An Open Letter to My Workout Buddy

Dear Workout Buddy,

You know who you are. We've had our ups and downs, both on the scale and together. But we've come out on top. Thank you for pushing me to be the best version of myself. You've pushed me to do more planks than I ever thought imaginable and finally conquer a proper tricep pushup. I could spend the next few minutes going on and on about how you've helped me reach personal goals, encouraged me to do extra cardio, and motivated me to lift at 7am, but I won't. You see, workout buddy, you're more than just someone who helps me get through my daily workouts. You've helped me become more driven and motivated. You've helped me gain confidence. You'e helped me believe in myself and the reality that anything is possible. So workout buddy, here's what you've taught me..it's been a lot.

1. If at first you don't succeed, keep trying until you do.

I remember when I couldn't do ten push-ups. I didn't want to keep trying and failing and embarrassing myself. But you encouraged me, you told me that I could do it. You motivated me to keep getting stronger, until I could complete ten push-ups. But it wasn't just the push-ups, it was the realization that I could set seemingly impossible goals and reach them, so thank you for that.

2. You can do anything you set your mind do.

I don't know how many times I thought to myself 'I can't do this'. I can't do another shoulder press. I can't run another mile. I can't wake up at 6am. I can't do another lunge. Well, you were there to tell me that I could. You were there to push me to finish running that mile. You were there to tell me that I could do another lunge. You were always there, to push me to reach my best, to be my best. You showed me that my body would keep pushing as long as my mind told it to.

3. You need a partner in crime.

Where would I be if you hadn't been there to create all our core workouts? I would've done a lot less cardio had you not been my partner in crime. You were my motivation, my encouragement, and partner in crime. We spent enough time together to sync our schedules. We talked about every workout and meal, but also about about life. We talked about the good and the bad. The things we wanted to do and the things we wanted to move past.

4. You always feel better after a workout.

If there is anything we've learned, it's that we always feel better after a workout. It takes away the stress of the day. We can pull ourselves out of the chaos of school and friends and just focus on the workout. We can focus on putting in our best work and feel accomplished. Thank God for endorphins. It's made us a whole lot happier.

So thank you workout buddy. You rock.

Love,

Olivia