Leaving Gymnastics

Something I wanted but never got was that I wanted to do gymnastics for four hours everyday after school. First problem: my coach was only there for a couple hours, and I was the only one on my team who was interested in staying, so she wouldn’t get paid for coaching just me. Also the gym I went to charged around $400 to train that much. I was so angry at the time. It was my dream to go to the Olympics, even though the odds were completely against me. I started gymnastics when I was 10, and I was short but definitely not built like an Olympic gymnast. I loved training hard and pushing my body beyond its limits everyday. All I looked at was gymnastics photos, read gymnastics books, and wore gymnastics clothes. My hair was precisely styled like a gymnast every day before practice, and my nail polish always matched my leotard. My parents just couldn’t afford this particular gym and I didn’t have the right support system to get me where I wanted to go.

Now I realize that yes, dreams should be extremely hard to reach, otherwise it would not be a dream, but sometimes you need to adjust your dreams (adjust, not lower your standards). People often say never give up on your dreams and I agree, but I would say never give up on the things you love. I thought I loved gymnastics, but after awhile I stopped progressing, got injured, grew taller, and gained weight. I made one of the hardest decisions of my life to leave my gymnastics family. I quit the sport that just wasn’t meant for me and tried something new. I joined a crossfit box, which was hands down the best decision of my life. This community of people with firm handshakes and chiseled abs welcomed me, they told me I belonged there. The coaches truly cared about each and every person that showed up. They modified an exercise if you were injured and they talked to you like a friend, yet pushed you as hard as a drill sergeant. I quickly became addicted and knew that I had made the right choice to quit gymnastics. I now have a huge group of athletes that I am proud to call my family. Each day we push each other, encourage each other, and set new personal records. I am truly grateful for finding Crossfit Progression and the Rochester Barbell Club.

Aly Raisman doing a back layout step out on beam at the 2012 Olympics

Facing a Challenge

A time when I faced a challenge was last year, when I decided to commit my life to weightlifting and chase my ultimate dream of becoming an Olympic champion.

This was a is a memorable challenge because it would mean giving up most of the experiences that normal kids have; such as going to movies, parties, and eating fast food. I would have no time to go to dances and football games, no time for yearbook and other clubs. I could do all these things, but then I wouldn’t be giving 100% to weightlifting, which would have to be my focus if I was going to make it to the Olympics. When I asked my coach is this goal was attainable he said,
“I’m never going to tell you that something is impossible, but it usually takes about ten years to become an Olympian. Liz, you have the ideal situation; you are starting at 14 with a background of gymnastics and other sports."

By making the choice to commit to weightlifting I have made a lot of “sacrifices”. I guess I wouldn’t really consider them sacrifices, maybe more like choices. I do part time school and take only four classes at my small-town high school. This means I don’t get to see the friends I grew up with very often, which sometimes makes me feel lonely. I don’t go to football games and dances because after I workout my body is tired and sore; instead I spend that time icing and recovering so I can train harder and stronger the next day. I don’t eat fast-food or processed food, which is a struggle with everyone around me enjoying it on a daily basis. I only put all natural whole foods into my body to fuel my muscles so that I can lift weights twice my body weight above my head.

I spend about five to six hours at the gym, three-and-a-half at school, two commuting back and forth, nine sleeping, and two cooking/eating. That leaves me with almost no free time. Any of the extra time I do have I spend reading articles, blogs, and studies on health and fitness related topics. I watch videos of lifting technique when I should be studying, and listen to podcasts when I should be sleeping. At times it is hard to use my time wisely because my schedule is jam-packed; I get extremely overwhelmed when I think about it too much.

I love keeping busy all the time, but sometimes I just want to stop.Those are the days when I have to take a step back and appreciate life. Everything is constantly changing, so it’s important to slow it down sometimes and savor the flavors of life.

My favorite days are when my hands are throbbing, my shins are purple with bruises, my back is sore, my legs are numb, and all I want to do is sleep. I love those days because it’s proof to me that I am working hard and pushing myself beyond my limits. Champions are made on the tough days; that is what separates a quitter and a gold medalist.

