Crossfit Chronicles

Today I did something I haven't done before. On Saturdays, some of the really committed crossfitters go out to a local park and do insane workouts. I normally go to a weekly class where I am generally toward top of my class with regard to the amount of time I complete challenges and/or the weight I can lift. Today, however, I was solidly at the bottom of my class, but I still felt great. (Well, like really close to puking, gasping for air, and fire coursing through my legs great.)

At the risk of this blog becoming a little like an Andy Griffith episode where Opie, Andy, Barney or somebody always learns a lesson, there is a lesson to be gleaned from this. You gain strength and confidence from being with people not as strong as you, but you might gain even more from being with people who are much stronger than you in a particular area.

Our warm up was to run up a hill. Not a small one either. Then, the workout was to partner up, and sprint up that hill. At the top of the hill, you keel over and breathe very hard for three to five minutes, then walk back down that hill. I was with Matt and Mike this time. They smoked me, but they encouraged me and did everything they could to build my confidence and never point out my relative weakness.

Then I ran with Jason. I got off to a great start, a little ahead of him! But about halfway up, he breezed my ass like I was standing still. By the last ten yards, it would be a stretch to say I was running, but in my heart and mind, I was running like there was a bear on my heels.

Then, back at the bottom of the hill, you partner up again, pick up weights, from ten to thirty-five pound dumbbells in each hand, and run as hard as you can up that hill. This time I was with Jill. Now the ten pound weights were a hot commodity and they were gone when it came to be my turn, so I ran with twenty-fives against Jill, who had slightly lighter weights, but was ahead of me the entire time. Yea, I was totally beaten by a girl, but all I got was yells of praise and encouragement about how good I was doing.

You have to put yourself in an environment where you are challenged and encouraged if you want to succeed in anything. It teaches you how to act when you are on the other side and you have the opportunity to be patient and encourage someone who may not be as strong as you.

You have to look for opportunities to excel, to be great. You have to step up to the plate and take a swing and be ready for whatever happens. One thing is absolutely certain; you will never do it by settling for the status quo. You have to start somewhere.