A Look Back On My First Year With CrossFit717

Recently I’ve been getting asked ” what are you on?” while people point to

my arms. It comes from co-workers, parents of my students, family members, and even strangers. After the initial shock of this question wears off, I answer with “usually a rower, maybe some rings.” This leads to more questions and a mini tutorial of what CrossFit717 has taught me in the last year.

I owe A LOT to this gym (we call them boxes!). I’m 29 and in the best shape of my life.

As a display of gratitude and to offer encouragement to new comers, I asked if I could write a post. The following is a reflection on the last year of me getting acquainted with CrossFit while working out at CrossFit 717.

Leading Up To The Start

I used to consider my college swimming days the pinnacle of my physical fitness. While on the team, I was obligated to attend 17 hours of practice each week. Each practice had a pre-planned work out and team mates to motivate me.

Although my weight was low and I was lean, swimming lacked a functional fitness model. I could swim BUT I would still get tired playing other things (soft ball for example) or get short of breath walking up stairs. Practices did little to prepare my body for daily activities.

Aside from feeling out of shape, 2011 was far removed from those college days. My life was lacking a quality fitness routine and teammates who pushed me. I was kidding myself when I thought I could simply train and get the results I wanted without these key elements. I failed to do anything I could be proud of on my own. I constantly sought something new.

To make things worse, that April I woke up to the fact that I had a marathon coming in 4 months that I neglected training for the previous 8. This epiphany happened on Easter Sunday as I laid on the couch feeling lethargic and bloated.

A friend’s cousin-who is a CrossFit coach himself- turned me on to the idea of CrossFit with one question “What’s the point of bench pressing 300 lbs if you can’t run 5 miles?” That afternoon I did a google search, found CrossFit 717, and inquired the next day.





My First WOD

My first WOD gave me the sensation that I wanted to puke. As I sat gasping for air afterwards, I knew I wanted more of that forgotten but familiar feeling of pushing myself to the point of feeling sick. Pursuing that feeling had many fortunate side effects.

Two Weeks In

Each workout was pretty painful. I had resolved mentally to sign up for classes and go regardless of how I felt. It was no longer a choice. I had to get it in gear for the big race ahead. At the three week point I caught myself automatically going to bed at 9PM. This early bed time is a continuous goal I NEVER have the discipline for. Suddenly it started happening on its own. Without thinking, I’d stop what I was doing and just crash in to 9 hours of deep sleep. Because of improved sleep, the recovery period following a work out decreased and pain from WODs slowly downgraded to soreness. My hunger for more grew.



July

Summer rolled around and I continued attending classes about 3 nights a week. I began to feel invincible on my long runs. I believe the AMRAP and RFT format of the work outs raised (and continues to raise) my pain threshold. Instead of pushing through long runs with the mindset of getting it over with, I began stretching, warming up, and attacking them. It’s an amazing feeling and accomplishment to run 8, 12, 16, or 20 miles and feel like the run is being channeled through your body instead of just pushing through it. Running was becoming more enjoyable in general. Possibly, it was the most enjoyable it has ever been during my 16 years of distance running.





October

A better sleep routine and improved performance on my runs led to nutrition changes. My body was operating on the mode of improving recovery and reducing pain from the WODs as much as possible. Important but often ignored things-such as getting enough water and reducing empty calories- slowly manifested in my daily routine. These changes were not conscious. I didn’t plan them or think them through. They just happened and continue to happen.

January

Several months later, when I entered the Better Body Challenge, I’d have a diet close to what was recommended to me by our box’s coaches and our freelance paleo expert Erin V. The nutritional guidelines seemed to remove dead weight I didn’t know I was carrying. I no longer had the 3 PM crash I had growing up. I also recognized what hunger was and I stopped confusing it with craving something. Food became fuel for my body and my body didn’t ask for anything more than that. I was feeling like an animal. I like feeling like an animal!

Fitness aside, eating leafy greens and lean protein forced me to learn how to cook. Now, I prefer to eat in rather than out. I’ve even gone as far as turning down happy hours with co workers.



February- Bringing It All Together

Just as people across this country make the mistake of skipping meals to lose weight, I’ve always worked out with the mindset of more is better and pain is always good.

This has lead to a career in competitive sports filled with poor performances. I’ve got lots of participation medals and ribbons but very few place finishes. I’ve also never had a physique that reflected my hard work. In 2009, marathon training pushed me into an “Overweight” BMI category ( 222 lbs) with no muscle tone or flexibility but plenty of nagging injuries.

The Better Body Challenge went in to February. It was the first time in my life I combined a workout routine with a nutrition plan and a decent sleep schedule for more than a day. I finally proved to myself that I could bring these important things together. At the time, these changes felt like a risky toss of the dice try while anticipating my first cross fit throw down in Hershey.

Like many others at the box (maybe all of us?), I saw improved performances and physical changes during this time and during the throw down competition. The community and atmosphere of the other Better Body Challengers was incredibly supportive as well. It was like we were all working together to recover from decade long mistakes while moving our lives in a new direction through cross fit. Simply put, we became a fit community that looked at each other with encouragement. Any nervousness or self consciousness I had over the previous 9 months the evaporated.

I learned that pride does cancel out pain. I’m very proud of this month long commitment and surprised myself by not quitting. Regardless of what comes up in my life, no one can rob me of what I’ve proven to myself in the last year.

Looking Ahead

What began as frustrating circumstances led to a conversation. The conversation led to a painful WOD. The WOD led to more WODs and improved sleep, performance, nutrition, confidence, and pride.

28 years of my life were spent getting things wrong and searching for a good fit. I’ve found what is right for me at CrossFit 717 and it’s changed me as a person. I’m the most in shape guidance counselor I know.

I love watching beginners come in and join the fit community our box continues to build. For many people doing On Ramp, there seems to be a hunger in their eyes that resonates with me. Be it hunger for pull ups, hunger for feeling better, hunger for improved flexibility, this hunger is not a hunger for empty calories. It’s a hunger for a better life that leads to becoming a new person.