She's watching her weights
Proper diet is crucial for elite lifter dealing with celiac disease
Ellyn Robinson always carries one particular item with her: a scale. An elite weightlifter, she knows that every pound matters.
"I push myself any time I have a moment alone," said the 43-year-old Robinson. "I think about how I can get better."
The Hanover resident recently won her third consecutive gold medal at the Pan American Masters Games in San Juan.
Robinson cleaned 53 kilograms in the snatch and 71 kilograms in the clean and jerk in the female 40- to 44-year-old division at 63 kilograms (138.6 pounds). She was also named the second best overall female (13 total) weightlifter.
Robinson said that despite the win, it wasn't her best performance. "I can snatch 55 kilos and clean and jerk 75 kilos," she said.
One of her goals is to compete in the American Open and Nationals, competitions that welcome only the country's best lifters. In order to qualify, she must lift a combined 132 kilograms in competition. Her current all-time high is 130 kilograms.
"I have until October to qualify," Robinson said. "And I will do that."
It appears nothing can stop her. Robinson developed celiac disease in 2000; she is allergic to gluten and cannot eat wheat products. Dieting is an important aspect of a weightlifter's training. Robinson's training, nevertheless, can be quite tricky.
"I have three meals prepared at all times," said Robinson, who eats six to eight small meals per day. "And I don't eat any processed foods."
At the urging of her parents, who felt their daughter needed to improve her strength to compete as a swimmer, Robinson started lifting weights when she was 12.
She got into bodybuilding but was forced to stop because of a ruptured disk. She said she was paralyzed for a few weeks and was told she would never lift weights again. She also has ankylosing spondylitis, an autoimmune disorder that causes pain and discomfort in the joints.
Through all this, Robinson said, the toughest thing she has ever done is run a marathon.
"I've run 11 marathons," she said. "I don't even like to drive that far, never mind run that far."
Last August, she ran into trouble at the World Masters Weightlifting Championships in Hungary. Robinson bought bottled water from a convenience store near the hotel. Her diet was the same, but she gained 4 pounds in two days. She discovered that the other competitors had the same problem. Robinson decided to start drinking tap water and immediately lost the 4 pounds.
"The water had too much sodium," she said. "So I drink tap water everywhere I go now."
The 5-foot-8, 130-pound Robinson has dropped about 30 pounds in the last year in preparation for the national competitions. If she qualifies, the competitors won't be even half her age. Only a handful of weightlifters over 40 have qualified for competition at that level, she said.
"I could be competing against kids that could be my kids," Robinson joked.
And that's OK with her. Robinson is an associate professor in movement arts, health promotion and leisure studies at Bridgewater State College, and she coaches and trains with the Team Bridgewater weightlifting club.
"I train six days a week," Robinson said. "Sunday is the day of rest."
Robinson typically rises at 4:30 to begin her workout. She starts with nutrition and hydration and a light stretch. She said her workout doesn't consist of much cardiovascular exercises. "My weight is down," Robinson said.
Her weight is down but she's lifting more than ever. She eats two breakfasts before she works out and then practices her technique at the gym. She squats four times a week and works on her shoulders and lower back. Robinson also does what she calls injury protection exercises to prevent injuries and health risks.
"I think of what I can do to get that jerk a little better or how to be more flexible," she explained. "I do a lot of swimming, use hot tubs, massages, and work with a sports psychologist. It's all about discipline and consistency."
Another key is that she doesn't follow fad diets.
"Some people go on these crash diets and cut out all the carbohydrates," she said. "That makes you lose all your leg strength."
Robinson's leg strength appears to be just fine. But she doesn't need to be reminded that it won't last forever.
"Kids will joke and ask me why I bother doing this at my age," Robinson said. "Some tell me I'm too old to do this. I just laugh. I'm afraid I'll get hurt if I stop doing this." 