Putting it into perspective

As I've been chronicling the last year that I've actually really been on this blog, one of the things I've been down on myself a lot about is my performance at the box. Everyone seems to be much stronger than I am, and my judgmental and competitive sides get to me quite a bit and I'm all like "how can she be lifting more than me?"

While I was being a mopey, whiney, depressed brat this morning, I got to thinking about what I can do, and I put it into perspective.

Yes, it's true I started CrossFit in July of 2012. But then I got pregnant in October of 2012. So I had 4 months of CF to establish some sort of base before I got pregnant. And while I was pregnant, I was just trying to stay fit. There were no gains except one PR on a split jerk from the bar early on.

So I sort of went back in September of 2013. I was still recovering from a c-section, so mostly I was relearning technique to accommodate the new boobs and the lack of belly. Then I was out again for the spider bit and then not able to really train because of the elimination diet and the severe lack of calories. I was just too weak. Then came Christmas, more sick baby, the flu, emergency rooms, no sleep, etc. So life with a sick kid during the wintertime when others get sick, too.

I will say then that my true return and real start of training began with this year's Open.

The stuff that I did with the Open, the base that I had, had all been the base I had before I got pregnant. I worked backed up to that base within a few months of my off and on return, but was never able to really get past it. But since February, this is what I've done:

• Increased my clean and jerk by a whopping 35#
• Increased my overhead squat by 20#
• Got kipping pull-ups
• Went from 1 rep at a time on deadlifts at 155 to 5 TNG DLs at 155, for multiple sets
• PR'd my back squat, twice (not by much, but hey, it's something)
• Increased my front squat by 20 some odd pounds
• PR'd my strict press by 5#
• Three months ago I didn't get through 50 squats of mini-Murph in the 30 minute time cap; yesterday I finished it with a minute to spare. 
• My working sets now for cleans are around 80#. Before like March, I had only gotten up 80# once in my life in a powerclean, and it wasn't really a clean, more like a reverse curl.

That's a lot, IMHO, in six months of work. And I think about what I came in with in February and have done, if I put it into perspective, the people who lift that or more have been working on those lifts for 18-24 months (most of them). If I can stay healthy and train consistently between now the first of the year, I may be able to catch up with some of these women. 

Putting it into perspective really helps me not be so down on myself.