Last week happened to be my 1 year anniversary with CrossFit and at CrossFit Ad Finem. It has been the quickest year I can recall, and easily the best year yet. When I started CrossFit, I joined because I wanted to get in better shape, but what I have gotten out of it is so much more than just being stronger.
I had always been terrified of CrossFit and of joining. I was intimated by the sport, the athletes of the sport, and I also really just didn’t want to get bulky and jacked. Towards the end of last summer, my friend Sara, who I knew from our Blog & Tweet NH group, mentioned hosting an event at her box, CrossFit Ad Finem. She asked Mat, her coach and owner of the box, if he would be up for it, and he was on board. I was up for a CrossFit event solely because the class would be an intro with a group of female bloggers that had never done it before. I was immediately hooked and wanted more of it.
CFAF, as we call our box, was having a cookout after our blog event for their members, and Mat invited the bloggers to stay for that. I was the only one who stayed, and while I was a little shy, everyone I met was just so welcoming, and they quickly became great friends.
I immediately went through the Elements course, which was 2 days a week, for 2 weeks, where I learned the basics of CrossFit. Sadly, no one from my Elements class stuck with it, but I had Sara there to get me through the beginning of my CrossFit journey. I immediately joined Sara in the 6:30 am class, where I met 2 amazing ladies, Marge and Kara.
After about a month, we had 3 new members join our morning class. Brian, Katie & Tucker. They had just completed their Elements course, and our small morning class quickly grew.
The great thing about going to the same class time, is that you form such a great bond with your teammates and coach. My favorite thing about the morning crew is that most of the time we are just so tired that the things that come out of our mouths just don’t make any sense, which leads to uncontrollable laughter.
I got stronger. My shirts stopped fitting, but I was stronger. I could lift more than I ever have in my life. Mat turned me into a real athlete. He coached me through proper form, and taught me the importance of mobility, and how it greatly affects your performance and your body.
Girl’s night occurred, and we had fun eating Paleo treats, having girl talk, and getting a little workout in.
I even convinced my brother to join me for a mid-day workout. We did part of a female workout, and he was smoked. It was a lot of fun getting him to experience part of what I get to enjoy almost every day.
This guy right here landed a wonderful spot in my life, and has easily become one of my favorite guys in the world. In March, every Thursday a workout was announced for the CrossFit Open, and every Saturday we would all pile into the box and do the workout in heats. Each Saturday Alan had fun and dressed up.
When Shape Magazine bashed the cancer survivor who ran races in tutus, Sara brought tutus in, and the guys proudly wore them.
I joined every Saturday for the CrossFit Open, and while I didn’t register for it, I completed the workouts to a scaleable level that worked for me. I hated every second of the workouts, but loved the feeling of accomplishment after each workout, and loved spending quality time with our group.
In April, I competed in my first competition with a group from our box. I wanted to poop my pants, but I did it. After the competition, I toyed with the idea of really wanting to compete in more, and while it’s not on my mind to compete anytime soon in a big event, it is something I would do if the right one came along.
Mat and his lovely wife Lauren got pregnant, and we threw Lauren a baby shower.
And we had our first CrossFit baby. Little Owen. Rocking his CF Ad Finem onesie.<3
More importantly, I found a place that I call my home. A place where I can go to get stronger, be better, and release stress. It’s a place that pushes me and encourages me to make goals and to hit those goals. I’m a part of a community that is bigger than I knew possible. My coach and my teammates hold me accountable. I hold myself accountable. It’s my happy place. It’s my favorite place.