time to scratch that itch again. So, I wake up one morning last summer (just a couple of months after bending my first UK 60D nail) with this crazy idea....wouldnt it be cool to bend SIXTY 60D nails back to back!!!! Why sixty 60Ds? Im not sure...why not, it had a nice ring to it. How many had you ever bent back to back up until that point before hitting failure? 13...thanks for asking. But, with the focus and motivation of just deciding to it I got up that day and bent 24 in a row, almost double my previous best...but it left me completely cooked after and the 25th just wouldnt go. I went into Centaur Fitness and spoke to the guys on the 12 Week Physique Team and told them of this lunacy....right away they agreed it was a good idea (surprise, surprise), well, all except Dee, he was worried Id hurt myself (as was I tbh, but I try not to let fear get in the way of things). Centaur is an awesome place full of great people, its just a fun place to work. Strike that...I havent worked a day since Ive been there, sincerely. Its TOO much fun, its like hanging out with your ACTUAL friends all day (clients, staff, members) and getting well paid for it. I realise, ever day, just how lucky I am to be making my living in this manner. Thats the truth about life in Centaur for all of us (members and staff alike). Within minutes of telling the team about the challenge it had turned into a night out where the whole team could have a drink and simultaneously laugh at me attempting to destroy myself (cheers lads ). I called in to ask 30 year + Centaurian (Centaur gym member) John Bittles if we could attempt the madness in his historic Belfast bar Bittles Bar. John agreed so it was on...but was I lol? The most Id done in practice was less than half the goal number, even those closest to me doubted I could do it, I doubted myself for a second as well, truth be told. But I gotta tell you, Ive always been the kind of person who has done far better under pressure. I perform worse at lower levels than I do at the top level. Its always been that way so this is what I reminded myself of before stepping into Bittles Bar that night. Plus...WHO CARES, it was mostly just an excuse for a laugh. We brought WAY more nails with us than the 60 needed to complete the challenge. The reason for this is that in every batch of common 60Ds theres always that ONE nail thats significantly tougher than the rest. I figured it this way, the challenge was to bend sixty 60Ds before quitting, so even it that took 70 attempts it didnt matter. But heres the thing, as soon as Id bent the first nail a switched flipped (the same one thats always flipped when it matters most). Damian looked at me and I looked at him...we both knew I wasnt gonna be leaving until either every single nail wed brought was dead or I was (he most likely started praying for the first outcome). Its funny looking back on this now almost a year after the event. Ive since made HUGE gains in bending strength and could honestly replicate this feat now with very little effort...but at the time it took every ounce of my resolve. What a difference a year can make when the sole focus of your programming is perpetual improvement. Lets see how I did (the fantastic video was shot, as always, by the impossibly gifted Dwayne Matthews! A massive thank you also to The Rapparees and my good friend Kettlebelfast Damien McErlean for the music). Whats next... ...SEVENTY 70Ds...now THAT has a nice ring to it !
Posted on: Sat, 17 May 2014 21:13:12 +0000
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