I have worked a whole year and focused on one goal... To make it back to the CrossFit Games Central Regional. It takes a ton of work to even flirt on the line of making Regionals. Each and every athlete has their own unique journey and this just happens to be mine.
My first hurdle I have to work around is working full time as a physical therapist. Now don't get me wrong, I love what I do and working with people, but that also means I spend 40 plus hours a week away from the gym and completed focused on something else. In a way it is good, but it also means I have to focus on outside goals of just making it to Regionals.
Because of work, that means I only get to workout once a day. Two sessions a day is just not physically possible unless I cut out sleep, which I already don't get enough, and any semblance of normalcy. This means that my training sessions have to be focused. I come into the gym with a plan and I get it accomplished within an hour and a half to two hours (ok sometimes maybe two and a half hours). I write what it is I am going to accomplish on the board and I get after it. Sometimes with other people, sometimes suffering in silence by myself because of the odd times I am there.
Most days I am gone from home for over 12 hours which means that everything is packed and meticulously thought out the night before. Work clothes, workout clothes, shower stuff (if needed) are set out so I can quickly hop from one thing to the next. And if something is forgotten, don't worry, I keep spares in my trunk. I prepare lunches and some dinners on Sunday for the week to help me stay on top of my nutrition because otherwise it is easy to eat out and quickly get off track. If I am going to be working out this hard, I better fuel my body correctly because otherwise what is the point.
The weekends are sometimes the hardest thing for me to control. Between trying to catch up on sleep for the week, attempting to catch up on laundry (I have a lot), cleaning, and performing other adulthood responsibilities sometimes it feels more hectic than a weekday. Then when you add in trying to hang out with friends and be a normal human being, it is hard. And trust me, I know everyone goes through this one way or another because such is life, but goodness sometimes I wish I didn't have responsibilities.
Then when friends want to go out, I want to join, but I know I have to control what I do. Usually that means leaving early and only nursing a drink or two because the following morning I have to get into the gym and get work done. Thankfully most of my friends get it and understand the work that I put in, but it is hard to demonstrate self control all the time. However, my goals sit in the back of my mind and I want to accomplish them, doing what ever it takes.
When I go home, I sacrifice some time with my family because Saturday mornings are a big workout morning for me. It is the day I usually spend three hours in the gym because I have the time. That is usually cut short when I am in Peoria, but still I am usually at the gym. Thankfully my family understands and will do whatever it takes to help me achieve my goals, but they suffer a bit in the process too and have to work around my schedule as well.
It takes a team, a lot of planning, and a lot of hard work to potentially be a Regional athlete. But looking back on the year I have had, I wouldn't change anything about it. I have gotten to travel to different places just to compete and I have met a lot of really cool people because of it. I have a gym with amazing individuals who inspire me daily to keep training my butt off, because they usually have more responsibilities than me and are still crushing it. I have two great sponsors in MidWestern Build and Eggology pushing me toward success. I have coaches and training partners who truly want to see me succeed and put a lot of effort into my goals as well. It makes my heart full to see the love and passion they have in achieving this goal as well. And I have again been reminded of the amazing family I have that has truly supported every goal I have ever had and made me believe that anything is possible.
So while attempting to achieve the goal of being a Regional athlete in 2017, I have had the opportunity to sit back and realize that no matter what the situation turns out being, I am truly blessed. But with that being said, I have two more weeks to show everyone what I am made of and then hopefully see my goal achieved.
Cheers to the 2017 CrossFit Games Season.
