Joining the family!

This week my Blog is motivated by one that I read earlier this week from another CrossFit member. I was truly inspired when I read this and felt I should share more of my story (or my perspective!). Here is her post:

http://www.albanycrossfit.com/today-i-became-a-crossfitter/

Being part of the CrossFit community is really what makes me going every week to WOD’s. I moved to Albany 7 years ago, not knowing a single person in this area. I had always been pretty social when I was younger but I discovered it was hard to make new friends the older you got. The transition here was difficult but worth it in the end. I finished my masters, got a great job doing what I went to school for and was gaining some really great friends at work. I still would find myself struggling to meet people outside of our inner circle. This was until I started CrossFit – where were you 7-8 years ago??

As always I was nervous my first day of boot-camp but I went with a positive attitude and did what I was told. Those that know me would have been surprised to see how quite I was during boot-camp. I was in a class with people of all different ages and abilities but they were always so positive and encouraging. Throughout boot-camp I was beginning to feel comfortable, I knew who was going to be there and the nervousness went away, well that was until they cut us loose into the real CrossFit world.

We graduated from boot camp on January 3^rd, 2013. Our group became a little bit smaller but we all improved our times from our first workout and we did two workouts that day. We were then encouraged to start attending WOD’s and I signed up for the 90 day challenge. James (one of the coaches) had recommended that I come to class on Friday to hit two of the workouts. I was too sore so I decided to come early on Saturday and hope that I could get something done before the WOD at 11. Now this was my first time coming to CrossFit, not knowing who was going to be there, who the coaches were or what to expect. I wandered around a bit, peaking into the rooms, trying to do some pre-workout stretches. Finally I got the courage to ask of the members if they knew who was a coach and if they could help me.

This is where I met Dean. I told him that I just finished boot camp and needed to do one of the 90 day’s benchmark workouts. He said that the burpee’s were simple enough to do so that is what I was going to start. As I was having him help me get started another member approached me to see if I was going to do my burpee’s and offered to do them with me.  Now when I thought about 7 minutes of burpee’s I though well maybe I will hit about 4-5 a minute ending around 25-30. Thankfully I had another member there who offered to partner up with me and count while I did my burpee’s. As I was doing them she was encouraging telling me to keep going, you can do this, give me 10 more . . . on and on. Then as I hit 30 she said we were only 3 minutes in . . . uggggg but she kept pushing me and got me to finish with 55 burpees.

The reason I am telling this story is because she just recently talked about that day as well in the blog above. Stating how she remembered that feeling the first time she came to CrossFit. Since that day I have done burpee’s in some of my workouts and when I think I cannot do anymore I can hear her voice in my head and recall that I did 55 in 7 minutes, I can do 15!

I am thankful for Carmen, Mary and Lynn that day. They all welcomed me into the community without any hesitation. Now being part of CrossFit I have made new friends and that eagerness every time I walk into a WOD is slowly going away. I have stepped out of my comfort zone and started to build new relationships. I am also thankful for my boot camp buddies: Renee, Danielle, Gannon and Kyle. We keep in touch with each other going to WOD’s together and even getting together to celebrate our graduation. I love the new family I have developed and know the more I stick with CrossFit the more members I will add to it!!

Carmen said in her blog “I have zero idea if I helped NC. I hope I did. I hope she realized, as I have realized, that she is now part of a community of athletes dedicated to fitness, yes, but also dedicated to each other.” (I am NC) – YOU DID HELP ME! I am thankful to be part of this community who is dedicated to each other!!!

Here are the WOD’s I completed this week and next week I am going to be taking on the Paleo challenge. I started this morning with making a paleo pancake.