I thought I was fit, until...

We've made some BIG changes since this post: A New Year, A New Me?

I've been a gym rat for a long time.  I've spent YEARS in spin classes, kick-boxing classes, pilates classes, yoga classes and body combat classes along with countless hours on cardio machines at the gym.  I shed a few pounds after having my second baby, but I never got to my goal weight or to the level of fitness that I wanted to be.  In fact, I resigned to believe that true fitness wasn't possible for this mom of two.  I settled for a women's size 12 pant size and hoped that someday I'd squeeze into a 10.  I thought I ate healthy, although I realize now that my idea of a healthy diet was greatly skewed.  In my mind, I was doing everything that I could to "get thin", but it wasn't working.

I almost gave up completely.  Until, my husband, Court, stepped in and said he'd work out with me.

Since I was now working out with a man, naturally we started working out as bodybuilders - which was a completely new concept for me.  This all began about a year and a half ago.  At first, I was a little intimidated in the weight room with all the guys.  We did the typical body builder thing: biceps/back on Mondays, triceps/chest Wednesdays, legs/shoulder Fridays, with cardio thrown into the mix as well.  This worked out well for a while. Also, I was beginning to feel pretty confident in the weight room - not many women were walkin' in there lifting the amount of weight that I had worked up to.  They were all huffin' and puffin' on the treadmill machines.  I even got down to a size 8.  The hubs was lookin' pretty good, too.  We also were "eating healthy" and watching our portion sizes.  Not too shabby, eh? Until we got bored.  And, I plateaued for a LONG time.  Doing the same thing over and over getting the same results is the definition of insanity, right? 

 (This is me and my friend, Tisha. The before photo on the left is what started it all.  We were in desperate need of a change!)

After Christmas break, we were ready for a change. Not just a change in routine, but something more challenging.  The typical gym workout just wasn't cutting it anymore.  It was then that Court learned about Gym Jones and the 300 workout.  I was terrified of this workout.  But, I did it anyway - January 3, 2011, to name the exact date.  And I fell in love with it.  Not because it was kind to me, because it wasn't.  It was brutal.  It kicked my ass.  Yet, I fell in love with this primal-style workout because it challenged me.  I found an inner athlete that had been lying dormant, just waiting for a true challenge to come along.

We did the 300 workout for a few weeks and again, needed to mix-up the routine.  During this time, Court had been doing some research and found what we had been looking for:  CrossFit.  I had no idea what it was, but I began doing it.  Court would look up the WOD (WTH is that you ask? it stands for Workout of the Day) and then we'd do it as best we could at our local YMCA.  The WODS, like the 300, pushed me further physically than I had ever been pushed before.  Sometimes I'd look at the WOD and say, "Oh, that's not too bad" and say, "That doesn't seem like enough.  You can't get a real workout in 20 minutes!" and then halfway through I'd be eating my words, along with the sweat pouring down my face.  

Before CrossFit, I thought I was fit.  However, CrossFit has changed my definition of fitness.  My goals before CrossFit were to "get thin".  Now, it's much more than that.  I want to run faster, jump higher, lift more, go further, do pull-up, crank out push-ups and put boys to shame.  The weight loss has simply become a side effect, a benefit.  In fact, I'm happy to say that I now wear a size 6 and can even get into a few 4's - something I NEVER thought possible!  I even have clothing now that has an 'S' or an 'XS' on the tag instead of a 'L' or an 'XL'.  It's so nice to not be 'Extra Large' anymore!

Doing the WODS at the Y worked out OK for a while, but if you're a Crossfitter, you know that a typical gym just won't do.  We actually had an easier time completing some of the WODS at home.  If you're doing a WOD for time, it's very frustrating to have to wait for an available rower or trek down the hall to go from the rowers to the weight room.  We decided to say goodbye to our beloved Y and joined a CrossFit box - CrossFit Champions. It only took one trial class there to get us hooked - it was just what we were looking for and more.  Working out with like-minded athletes has been fun and challenging.  The atmosphere is competitive, yet encouraging.  The trainers know what they are talking about and I can tell that they are passionate about what they do.  They encourage you and push you to your limit.  I like that.

(This is a pic of the WOD board at CFC taken on the day I did my first workout there.)

As I type, my muscles are sore and tired.  However, I ready for more.  I'm excited to see where this journey will take us.  I've come a long way, but I still have a long way to go - I even hope to compete one day.  Starting with the Metro Dash. 

Bring it!