I know it’s doing the things I don’t love, and working my weaknesses that’s going to make me a stronger CrossFitter, and heck, probably a better person too.
Immediately before starting at CrossFit Central I wasn’t in a very happy place. I worked a lot and always had an excuse to skip the gym. I hadn’t enjoyed working out in a long time. Physically I was in the worst shape of my life, and that took an emotional toll. I’d managed to get myself pretty out of shape, and need a change. I was having a lot of trouble finding motivation to get myself to the gym, so I wanted something that forced accountability.
I did gymnastics growing up, then competed in fitness and figure competitions during grad school. For the last four years I’ve done a little lifting here and there, but my main focus was yoga.
I have now been CrossFitting for about nine months, and I’m definitely in the best shape of my adult life. I’ve looked fit before when I did fitness/figure competitions, but at those points I certainly wasn’t physically able to do anything close to what I’m doing now.
I swear I’m a different person when I workout regularly versus not. The physical challenge clears my head, and helps me to stop over-thinking the silly stuff.
Vitals
Age: 29
Body Fat: 10%
Desired Super Power: Time & Space Travel
Box: RedBlack Gym
Alyson lost 19 pounds & 6% body fat
The big shift for me has been focusing on getting stronger, NOT skinnier. I’d struggled with body image a lot in my life. I’ve always been fairly “muscular” for a girl, but never really embraced it. I think I threw out my scale about 2 months into CrossFit. I truly stopped caring about that number and instead just focused on what I could do to get better at the WODs. I have a background in nutrition so I always knew what I should be doing but had trouble doing it. Eating to look a certain way was never enough motivation for me. However, when it changed to eating to perform better, to be better at something I was loving more and more all the time, well that was a different story!
This may sound strange, but CrossFit has also helped me become more comfortable with “failing”. I’ve grown to love coming to train and having a workout that I’m going to do regardless of whether it’s a strength or weakness, something I enjoy, or something that I might avoid on my own. Regardless, it’s going to get done. I’ve learned that not having a top time or RXing isn’t a fail at all, but how you learn and get better.
I remember one day in the first month I was at CrossFit Central we had a running WOD. Not my favorite thing to do to say the least. My first instinct was to skip class that day. But then I realized, what the hell is that going to solve? There is only one way I’m going to get better at this, and it’s not by avoiding it. So I went, and it sucked. But the next time I sucked a little less. And although I’ll never be a runner, I don’t dread it like I use to. I know it’s doing the things I don’t love, and working my weaknesses that’s going to make me a stronger CrossFitter, and heck, probably a better person too.