In Izmir, the athletes each trained by him-/herself or with a fellow lifter, and usually a coach, in a small room fitted with one lifting platform, one squat rack, a few barbells, weight plates and one bench. The men trained in one section and the women in the other section. The team was quarantined, and Ibrahim found this wonderful in many ways!
Ibrahim liked to be alone with his thoughts. He loved lifting and meditating on his training routine, how his body responded, etc. Although he felt euphoric about being in love with Aygül, he was a very disciplined man who could focus on the task at hand, or so he thought. Although the European Championships -- they were supposed to be held in early April -- had been postponed to sometime around November, he couldn't just bail out from heavy lifting all of a sudden. Besides, heavy lifting soothed his mind. It made him calm and confident. And thanks to this confidence, there was now a beautiful girl in his life, a girl he had been dreaming of for a full year!
It was around 11:30 and Ibrahim was nearing the end of his morning session -- he did heavy snatches, followed with a "primer" session on squats. Later in the day, around 7 P.M., most team members would be coming to watch Ibrahim lift, as the coach had planned him to go for a max clean & jerk (he would attempt 249 kilos) and a max squat for reps (he would try to squat 320 kilos x 4 reps... 1 one more rep than his Personal Record -- like many coaches for superheavyweights, he never had Ibrahim squat to a one-rep max... squatting for reps with 300+ kilos worked just as well for optimal leg strength, but with a lesser risk of injury).
Ibrahim had begun with muscle snatches at 70, 100 and then 120 kilos and then proceeded to full snatches at 70, 100, 120, 140, 160, 170, 180 and then 190 kilos; all for singles. He missed the 190-kilo lift, so the coach had him redo it, and he missed again! -- Ibrahim had trouble keeping himself from thinking about the magic moment he had with Aygül the week before. He was miss-timing the lifts because he was constantly thinking of Aygül's kissing and Aygül's bare breasts.
The coach insisted he tried again... And he wasn't too happy, as 190 kilos (419 lbs) was a rather routine lift for Ibrahim. Ibrahim took a longer rest and brought himself together... He was the national champion and he couldn't let the team down! He imagined that he was back on that platform in Thailand as he squatted down to hook-grip the bar... Then he took a deep breath and this time, he did a perfect lift, catching the bar surprisingly high -- with his thighs almost parallel to the floor... almost a power snatch! ... He stood up tall with the massive weight overhead, held it motionless for one second, then released the bar, which fell, crashed against the platform and bounced back up. Just routine!
(Dear reader, this is a WEIGHTLIFTING Snatch! And here is how it looks like...
"Wow! Super-good lift Ibrahim!" Aygül was there and clapped her hands. He had been so immersed in his lift that he hadn't noticed her arrival. Incredible! He now felt some sense of dread, because he knew all too well that the coach was going to call 200 kilos. Sure enough, the coach told him he was good for 200 today. Could he do it? This 200 kilos (441 lbs) in front of Aygül seemed more daunting than that 204 he had done at the World Championships!
"C'mon Ibrahim! he told himself. This is a training lift! Just concentrate and imagine you are back on that platform competing against Georgia's Lasha Talakhadze. Inşallah!"
The coach and Aygül went both silent as Ibrahim positioned himself and hook-gripped the gargantuan weight.
This time he missed completely! He miss-grooved the lift and catched the bar way too far forward, and the 441-lb barbell came crashing down, stirring a small cloud of dust as it smashed and bounced on the platform... Ibrahim was perhaps even more disappointed than the coach -- he hated missing lifts! -- and the coach understood and patted him on the back ... "It happens sometimes... Just do a couple of easy doubles at 160 kilos and leave it at that for today."
Ibrahim did the lighter work, 160 x 2 x 2 sets (some lifters never allow themselves to finish a session on a miss, and Ibrahim was one of them) and then he took a short rest before wrapping up his A.M. session with a few light sets of squats (up to 220 kilos for doubles). He smiled at Aygül and sat on the bench next to her.
"Hello Aygül! How's your lifting today?"
"Well... I'm being a little ...
distracted I'd say. Thank God that the next competition is far away!" She felt her body tingling from being so close to him!
They refrained to kiss and hold hands in the presence of the heavyweights' coach, who wasn't blind -- he instantly noticed that they were in love. He smiled and almost laughed out loud. "Well, well, well... Now that explains a lot of things! he thought to himself... No wonder Ibrahim was miss-timing his lifts! Ah! ah! ah! ah! Boys will be boys! ... All right, the next championships are Allah-knows-when... So just give the kid a break!... "
"Ibrahim, the coach said. I'm going in the next room to see how Yusuf is faring with his block snatches. I leave the two of you here (he winked at him)... Just don't overindulge in life's good things OK?"
As soon as the coach was gone, Ibrahim kissed Aygül and caressed her hair -- he loved so much her shiny black hair! Some men prefer blondes, and he never understood them. To him, dark hair was the charm!
