CrossFit Throws Me Back in the Game

I haven't posted since before the summer. It had been a long summer, filled with volunteering and working and freelancing and editing. But the one thing I neglected was my accountability blog. It wasn't until I was recently reminded of its' existence that I decided to finally post anew, bringing it back to life. As I write this my arms are sore. Thanks Rocket CrossFit! By the way, if you click on the link, yes that is a picture of my mom on the home page!


I started CrossFit last week. It's this chain of old school gyms with old school equipment. Nothing electronic. You work the equipment, the equipment doesn't work you. If you have to run, they take you outside into the streets.  I swear when I walked in I thought I was going to flunk out and fall down on the first day. And in addition to all the hard work, there's a list of activities you must accomplish before you get a tee shirt.

On that list is a hand stand. An honest-to-goodness hand stand.

Even as a child in gymnastics, I could never do one. Now, at 30 with 3 kids and around 40 pounds to lose, I can't imagine myself accomplishing a hand stand.

It didn't come up for the first few days, but after a few classes, I walked in one day to see the words "max handstand" written on the white board agenda. Uh oh, I thought to myself. This is not going to go well. But Brady, the CrossFit trainer, encouraged every beginner to try doing an intro-to-the-hand-stand by planting your hands on the floor and climbing your feet up the wall. I'm barely 4'11'', so I knew that would be pretty easy. I lasted 20 seconds before my arms gave out, even with my toes planted on the wall. Then we did back squats while holding a weight bar...then more max handstands....then back squats...then...well, you get where this is going.

My fave part of the class? That other CrossFitters offered to time me. There's a sense of group cooperation, like we're all in the same boat. No two people in the room were at the same level, and everybody cheers you on when you accomplish even the smallest new thing. The first rule of CrossFit is you must introduce yourself to everyone in the room.

I think the difficult training + the warmth of the group is going to be the thing that kicks my ass into shape, whether I want to or not.