Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the older you get, the more challenging it is learn new things? Sometimes I do feel like you can't teach an old dog new tricks. This, however practical it may seem, is absolutely false. The problem isn't that you can't learn new things as you get older, it's about the SPEED of learning and the amount of time required to learn the new thing.
Not following? Okay, lets see if you can follow me here...
A group of engineers in Fargo want to re-route the Red River far away from the F-M metro area because of the flooding issues. The Red River has been flowing down the same path for centuries...or at least a very long time. In order for the engineers to change the path of the Red River, its going to take countless hours of man power to dig, trench, haul, plow and who knows what else to make that River change its course. Obviously they won't get it done in a week, or even a month. No, to create a change of this magnitude will require many months, if not years.
Are you still with me?
Your brain is a lot like the Red River in that it has pathways, not river pathways but motor pathways, that were developed decades ago and are used by default every time that pathway is needed. Here are some examples: when you put on a pair of pants, which leg goes in first? When you tie your shoes, which loop goes on top? When you wipe your...well, you know what I'm getting at. We all develop skills, that when repeated enough, create a "Red River" like pathway in our brain. When that skill is needed...boom! The pathway is activated and we wipe from front to back.
But wait, the pathway CAN be changed in our brain, just like the Red River path can change. And, it happens the same way...lots of effort, lots of work and lots of time. The fact that your brain has this ability to change and grow and learn is called NEUROPLASTICITY. And, in fact, just like a muscle can be trained to get stronger, your brain can be trained to become more plastic. So if you are messed up and wipe from back to front, YOU CAN CHANGE and LEARN and CREATE new motor pathways to correct this!
Neuroplasticity is why you can learn to do double unders. The age and health of your brain is what determines how long it takes to learn them. Watch a young athlete sometime pick up a rope and attempt double unders. I witnessed one young man ask how to do them, be shown how to do them and then DO them consecutively. That's a young, highly plastic brain! Equally, we've got older athletes working on learning double unders for nearly a year!
The same is true for complex motor patterns like the clean and the snatch. How many years have you been picking things up off the ground? MANY! You have a pathway for that burned into your brain that needs to be retrained. So, just like re-routing the Red River, learning these new, complex movements takes time, repitition and good coaching.
Fortunately for us as CrossFit REPO, we have the BEST coaches around and THE BEST Olympic lifting coach in Bryce Collins. Coming up, Bryce will be offering the Barbell Club training series again. This is your opportunity to get better at the complex movements, to learn and create new motor pathways and get stronger in the Oly lifts. You can't expect to get better and stronger without putting in the time and the effort. The Barbell Club is your opportunity to get coached and get better!
And let's face it...who doesn't want a better Snatch?
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Our Why
At our Halloween Party/Member Appreciation Banquet, we honored and roasted a few of our members for their hard work as well as for making our box the amazing place it is. We also rolled out our mission statement on Friday evening.
I learned a long time ago that if you don't have a "Why", then the "How's" and
"What's" are empty and meaningless. Having a central idea that you can consistently use to check yourself, your attitude and your actions assures that you are always moving in the right direction. Just like a compass always shows you North to assure that you don't get lost, a mission statement has the same purpose.
It's so natural to get caught up in the busy-ness and drama of life and lose focus on what's most important. Obviously we've had our fair share of drama the past few months, with more piled on recently with the break ins at REPO and the Firestation. The easy thing to do at times like this is to cry and worry and become fearful. And that is exactly what happens without a strong "WHY."
While we have been melding ideas about a mission statement for many weeks, we felt like this was the perfect time to share it with all of our REPO family. With so much "mental clutter" inflitrating the box, we decided it was time to put our flag in the ground and stake claim to what we love and cherish the most by telling the world who we are and why we do what we do.
I learned a long time ago that if you don't have a "Why", then the "How's" and
"What's" are empty and meaningless. Having a central idea that you can consistently use to check yourself, your attitude and your actions assures that you are always moving in the right direction. Just like a compass always shows you North to assure that you don't get lost, a mission statement has the same purpose.
It's so natural to get caught up in the busy-ness and drama of life and lose focus on what's most important. Obviously we've had our fair share of drama the past few months, with more piled on recently with the break ins at REPO and the Firestation. The easy thing to do at times like this is to cry and worry and become fearful. And that is exactly what happens without a strong "WHY."
While we have been melding ideas about a mission statement for many weeks, we felt like this was the perfect time to share it with all of our REPO family. With so much "mental clutter" inflitrating the box, we decided it was time to put our flag in the ground and stake claim to what we love and cherish the most by telling the world who we are and why we do what we do.
