This really got me thinking. Things in my life haven't exactly been ideal and I started thinking about what my constants are, what do I rely on to de-stress and help me through tough times? I don't have a dog or any other pet to greet me at the door when I get home, I absolutely love the ocean but live no where near it, but the iron, oh yes, that's a huge constant and crutch I lean on. I know, I know, this post is seeming a lot different from my usual light-hearted stuff about the joys of exercise. But today, I want to focus on something different and talk about, GASP, how I've been feeling and what training means to me during the hard times life inevitably throws at all of us from time to time.
My love of exercise started many years ago. I began playing sports at the age of 5 and continued to do so until I graduated high school and once I started college I began a career as an avid runner to stay in shape. It wasn't until about two years ago that I really became an avid weight lifter. But once I started, I knew there was no turning back. I had found my niche.
Why do I love to hit the weights? Sure, there are the obvious benefits of good health, being in good shape, and looking good, but for me, it goes so much deeper than that. After a stressful day at work most people like to go home and relax on the couch, some might prefer to stop by happy hour on the way home. Not me. When life gets to be more than I can handle and I get that overwhelming feeling of tension, the only thing that makes me feel better is putting on my sweats, lacing up my lifting shoes, and hitting the gym for an intense weight lifting session. When I'm training, that's the only thing on my mind. I'm not bogged down with my worries from work, I'm not concerned with where my life is headed or what the future holds. In those couple hours everything is perfect.
Looking back on the last two years of my weight lifting career, it's amazing to see how far I've come. I remember the first time I squatted 95 pounds. I was on top of the world! I was beyond excited to finally be able to use the 25 pound plates. Now, two years later, I'm squatting about 100 pounds more than that and am several pounds lighter. That's one of the things I love most about lifting; you get out of it exactly what you put in. If you do your research and put together a well thought out program and actually put in the effort you will see amazing results. I have been very fortunate to have someone in my life that cared about me reaching my goals as much as he cared about his own. He taught me almost everything I know and has helped me accomplish more than I ever imagined I could.
I guess the point of this post isn't necessarily to talk about my life constants; it's really to thank him. He helped instill this lifelong love in me and helped me find my life constant; the thing I can always rely on and make me feel better when life knocks me down. To me, the gym is our place and every time I'm there I hear his voice in my head giving me tips and motivation and in my mind I see him smile at me every time I get a PR. My life may not be where I want it right now; I have no idea what the future holds, I've made mistakes, and I have no idea what I want out of life. But when life gets complicated, I lift and for those couple hours I'm taken to a place where everything is perfect and my troubles are magically lifted with each rep.
