Kool-Aid, CrossFit, and Lessons Learned

as found on wodnut.com

I have to admit, I am a little lazy.  I always have been.  I have done just enough to get by with a "good enough" job, but that's it.  I'm not lazy like lay on the couch all day kind of lazy.  I stay busy, very busy in fact, but I just don't like exerting too much effort at any one thing.  When it comes to physical fitness, I have always been athletic but I never wanted to work very hard at any one thing to be really good it.  I seem to have a natural ease with most sports.  There are a few that don't come to me easily, and I want NO part of them.  Truthfully, most of those that do come easy I want no part of either.  Too much work.  I like to be good at something the first time I try it or I am not interested in it at all. 

For as long as I can remember I have also been chasing the word "skinny."  I know you have to do some kind of exercise to make that happen, right?  I have tried lots of things.  Lots.  In more recent years I attempted to run.  I signed up for the 1/2 marathon so I got to training.  Oh my God.  I seriously HATED it!  Every single stride I took I literally said to myself, "I freaking hate this!!!  Why am I doing this?"  I never got a runner's high.  I struggled with every mile.  It was so miserable.  I watched all the runners around me become addicted to this sport.  They couldn't get enough.  More conversations than I could count included sharing details about running shoes, training tips, mileage on their most recent run, yada yada, yada.  I truly think I would have rather poked my eye out with a sharp stick than continued to run.  Now don't get me wrong, I love my runner friends.  Love them.  I just hate running.  I did finish the 1/2 though.  I seriously had the slowest time EVER, like people walking the 1/2 came in before me and I actually ran it.  No kidding.

For many years after my attempt at being a runner, I was a YMCA-er.  Go to the gym, drop the kids off in the nursery and casually head upstairs to the equipment area.  I'd maybe do the eliptical machine for a bit, then maybe the bike while I read my magazine, and possibly an aerobics class or a yoga class here and there.  I didn't want to work hard enough to be out of breath or sweat, but I did want a rockin' bod.  Yeah, not gonna happen.  I got frustrated that I was never seeing any results even though I worked out all the time. Skinny was yet again escaping me.  I quit the Y.  I tried the local city's recreation center.  I quit that too.  Basically I was really good at quitting. 

So time passes...one of my best friends in the world was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  It was really bad...really, really bad.  She had to go through 5 months of weekly chemotherapy and radiation.  She is a Southern California gal and has always been into physical fitness.  She has run marathons, did kick boxing, pilates and tried all the other fitness crazes that I can think of.  She had been doing CrossFit for a couple of years prior to being diagnosed with cancer.  It was a joke that she'd drank the "CrossFit Koolaid."  I knew I would never try any workout so insane.  My perspective was that CrossFit was for seriously crazy people who wanted to train for the Navy Seals or something.  I knew that people who did it all loved it and could not stop talking about it, but it was annoying as hell!  I would send Courtney texts that made light of people's obsession with CrossFit like the following:

as found on @fakemikemulloy

Of course I did it all in jest just to get her to laugh especially after her diagnosis.  Hopefully she appreciated my attempt at humor.  During her treatment she continued to go to to the gym and do those crazy workouts.  Now, I cannot speak from the experience of having cancer but I can imagine that trying to do a workout like CrossFit while dealing with the side effect of chemo and being 100% physically and emotionally drained would be nearly impossible, but yet every single week she went.  Her last treatment was around Christmas of 2014.  She has been free of cancer and in remission since then!  To this day she continues to be active in CrossFit as well as just completing a half marathon in August. I got the opportunity to go visit her in San Diego in March.  It was wonderful to see her.  Her determination and tenacity are an inspiration!!   I ate a very big piece of humble pie for all the excuses I have made about not being able to workout.  If Courtney could do it without complaint in the worst of situations, then my excuses were pretty worthless.   