"Aygül!... I can't stop thinking of you!"
"Neither do I!"
"It's probably all pretty normal... You're my very first girlfriend, honey!" Aygül just loved it when he called her honey.
"Say it again Ibrahim!"
"Say what?"
"Honey! Call me honey again!"
"Ok. Aygül, you're my honey and I love you!" And he gave her a very passionate kiss...
"... Love you too!" She said as she kissed him back.
"Caught on the act! Heh?" Sümeyye was on the doorstep.
Aygül's face blushed while Ibrahim looked down at his feet as if he were searching for something.
Sümeyye just burst in laughter. She pointed a teasing finger at her friend... "Now... don't be too naughty, Aygül!" and then she was gone...
"Well... I got some squats left to do... Meet me at lunch?"
"Yeah... But can't I stay here and watch you lift? It ain't forbidden!"
"No it's not, and I feel like the luckiest man on Earth when I am near you, but we are also athletes, Aygül! We are in Izmir to train, not on a holiday!"
"Yeah... I know what you mean... It's so hard for me to keep the focus on my lifting when I'm feeling all funny inside... and I can't stop thinking of... Ooooh Ibrahim! I'm so happy!" She kissed him and put her arms around his massive neck.
"I am very, very happy too Aygül! The name Aygül is the most beautiful music to my ear! ... But now is the time to lift!"
Ibrahim did his light squats, a simple ramp-up of doubles (sets of 2) at 70 kilos, 120, 160, 200 and then 220 for three sets of 2. They were all very easy reps that went up in the blink of an eye, since it was so far below Ibrahim's limit strength. The goal was to "prime" the nervous system for the evening's near-limit lifting. It was quickly over.
Aygül had watched Ibrahim going through the session. She couldn't stop looking at his massive frame, wondering how it would be like to feel him all over her, to have his manhood taking possession of her and to hear his loud groaning when he would release his cum inside her. She was so impatient! She had started to take the pill a few days ago, and the doctor had told her to wait at least a week before having unprotected sex.
On a whim, she got up from the bench, and then she closed and locked the door. Everything was now quiet. It was twenty past noon and all hands had gone to lunch. She looked at Ibrahim. He was on the floor doing some stretching. She turned off the light.
"Aygül? What are you doing?"
"Shhh! Don't speak, Ibrahim... Don't say anything!"
He could see Aygül's silhouette against the light coming from the hallway through the door's square window. She came at him and then he felt her short thighs on either side of his large body; she was atop him with her hands on his chest and started to move her pelvis as if they were naked and making love. Ibrahim felt a massive boner as he placed his hands on Aygül's hips. "Ooooh... Aygül! Sweet Aygül!" How he would love to fuck her right now on that platform, exactly like in his fantasy! But he kept his head...
"It's dangerous Aygül. I know the janitor comes to clean the platforms during the noon hour. The idea is great! But the timing is wrong. Besides, there's probably a security cam!"
"Oooooh, Ibrahim! I want you so much! Don't you want me too?"
"Yes... Yes, Aygül, but I don't want you to be kicked out of the team." (Ibrahim knew how damaging being caught would be for Aygül and he also knew that the Weightlifting Federation would much rather replace a female lifter than do anything to a world medalist.)
"Ibrahim, what's life without risks?" She removed her pullover.
"Aygül! Not now!... The janitor may be at the door any minute, and he has keys!"
Aygül felt a little hurt in her woman's pride.
"Ibrahim... Why don't you take me now! The janitor may or may not come... I don't care!"
"Aygül! Are you out of your mind!? I'd love to..."
"Oooh! OK. Fine! We ain't doing it today! Well... You're going to have to wait for a while before you see me offer myself like this again!!"
She quickly put back her pullover on and was angrily heading for the door. "Why does she act so childish?" thought Ibrahim. He rapidly rose to his feet and overtook Aygül...
"Aygül! There's nothing to be angry about! I just..."
"Leave me alone! ..." -- Then Ibrahim suddenly remembered what his father did whenever his mother had some fit of jealousy (which was often); his father would simply start to kiss her and call her beautiful, and they would end up in the bedroom behind closed doors... A wise Armenian man!
The now-upset Aygül was unlocking the door when Ibrahim took her strongly, yet sweetly by the shoulders, turned her around and gave her the best French kiss he was capable of. Aygül quickly lost her anger and stiffness, and before long they were making out. Aygül felt all wet between her legs as Ibrahim held her tight against the door and was -- yet again -- caressing her breasts below her pullover.
Then they heard footsteps coming nearer. They had just enough time to turn the light back on, put themselves back together and grab their things before the janitor showed up, unlocked the door and proceeded to sweep the floor, almost ignoring them. Besides, they were hungry.
TO BE CONTINUED.