Progress...

What can happen in a year? What progress can you make with 365 days? I say a lot. Depending on what you do and how much work you want to put into your goal, you can accomplish a lot if you set your mind to it.

I am thinking of my Alex right now. He is a hard worker. I mean, a very hard worker; he puts his heart and soul into all he does. We will share stories from our lives and we get to learn about more about each other. He has accomplished a lot during his life. He has done so many great things, traveled to many places and has learned so much. I love hearing his stories because it's like an adventure, I get to experience what he went through with his words and vivid descriptions. It brings a smile to my face because there is so much to him as a person and this is just one aspect.

This post was sparked by a conversation Alex and I were having in regards to the open. He has been working very hard these past few months to come back from an injury and huge surgery.

In August 11, 2012, he participated in the Occupy Strength competition at CrossFit OneWorld in Union City. The workouts were testing your max lifts: power clean, back squat, bench press and dead lift. Alex was up to find his max back squat. As he hit his second lift, he felt something pull and snap. At the moment he didn't know what it was but was rushed to the ER. Thank you to our amazing friends Connie and Steve for being there, you are the best!

He had x-rays and an MRI done at the hospital to determine what happened. We then went to the doctor and had an ultra sound to see what it could be. The conclusion was that he had a hernia. We talked about what to do and what would be the best option. He was going to have surgery at the end of August to repair the hernia.

The surgery date arrived and it went well. The doctor said it took longer than anticipated due to the amount of muscle that he had. As I write this post, I remember being there in the hospital with him and feeling good, knowing that it went well. I can imagine that it was rough to go through all that but I would be there for him for anything. I love my Alex and want the best for him.

The next few months were the hardest though; his range of motion was very limited and he couldn't do certain movements because of the surgery. Think about it, your midsection, your core is opened up and then closed back up. Your body is trying to recovery and protect itself. I have never had a surgery like this, so I can't say 'I've been there'. I had surgery on my wrist years ago, but that was my wrist, not even close to your core or midsection.

I admire Alex because he went through something so physically and mentally challenging. Yes, there were up days and down days but we kept going forward. He wasn't able to train for four months! Four months... that's a long time when you are always in the gym, training, working towards your goals. He would try to do movements with the barbell but when it got to a certain weight, he would feel that pulling sensation again and it was hard to keep going. We would research the recovery time for a hernia surgery and there would be different reports, some said weeks, others months. It was hard to gauge how long it was going to take. I believed in him and knew that he would get back to where he was before, but I knew it was going to take awhile, maybe longer than what we wanted.

Near the end of November/beginning of December, he was able to lift more weight, incorporate some movements that were impossible before. A long time had passed, but I know that he would bounce back. We started to train more for the open, but if you think about it, there were only three months to train! That's not a lot of time to get back where you originally were. There were more ups and downs but Alex kept going. I wished I could have taken the surgery away and make the pain and frustration melt away, but it was there and we focused on staying positive.

Alex's heart and dedication to keep going and move forward was amazing, absolutely incredible. He had been taken back so far by this surgery but didn't give up. I am motivated by him to keep pushing and to keep working hard. This surgery tested him mentally, being able to keep going and having faith that he would physically recovery and be able to do lift again. This last open workout, 13.3, was a good measure. Alex did one muscle up last year and this year he did six!! Six muscle ups, and with a shoulder issue! Omg he's amazing, so proud. I smile because he is an astonishing athlete and I love how he keeps working and moving and gives it his best.

I am so so proud of Alex for all he has done! He has accomplished so much in such a small time frame. I look up to him in so many ways. He is a hard worker with a caring and gentle heart. He overcame such a huge obstacle and I know that he can over come any challenge that is placed in front of him. I am so lucky to have met Alex and have crossed paths with him. I am truly blessed and am thankful every day for my Alex.

Thank you babe for showing me so much in the time we have known each other. You are an incredible person, athlete, man and individual. Keep up all your hard work because it is paying off and you are doing amazing things! Here's to your progress, our progress and progress in life!

~ MCA