After a lot of self convincing I reached out in May to a friend that I knew was a CrossFit coach, Sarah Floyd.  Sarah and I have known each other since our kids were babies.  She has always had a true passion for health and fitness.  She is not only a CrossFit coach but also a physical therapist and a health empowerment coach.  I figured if anyone could show me how to do this crazy thing called Crossfit, it would be her.  Check out this picture of her competing in a CrossFit competition!  She is a rockstar!  One of the best things about Sarah is that not only does she want to help you become the best athlete you can be through physical fitness but also through an array of other things like nutrition, weight maintenance, joint mobility, and illness prevention.  Her passion about health is contagious! I have included her bio and contact information at the end of this blog post.  If you are in need of someone to do group presentations on any of those topics, I urge you to call her.  She is so informative!

www.crossfittrenches.com

She encouraged me to come to a class.  I agreed and walked into CrossFit Trenches on June 3rd.













I was totally terrified!  I knew it would be hard and I knew that I am really good at not doing hard things.  My face speaks volumes.  Thank goodness that there were not many people there that morning and Sarah was able to walk me through the baseline workout.  Baseline is a generic timed workout that gives you an idea of where you are when you start.  It includes a 400m run, 40 air squats 30 sit-ups, 20 push-ups, and 10 pull-ups.

Oh, seriously?  The workout started with a flippin' run (which is my favorite thing to do, of course)!   What can I do to get out of the run?  How hard do I have to beg?  Sarah was not having it.  No whining.  No quitting.  You can do it.  So I did it.  I seriously didn't think I was going to make it, but she is good at convincing you that you can.  Then it was done.  For some reason I agreed to come back again a couple days later to actually try a real WOD (workout of the day).  I will spare you the details of how bad I sucked at it and how slow I was, but none the less I got through that workout too.  I looked around the "box" (the gym) watching every body finish before me wishing I was done too.  Low and behold, every single person in that gym yelled out words of encouragement. "You can do it! Hang in there!  Come on, you got it!"   When I was done I exchanged more fist pumps in 5 minutes than I had my whole life. I was feeling the love!  It was an adrenaline rush.  So I signed up to come a couple times a week for a month.  I guess you could say that I got a sip of the CrossFit Koolaid.

as found on zazzle.com

It's hard to describe a CrossFit workout.  It's about the hardest thing I have ever done.  It has aspects of weightlifting, gymnastics, yoga, cardio endurance, speed, body control, and military exercise training.  It's horrible and awesome all at the same time.  I would go to each class nervous as hell not knowing what to expect as every single day the workout was totally different than the day before.  My heart would race as the workout began.  The workouts are timed so you feel a bit like you are about to run a race and you are at the starting line.  Someone described it to me as the "sport of all sports."  That's about right.  

www.crossfittrenches.com

So its been 3 months since I started this cray cray thing called CrossFit.  Every single workout is harder than the next.  I love it and hate it all in the same breath.  It makes me work my ass off and it's freaking hard!  Did you hear me?  I admitted that I have ENJOYED working hard!  I may not be the best, but it's the trying part that's got me hooked.

Moneyball, Sony Pictures

So here's the part of the blog post that has some meaning.  I am not hear to share with you how much weight I can lift or how many pull ups I can do (which is still 0, btw).  What I am going to share with you are the incredibly important life lessons I have learned in the last 3 months.  For me these life lessons have been life changing.

Lesson #1:  Matter Over Mind.  The negative talk inside your head telling you that "you can't" is your own worst enemy.  Plain and freaking simple.  You have got to fight against every urge to quit.

as found on lovethispic.com

Every single day when I get to the box and see the WOD I literally cringe.  No way my body is ever going to be able to do that many reps or lift that much weight!  I find myself giving up before I even start just like I have always done.  My brain says, "That looks tough.  Don't want to do it."  I have to tune out the continuous noise in my head.  I have to put one foot in front of the other and get myself on the mats. The entire workout my head is saying, "Enough!  You can't do any more.  You can't breathe.  Stop.  It hurts."  But you work through it.  And guess what?  You CAN get through the workout.  Not only that, but you can kick ass!  You have no idea the feats your body can accomplish when your head shuts the hell up.  It's awesome.  You can be stronger than you ever knew.