Zubova Olga setting up to snatch 120kg

So far I love the consequences of my decision. I have sought comfort in the blogs and articles of fellow weightlifters. I learn that being lonely is what all successful people sacrifice to get to where they are. No one ever said anything worth having would be easy to get. I know that in the end I have a family at the gym that supports me, and will be there for me. I am sure they face similar struggles in their fight for success. This journey is going to be tough and there will be many roadblocks in the way, however I know that in the end it will all be worth it.

Is it Worth it?

I’ve struggled with my weight through out my teenage years. When I was a gymnast we were required to wear a skin-hugging leotard to practice everyday. If that doesn’t motivate you to be skinny I don’t know what does. Now I’m a weightlifter. There is still a little pressure to be skinny because you have to wear a singlet in competition. I think that the weightlifting community puts much more emphasis on the need to be strong. This is the same with crossfit. People look up to you because you are strong, not because you are anorexic. Being in this type of community has completely changed my life.
         Lately I’ve been trying to decide which weight class I am going to compete in for the Minnesota Open. I can change my weight pretty easily, but the overall goal would be to stay in the same weight class over a long period of time. Recently I was discussing this with my friend and training partner. She is very strong and I know for a fact that she eats pretty clean. We can relate because we have similar goals (the American Open) and a similar situation. We both live with people who have no consideration to what we eat. They say eww and gross to everything, but they find it completely normal to shove potato chips and McDonalds down their throat. We were talking about how hard it is sometimes to resist the temptation to eat the terrible foods that our families eat (I have to admit that brownies taste good). I told Tina that it didn’t matter which weight class I was in for this meet, because I can always qualify for Junior Nationals in the 63 kilo class at a high school meet. I have the fear that if I become okay with being a 69 kilo lifter that I will soon be okay with being a 75 kilo lifter and so on. I don’t want to think that gaining weight is ok, as long as I am strong. It’s not. The way I gain weight is that I try to lose weight by starving myself, then binge the next day because my body is so nutrient-depleted and dehydrated. That is not okay and I know that. I need to change my habits.
I tell myself (and others) that I eat pretty well, especially for my age. Then I say that I don’t understand why I’m not leaner because I workout 4 hours a day. Tina asked me how clean my diet really was, which made me actually reflect on what my diet is like. When I take a look at it there is a lot of things that I don’t really need that aren’t benefiting me, like a granola bar once in a while or some chocolate as a reward for eating clean all day. She said one cheat meal a week is all that you need to stay satisfied. Then she said that I have to decide whether I want to be a 63 kilo lifter who eats 90% clean, or a 69 kilo lifter with a crappy diet. I asked how she ate so clean with all the junk food and stuff in the house. She told me you just have to ask yourself if it is worth it. This reminded me of what my coach said earlier. You have to just do it. If you think there is something that you could change or make better then there probably is, so just do it. Change it.
         Of course I want to be a 63 kilo lifter. I am 5 foot 2, so I really don’t need to be a 69 kilo lifter unless I grow like 6 inches. So I decided to listen to them and put their advice into effect. Now I ask myself “Is it worth it?” before eating my meals. I ask myself “Will this help me reach my goals?” “Would a world champion eat this?”
So far it is going good. I am not going to check my weight every 5 minutes because I know that to compete in the 63 kilo class I need to lose 6 pounds in 6 days. That is unattainable with a healthy sustainable diet. I probably won’t get down to 62.9 kilos before the MN Open, but it doesn’t matter. I need to change my diet right now. I’ve decided that I will be a lean 63 kilo lifter throughout most of my weightlifting career. After the Minnesota Open there is going to be high school meets that I can go to if I need to qualify for Junior Nationals in a different weight class (which I most likely will).
My goal for right now is to eat 90% clean so I can be the best athlete possible. Thanks to my coaches and training partners for all the advice and pep talks!