Beginnings...

Why did I start Crossfit? The simple answer is that I wanted to get in the "best shape of my life."

Ahh...another beginning...I have struggled with my weight since I was 20 years old. Yo-yo diets, gains and losses of hundreds of pounds...all left me anchor-less. I had no center. I was full of tips and tricks...knowledge... but felt like I lacked "willpower" or "motivation," or whatever that magic dust is that awesome people have. It culminated in my being 222lbs and severely depressed in January of 2009. In a life or death decision, I put myself in the hands of a weight loss clinic, and lost 72lbs in 7 months. This was through strict caloric restriction and no exercise (you can't exercise when you're eating 800 cal/day).

Long story short, it saved my life, but almost robbed me of my health. My hair was falling out, I had stopped menstruating, and I had a growth on my liver (ew!). I decided I had to find health, not just weight-control. I did a year of boot camp, which was so much fun and gave me an inkling of what it was like to exercise hard and enjoy it. Unfortunately, the training was random and more centered around bringing clients in than keeping them. I had a taste for hard work and was curious about more. I was at the top of my game - the "fittest" of the fit body boot campers. I was also lost at sea with my eating, knowing that caloric restriction was the only thing my body responded to, but that it wasn't healthy. I was eating "healthy" foods like oatmeal and whole grain bread, but restricting fat. That's what you're supposed to do, right?

Enter Sam and NorCo Crossfit. My beast of a volleyball playing daughter had trained with Sam the summer before and left every workout completely toasted. Out of curiosity, I met with Sam to "ask some questions" about Crossfit. I left completely convinced that it was THE way. It was what I was looking for. I was going to start over for the last time.

I entered totally focused on the fitness aspect and quickly realized that fitness of the MIND is where it all starts. When the intro session using nothing more than a piece of PVC pipe left me sweating and unable to turn my head to the left or right, it dawned on me that this place wasn't messing around. There would be no easy path. If I wanted this, I was going to have to have a come-to-Jesus about my heart, my attitude and my work ethic. What I didn't know is that the forging of the spirit of the Crossfitter is by far THE most important part of the journey.

I was a big fish in a small pond at boot camp. I was now a minnow who had been to fitness preschool in a tank of PhD'd sharks. These people were serious about a lot of stuff. Lifting heavy shit. Functional fitness. Clean eating. Women kicking ass. Community. Fun. Forging elite fitness. Encouragement. Not leaving the least of them behind. I was dumped into an ocean of sharks - sharks who only eat those who do not have the heart to endure pain, who were weak in spirit. It was either be eaten, or become a shark. Beginning.