Just Do It

I've had a couple people ask me lately "What got me started doing CrossFit? What keeps me going?".  Well.  Let me just start this off by saying that I NEVER in my entire life imagined that people would ask me questions like this.  I was a lazy slug for years that promised myself I would go to the gym... tomorrow. 

So... why did I start doing CrossFit?  Last year, I lost someone who was about as close to me as you can be - my fiance.  After that, I went through a period where my life felt totally out of control and I couldn't handle much of anything.  Work, family, friends - all of it felt like too much and it was taking everything I had just to pull it together and make it through the day.  A friend encouraged me to give CrossFit a try (his exact words being 'It will change your life') and then a girlfriend and I had one too many glasses of wine and signed up for a free trial class (that's the definition of liquid courage).  Even during our trial class - it felt good.  For the hour - I felt as normal as I had felt in months. It took me one trial class to be hooked.  Each time I went to class - I was in control.  I controlled how much I lifted, how fast I moved, how many reps I could do.  It was refreshing to push my body as hard as I could.  

It also helped me to make some healthy decisions - I cut back my drinking, I actually ate and ate healthy, my body was tired so I was sleeping.  Being healthy and getting fit made a huge difference for me - it seemed to help counter everything that was going on in my head (and with my heart) and make it just slightly more manageable.  And when you are trying to put your life back together - you need all the help you can get.  

So... why do I keep doing it?  Because I love it.  I have made friends who are amazing and who I hope will be in my life for a very long time.  I love coaching.  I love the sore 'you are killing it' feeling that I feel almost all of the time.  I love cheering for complete strangers in competitions.  I love pushing myself to failure.  I love PRing.  I love laying on the mats after a workout sucking wind and hoping someone brings me my water bottle.  I love the sound of dropping weights.  I love that I can walk into the gym with one mood and walk out with another. 

CrossFit for me is a perfect fit. 

My words of advice for people who aren't sure if they want to start something new or are feeling lazy?  JUST DO IT.  I don't care if it's CrossFit, yoga, running, pole dancing, Zumba, paddle boarding, biking, whatever.  Just do it.  And do it now.  Stop thinking about it and get out there and do it. Maybe it won't change your life... but maybe it will.  I think about my friend's words all the time - and he was right.  CrossFit and the folks at Sound CrossFit changed my life - and very much for the better.  I can't imagine a life without it.  

Stop telling yourself you will do it tomorrow - if you need to, drink that glass of wine and get the liquid courage to sign up for a class you've been dying to try. 

Get a group of friends that keep you accountable - it can make all the difference.  Trust me - if you skip out on a 6:30am class and leave a friend to do it alone - they won't let you forget it anytime soon.

If you don't love something - try something else.  Don't force yourself to do something that you hate - it will only make you and everyone around you miserable.  And... you won't do it.  You will constantly come up with excuses as to why you can't do it right now.

But more than anything... just get out there and do it.  Try new things and you'll discover what changes your life.