27 Reasons Why I CrossFit

Everyone has their own reasons. For some it's to get in better shape. Others it's to beat those demons in their brain saying, you can't. For me, every time I go to the box, it's to get better and better. Each day I try to do something I couldn't do yesterday. Some days I succeed, some days I fail; but in the end, I always give it my all. This list is in no specific order. And trust me, I did not start CrossFit for the same reasons I continue it today. 

1. It makes me feel strong. I can't really say I have done anything before where I felt like I wanted to be strong. Sure, I wanted to be fit. But strong wasn't on that list. Now, it is. 

2. I look forward to seeing the people at the box everyday. Sure, we all have friends and our own lives. But the people that I see at the box have a special...je ne sais quoi...they make me want to push harder and be someone I did not think I could be. They motivate me when I cannot motivate myself. 

3. To have people say I look good. Everyone wants this, whether you say it out loud or not. Yes, I have lost weight (down 17lbs now!) but it's no longer about looking thin in a bathing suit. I want my arms to be defined and my shoulders to stick up. I want them to say, your arms look good rather than, you're so thin! 

4. It challenges me more than anything else ever has. (Well almost) People who know me outside the box will tell you things have been challenging for me. I have overcome challenges most people don't overcome in their lives (and trust me, you don't want to!) however, CrossFit challenges my mind and my body. It challenges me to keep going. To push even when I think I can't. To get one more rep. To lift 5 more pounds than last week. Because I want the challenge. 

5. It keeps me sane. I have always looked to the gym to keep me sane and grounded. The best times in my life have involved me throwing myself into some sort of activity with physical fitness. For me, when I walk through the door of a gym or a box, the outside world feels like it doesn't matter. All that matters is what I am doing here and now. It makes me forget the bad day I am having and it makes the good one that much better. 

6. To be immersed in a group that feels the SAME WAY I DO. In the past, each time I get SUPER into an activity like this, I feel somewhat alienated. Like people don't understand why I am doing this, and then, they make you feel bad about it! I don't get that anymore because I don't care about the people who don't get it. I don't need them to. I have people at the box that do. They understand getting your first pull up or rope climb (not that EVERYONE outside the box doesn't, I am not saying that) and they are there to see it. They eat Paleo while others balk when you tell them you don't eat that. Even my own husband gives me a hard time about what Cavemen ate. And yet, I no longer care that no one gets it. 

7. To be the best me I can be. Cliche I know. But seriously. Trying to be the best in this aspect of my life makes me want to be the best in EVERY aspect of my life. It makes me realize sometimes, it's got to be about me and what I need. And not in a selfish way. But if I need to go to the gym 6-7 days a week to be my best, you better believe I will do that.

8. To have something to look forward to at the end of the day. I like my job well enough. But it's not my passion. Fitness is and always has been my passion. I learned that a bit late in life and well, I may have done things different had I realized sooner. Nevertheless, the breaks in my regular work day involve watching videos about CrossFit, reading articles about CrossFit, researching products about CrossFit, etc. And at the end of the day, I get to CrossFit. I look forward to the end of the day more than anything.

9. It gets me out of the house. Similar to CrossFit holding my sanity, it also holds me to my commitment. Sometimes I need to escape my house for whatever reason. CrossFit lets me do that.

10. To amaze people at what I can do. When you tell people you CrossFit they are amazed. Unless they also CrossFit, then they love you. People who don't CrossFit look at you like you're crazy. And yea, part of me is. But they are also amazed at my dedication. I was interviewing a potential employee when he asked what I do in my free time. I told him I CrossFit. He laughed and said, "Like a couple days a week." And I said, "No, like 7 days a week. I would do it 8 days if there was 8 days in a week." He stopped laughing. I just smiled.

