Bad News!

 I got some bad news recently.  I just found out yesterday that I tore my pectoral tendon.  It happened about 2 weeks ago at a seminar that was going over the bench press.  We warmed up a bit, and then decided to do the NFL Combine 225lb bench press.  After a couple of other athletes I decided to give it go.  I unracked the bar and started my reps.  It was going pretty smooth.  1……2……3…..and then as I was pushing up on my 4th rep POW!!!!  It felt like somebody punched me in the chest and then the bar came crashing down. I had spotters so they were able to get the weight off pretty quickly, thank god.  Then I grabbed my chest.  I had never felt anything like that.  I thought someone was playing a joke on me.  After I stood up there was some pain in my chest by my arm pit.  Not good!!!  I had some trouble trying to move my arm across my body and my left pec didn’t feel right

Over the next couple weeks I iced it and did some physical therapy hoping that it wasn’t fully torn.  I eventually got an MRI on May 28th.  Got the results back and spoke with an Orthopedic surgeon on June 1st.  Turns out I tore my pectoral tendon.  Surgery is required if I want to keep lifting and stay active.  SO…..I go under the knife next Tuesday.  They will go in and reattach the parts that have come undone. 

What does that mean for me?  Well, that means that I will have to take a little bit of some time off Olympic lifting.  I will still be training athletes and running classes throughout my recovery.  I still plan on reaching my goal of competing in the American Open in December.   I have a long road ahead of me, but as long as I do the right thing I should be OK.