Well, IT certainly has been a solid minute.
For what seems to be an abundance of new members, I am simply "Cole". According to my profile, I've been a member for a solid nine years or so. Most of those years were spent as a highly active member, who's passion for participation died as the site underwent various changes. Most of them were neither good nor bad, just changes. But, more importantly, my participation waned with the changes within my own life. So much has changed since I last posted anything meaningful, most of which are good. But, as I've come to learn, change simply is. It's neither good, nor bad, & ultimately only time will tell.
I'll start with my last multi-ply powerlifting meet, which was in Texas towards the end of 2016. Flew out to Texas with my buddy, who was sick with a stomach bug. I managed a decent 804 squat, 529 bench, and was robbed a 705 deadlift. I closed the day with a 1994 total, going 804/529/661. That 705 pull was officially the heaviest I have ever pulled, and I'm still sour over having turned down. Long story short, the side judges didn't think I held it at lockout long enough...which is probably the truth. However, the head judge gave me a white light. THAT is what peees me off: the guy giving the "down" command believed it was a good lift. Whatever.
Around April 2017, I asked a girl out and started a 1.5 year long relationship, that has frankly been the best thing to have happened to me. It sparked a "growth" spurt of sorts, as I have continuously had to redefine my comfort zone. The last two years have been the most positive growth I have experienced PERIOD.
Around May 2017 I was asked to take up a coaching position at a local CrossFit gym. Their powerlifting coach had bailed on them, & one of the owners approached me personally at Metroflex. After getting approval from my own Coach, I took the job at CrossFit Reality. I still coached at Metroflex, but I began to implement my own programs and my own philosophies about training, & this sport called powerlifting.
Early July 2017, I got a bad case of bronchitis and found myself in urgent care at 4am on a Wednesday. For the first time since I was four years old, I had an asthma attack. My blood pressure was 180/110, & I was promptly put on a stronger inhaler and prednisone. Sometime before that, my girlfriend asked me if I was aware of how often I stopped breathing when I slept, which confirmed my suspicion that I had sleep apnea. However, I didn't know I stopped breathing THAT much. Follow that up with my asthma attack, I needed to make a change.
July 30, 2017 was my last meet as an "untested" lifter. I weighed in at 267, and competed in the Raw (knee sleeves only) division for the first time. I put up a respectable total, going 551/380/650 for 1581. BUT, i fumbled my own attempts and missed out on the goal of qualifying for Worlds. Everything needed to change, & the time was right.
I "cleaned" myself up, & began focusing on my work, & doing what I can to grow Long Beach Power Co.
November 2017, my best friend began working with me at CrossFit Reality. We came together with a specific vision: a gym ran the way we see fit. No bullpoo. No drama. Just two meatheads doing what we can to help people.
December 2017, he sat me down and asked me how come I haven't moved everyone I was coaching over to CrossFit Reality. My old coach at Metroflex was out of the pciture, & drama at that gym was at an all-time high. Plus, moving everyone over would have been financially beneficial. So, I began the process of removing myself from Metroflex, & making my name at CrossFit Reality, more specifically Long Beach Power Co.
January 2018 I moved everyone over to LBPWRCO, or as many people as I could. Some resisted the move, but not the one's I expected. The whole process was a lesson in lip service, & people doing one thing and saying another. I want to say I had never felt more betrayed in my life, as these people gave me their word, but in all honesty I still feel like it was a failure on my part. A failure of mine to prove myself as a coach, & thusly the didn't buy what I was selling. Some people did, though. As time wore on, and the anxiety levels settle down, I was finally told the one thing I wanted more than anything else: that I was doing a good job. Some of you may understand that, most of you won't. But, that meant the world to me. It still does.
March 2018, LBPWRCO participated in it's first meet as an actual team. Everyone won their division, & set some records along the way.
April 2018, celebrated a year with my girl. We closed out March by taking a road trip through Nevada, Utah, & Arizona. Zion thoroughly captured my heart.
June 2018, I competed in the USPA Oregon State Championships. It was a trip with two purposes: compete and meet my girl's parents. I put up a respectable total, going 441/330/551 for 1322 at 233. That's right, I went and lost some 35 pounds. I jumped on the keto bandwagon, & haven't looked back...save for some special cheat occasions. All I know is, my skin cleared up, my asthma is almost nonexistent, & my ass don't smell. Don't care about nothing else, lol. I did fall in love with Oregon on this trip, though...just not Portland. Portland is weird.
I turned 30 in July 2018. I got six bottles of whisky for my birthday lol. My how times have changed.
November 2018: one of my lifters, @fitnessmama_of_twins competed in the IPL World Championship, & won the open division, beating out girls half her age (46). She also set a world record or two in the process. I also fell in love with tiki bars while I was out there.
11/19/2018 I finally moved out of Mom & Dad's house.
So there, basically the last two years in a nutshell. I've also watch more pro-wrestling than I ever have to this point, & have gone to three shows out here in Long Beach/LA. The first NJPW show, the most recent NJPW: Strong Style Evolved, & this passed NXT: War Games. And Chef moved to Florida, but I don't talk about that...
Anyways, this is my log. Follow it.
"A government that is big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."
- Thomas Jefferson
Violence, is forever.
Your silence, forced this war.