The year in Crossfit

About one year ago, I walked into Crossfit Inspire in Frasier, PA for the first time.  I remember walking into the "box," not knowing anyone (except Dylan, the person who got me started- THANK YOU), seeing the prescribed workout on the board, and almost shitting my pants.  I am a former college athlete and before starting Crossfit, would have considered myself in pretty good shape.

That all changed.

One year ago I remember telling my coach, Darin, that I have never done a pull up and would probably never do one.  That day, with the help of a band, I did ten.  Today I did 14 without a band.  I am an almost 32 year old woman who has two kids and am in better shape today than I have ever been in my life.

In one year, I have challenged myself to face fears.  I have scaled walls.  I have done GHD situps, I have done box jumps, I have bench pressed, dead lifted, squat snatched and lifted heavy, heavy weights- sometimes close to, if not more than my own body weight.  I ran a 10 mile race and smashed my goal time.  I (kind of) did a Dragon Boat race. 

I have watched my body change. Not in the "oooooh! I'm so skinny, now" but in the "ooooh!  I'm strong as shit, now!"  The confidence from seeing new, strong muscles has been way more gratifying than the exhausting challenge of dieting to see sharp hipbones.  Now I'm building the body that I want, not the body that others think I should have.

I have looked at other people with such respect and admiration.  Seeing them push themselves and then having the self-awareness and grace to take a step back when need be has been beautiful to observe.  I have seen all shapes, sizes, fitness levels, ages, and genders kick ass, take names, and then take them again.

I have a new team.  As someone who has always been on a team my entire life, I feel like this was something that was really missing in my adult life.  I missed practices, competition, and the bond that comes from being with team mates.  Now I have that again. I have to force myself to take rest days because if meeting the challenges of the workout wasn't incentive enough, getting to seeing my buddies and what they have accomplished makes it really difficult to take a day off.  Today, when I did pull ups for the first time without a band, I was obviously excited, but I also had the joy of sharing it with my friends/team mates, who were just as thrilled as I was. 

So if I sound passionate about this, I am.  I love it.  This has been probably the best part of 2011 for me and has helped me cope with stress, hard ships, deaths of friends and family, and the trauma of being dumped into the Schuylkill river during the Dragon Boat Race (hahaha). 

I am always willing to introduce you to Crossfit.  Do yourselves a favor and take me up on it. 
xoxo
J