Looking Back... Moving Forward: Hupernikao

With the New Year approaching… the commercials, Facebook posts, gym adds, every type of social media surrounds us with the reminder of setting new resolutions.  A fan of the resolution fad or not, it will cross your mind as you swear to yourself this year will be different.  I like many others have failed to stick to a New Years Resolution for long, hell, by the time April arrives; I’ve forgotten what it even was. Until this last year anyway...

I recently looked through my journal… if you want to call it that, or my notebook of doodling, rambling, and jotting down favorite quotes; I found a list of goal lifts I wanted to hit in 2012. After starting strongman in October 2011, I was hooked. But, being the competitive person I am, I was frustrated with not excelling in each event quickly.  

Journaling 2012 Goals

We were all training for a contest in mid February, so our training focused on power stairs, log press, deadlifts, farmers, and sandbag carry and load. Needless to say I struggled in about all of the above. From my list as you can see, log, deadlifts, and power stairs were heavy on my mind. Getting 120lbs with the log clean and press was feeling impossible. A huge mental block. I knew I was strong enough to press it. The power stairs.  Just getting the implement up all three runs at all, much less finishing in less than 60 seconds was a feat. And deadlifts… oh deadlifts. My form was horrendous. I didn’t even touch the contest weight prior to because my back was not liking it at all. I have never been so nervous in my life the day of the contest. I was flooded with so many mixed emotions of both pride in how far I had come but also frustration in feeling like I wasn’t ready. At the contest, I didn't finish the power stairs, I made silly errors with the sandbag which I lost sleep over for weeks and I had no idea how to stay ‘warm’ through five+ hours of competing without completely wearing myself out.

Snowman Challenge; Farmers

But I was doing something I never imagined possible. And more than that, I was doing something I love. My parents were there cheering me on, my dad commenting on how other people were cheating bouncing the weight off the ground during deadlifts J, my brother even catching the sandbag event in the middle of his crazy day. My mom not having a clue what was going on, but they were there. I was there. I was overcoming a number of fears and self doubt… 

120lb Log Clean and not Press :)

165lb Log Clean and Press

That is only where it began.

As I look back throughout 2012:

*Log clean and press 165lbs

*300lb deadlift

*230lb squat

*175lb stone over bar

*power stairs, 42 seconds, yes, all three implements J

These are my own personal highlights of the year. Crazy to think back to my first weeks of training. The first time I pressed the log, or the first time I tried to pick up the stone, wondering ‘what on earth am I doing”. But I refused to give up…

Regardless of what your New Years Resolution will be for 2013. Write it down, even if its just doodling :)   Don’t forget what you are truly striving for. I am thankful for each day I am blessed with to grow and learn and that I have found something I am truly passionate about.

As I approach the challenges of 2013, I think of 'hupernikao': to be more than a conqueror, to gain a surpassing victory.

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

I’m looking forward to a great year of new challenges and achievements. What are you achievements from 2012? Best wishes to a safe and happy New Year!!!