You are stronger than you know

"Kat, hey Kat. You have to try CrossFit!"

"Kat, hey Kat. Have you thought about trying CrossFit?"

"Kat, hey Kat! Julie and I are going to CrossFit tomorrow morning. You should meet us there!"

These are the words that have been said to me for 3 months by same well meaning co-workers. Sprinkled over me with loving encouragement and a rabid desire to wake up at the crack of dawn and do this thing called 'CrossFit '. I finally started listening.  I think it was because of this whole 60 day challenge thing that I am doing with my gals. I've done really well actually! I took pictures of myself before we started and I will take more when we are done. If I don't feel shy, I might even post my results! 

So my personal CrossFit cheerleaders gave me promises of amazing fitness. Oh, and a company discount. Plus, I could try it out for a week for free. What the heck! I was able to get through 90 minutes of sweaty, grueling hot yoga. I could do a CrossFit workout. 

I promised to meet my personal cheerleaders bright and early this past Monday morning. And by bright and early, I mean at 6am.

I had heard a little about CrossFit but for the most part I was clueless. I went to my source of information....Pinterest. With Pinterest I can not only read what the other pinners say but there's pictures! Yay! 

10 minutes after typing 'CrossFit' into the search option, I knew I might be in trouble. I knew that it would be intense. I knew I would probably die. I knew it would kick my ass....twice. Then make me get up so it could kick my ass again. FML. 

I set my alarm that Sunday night with trepidation. I now knew what I was getting myself into. Frankly, I was scared. I woke up at 3am. Then I woke up at 4am. At 5am, I got out of bed and dressed. Ashley (one of my personal cheerleaders) had told me to get there 15 minutes early to do some intake paperwork. I ran out of the house, forgetting the water bottle that I had carefully placed next to my keys. 

I realized I had forgotten my hydration just as I passed a gas station, so I ran in to get some water. When I got back into my car, my OnStar got confused and then got me lost. 

Whew! I hadn't even made it there and it was already an adventure. 

I righted myself and made my way to gym. Where I was not met by my gals. 

Where I realized that in order to be ready to workout at the appointed 6am hour, I had to walk into the place alone. 

Since I've developed some mild social anxiety in the last year, this is a huge fear of mine. 

As I sat in my car, I realized I could be afraid. Or I could walk in. 

By myself. 

I locked my car, straightened my hair bun and walked in. 

I pushed open the door, walked down the hall and pushed open another door into a gray and red gym. Alice Cooper was playing on the stereo. Burly men and fit women where lifting weights, doing pullups and looking like District 2 from the Hunger Games. Bruce Almighty (as I have since dubbed him) was kind enough to notice my freaked-out-deer-in-the-headlights-what-the-hell-have-I-gotten-myself into look 

and ask me what could he help me with. 

When I explained I was new and was meeting some friends, he sweetly advised me that they have a new policy. All new people have to come when there are two trainers in the gym so that one can work with the masses and the other can explain what the hell CrossFit is and how to do it to the new person. One on One style. I breathed a sigh of relief, said I would come back at 11 when the owner was there as well and beat tracks back to the safety of my car. 

Later that morning ,at work, I talked my friend Dana into going with me. (I'm not quite sure she has forgiven me for it. But I did give her coffee this morning so I think we might be ok.)
We walked in, sat down and realized that we were supposed to be in workout clothes. That when Bruce Almighty asked me to come back he meant so I could do my baseline test. That day. To the chagrin of Boss Man Jason, we set an appointment to come back two days later. Boss Man didn't really explain what a baseline test is, just that we had "better be ready". 

Wednesday, 11:15 on the dot. Dana and I walked into the gym. Ready to meet Boss Man Jason (who I think I remind him of his little sister because he gives me A LOT of grief) BMJ explained that we would do the warmup and then the baseline test. The baseline is how you know you are getting better. BMJ would time us and then in a month, we would do the test again. To see if we can beat our time. 

The warm-up ... THE WARM-UP...is what I would usually call a workout. 

I beat a tire. A tractor tire. With a sledgehammer. 

It. Felt. Awesome. 

I learned how to use a kettlebell. 

I did lunges. I did kicks. I did knee hugs. I jumped rope like Rocky! 

I learned that when I think I reached my limit, I can go farther. 

Then I did my baseline. 

Which meant that I did the rower for 500m, 40 squats, 30 sit ups, 20 push-ups and 10 pull-ups. 

As fast as I could. 

When I finished in (don't you wish you knew?) minutes, I fell to the floor gasping. 

That shit is hard!! 

BUT 

That shit felt AWESOME!  

Leaving that day, I knew I would be back. 

And I was the following morning. Bright eyes and bushy tailed. I was in at 5:55am. Ready to kick my ass. 

I've gone a few times now and I have to say.... I love it! 

I literally hop out of bed, ready to take on the day's WOD. I have more energy through out the day. I find myself smiling more. My favorite part? 

I find that little things that would annoy me, don't. 

So here's my little challenge for myself. 

There's a hill at my parents. A deadly, evil, straight up hill. I run it when I visit them. 

My time has slowly gone up since last year. 

I want that time back down. 

I want to run up that hill and make it my bitch. 

I want that hill to beg for mercy. 

Mothers Day weekend I will have been doing CrossFit for 3 weeks. 

I know my time from BCF (before CrossFit) I'll see what it is next time I visit them. 

And I will make it my personal mission to kill the hill.