Our purpose is to reclaim lives.
Our mission is to develop and raise up people of strong mind, powerful body and humble spirit resulting in a selfless community of like minded, God-fearing WARRIORS joined together in pursuit of constant never ending improvement in all aspects of life.
We are committed to providing an elite level strength and conditioning program, a family oriented fitness facility and highly motivated and educated coaches that care as much for our members as they do the results our members achieve.
We are REPOWARRIORS!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Simple:Start
I've been riding bikes since I was, I don't know, 8 years old I suppose. Its pretty much a given now; get on and pedal. Not much thinking is required and my brain has mastered the skills to the level that even after a whole winter of not riding a bike, I can get on and go.
It was a different story, however, a couple of years ago when I got my first bike that required me to be "clipped in." I remember distinctly the fear that rushed through my body the first time I straddled the Roubaix with my funky bike shoes strapped to my hooves. Sweaty palms, heart racing. I remember I was more worried about looking like an idiot than I was about the ramifications of tipping over while clipped in. But, I managed to face my fears, clipped one foot in and figured the rest out on the fly. And, no tipping over!
The funny thing about learning something new is that many times the biggest hurdle is the beginning: the start. We have to take so many things into consideration any more when trying something new: how can I avoid embarassing myself?; can I get hurt?; what if I don't like it?: will this end up on Facebook?
Whether it's wake surfing, roller blading, golfing, beer pong or CrossFit, the key to getting started lies in focusing on the end result, not simply the process of learning. Learning a new skill, activity or even musical instrument demands a high degree of adaptation in the central nervous system. It is for this reason that the beginning can be so difficult. With an untrained brain, new neurologic pathways have to be created in response to the stimulus that we are providing. Once there is enough stimulus for the brain to connect the dots, our new task is accomplished.
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, reports that it takes 10,000 hours of stimulus or practice to become a master of the task at hand. With that knowledge, how is that one could possibly think that they could walk into a Box and be good at all of the movements? Unrealistic expectations backed by a super ego inhibits many fine athletes from experiencing CrossFit. Combine the science with the emotional challenges and we have a humongous obstacle to conquer. That's why the simple answer to the problem of trying something new is simple:start.
The moment from your first attempt at a new skill, your brain is engaged and brilliantly begins making millions of new connections, which, over time, leads to the development of "pathway". The more that pathway is trained, the more accurate and efficient your body can perfrom the task. Hence the old saying, practice makes perfect. While this attribute of the brain is amazing, it can also be detrimental. Especially when trying to change a movement or behavior.
Imaging trying to change the path of the Mississippi River. It would take a lot of smart people, heavy equipment and time. The same is true with changing a behavior or a movement. Old neurologic pathways that have been engrained for years in the brain take a boat load of time and effort to change. Think about how bad your air squat sucked when you started CrossFit? Knees caved in, couldn't get below parallel, upper back collapsed, feet rolled over. While most believe that these faults are the result of muscular weakness, the reality is that they are more likely the result of neruologic deficits. The brain had been trained improperly in that movement pattern and had been repeating it for years, if not decades, resulting in your crappy movement pattern.
Here in lies the reason it is easier for children to learn new tasks and movements versus adults: they don't have years of faulty neurologic programming and their brains exhibit more neuroplasticity. (Google that one). There is, however, hope for all of us disinclined movers. With time, proper execution and lots of repititon of the proper movement, we can create those new brain pathways. Did you know that learning new skills like playing an instrument, the snatch and needlepoint actually slow brain degeneration and can prevent conditions like Alzheimers and Dementia?
Learning and mastering new skills is essential to living a vibrant, healthy life as well as becoming a CrossFitter. And, as with learning any new skill, the solution is simple: start.
It was a different story, however, a couple of years ago when I got my first bike that required me to be "clipped in." I remember distinctly the fear that rushed through my body the first time I straddled the Roubaix with my funky bike shoes strapped to my hooves. Sweaty palms, heart racing. I remember I was more worried about looking like an idiot than I was about the ramifications of tipping over while clipped in. But, I managed to face my fears, clipped one foot in and figured the rest out on the fly. And, no tipping over!
The funny thing about learning something new is that many times the biggest hurdle is the beginning: the start. We have to take so many things into consideration any more when trying something new: how can I avoid embarassing myself?; can I get hurt?; what if I don't like it?: will this end up on Facebook?
