Great Spotlights shining in!

As if training isn't challenging enough? Here is another success story from the one and only Becky Lovell. Becky trained right up until the day she delivered! I am talking this woman training every single training day. This woman did not miss a day of training her entire pregnancy - 9 months! Perfect attendance in itself is impressive- perfect attendance while pregnant? Now that is something worth sharing! I am so proud of Becky. She has been an inspiration to me since long before she was expecting. Becky prides herself on "keeping up with the boys" at 6:15 AM! She can definitely hold her own and then some. Her story is so awesome and I am so excited to see what happens next! Here is her story! "I started training at GFNH in 2010 to help maintain my 40lb loss and have become leaner and stronger over the last 5 years.  I have set and reached goals in and out of GFNH that I never would have dreamed possible.   One goal that I achieved in October 2014 was to run and finish the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.  Ironically, if you had asked me 10 years ago if I would ever run a marathon, I would have laughed and thought you were crazy.   Last fall my husband, Garrett, began at GFNH and gave me a little friendly competition which helped me to set some new goals for 2015.

This year I started out with my new goals, one of which was to get stronger, so I joined the small group training, Training for Warriors (TFW).   About a month into TFW training, I found out that I was pregnant.  I have always wanted to be a mom, so at 36 I was thrilled, but knew that I would have to make some modifications to my goals for 2015.  With my doctor’s approval I was able to continue with both GFNH and TFW.

Not much changed with my training in the beginning other than the addition of a heart rate monitor with instructions to stay out of the red training zone.   Yes, I was a little more tired, and I did have some nausea, but I began to notice on the days I made it to GFNH I would feel better and have fewer pregnancy symptoms.  Over the past few months, I have continued to train at both 6:15 and TFW in the afternoon.  Depending on the day and how I was feeling I have not always been able to train as hard as I would have liked.  One of the big lessons I have learned with my pregnancy is to listen to my body, and not be hard on myself if I physically couldn’t do some of the more advanced work I am used to doing.  The added pregnancy weight and my changing body with baby bump have made a lot of things much harder than before.  Yes, it has been frustrating to have to do some of the regressions, or even ask for modifications, but it would be more frustrating to not be at GFNH at all.

Over the months I have only missed a couple of classes and my plan is to train right up to birth.  There have been plenty of days that I have not wanted to go to work, let alone walk through the doors of GFNH.  Those are the days I had to dig deep and know that I have friends who would look for me and wonder where I was.  Right, Stacey Haggett?  When I needed some motivation, I just look to some of the other people in my 6:15 or TFW classes.  I watched Sarah Smith make it to training everyday of her pregnancy at 6:15, and she is now working hard post-pregnancy.  Not to mention training at TFW with a pregnant Coach Meagan who has helped to push me to get better.  Both have been a source of inspiration. 

My due date is nearing, in fact I am 39 weeks, and still trying to train as hard as I can.  One goal I had during my pregnancy was to be able to do a chirpee at 9 months, crazy I know, but when you are handed a challenge by a fellow classmate… I was able to perform one at 8 months however I am sad to report that as of last week I could not get my chin over the bar.  I have spent the last 9 months training hard for a different kind of Marathon in mid-October, with a goal to maintain my strength and deliver a happy, healthy baby. Now it’s time to set some new post-baby goals for 2016!" Pregnant or not- you can make it happen too! I am so proud of Becky and all of her accomplishments. Some of the accomplishments she is too humble to share are 2 Reach the Beach events, a lot of half marathons, maximum deadlift of 225 lbs, 6 unassisted chins, and so much more. This woman is strong. She is not afraid to pick up the heaviest weight in the gym and squat with it! You too can make it happen! RTB 2013 Marine Corps Marathon 2014