10/26/17
Strength & Fitness

Drop The Ego and Pick Up the Weight

2010 ad 2017 are the only two years Rich Froning has never stood on the VERY top of the podium...meaning, no matter who you are, there will always be someone who is better than you and there is always something we can improve at. Now, don’t you dare think I’m knocking Rich Froning, the man is amazing and a legend and deserves all the credit, but what I’m saying is check your ego’s at the door - and be humble.

________________________________________________________________

Two years ago I was the fittest I had ever been, placing pretty darn well in the open in our region, and putting in some good work, then BOOM, we got pregnant.

Honestly, it was the best thing that could have happened to me, obviously because God had given us another child, but also because it made me realize so many obstacles there are to a fitness journey.

I got to feel what it was like to come into the gym carrying “extra weight”, I got to finally understand how hard burpees really are and I could relate to the level of difficult people had at every level. Each day, I didn’t want to come in to workout, I felt huge, tired, everything was sooo hard, my belly got in the way, I couldn’t breath and if a workout was for time I would get angry because then I couldn’t sandbag it (sorry I need to be honest here, I really did that☹).

Not only that, but my clothes were tight and It was so awkward to do all the movements. 

I remember thinking one day how hard it must truly be for someone to come into the gym, either just starting or been going through the path of losing weight, to JUST finish a class workout.

I couldn’t fathom it, it amazed me more than I think an elite athlete did, people were “choosing” to do this, not getting paid.

Then the post baby journey began. 

Let me tell you, this was one emotional roller coaster. Some days I even felt like a toddler and would want to throw a fit or give myself a cookie or was mad at other people who didn’t have to count their macros. I could see why other struggle losing weight, the most difficult part was breaking bad habits, and fighting the temptations you were used to. All the time pre baby, I was so used to my same meals and fueling my body to be an athlete, but when I got pregnant, I just ate when I was hungry, or snacked when I was bored, I always ate 80% healthy, but I didn’t say no to something if I really wanted it. Now I could finally sympathize with others who struggle, before I thought it was sooo easy to get where I was, I didn’t understand how people couldn’t say “no”.

On top of the food struggle, my clothes fit terribly and I honestly told myself I wasn’t going to the gym until I lost weight, (silliest thing you’ve ever heard, right!) 

One day I thought, if I’m ever going to be a good coach, I need to live the struggle others do, I need to know the temptations and I need to physically and mentally go through that because how else will I ever relate to those I’m coaching! I want others to know it can be done and even though it’s hard, I can be living proof, and so can they, but it was easier said than done.

________________________________________________________________

CARDI-NO…All the WEIGHTS-YES

It’s so easy to feel giddy, happy, exstatic when you are doing something you love, but what about when you are doing something you don’t love? 

I love cardio, I am a cardio junkie and my coach is well aware of that, hence why I don’t do much strict cardio. BUT for those of you who know my strengths/weakness/, you know a heavy barbell or weight will destroy me anyday of the given week. This past july I had the opportunity to do Sisu Throwdown with my husband drake. Going into the last event we were sitting in 4th against a pretty stacked RX group and the event called for a heavy thruster 135/95…needless to say, I think we took last in our heat. 

There's nothing like feeling defeated...the women there through that weight around like it was an empty barbell and here I was looking like a child learning to walk, wobbly, unstable..you get the picture.

I  wanted nothing more at that moment than to be strong, and so the journey began I started a new programming one week later. After the first day of what I’d like to say was heavy as crap, and after barely being able to walk, I knew this was what I needed. I hated going in, lifting these “baby weights”, feeling destroyed every day, everything I did was something I was bad at, but everyday I left I felt so humble, because I knew my hard work is going to pay off

It’s in those moments that we challenge ourselves with something hard, something we suck at, working our weakness’s day in and day out that build character, that build confidence, that build us in crossfit. 

It’s not easy mentally preparing myself for it, with cardio I could muscle through anything and I didn’t mind the “fran lung”…with this I couldn’t..the bar didn’t lie, and it won’t let me muscle through.

Maybe you’re vice versa and the weights are easy for you, it’s the metcons that kill you, well then it’s time to put in the work, like my dad always said, “the proof is in the pudding,” therefore even if it’s hard, YOU have to put the work in. Even if it sucks, even if you’re not good at it, we’re not here to do things we are good at…what success does that bring to our life?

________________________________________________________________

There’s always going to be someone better than us at something or some movement, but never let anyone out work you, that’s why I’ve never felt so humble in my life. There’s so many amazing athletes out there that are putting in the work at this very moment, and they will reap the benefit. 

I am no better than anyone else here in this gym or out there or wherever, we are all on different chapters of our fitness journey is all, it’s that hard work that YOU put in, that’s going to be either proven or not, simple as that. I never want to settle but strive to see what my body is capable of.