In my youth, I would have described myself as an athlete. I played volleyball, I was pretty good! I could pick up other sports, I could throw a ball (not like a girly throw), I just loved to play sports! And throughout my adult life, I have enjoyed many years of playing volleyball. I took up some tennis for a while, and even could be found riding a longboard around the neighborhood with a kid on my hip (I know, not so safe)!
But exercise? COUNT ME OUT!!!! Just so boring, just not for me. If there's not a ref and a whistle involved, you've lost my attention!
I've tried, really I have.
So everyone's running these days, doesn't it seem like it? My husband's a marathon runner, he just ran 17 miles this morning. It's amazing!!!! He's amazing. But I've tried. I ran a little 10K one summer with the extended family (I even trained for it: all 6 miles!) but that was no fun. I joined in and ran a Ragnar, check out the link if you're unfamiliar, but it's significant running! It's fun to be with great people and all, but the running? Couldn't we have just gone to a beach together? I just don't get that sense of satisfaction from running. So quarterly, or so, I find myself out for a run, just to see if maybe I've grown out of my disdain.
CROSSFIT
it's interesting.
It's challenging.
It teaches me.
It's competitive.
It's individual....yet
it's totally a team/group effort.
I show up, and I'm greeted by a coach and one or two people that say, "Hi-ya Julie!" I look on the board and try to decipher the encrypted message on the board to know what it is we'll be doing that day. Sometimes it sounds doable, but lots of times it scares me a bit. I can feel the butterflies in my stomach just before the timer goes off to start our WOD. I love that I can work out alongside elite athletes! Let's make it perfectly clear, those elite crossfitters are lifting some crazy weights and doing their pull ups unassisted, unlike myself. I'm just the stay-at-home-mom that isn't overly committed. But, the guy to my right is intense, and the girl across from me is beyond determined, and the older guy behind me surprises me at what he can do. I'm not much of an athlete these days, I'm just trying to become more fit. And I think it's awesome that we can all participate in the same WOD (albeit accommodated most times for me) and each of us will go home feeling equally knackered!