Russia

I'm in Astrakhan, Russia. I can't believe it.
On March 23rd my wife and I stood before a Russian judge and for three hours were questioned and berated over why we would want to adopt this child, our daughter, Rebekah Grace Boman.

At the end of that day we were awarded custody and are now waiting the required 10 days before we go and pick her up from the orphanage and begin the process of bringing her home. On Monday, the day after Easter, she will become ours permanently. We will get her passport, then fly to Moscow and get her Visa at the US Embassy so that she can come home and be a United States Citizen.

By clicking on any of the pictures below you will be taken to my Facebook Picture Album and can see some of the sights we've seen and my beautiful daughter's face. Thanks for looking, keep praying.

Today, from where I sit.

Training has been... well... boring. Honestly, I'm in cruise control. A little log and tire flip and frame carry on Sunday. Some box squats today... Eh.

Frankly, I just just want to keep my back healthy and make it to Russia to bring my daughter home. So I'm not taking any risks.

The older I get the less important laying it on the line to get stronger becomes. The more important staying healthy, mobile, and pain-free becomes. I've got a few more years to work on pulling that 800lbs deadlift or push a 400lb. log, but in the mean time I'm focused on becoming and dad and spending time with my family.

The long and short of it is, a man's got to have priorities, and right now training is about 5th on the list. And the way I look at it, I'm not going to get to the end of my life and think to myself, "man, I sure do wish I had spent more time in the gym".

Some might call me uncommitted... They would be wrong. I assure you that the things worthy of my commitment are now receiving my full attention.

I forgot how to be strong

Today was weird. It was my first day back from catching my death of illness which has had me with a fever, sore throat, sinus, etc.

I squatted. Well, I tried to.

Nothing fancy, just wanted worked up to a beefy double. My beefy double turned into a way to hard single. I couldn't believe how hard that squat felt.

I had a teacher in high school that once jokingly told me "I've forgotten more than you'll ever know". I think as I get older I'm starting to see what she meant.

After squatting I moved to the plain barbell good morning. Nothing Fancy, but by my third set of warm-up weight my left hamstring almost cramped up....

Ridiculous.

I've forgotten how to be strong. I've forgotten what it takes. I've become a schizophrenic in my training.

Focusing on to many goals at once will only ensure that you reach none of them.

What do I do? More good mornings for one. Heck I think just more in general. I can't not do GM's for three years and expect keep the strength that that exercise provided. The same thing goes for all the other things I've left behind in an effort to be more "specific" in my pursuit of strength. Hard lessons to swallow when I remember where I used to be.

So, There you go. Let the perpetual Massive Overhaul continue...