Recent Struggles and How I've Overcome Them

As I mentioned in my intro post, I've been training on my own for about 6 months now. And it has not been easy. I've struggled a lot, especially recently, but I knew I had to push through it and just train.

Back in June, I uprooted from my family and friends in MA and moved to NJ (ew, I know, what was I thinking?!). I lasted about 6 months there, before I came right back to MA in December. Leaving Jersey was the right thing to do even though it was really hard for me. I made great friends there. I was working in a huge gym where I was surrounded by strong people who motivated me and helped me whenever I needed it. I went from that, to working in a Wellness center that doesn't even have a squat rack and only has 2 other employees besides me. Big change. And I did not adjust well.

I was having trouble finding a gym I was comfortable working out in. My new longer hours and commute via public transportation were killing me. I spent the first 3 weeks back home sick with the flu. I was heavier than I had ever been after Christmas. I was weak. I was soft. I had been running a rehab program since November and hadn't touched heavy weight since then. I almost gave up. I didn't think I could do this alone.

I'm not really sure what changed. I just woke up one morning and decided I wanted to be the strongest person I could possibly be. I wanted to look better, feel better, BE better. I changed my diet, I joined a gym, and I got right back into it. After only 4 weeks I was already seeing differences in my physique. I started to look better and eating clean made me feel so much  better. I had way more energy and I was able to make it to the gym after work. Now, I'm finally happy with the direction my training is heading. I fully plan on breaking some records at my next meet in April.

It does really suck not having anyone to train with, but that just means I'm competing against myself every time I go in the gym. I'm glad I didn't give up. Most people thought that the end of my relationship would mean the end of powerlifting for me, but I was NOT going to let that happen. This is what I love to do, and I'm not giving it up.