I remember walking/ being dragged into the old gym on Dunbar at 7pm at our introductory class and rolling my eyes at Auto.  I don’t know how he kept me there for the class and how he kept me going to classes for the first month.   I think the half Karen shared with Auto nearly killed me.  Running (okay, walking) 200 metres was awful.  I was more than 20kg over my current weight.  What were we thinking?  I think the patience of the coaches was a start.  The names of the things we did were a blur:  Karen, Grace, Dirty 30, who knows?  It was a workout and it was awful.  Looking back I feel sorry for our coaches.  What were they thinking?  We survived the month and passed the “test”.  Yay I think!

We arrived at 6:30am for our first class and there were some incredibly fit people there.  I can’t remember what the class was and I think the first couple of classes passed in a blur.  I can tell you that I started jumping on a box that was 6 inches and I think I shivered every single time.  I did wall push-ups, and I did ring rows.  I looked at everything else with fear.  Burpees, snatches, running, deadlifts, lunges, ahhhh!  You get the picture.


I also broke a tendon in my finger doing a bar over burpee!  I did it again a while later doing a box-jump.

I started CrossFit for Auto.   He wanted me to work out with him.  I thought I was working out at a “normal” gym – I was not impressed, but I think it was determination that kept me going.  We made friends, we stopped driving down the road, we started laughing (after the workout), and I stopped choosing workouts.  I faced my fears.  I started eating more healthily.


I also realized that my kids were noticing what Auto and I were doing.  Riot admitted to me, driving to a dance recital, that she was proud of me and that she was not giving up because she could see that I wasn’t.  Rocket asked to join and he showed us who was stronger straight away, but he joined and stays healthy because of us and the box.


I have had so many positive experiences, there are too many to mention, but the coaches and the members, the feeling when you get a personal best – everyone celebrates with you.  The CrossFit Open events are definitely positive, the fun I have competing each week and also watching / judging everyone else.  The team challenges have been fun and the CanWest Games was such a high-point.

I think it’s interesting that I’ve written this while I’m struggling.  This week has had some particularly difficult WODs.  But I’ve come through them and I’m still here.  Our coaches, all of them, are so good at seeing the distress and the frustrations.  Work harder, keep on going, Do Not Give Up.  Look at the poster near the coaches’ workstation – Do Not focus on the negatives, look to the top stair – You can do it. 
No, I have not been able to get my double unders (I have left them for a bit), and there are other things that are elusive right now.  I have to look at where I started: 200m walking to 5km running, jumping 6 inches to 21 inches and more….


What am I working on? Right now it’s my pull up – lighter bands and the hand stand kick up to the wall.  Wow!  I can say with confidence- one day I will be able to do them both, and if not right now definitely in my future.

If I can give any advice do not choose workouts because of fear, come to classes, they are fun, no one will laugh at your scaled version – people are amazing here, we smile, we laugh and we have fun, even though there may be tears and frustration .  We get through it and start again the next class.