I’m back in the States! Italy was an amazing experience. I spent two weeks eating lots of pizza and pasta, exploring each region, and soaking up the Italian sun.
I aimed to continue training for Strongwoman five days per week with my travel workout. Unfortunately, I caught a nasty sore throat and cold that lasted through the majority of the trip (no worries, it didn’t stop me from taking advantage of the vacation). So I ended up working out four days per week, which included a four-hour hike in Cinque Terre, swimming in Isola del Ciclopi and Punta Secca in Sicily. Since our mornings and afternoons were packed, I dedicated time before bed to do my travel workout, when we weren’t hiking or swimming.
I know I didn’t make my goal of working out five days per week, but I was satisfied and proud of what I did accomplish. Being sick while travelling was tough, especially in the mornings. There were days where I really wanted to do my travel workout, but my body was telling me I needed to rest. Listening to your body is really important. If you’re sick for days and not getting any better, allow your body to heal.
My cold went away shortly before I flew home, so I was able to get back to strength training in good health. I slowly started lifting weights again, starting light and building back up to my maxes. After a couple of days, I was back to where I was before my vacation. In the last few days, I was able to increase my max on shoulder presses from 70lbs to 80lbs, back racks from 245 to 265, and my cleans from 65 to 70. These aren’t significant jumps, but that’s how I’ve found works the best; increasing weight 5-10lbs at a time is the safest way to test your strength and make those gains!
I have about 5 weeks to reach my goals. I created a progress chart to help me keep track. I’ve still got a ways to go! It’s crunch time!
Invictus Fitness 