Whether it's wake surfing, roller blading, golfing, beer pong or CrossFit, the key to getting started lies in focusing on the end result, not simply the process of learning. Learning a new skill, activity or even musical instrument demands a high degree of adaptation in the central nervous system. It is for this reason that the beginning can be so difficult. With an untrained brain, new neurologic pathways have to be created in response to the stimulus that we are providing. Once there is enough stimulus for the brain to connect the dots, our new task is accomplished.
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, reports that it takes 10,000 hours of stimulus or practice to become a master of the task at hand. With that knowledge, how is that one could possibly think that they could walk into a Box and be good at all of the movements? Unrealistic expectations backed by a super ego inhibits many fine athletes from experiencing CrossFit. Combine the science with the emotional challenges and we have a humongous obstacle to conquer. That's why the simple answer to the problem of trying something new is simple:start.
The moment from your first attempt at a new skill, your brain is engaged and brilliantly begins making millions of new connections, which, over time, leads to the development of "pathway". The more that pathway is trained, the more accurate and efficient your body can perfrom the task. Hence the old saying, practice makes perfect. While this attribute of the brain is amazing, it can also be detrimental. Especially when trying to change a movement or behavior.
Imaging trying to change the path of the Mississippi River. It would take a lot of smart people, heavy equipment and time. The same is true with changing a behavior or a movement. Old neurologic pathways that have been engrained for years in the brain take a boat load of time and effort to change. Think about how bad your air squat sucked when you started CrossFit? Knees caved in, couldn't get below parallel, upper back collapsed, feet rolled over. While most believe that these faults are the result of muscular weakness, the reality is that they are more likely the result of neruologic deficits. The brain had been trained improperly in that movement pattern and had been repeating it for years, if not decades, resulting in your crappy movement pattern.
Here in lies the reason it is easier for children to learn new tasks and movements versus adults: they don't have years of faulty neurologic programming and their brains exhibit more neuroplasticity. (Google that one). There is, however, hope for all of us disinclined movers. With time, proper execution and lots of repititon of the proper movement, we can create those new brain pathways. Did you know that learning new skills like playing an instrument, the snatch and needlepoint actually slow brain degeneration and can prevent conditions like Alzheimers and Dementia?
Learning and mastering new skills is essential to living a vibrant, healthy life as well as becoming a CrossFitter. And, as with learning any new skill, the solution is simple: start.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Purpose Driven Action
It is written in Scripture that "Faith without works is dead." This universal principle has a correlate that reads, "Life without purpose is meaningless." Taken one step further one could extrapolate another correlate, "Goals without action are useless."
The underlying theme to all of these universal principles is that without purpose driven action, life has less meaning, is less rewarding and results in mediocrity. And, once you lick the lollipop of mediocrity, you will suck forever!
We have been steadfast in preaching our fundamental principle of Excellence: how you do anything is how you do everything. One of key components in the pursuit of excellence is having goals that are forged through purpose driven action. Purpose driven action is simply intentional steps or plans of action that are based on our purpose and move us in the direction of our goals.
So I ask, what are your goals for training? What is your purpose in training? While the questions seem similar, they are quite different. Training goals are tangible, reachable and measurable standards that you set for yourself to be able to reap the rewards of your commitment in time and energy in the gym. Your purpose for training is that "one thing" that ignites your fire, sends goose bumps up your neck and gets you jacked up for your next WOD.
Recently, I have been evaluating my personal training purpose and goals. What I discovered was that, while my purpose was definite, strong and motivating, I truly had NO GOALS for my training. My purpose for training is to develop and maintain an ageless, strong and healthy physique that allows me the opportunity to take part in, and excel in, any physical life event that I desire. To me this means I want to be in good enough shape to play ultimate Frisbee, play 36 holes of golf in one day, ride my bike 100 miles, participate in an obstacle race, stand up paddle board, downhill ski, etc.
I have the motivation, but what I realized is that I have been lacking direction. Much like stepping up to the tee and hitting the golf ball as hard and far as I can without having any regard for the end result of the shot, my training has lacked that end goal. So, on Saturday, I set upon myself a new goal: compete in the Granite Games and finish in the top 25% for my age group.
I can't even express in words what having this goal has done for my training already this week. My intensity is much higher. I have pushed much harder. I have eaten much cleaner. I have gotten to bed earlier. I have better thoughts during my training. These are all purpose driven actions that are pushing me toward my new goal and what a difference it makes.
