I am a CrossFit Woman

This is my third attempt at writing this blog and I finally figured out what to say and how to say it. I started reviewing my year of CrossFit as a journal of what I had accomplished but I didn’t like how it read. So then I started a second post about my one year progress in pictures and my measurements but I didn’t like that one either. So, here is attempt number three and it’s about EVERYTHING.

In April of 2014 I started CrossFit and fell in love with lifting. Like, madly deeply, want to lift all the time in love with lifting. This spurred an absolute hatred for running which I wasn’t aware of until this Spring when running was being programmed almost every single day. Note to self, embrace running or you will not survive this summer.

In the last year I have had immense highs and lows, exceptional victories and days where I felt like I was broken in half, emotionally and physically. Through all of this I have gained confidence, discipline, some gorgeous muscle and a deep attachment to my CrossFit family.

For the first nine months I gained weight (muscle not fat) and had to break up with my scale because when I hit 180# (my highest weight in my life) and felt the best I have ever have, I knew for sure that weight and pants size means NOTHING. My quads took on a life of their own and grew almost 5 inches before my very eyes resulting in a new hatred for buying pants. Hence the handle, Kettlebells and Quads!

Since January of 2015 I have been on a journey to find out what is causing me to retain fat and I have been living a strict Paleo lifestyle to work around my severe food allergies. I have seen a difference in my measurements and progress pictures from last year to this year and I am finally at the point where I am dropping inches and not gaining them. I am excited to say goodbye to this high body fat percentage!

My lifts are getting better after a year of working on proper form and I love posting big numbers on my cleans, jerks, deadlifts and squats. I have accepted where I need to back off on weight and work form, which is squat cleans and thrusters in my world. I have also been working very hard to achieve my gymnastics goals and have seen a vast improvement in those movements as of late.

I am also working on facing my fears because we all know, fear is a liar but some days it doesn’t allow me to get my feet off the ground. I have this huge mental block on 20” box jumps, I am not confident in my HSPUs and I don’t think I have the desire to ever “get” double unders. Kids have no fear of falling, breaking their necks or bleeding profusely from a failed box jump I however DO. So I am working the scaled version of everything and taking it all one day at a time.

In the last year I have learned how to “do work”, I have prayed for time caps, I have exceeded my expectations of my abilities and I have overcome huge obstacles and fears and I have learned how to work through wanting to quit. I have soaked, iced, heated and stretched parts of my body that I didn’t know I could overwork. I have formed friendships that are so rewarding and encouraging I couldn’t imagine my life without them.

Thanks to one decision back in April of 2014 I have changed my entire life. In the last year I have unequivocally become a CrossFit Woman and I couldn’t be more proud of myself.