So Dave writes a great article about knowing when you throw in the towel and the son of a bitch puts a picture of me in the header. All of a sudden I'm getting texts from everyone asking if I'm done lifting.

I texted Dave, he pretended that it was just a coincidence, but I don't believe in those. It's funny, 15 years ago when I first met Dave, he was a  dick to me. He didn't know me, he was just being who he is and he was right, I didn't know how to squat and he was letting me know it.  Now I've known him for a long time and he is still being a dick to me, whether he meant to or not. Maybe it was an accident, but either way, it made me think.

I don't have an ACL, I've been told by 2 Ortho's that I'll need a knee replacement in less than 5 years and I suffered a major back injury that originally sidelined my powerlifting.  With all this I still don't see that it is my time to hang it up. I pulled 750lbs a month ago and it felt easy. My all time PR is 804, and I want to beat that before I call it quits on my powerlifting career.

If anything, Dave's piece made me more resolved to train harder, use more recovery methods and to dial in my focus. I have a great staff and even though our business is continuing to grow by leaps and bounds, I am now in a position to spend more time on my training.

This next 6 months will be crucial as I am going to have a hernia surgery and need to be careful to keep my strength up while allowing my body to heal from the surgery. I almost don't want to get it because training is starting to go so well, but I know that in the long run it is the right thing to do.

So for as much as I hate Dave Tate, every time he does something that calls me out, it makes me a much better person. I don't know if he was serious when he said it was coincidence but I am more determined than ever to reach my goals, just so I can give Dave a big middle finger.

elite Lily flippin the bird