Toss back to what was (perhaps) the most bloated time in my life, as well as my competitive strongest.
This kid would go on to change my life in so many ways, but at the time, competing was still my #1 priority... BY FAR
I was never woken up once when my son was a baby, I never once had to get up in the middle of the night. Never heard him cry at night, no night feedings, diapers, etc. I have zero stories to tell about how bad that all sucked. I sleep downstairs in another room to ensure I got enough sleep - recovery to train. I was 20 weeks out from my meet!
Looking back many years later, I see this was not only unfair to my wife but also to me. I am not posting this to impress anyone but to show we all will have regrets. I know I earned many of mine and will tack on more before I die, and this is only one small example of the many I have.
Denying them will eat you up inside. Taking responsibility for them moves you forward. I took responsibility for this and made amends over a decade ago, butthis is still what I see when I look at this picture.
To me, those who shout #noregrets are either ignorant, lazy, stupid or never fully committed to anything. While I am by no means proud of my regrets I did earn them, they are mine, I am responsible, and I move on.
The hair, the bloat, no neck and purple ears do ease the blow some.
#nostupidhastags