Purpose driven action is the lynch pin to creating the success you see for yourself and reaching the goals you have set. So take some time this week for some much needed self-introspection and write out your purpose for training. Then, follow that up with setting some new goals. And lastly, develop a plan of purpose driven actions that will push you forward on your journey of personal development and badassness.
The underlying theme to all of these universal principles is that without purpose driven action, life has less meaning, is less rewarding and results in mediocrity. And, once you lick the lollipop of mediocrity, you will suck forever!
We have been steadfast in preaching our fundamental principle of Excellence: how you do anything is how you do everything. One of key components in the pursuit of excellence is having goals that are forged through purpose driven action. Purpose driven action is simply intentional steps or plans of action that are based on our purpose and move us in the direction of our goals.
So I ask, what are your goals for training? What is your purpose in training? While the questions seem similar, they are quite different. Training goals are tangible, reachable and measurable standards that you set for yourself to be able to reap the rewards of your commitment in time and energy in the gym. Your purpose for training is that "one thing" that ignites your fire, sends goose bumps up your neck and gets you jacked up for your next WOD.
Recently, I have been evaluating my personal training purpose and goals. What I discovered was that, while my purpose was definite, strong and motivating, I truly had NO GOALS for my training. My purpose for training is to develop and maintain an ageless, strong and healthy physique that allows me the opportunity to take part in, and excel in, any physical life event that I desire. To me this means I want to be in good enough shape to play ultimate Frisbee, play 36 holes of golf in one day, ride my bike 100 miles, participate in an obstacle race, stand up paddle board, downhill ski, etc.
I have the motivation, but what I realized is that I have been lacking direction. Much like stepping up to the tee and hitting the golf ball as hard and far as I can without having any regard for the end result of the shot, my training has lacked that end goal. So, on Saturday, I set upon myself a new goal: compete in the Granite Games and finish in the top 25% for my age group.
I can't even express in words what having this goal has done for my training already this week. My intensity is much higher. I have pushed much harder. I have eaten much cleaner. I have gotten to bed earlier. I have better thoughts during my training. These are all purpose driven actions that are pushing me toward my new goal and what a difference it makes.
Purpose driven action is the lynch pin to creating the success you see for yourself and reaching the goals you have set. So take some time this week for some much needed self-introspection and write out your purpose for training. Then, follow that up with setting some new goals. And lastly, develop a plan of purpose driven actions that will push you forward on your journey of personal development and badassness.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Inflammation: Public Enemy #1
I was speaking with an athlete this morning when I was totally blown away by her comment, "I can't believe it, but I cleaned up my diet again by cutting dairy and grains and lost 4 pounds in a day."
This got me thinking about mechanisms of fat metabolism and weight loss strategies again which inevitably led me right back to Public Enemy #1: Inflammation.
SO so much of our battle of the bulge is the result of our body's inability to fully process the food we eat and eliminate the oxidative waste. Take gluten for example. When the gut is irritated by the large, undigestable molecules of the protein gluten, the body's natural response is to create an immune reaction. In fact, in the vast majority of us, consuming grains is a toxic event.
The immune response initiates a cascade of activities including the release of macrophages and histamines. As these scavengers hit the scene, the process of inflammation begins in the wall of the gut. As this process is prolonged over time due to repetitive exposure to the perceived toxin, the permeability of the lining of the gut increases. Basically, this means that the tube has sprung a leak! The poo, that is supposed to stay inside the gut, leaks into areas where no one wants poo to leak.
As a result, an even larger, more aggressive immune response is initiated and more inflammation is produced. This process of a leaky gut can be compared to a sewer pipe that breaks and leaks into Lake Le Homme Dieu. You won't notice it for a few days, weeks or maybe years, but eventually....gross. The same is true in your gut.
This very fact is the reason someone like this athlete can give up grains and dairy and lose 4 pounds in a day. The cleaner the lake, the healthier the fish. And, the cleaner your diet, the less inflammation you have and the healthier your gut. Take an all out assault on getting rid of inflammation by taking these simple steps:
This got me thinking about mechanisms of fat metabolism and weight loss strategies again which inevitably led me right back to Public Enemy #1: Inflammation.
SO so much of our battle of the bulge is the result of our body's inability to fully process the food we eat and eliminate the oxidative waste. Take gluten for example. When the gut is irritated by the large, undigestable molecules of the protein gluten, the body's natural response is to create an immune reaction. In fact, in the vast majority of us, consuming grains is a toxic event.