Photo Credit - Unknown

This lesson for me has been so much bigger than just about my workouts.  This is life.  Every single day your negative self talk prevents you from doing the most amazing things.  I look back at my life in general and wonder about all the cool things I passed up on just because I thought I couldn't do it.  Failure is a state of mind.  I have failed before I have started on so many things in my life.  I now know that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought.  I am not saying the sea has parted and I am on a path to enlightenment, because that is far from the truth.  All I am saying is that I am stronger and more brave than I have ever let myself believe.  The best part is that so are you.

Lesson #2: Change does not always come in the form you were expecting.  When I started CrossFit I thought I was going to lose weight.  There I go chasing after skinny again!  Initially I was disappointed because I didn't.  Over the next few months I learned that being skinny has absolutely nothing to do with being fit.  I learned that I am strong.  I'm not skinny nor will I ever be, and I have finally come to a point where I am okay with that. Over the course of the first month I started to notice small changes in my body.  After 3 months, the change is substantial!  I love how I feel now!  I love that I can run to warm up for the WOD and barely get winded!  I love that I can do a bazillion sit-ups and still be able to move the next day!  I love that I can climb to the top of a rope in the gym and touch the rafters!  (Don't get me wrong, I am not saying I look pretty or graceful doing it though)  I would not trade this feeling for being skinny any day.  Just to note, I did not add that "Suns Out Guns Out" picture above to show you how cute that muscle is or go fishing for compliments or eye rolls of annoyance.  I added it to show you that if I can do it, anyone can.  ANYONE!!!  Results are real.  They are attainable. 

Photo Credit: Unknown

Lesson #3:  Community.  It is better when you can do it all together!  I felt community clear as day when I struggled to finish my first WOD.  I felt it in the words of encouragement, the fist pumps and the pats on the back when I got through it.  I feel it everyday when I workout and my fellow CrossFitters are cheering each other on.  We push each other to do the workouts better, faster, and more efficient.  We smile, we laugh, we cry (well ok, mostly I cry), and we celebrate when someone gets a PR (personal record) or can RX the workout (which is being able to do the WOD exactly as it is listed without having to modify any of it).  I wouldn't be able to get through half of what I have been able to do with out the support of the most amazing coaches and fellow CrossFitters at Trenches! 

www.crossfittrenches.com

In the past I have never let myself get too involved with any of the people at the gyms I've attended or gotten too involved with with fellow runners in training groups while training for the 1/2 marathon. That actually might mean that I would have to have some accountability and commitment to be at the gym or the track everyday.  I've always kept my head low and stayed under the radar.  Good philosophy, right?  Obviously it never did much good for me.  Now when I don't show up at the gym, people reach out and inquire.

It feels good to be part of a community.  It feels good to know that people are wanting success for you as much as you want it for yourself and vice versa.  The lesson in this for me is that we are all better together.  What ever it is that you do, activities that you are involved with, people going through the same life experience as you...it is better when you do it together.  You have a system of support.  You have a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold when it is really hard.  You have people to celebrate with when there is reason for cheer.  It is better together.  Let people in to your life.  Open yourself up to the possibility that new friendships might just make it all worthwhile.

With community also comes philanthropy.  Not only CrossFit Trenches but CrossFit gyms across the country are known to reach out and support all kinds of amazing causes like disabled athlete organizations, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, breast cancer awareness, at risk youth programs, and so much more!  One of my favorite things to see is the support CrossFit gives to our military and first responders.  Gyms will do weekly Fallen Hero WODs in honor of a specific soldier or first responder.  In fact this Saturday CrossFit Trenches is doing a Fallen Hero WOD for a local police officer killed in the line of duty last week.  Anybody is welcome.  You do not have to be a gym member to attend.  We'd love to have you!

CrossFit Trenches will be doing a workout (hero wod) in honor of Missouri State Highway Patrol Officer James Matthew Bava, who was killed while on duty. The workout will be held this Saturday September 12, at both the 8 & 9 am classes. This will be a free workout for anyone that would like to come and workout in his honor. All of the workout movements can be modified to your abilities. Come show your support!

