My Happy Place

The Pride Training Zone: I love this logo. Seeing it reminds me I am home.

My favorite place of the Pride Fitness Performance Center: The Asylum. So many squats, deadlifts and bench presses have happened in this space. 

The two pictures above are from the place I go five out of seven days per week. This is the place I go to work on becoming stronger and more well-rounded. The place where, most of the time, I feel competent and accomplished. The place where even when I don't feel accomplished and competent it is okay. As long as I learn something I have not failed, as a very wise man told me recently. He's also told me, more times than I can count, that I will miss 100% of the shots I don't take.

Pride Fitness Performance is my happy place. Just about every check in I write includes the hashtag #lovemyhappyplace. Recently in Yoga Corr Coach Tyler told us to picture our happy place during meditation and joked that some of us might already be in our happy place. I can't speak for anyone else but I know I was.

It's hard to believe that Pride only came into being about three years ago. Even harder to believe that it's only been about three and a half years that I have known Pride's owner. Coach Tyler is simply amazing. As an athlete he is one of my heroes and as a person there is no one I would rather have in my corner. When the going is tough he is calm, steady and supportive. When things go well he is just as excited as I am. I don't have the opportunity to train with him as often as I used to. I certainly treasure the times I train with him or the times I get to work out with him. I don't trust easily, but I can say without reservation that I trust Coach T one hundred percent.

There was a moment when I wondered if my trust in Coach T was a misjudgment on my part. That was when he introduced us to Dane Martin, Coach D. Coach D is a lot like me: quiet. He's there to get the work done. Don't get me wrong, he can chat, he is friendly, but those traits aren't obvious when you first meet him. My first impression of him was "I don't like him". Even though one of the first things I heard him say about me was to tell Coach T I had good form on my TRX rows. I didn't want him in my space.

It wasn't until the second Pride games that I began to think I had probably misjudged him and whether or not I wanted him to have a place in my training. He encouraged me during the Tractor Tire Deadlift event and helped me PR. Then he asked me if I'd ever considered powerlifting. I had no idea what it was at that time and just smiled and didn't think any more about it. You all know how that turned out.

I know Coach T recognized my strengths and skills and looking back I can't thank him enough for bringing Coach D to Pride. It was slow and gradual, but I started working with Coach D more and more. I have learned to trust him completely as well. He has earned my trust and respect in spades. He has stood with me at three powerlifting meets: coaching me and handling my nerves with calmness and the perfect words at the right time "Lift the shit out of that bar" is one of my favorite phrases. He tells me he is proud to be my coach, even when I don't do as well as we both know I could. For the two meets I have been in that he was unable to attend he was a text away and he answered me no matter how crazed I was.

Pride Fitness Performance is my happy place. More than that it is a safe place. The place I can walk in as I am and know if I put in the effort I am going to walk out better. I will not be perfect, that is never the expectation. The expectation from both coaches is that we do our best.  Coach T created and with the help of Coach D maintains this safe place.

I have cried at Pride and I have been angry. I have also been strong and though I still don't see it I have heard I have been inspirational. There are times I have walked in there afraid, defeated, unsure and positive things will never be okay again, but during the hour I am in the building I am able to put everything else aside. I may not be a rock star in every workout, but I get something out of every workout. I have learned that if I trust the coaches I will find I do have something to give no matter what we are working on.

Coach Dane words can't express how thankful I am for you. You push me, encourage me and support me. When you tell me you are in my corner I know you mean it. You're as committed to my crazy dream as I am (I should be thanking Jen too: she's been at as many meets as you have). You don't hesitate to tell me you are proud of me. You are one of the greatest men I know and one of my heroes. I don't want to get too soft on you, so I'll stop gushing now.

Thank you Coach Tyler for believing in me and making me promise you I would always be honest with you. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm as I pursue my passion and chase dreams. Your kindness, expertise and time are so appreciated. I could never list all you've taught me in the time we've known each other. You are one of my heroes and definitely one of the greatest men I know.

As the third anniversary of Pride gets closer I just had to gush and get sappy about this amazing facility. Wish I had remembered to get a picture of the Lion's Den while I was snapping the pics of the Pride Training Zone and The Asylum. Next time. Better yet, if you're reading this and you don't attend Pride, come check it out.

I'll leave you with a picture taken on Tuesday by my absolute favorite guy with my heroes. Thanks Eric Hastings.

Coach D, Coach T and me in the middle. Awesome coaches and my heroes.

Thank you for reading!