Just when you think you can’t … you can

Like a fish out of water I competed in an athletic competition a few days ago. Aside from tee-ball (which I hated), pee-wee basketball (which I hated), pee-wee cheerleading (which was OK but I wasn’t very good) and plain ‘ol gym class (which I loathed), I haven’t had much experience as an athlete. OK, really I’ve had no experience.

So two years ago if someone had told me I was going to compete in something called Integrity’s Revenge – part of the Garage GamesCrossFit series – where I would run through a series of workouts in front of other people, I would have fallen on the floor laughing.

But last weekend, that’s just what I did.

I competed with several other athletes from our facility, CrossFit Mt. Pleasant. I partnered up with another woman and we entered the scaled team division. Let me pause here and explain CrossFit: It’s a fitnessprogram that focuses on constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movements. Workouts are short and intense, changing each day with such activities as weightlifting, pull-ups, pushups, sit-ups, running,rowing and jumping rope.

I started CrossFit about 14 months ago and have seen pretty amazing results – both physically and mentally as I’ve challenged myself to do things I never dreamed I could (a pullup or deadlift 170 pounds).

CrossFit athletes compete in the GarageGames or regional competitions around the country. The elite athletes go on to compete in the CrossFit Games, sort of the Olympics of CrossFit.

One of the great things about CrossFit is that movements can be scaled to your individual fitness level and abilities.So when you start, you’re not expected to throw 65 pounds of weight over your head. Maybe you start with 10 or 20 and continue to work your way up. That means workouts come in two versions: “Rx” or the prescribed way they should be done and a scaled version for those who are still working their way up to the Rx level.

For this competition, my partner and I did the team scaled division. We did three workouts on Saturday and one on Sunday morning. My body definitely felt it on Monday morning.

How did I do? Well, I competed. The first workout was incredibly difficult for me because it involved front squats of 65 pounds and then a movement called the “thruster,” which is squatting with the weight and then quickly standing up and pushing the weight (still 65 pounds) over your head. Squatting with heavy weights is by far one of my weaker areas so I was pretty terrified when I saw this workout. My stomach was in a knot the size the Texas as I approached that weight bar.

Let’s just say I struggled and ended with lots of people cheering me on. I didn’t complete the workout in the allotted 12 minutes and kept my teammate from getting her turn. When time was up, I felt teary and embarrassed. But one of the great things about CrossFit is the sense of community. The people I work out with on a daily basis are my CrossFit family and they were pulling for me. The people I’d never met were pulling for me. You see in CrossFit it’s all about pushing through. When the workout is hard and you’re tempted to toss down the weight and walk away, you keep on.

A couple of times I looked at my teammate and the judge saying, “I can’t do this.” But then I turned back to the weight and tried again. At the end of the workout, that was what mattered.

Clint – who also competed – was there cheering me on with our daughter Kate. He said she was watching every bit of my struggle, while saying “Go, Mama, go!” Later we discussed that it’s good for her to see me incorporate working out into my daily life but also to struggle with something and push through – especially something people might look at and think isn’t really a “woman’s sport.”

The remaining workouts were challenging but not to the same degree. I was able to finish those and didn’t do too terribly.

When the weekend was over, I felt a mixture of pride and disappointment. I couldn’t help but wish I’d done a little better, but then I think about where I’ve come over the last year. I was one of those people who started out lifting 10 and 15 pounds, so to even attempt 65 is pretty awesome. I’ll keep working on my skills, building my strength, stamina and endurance and just maybe you’ll see me at the Garage Games next year.

So, what did you do this weekend? : )