Did you know? There is a dude behind the JenX Journey. He ended up tagging along for the ride six months after I started and is an unsung hero in my journey. Without him, I am positive I would not be where I am today.
Today, he turns 50!
Meet Mike P. My hubs. My best friend. My arm candy. (Hubba hubba).
CrossFit competition, Festivus Games in 2019.
Mike P. has not only been my biggest cheerleader, but he lost 115 pounds too! He started CrossFit too. He did all the things too. I ain’t so special standing next to him.
I couldn’t have asked for a better support system. Someone doing it with me. We have gone through the weight struggles together. The doctors appointments, bloodwork, medication, being winded walking upstairs. We could be each others’ biggest cheerleaders or we could both be eyeball deep together in pizza and ice cream.
But somewhere beyond all the takeout, pizzas, Netflix and ultra couch-sitting marathons, we knew it wasn’t sustainable. We’d try to lose weight together and fail together. Try to lose weight separate, it didn’t work. He rode a bit of that roller coaster with me. But its different for dudes. I think in some ways its harder for them to express their feelings and figure out how to change.
But in 2014, I started a journey that I vowed would be my last. I remember sitting down with him and telling him I had to figure this out. I had a plan, hopefully my last. He did what he always does, was 100% supportive of me. But he didn’t jump in right away and I didn’t ask him to. He came along in his own time.
But as I reflect back, I now see that he saw something in me long ago that I never did. He always knew that I wouldn’t truly figure it out my struggles with food until I started trusting myself more.
Now, he never said that to me directly, but he always had that type of encouragement for me. He always wondered why I read so many books, tried so many things. I realize now, he saw a strength in me that I didn’t acknowledge at the time.
And that was my key all along. To love and trust myself. But there was someone who was loving and trusting me long before I was able to do that for myself. And that was Mike P.
He has always…
- Believed in me when I didn’t.
- Seen my potential.
- Helped me see things from other angles.
- Valued my opinion, and I truly value his.
- Breaks the rules with me.
- Been a sounding board.
- A friend.
- A workout partner.
- And the love of my life.
So I just want to recognize my other half for accomplishing all of the same things that I have. If you would have told me six years ago that we would lose 230 pounds, become CrossFitters and change the way we live and look at life, I wouldn’t have believed it possible.
I still kinda don’t believe it.
Its quite possible that without him doing this by my side, I would have failed somewhere along the way. I definitely would have had more roadblocks and challenges and I acknowledge this often. I have no doubt this would be 100 x’s harder.
Many people ask how I got Mike to do this with me. My answer is always the same, I never asked him to. In fact, I went out of my way to tell him that he didn’t have to do this with me. I know from personal experience we each have to decide to embark on our journeys ourselves. He simply came to me for help when he was ready. I set the example and was ready to help when he was ready.
But he didn’t just come along for the ride, he eventually went all in and changed his life too. He needed to build his own distinct journey too. And, for that I am so proud of him. Proud of me. Proud of us.
Happy 50th birthday! I love you, Mike P. I love us. And I love what we have been able to do together. By saving, lengthening and improving the quality of our lives, I can’t wait to see what we do with our next 50 years. I feel truly blessed to be yours, Mike P.
XOXO
51 Bridges Home 