11. Because it's something my husband and I can do together. My husband and I have always been good about doing things separately so when we decided to start CrossFit, it was out thing we did together. Although I now work in the box office and we don't always work out together, it's great to compare our workouts, talk about our goals and aspirations and have the same general motivation when it comes to CrossFit. (Even if he doesn't eat Paleo).

12. I want to live a long time. Life is hard. But that doesn't mean I want it to end anytime soon. I have so many things I want to experience. If I don't take care of myself now, I won't be around to do those things.

13. The variety cannot be beat. I am easily bored. I never sit down at home. I am constantly moving and probably have a bit of ADHD/ADD that's never been diagnosed. I need change. ALL the time. Before my husband I lived in 7+ places in 6 years because I get bored. CrossFit is NEVER boring. Not once have I walked in and said, oh this is boring. NEVER. And I never will. It is always different, always changing and although the movements are the same, the WODs are different.

14. That feeling after the workout when you are laying on the ground. You don't know this feeling unless you have done a workout at a box. It's inexpiable. It's like you're close to death in the best way possible. Try it is the only thing I can say.

15. To get out of my own head. When I fail to accomplish part of a workout, it's usually mental. I am mental about box jumps for one. The day I did 30 box jumps in a row, I mastered the getting out of my own head. But I have a long way to go!

16. To be a REAL athlete. I am not really an athlete. I never really have been. I could do SOME sports (normally involving my body only, no equipment) like running, swimming, etc. I was not amazing at any sport. I want to be an athlete. I want to feel like I am an athlete. I am getting there.

17. Because I love hearing 3-2-1 go. Something happens in my body before the WOD starts. My stomach clenches. My heart picks up. My blood pumps quicker. My mind becomes clearer. The adrenaline I get is amazing.

18. I always (attempt) to finish. I sometime hit the time cap. Not very often. But it happens. But I always finish what I started, even if I have to stop at 35:00. I don't stop. I finish.

19. So that I can carry the dog food bag. Before CrossFit I always asked my husband to carry heavy things. I did not see myself as strong enough to do so. My trainer, Meg, will tell the newbies during the intro speech about her sister who cannot carry the bag of dog food. Now, I can carry the bag of dog food and someday I will carry my own child because essentially they weigh the same.

20. So that I can use the words "I'll try" instead of "I can't". I use to say I can't. A lot. Ask my husband. Now, I say I'll try. And I do. Because I have learned anything is possible. After all, the word impossible is I'm Possible.

21. To extinguish the voice that tells me I am not good enough. Everyone has this voice. It's whether you choose to listen to it. My voice is quieter than it use to be. But it's there. And when it pipes up, my coach or fellow CrossFitters are there yelling at me to push harder, to finish one more rep. And they are louder than that voice. And so I am good enough.

22. To stay accountable. I am not good at being accountable to myself for long periods of time. If I don't show up to the box for a couple of days everyone wonders where I am. It makes me go. Because I don't want to have to explain that I didn't come because I was lazy. I show up, I do the workout, I am accountable to myself but to my box and my fellow CrossFitters as well.

23. To improve my form. My form is so much better than it was. It has so much further to go. My cleans are better but not great. I want them to be great. My squat always needs work. I want it to be great.

24. To build confidence. I fake confidence a lot. I appear to be confident, but most of the time I am wondering what everyone else is thinking of me. CrossFit makes me feel more confident. I mean after all, if I can finally climb a rope after nearly 30 years, I can be confident in anything right? Right....

25. To prove to myself that I can. I am doing things I couldn't do before. Because I say I can. And some day, the things I have not mastered yet will be things I can say I can about. (Come on pull-ups!)

26. To be able to RX a workout. Once I RX'd a workout. (Btw, it was months before I even knew what it meant to RX a workout! I had to google it! Ha) I was ecstatic when I did. But I want to RX (as prescribed) ALL the workouts.

27. To someday LOVE Burpees. Most CrossFitters will tell you of their LOVE/HATE relationship with Burpees. I hate them. I want to love them. Maybe someday.