The immune response initiates a cascade of activities including the release of macrophages and histamines. As these scavengers hit the scene, the process of inflammation begins in the wall of the gut. As this process is prolonged over time due to repetitive exposure to the perceived toxin, the permeability of the lining of the gut increases. Basically, this means that the tube has sprung a leak! The poo, that is supposed to stay inside the gut, leaks into areas where no one wants poo to leak.
As a result, an even larger, more aggressive immune response is initiated and more inflammation is produced. This process of a leaky gut can be compared to a sewer pipe that breaks and leaks into Lake Le Homme Dieu. You won't notice it for a few days, weeks or maybe years, but eventually....gross. The same is true in your gut.
This very fact is the reason someone like this athlete can give up grains and dairy and lose 4 pounds in a day. The cleaner the lake, the healthier the fish. And, the cleaner your diet, the less inflammation you have and the healthier your gut. Take an all out assault on getting rid of inflammation by taking these simple steps:
- Remove all grains and processed dairy from your diet.
- Avoid hydrogenated oils like corn oil, vegetable oil, etc that are high in Omega 6 Fatty Acids
- Increase intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- Limit the number of yolks in your eggs to a 1:3 ratio with the whites
- Consume 1/3 of your calories each day from cruciferous vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli
- Eliminate all carbonated beverages
- Stay properly hydrated with at least half your body in ounces of water each day
Do this, and within days you will feel a difference in you body and see a difference on the scale.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Row, Row, Row your boat, Gently down the stream
One of the first childhood songs we all learned was "Row Your Boat." Simple, elegant and quaint. To most, it is just what it is, a cute song. For me, however, it has much deeper meaning. In fact, it is more parable than childhood song, to me. Follow with me.
Row, row, row your boat
- Work hard, everyday, at whatever it is you do. Whether it be at parenting, your career, in the box or in a hobby, work hard. Hard work is at the core of all success in life. It has been said that nothing in life worth achieving comes easy. Put in your time, with diligent, consistent effort and watch results follow.
Gently down the stream
- Get in the flow. It doesn't say go against the current and struggle and fight like hell. NO! Get in that zone, that place that authors call "the flow" where magical things happens. Invest time, daily, preparing mind, body and spirit to find that "flow" and learn how to stay in it. While work is most often hard and strenuous, make it look it easy. It takes a lot more energy expressing the difficulty of your work and strain than it does to just simply endure it.
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily
- Be happy. Life is too short to not take time to find the joy and happiness in all things both big and small. Seek out opportunities to create or discover joy and happiness. Anger, frustration, jealousy and the like do nothing to get you closer to your dreams. Enjoy the ride for we all know that success is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the ride!
Life is but a dream
- Following these simple steps allows you to open yourself to possibilities and opportunities that otherwise would not have been there. Creating the life of your dreams is possible when you follow the right protocol. Just like you can't bet massive quads without squatting big weights, so too is it impossible to build a dream life without these steps.
Start singing this song with a new understanding and see how your mind opens, your physiology changes and the smile returns to your face.
Now, get in your boat!
Row, row, row your boat
- Work hard, everyday, at whatever it is you do. Whether it be at parenting, your career, in the box or in a hobby, work hard. Hard work is at the core of all success in life. It has been said that nothing in life worth achieving comes easy. Put in your time, with diligent, consistent effort and watch results follow.
Gently down the stream
- Get in the flow. It doesn't say go against the current and struggle and fight like hell. NO! Get in that zone, that place that authors call "the flow" where magical things happens. Invest time, daily, preparing mind, body and spirit to find that "flow" and learn how to stay in it. While work is most often hard and strenuous, make it look it easy. It takes a lot more energy expressing the difficulty of your work and strain than it does to just simply endure it.
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily
- Be happy. Life is too short to not take time to find the joy and happiness in all things both big and small. Seek out opportunities to create or discover joy and happiness. Anger, frustration, jealousy and the like do nothing to get you closer to your dreams. Enjoy the ride for we all know that success is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the ride!
Life is but a dream
- Following these simple steps allows you to open yourself to possibilities and opportunities that otherwise would not have been there. Creating the life of your dreams is possible when you follow the right protocol. Just like you can't bet massive quads without squatting big weights, so too is it impossible to build a dream life without these steps.
Start singing this song with a new understanding and see how your mind opens, your physiology changes and the smile returns to your face.
