When I started Crossfit I had no idea of how attached I would get to the process of dying on my arse daily. Nor did I ever suspect that a day would feel, well a bit weird if I didn’t lift something or do at least ten burpees.
If you don’t do CrossFit, this may not make a huge amount of sense. It wouldn’t have done to me a couple of years ago….
I mean; why do burpees when you can lie in the sofa and do wrist raises with a glass of wine.
One thing that I did know before I started CrossFit and am still acutely aware of now; is, I will never be top of the Wod, the winner of a competition, the best at what I do.
What I didn’t realise before I started CrossFit; was that it doesn’t really matter.
It is competition season again, I’ve signed up; I’m in teams; I’m not winning; but dammit I’m having a ball.
Last year, one of the best competitions I did was the Premier Fitness League. An online competition which you can’t scale. Teams of three and if you can’t do a movement; then you don’t submit a score.
Last year I learnt pull ups, double unders, and almost, almost handstand press ups during the Premier Fitness League. Not because I wanted to win; but because I wanted to prove to myself that I can and get the best possible score with my team.
The Premier Fitness League kicked off again last week, and my team are back with a new member.
This year we are older than most, and for one of us it is her first ever competition. Honestly we don’t stand a gnats chance in finishing in the top 40, but already we have smashed our expectations.
Except for week one. The first Wod was 5 minutes of burpees, two people in sync at a time. We did it 24 hours after touching down from a very alcoholic week in La Manga.
Needless to say – it wasn’t our most glory filled workout.
We were about as in sync as a bike with one square wheel and one round wheel. One of us; who had been displaying her exceptional shot drinking skills only two days previous spent more time laying down than she did jumping up.
Me? I think I went into respiratory distress after 90 seconds.
Let’s never talk about Wod one again.
But tonight was our comeback tour.
Snatch.
(I still can’t write it without giggling.)
One full snatch, two hang snatch; three overhead squats.
Pretty much my worse nightmare. ..
I don’t snatch.
But this is why competitions like the PFL can be so amazing. We knew what we were aiming for tonight and we finished at least 10kgs higher. I hit a personal best after being stuck on the same number for almost a year.
The newbie smashed it! Nailing a lift she had failed only moments before in the warm up.
So you see; when you see the aptly named Waifs and Strays on the leaderboard we may not look
like we are winning.
But trust me – we are.
Even though most of what you’re saying sounds like complete gobbledegook to me, I think you’re awesome.
Thanks lovely lady
Oh well done – I think after a heavy drinking session even getting up is an achievement. As above didn’t understand much of that – but you are very inspiring and making me want to know more.