Why do you hang out with Crossfitters all the time?

There are a million reasons, but here are a few:

1. Crossfitters are strong and passionate about life.  I like that!  They are passionate and opinionated about different things, and often, in opposing ways, but they CARE.  They aren't content to live life on auto-pilot.

2. (and this is huge).  Non Crossfitters make me feel gigantic and bulky.  At my box, I'm a bit on the weak side with skinny arms.  At the elementary school luncheon?  I'm huge.  As in hulking.  My shoulders are twice the width and my booty sticks out farther. Men stare at my traps in horror/jealousy. Women get a blank look when they notice the blisters on my hands and the bruises on my collarbone.   I love my body, but standing next to a size 2 blond in skinny jeans?  I feel like a moose.  My Crossfit peeps are powerful.

3. Crossfitters can laugh at themselves.  Hell, we've all humiliated ourselves in front of each other at least once (or 20x).  We have nothing to prove to each other.  We can laugh at our weaknesses.

4. Crossfitters are funny as hell.  I don't care what the subject is.  Food, muscles, hot guys, religion...the conversation is generally going to be laced with innuendo, f-bombs, and mocking.

5. Crossfitters GET what it means to be balls-to-the-wall about stuff.  They respect it.  I'm balls-to-the-wall about my volunteer work.  Some girls are balls-to-the-wall about competition.  Others (most) are balls-to-the-wall about clean eating.  No judgement - find your sweet spot and 3..2..1..go.

6. It's easy to party with paleo eaters.  You don't have to say "Paleo" bbq potluck.  If you have a potluck, it will be paleo.  Period.  I don't have to explain myself, apologize, or bring my own dish that only I like.

7.  Crossfitters have work ethic.  Every day is about not being satisfied with "good enough."  Lift heavier.  Run faster.  Take fewer breaks.  There is always room for improvement, and Crossfitters embrace that.

Random friends make my day!!

Nut up.

I am scared a lot. Burpees scare me. Power snatches freak me out. Anything above 65lbs overhead makes me want to cry. Any WOD that includes a number with 3 digits turns me into a baby. But I go for it. I "nut up", as my trainer so gently puts it. In some ways, it's easy to nut up when it's a barbell staring at me. Either I will be able to lift it, or I won't. I'll be able to complete the work, or I won't. I can run the sprints, or I can't. It's a black and white affair, and God knows, humans love dealing in the black and white.

 Where things get sketchy is when gray appears on the horizon. What if I don't know what the outcome will be? Usually, this is the case when we are dealing with other people. What if I say hi to someone and they snub me? What if I compliment someone and they take it the wrong way? What if I give a suggestion out of love and the person takes it as criticism? There is no guarantee of an outcome when dealing with people. Is this an excuse to bow out? Or is this the critical time to nut up?

 Real men and women nut up. It's the definition of cowboy to take a chance when you're not guaranteed an outcome. Humans are sketchy, irritable, joyful, unpredictable, and full of surprises (both good and bad). Sometimes you'll take a chance and it will blow up in your face. Cowboy up, anyway. Sometimes, love will get thrown back at you with a sneer. Balls to the wall, anyway. The biggest breakthroughs in life come through taking chances. I'm going to get out there and nut up.

Made me smile...needed that!

An exercise in futility.

Every day in Crossfit is an exercise in physical discipline. But more than that, it's an exercise in mental discipline; of how much you are willing to turn your heart, mind and body over to pain. The focus and concentration it takes to put your body on the line is much, much harder than the physical focus. It takes toughness to walk through the door knowing you're gonna get hit with a sledgehammer and to cowboy up and take it, balls to the wall.

It wasn't there for me today. Minutes into the wod, I feel like I gave up on myself and I went through the motions. I don't know why...stress at home? sick kids? pissy attitude? Don't know. But I walked out disappointed. No one knows from looking from the outside how much of myself I'm putting on the line. But I knew. And it wasn't enough. It wasn't everything. I did the wod, I did not focus my mind. I may have achieved some calorie burning and muscle development, but I did not strengthen my mind and spirit.

So I will meditate on this and figure out what the hell went wrong. I would rather perform like shit with a fully focused spirit than perform decently with a heart that has given up.

To do...

50,000 things on my to do list, but I'm going to Crossfit today. It's the only thing keeping me from stabbing someone in the neck.

Gifts from paleo lovahs

Holler.