Now, get in your boat!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Things I Have Learned About Myself From A WOD
In my opinion, the beauty of CrossFit training, is the constantly varied aspect of the daily WOD. No thinking, no planning, no calculating...just work. Show up, push your body to limits that you once thought were not possible, take instruction and go. Far beyond the physical benefit of CrossFit is the mental growth that occurs from constantly challenging and pushing your margin of experience. As En Vogue so eloquently wrote, "free your mind, and the rest will follow". Stop thinking, just be.
As a result of the mental escape provided by a heart pounding, grip frying, lung burning WOD, that time of reflection while lying on your back doing your best to recover provides some amazing insights into my inner being. What follows is a list of a few things that I've learned about myself (and I think you will relate) during and after a WOD.
1. I'm a quitter.
I don't care what WOD it is, what day of the week, if it is my first or last WOD of the week, there always comes that uncomfortable moment when my brain says, "Ok, that's enough. I gotta quit." And every time that happens, I get pissed. No way can I quit. Forcing yourself to push through the temporary pain shuts up that stupid little voice, while at same time, building confidence and self esteem. It is truly amazing the carry over from the box to life. While no one said life would be easy, you certainly don't have permission to quit.
2. I speak in tongues.
At about the 17 minute mark of a 20 min AMRAP, something happens in my pre-frontal cortex. I'm not sure, scientifically, what it is that changes. All I know is that the words that I am thinking and saying to myself under what little breath I have, are not born of the English language. One thing is for sure, however, and that is they have deep meaning spiritually. Someday I hope to write this blog in my WOD tongue. I know that only true CrossFitters would be able to decipher it.
3. I sweat way more than the average human.
Seriously, how can my shoes and socks be wet? I'm pretty sure I didn't run through any puddles or wet myself. Or, wait... no. I always take a preWOD peepee.
4. I hate burpees.
It seems that no matter what WOD it is, if there are burpees involved, they suck. I keep thinking when I look at the white board that "this time, the burpees will be my recovery." Idiot. I hate burpees.
5. I'm not as good as I think I am
It never fails. At least once a week I look at the white board and think, "Finally, an easy one. I'm good at all these movements." Hahahahahahaha!
6. I love being part of our community
No matter how I feel coming into the WOD, or how I feel after, I am always thankful for the amazing people in our box. When I look around and see the encouragement, the support, the care for one another, I get choked up. In a world where the majority of people trash one another, find faults, criticize, belittle and even bully, I am so thankful for my CrossFit community. We are changing lives everyday, for the better.
Even mine.
As a result of the mental escape provided by a heart pounding, grip frying, lung burning WOD, that time of reflection while lying on your back doing your best to recover provides some amazing insights into my inner being. What follows is a list of a few things that I've learned about myself (and I think you will relate) during and after a WOD.
1. I'm a quitter.
I don't care what WOD it is, what day of the week, if it is my first or last WOD of the week, there always comes that uncomfortable moment when my brain says, "Ok, that's enough. I gotta quit." And every time that happens, I get pissed. No way can I quit. Forcing yourself to push through the temporary pain shuts up that stupid little voice, while at same time, building confidence and self esteem. It is truly amazing the carry over from the box to life. While no one said life would be easy, you certainly don't have permission to quit.
2. I speak in tongues.
At about the 17 minute mark of a 20 min AMRAP, something happens in my pre-frontal cortex. I'm not sure, scientifically, what it is that changes. All I know is that the words that I am thinking and saying to myself under what little breath I have, are not born of the English language. One thing is for sure, however, and that is they have deep meaning spiritually. Someday I hope to write this blog in my WOD tongue. I know that only true CrossFitters would be able to decipher it.
3. I sweat way more than the average human.
Seriously, how can my shoes and socks be wet? I'm pretty sure I didn't run through any puddles or wet myself. Or, wait... no. I always take a preWOD peepee.
4. I hate burpees.
It seems that no matter what WOD it is, if there are burpees involved, they suck. I keep thinking when I look at the white board that "this time, the burpees will be my recovery." Idiot. I hate burpees.
5. I'm not as good as I think I am
It never fails. At least once a week I look at the white board and think, "Finally, an easy one. I'm good at all these movements." Hahahahahahaha!
6. I love being part of our community
No matter how I feel coming into the WOD, or how I feel after, I am always thankful for the amazing people in our box. When I look around and see the encouragement, the support, the care for one another, I get choked up. In a world where the majority of people trash one another, find faults, criticize, belittle and even bully, I am so thankful for my CrossFit community. We are changing lives everyday, for the better.
Even mine.
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