Being part of a group of people committed to live happier, healthier lives and together support important causes in our community??  Yes, please! 

Lesson #4:  Everyday doors open to amazing new experiences!  Be willing to walk through them.  When you do awesome things start to happen!  You find new passions, rediscover old passions, get your self out of a rut, get healthy, make new connections, and most importantly change the direction of your future!

Walt Disney

For me it came in the form of a yoga class.  I had taken a yoga classes here and there before at the Y and enjoyed them.  When I saw that CrossFit Trenches offered a yoga class,  I decided to go.  I loved it!  The instructor, Tori Arnone, was awesome and come to find out we had gone to school together as kids!  During the class she paid personal attention to our forms in our poses so we could attain the most benefit from it.  In her class we started with an intention in our practice and continued to return to that intention throughout the class.  It was so much more than just working our muscles for an hour!  I talked about the class to my friends from outside the gym and some of them have begun to attend them as well.  Good things happen for everyone when you surround yourself with good people!

crossfittrenches.com

Recently I approached Tori and inquired where she did her training.  She gave me the information and I am in the process of figuring out when I can do the certification classes.  Right now I am still in the early stages of my own yoga practice.  I know that I love how it makes me feel, and I am so glad I walked through this door.  I am looking forward to a future that includes a lot of yoga!  By the way, if you are in the O'Fallon/Lake St. Louis area, come check out Tori's class.  You will love it too!

Not only have I opened doors to new experiences for myself, but my kids have as well.  This week I took them to their first kids' CrossFit class called Mini Trenches.  It was incredible to watch!  Coach Bridget and Coach Trish had them jumping rope, crab crawling, using wall balls, doing sit-ups and burpees, and running all while having FUN!  My son loved it and has not stopped showing us his new moves all week. 

www.crossfittrenches.com

I love it that they have this opportunity to try CrossFit, have fun, and get healthy!  It's a win/win!

I know that CrossFit isn't for everybody.  I'd be kidding myself if I thought it was. For me it has been the catapult I needed to get fit and healthy and learn some true life lessons. I'm not preaching for you to jump on the cray cray CrossFit wagon (except for my husband Drew - your coming on the wagon whether you like it or not...Love you), but try something. There are a million other sports and activities out there from zumba to spinning classes to running to anything you can think of.  Those life lessons that I have learned from CrossFit apply to any one of those as well.  All you have to do is get out there and try.  Don't make excuses, make it happen!  It's hard, no doubt, but the reward is great!

as found on crossfitdiamond.com

If this post has you curious about CrossFit and you live in the O'Fallon/Lake St. Louis area come check out CrossFit Trenches (www.crossfittrenches.com).  It is an amazing facility owned and staffed by some amazing people!  I would be happy to put you in touch with them.  I know they are always happy to serve up another glass off the CrossFit Kool-Aid!


*CrossFit Trenches - 8674 Orf Rd., Lake St. Louis, MO 63367. 636-344-0012.  www.crossfittrenches.com. Owned and operated by CrossFit certified trainers Patricio Cordero (P.C.), Trish Barrows, and Travis and Bridget Thomason

*Sarah Floyd -With a passion for health and wellness, a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Washington University, a CrossFit Level one certification, a foreign term abroad in Asia where she studied Eastern Medicine practices and years of independent research on the realm of natural healing modalities, Sarah Floyd now describes herself best with the title, "Health Empowerment Coach". Sarah is passionate about teaching people how to take care of their own bodies through natural and holistic means with the mindset and approach of going back to how our bodies were designed to function. Her public speaking presentations teach on the subjects of Macronutrition & Micronutrition, healthy weight loss and weight maintenance, reducing exposure to chemicals and other toxins in our environment, healthier ways to prevent illness and workshops on how to maintain full mobility for joint health. If you want to learn more by going to one of her presentations or even schedule a presentation for a group who may be interested in these topics, you can email Sarah at: Sarah@HealthEmpowermentCoach.net