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Hi everyone, it has almost been a year since my first blog post for Farmgirlfit. I went back and read it the other day to remind myself how motivated I was at the beginning of my journey. Sometimes you have to look back to remind yourself where you are going.

I won’t lie, the last year has had its ups and downs.  I sometimes felt like there was always something wrong with me! I had pneumonia, had an infected shin from a missed box jump, it seemed one thing after another, oh and last but not least I had a shoulder injury.  All of which did not keep me away from my daily Grind three days a week at Farmgirlfit. The scars on my shins and legs are now badges of honor knowing I can jump a 24” box and climb a rope to the ceiling. Call me crazy but I LOVE IT!

My shoulder injury has been my biggest issue in the last 6 months, it has affected every part of my journey to a healthier me. It has also been a huge wakeup call and motivator to stay on track. I originally hurt my shoulder about 4 years ago at another gym where I would push myself beyond what my body could handle and past the point of having good form. After I hurt my shoulder at the other gym, I quit! I quit working out, I quit eating right and I quit participating in some of the things I love to do. The day I walked into Farmgirlfit I was done with my quitting phase.  In September when I started to feel pain in my left shoulder I did what most “athletes” do (I feel like I can call myself and athlete now) I pushed through it thinking that it would get better. I had accomplished so much, two triathlons, a 50 mile bike race, 60 pound weight loss, my Olympic Weight Lifting Coaching Certification and many more things; I didn’t want to slow down.  By November, I knew something had to give, I wasn’t sleeping at night my arm was losing mobility, my nutrition choices were not good, and the scale started to move in the wrong direction. I was scared! I didn’t want to go backward and ruin what I had worked so hard to achieve.

From November to the end of January I continued to make it to the gym three days a week. I would work hard doing modified Grinds that wouldn’t impact my shoulder too much. Although I admit there were days I wasn’t doing myself any favors when I would push through the pain. When the light bulb went on and I figured out that pain was bad I started to further modify my workouts to achieve the same results. During this time I strengthened many other muscles and relied on my knowledge and the knowledge of the trainers to keep me in good form and not over extend my shoulder.  I was able to get just as good of a workout in without the pain.

Nutritionally I failed; I was so tired and in pain that I let too much sugar and processed foods sneak back in. I wouldn’t admit that I was failing at the time. My relationship with the scale became nonexistent. I didn’t want to see it move the wrong direction as I knew it was. My clothes were not lying, they were getting snug and my muffin top was showing again. Even though I knew in the back of my mind that I this was happening, I didn’t have the energy or determination to change it.

I finally had surgery on my shoulder on January 25th. A few days into my recovery I started to feel the drive again to accomplish goals and to get back on track. I am writing this two weeks post op and have regained so much clarity. I have been back at Farmgirlfit 3 times and should be back to my at least 3 days a week within the next week or so depending on my physical therapy, work and kids schedules. (Always a balancing act!)  It has been a great time for me to start on the NO Sugar Smackdown Challenge that is taking place at Farmgirlfit. I am excited to get my nutrition back on track while I rehabilitate my shoulder.  By the end of the month, it is my personal goal to be back to my lowest weight within the last year. I am half way there. This month is my starting over month again. Nutrition is more than half the battle for me. I can do my daily grind at FGF but without good nutrition the results are not as good.

What I have realized from this period of injury is that without Farmgirlfit my recovery would look so much different. Even the surgeon said that because of my physical strength I would recover so much quicker.  Because I used the muscles that did not hurt during my injury I am still able to rise and grind in the morning! Because I have made Farmgirlfit a routine in my daily life and I schedule it in my day, I refuse to miss it. Because of my supportive family, friends, trainers and members at FGF I won’t quit again! Each grind can be modified to lesson or elevate any impact on my shoulder while I am recovering. That is the beauty of Farmgirlfit and the knowledgeable trainers. You don’t have to quit when you have an injury. You can stay moving!

I asked the surgeon how long until I could do handstands again and he giggled in disbelief. I told him I wasn’t joking! I will send him a picture in a few months, you can bet on it.