What CrossFit means to me.
My story is not unique. In fact, it’s quite boring. I wasn’t plagued with illness, obese, crippled, depressed or suffering with an eating disorder. In fact, when I discovered CrossFit, I was just bored! I was an open water long-distance swimmer who was fed up with swimming up and down a pool all the time in training. I had tried kickboxing, spin, pump, circuits, regular gym machinery, you name it. I was looking for more exciting ways to increase my fitness level and take training to a whole other level. I also wanted to branch into other disciplines such as triathlons, adventure races and something I never thought possible; I wanted to complete my very first half marathon.
When I stumbled upon CrossFit, I wasn’t sold immediately. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that a 7-minute work out could have any sort of impact on my fitness. We grew up in a time where gym trainers told us that hours of cardio at low intensities, and using light weights to perform many reps, were the way to go! So the idea of CrossFit was definitely outside of anything I’d ever known.
However, fast forward to a few WoDs later I was not just sold. I was hooked, addicted, obsessed!! I think what appeals to me the most is the fact that no day is ever the same. There is no monotony, no routine, no foreseeing what each day brings. And then something else happened. I started to find significant flaws in so many abilities and am forced to work on them. I start off unable to perform a movement, or lift a weight, and gradually see myself get better. Progress is no longer just measured by winning a race occasionally. Progress happens every day! And it’s that thirst for achieving goals, meeting milestones, and experiencing victories that keeps me motivated to see what more I am capable of!
I am just as proud of my muscles as I am of my scars. I am just as proud of my training partners, as I am of myself. We push each other, we encourage each other and we motivate each other to be the best we can be. We compete against ourselves and succeed. I have no desire to be “skinny” and am FINALLY understanding the science behind nutrition. It’s still taking me some time to adjust, but I WILL get there. The impact that CrossFit has had on my open water swimming, running and adventure racing is incomparable to anything else. To me, CrossFit is not “exercise.” It’s the greatest form of training. It’s a community. It’s a way of life!
