So, the year is nearly over (or is in fact already over if you live East of where I am writing this from). And as I did last year, I thought it might be nice if those of us who wanted to shared their high points, low points and lessons learned from 2012.
So, what were:
Your high points from 2012: What went really well with your S&C? Were there any events or achievements that really stand out, that are really satisfying?
Your low points from 2012: What really sucked in S&C? Were there any moments and events that were particularly tough?
Your lessons learned from 2012: What do you know now about S&C, or your own approach to it, that you didn't know on January 1st 2012? What have you learned that will make 2013 better than 2012?
I'm going to limit myself to two things for each:
1.) My high points:
First, packing the room with prospective lifters for our first Iowa Powerlifting team meeting, and maintaining a number of them through the semester. I also got to see Babyeater start her powerlifting career and compete in her first two meets. All of this has made me immensely proud! Seeing Babyeater compete has been the only time I've ever gotten teary-eyed at a meet; my own lifts aren't satisfying in that way.
Second, breaking into the next tier of powerlifting with a 1355-lb. total and a #1-ranked squat. I've accomplished things this year that have put me up with a higher class of lifter, and I'm very proud of that, because it's further than I expected I'd go.
2.) My low points:
First, losing my training partner and good friend after he left our Ph.D program and moved away to Chicago. I miss him a lot, and training isn't the same without him.
Second, watching Babyeater grapple with herself, with being an athlete, and with encountering the various struggles that come with hard training. She has done so well, but she has also had occasions where she has suffered a lot emotionally, and that has been difficult for me to endure.
3.) What I've learned:
* That the sky's the limit as long as I train hard, train consistently, and train intelligently. I'm further along this year than I thought I'd ever be.
* That one should have strong beliefs as a strength athlete regarding methodology, but one should keep no gods by listening to only one perspective. Once I began opening myself up to other approaches, I started tailoring my training to what I really needed as a lifter.
* That the more people I make myself responsible for as a 'coach' and/or training partner, the greater the emotional burden is to ensure they're successful, and that I need to be very strong emotionally in order to deal with that. You share in their successes, but you also experience their suffering. Feeling helpless because someone who isn't you is struggling badly with training--or with themselves--is an awful feeling.