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“I smell toast. That’s what they say when you’re having a stroke, right? You smell burnt toast?” These kinds of thoughts can’t be helped. When you’re past 35, words like “obese” have made their way into your medical records, and you’re 10 minutes into a grizzly WOD, my mind jumps to the worst. Thankfully, reason intervenes; I remember there is a fire oven, pizza restaurant next door, and think of T-Rex.

You don’t have to search far to learn how T-Rex feels about pull-ups, wall balls, kettlebells, or pushups. The king of the Cretaceous period laid low by the basic functional movement. In spite of T-Rex’s shortcomings, he keeps showing up. That’s the takeaway. That’s what you have to remember. Regardless of your abilities you have to put the effort in even when you just don’t have it.

Here’s the T-Rex and CrossFit key:

Show up.

Don’t leave money on the table and be honest enough with yourself to know when you have.

Forgive yourself but never excuse yourself.

Repeat.

It is fine to suck—be like T-Rex when you do and keep coming back. Take pride in what you do well and keep trying at the stuff you don’t. I’m reminded of what Greg at Wicked Fit Apparel shared with me, “T-Rex loves air squats.”

– Bryan P.