"I'll Liken This To An Overhead Squat"

You know you spend way too much time with Crossfit folks when you go to someone for advice and they start out with 'I'll liken this to an overhead squat."  At that point, you are almost guaranteed to be in for a treat.  In all fairness, I think it was good advice - if I'm actually interpreting it correctly (which is questionable).  Here is the rest of the analogy: "In an overhead squat, you are so uncomfortable that you just want to get out of that position.  However, you haven't broken parallel and need to hold on for just one more inch."  (Well... apparently I'm not the only one who equates things to Crossfit movements.) 

I get what he meant.  I think that people could probably take this about 72 different ways - but it was exactly what I needed to hear today (even though I told him it was the worst advice ever).  Everyone goes through stages that are 'uncomfortable' - I'm totally in one now.  A lot of things that I was used to have changed - my house, my lifestyle, even my couch.  But instead of getting out, I just need to hold it for a bit longer until I nail it.  It's so hard sometimes.  I'm a runner (and wow... I do SO not mean that in the literal way!).  When things get tough, it's easier for me to run away... or ignore it completely.  I rarely tell people how I feel - especially when my feelings are hurt, I'd rather ignore it and let it eat me alive instead of saying it.  I'm working on changing that and meeting things head on - squashing things before they become bigger than I can handle. 

I'm still a work in progress.  I screw up, I say things on impulse, I get my feelings hurt, I cry over stupid things... and I bail out of overhead squats sometimes when it's too much to handle.  What can I say? It happens to the best of us.

On a positive note:  guess who met two of her goals today????  This girl!  Not just one... but TWO unassisted pullups AND, I linked five kipping pull ups together.  Woohoo.  Go me!

Life is Like a WOD (Wait. What?!?)

Let me get just a little bit pragmatic on you here...

I know that we've all heard the famous words of Forrest Gump "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get."  Okay... well that is definitely true, but let's face one fact: you are still eating chocolate.  And that, even at it's worst, is not THAT bad.  I've decided that life is really more like a WOD (for those of you who are unfamiliar with that - workout of the day).  Life is hard, and occasionally, we get dealt a really crappy hand - like seven rounds of running and burpees.  For each person it's different - we are all good at different things and cringe when we see others.  The thing is about the WOD - you never know what it's going to be until you walk into the gym.  You can plan on certain movements and work your butt off to improve them - but you can still be completely caught unaware when a workout calls for heavy weight and you are doing it in 95 degree weather.  Little things can totally throw off your game - and it's the same thing with life - just when you think you've got a handle on things, you get a total curveball. 

Somehow for me, dating has turned into one of the most complicated and dreaded WODs of them all.  Just when I think I have it totally in the bag - I get something like seven minutes of burpees.  Hellacious. L ife is killing me with burpees when really all I want is that elusive muscle up.  You know, the one that everyone else seems to have but you can't quite seem to figure out so you are left on the ground doing some wacky combination of dips and pull ups?!?  That's me right now.  Seriously.  Just one muscle up.  That's all I'm asking for. 

WODs are hard - they are meant to be. We do it because it's hard.  We do it because it kicks our ass and leaves us staring at the ceiling sucking wind.  We do it because of how we feel afterwards - relieved, exhilarated, accomplished, bad ass, the works. We excel at certain movements and revel in our ability to kick that WOD's ass while others leave us flat on our backs begging for it to be over.  How is that not life?!  There are highs and there are lows and if you are really lucky (and is my wish for everyone!) - the highs significantly outnumber the lows.

One of the biggest perks of CrossFit is knowing that there is an end in sight - workouts aren't that long and you really can do anything for a short amount of time - no matter how bad it is (even burpees... blah).  Keeping a positive "I can do this" attitude - even while you are getting your ass handed to you (by the WOD or life in general) - can save your life (and the sanity of those around you).   Be positive - you've got this.  

True story. 

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.