- If you believe you can do it, you can do it. Everything is in your head. I used to be so intimidated by any lift that involved having heavy weight above my head. But I've learned that if I believe I can do it, I will. No ifs ands or buts. Don't doubt yourself, because you're capable of so much more than you think you are.
- Good coaches make all the difference in the world. I can't tell you how many things I learned from my coaches this summer. My lifting technique has improved so much in just a few months. They also taught me to attempt that lift with 5 more pounds and push myself that much faster in a WOD. Because so what if you fail? You tried, and now you have something to work toward.
- Speaking of which, there's always something to improve. You look around in the box, and everyone has different weaknesses. Someone that's killing those double unders may not be able to bang out those burpees as fast as you. And that's what's really cool. You learn what you're weak at, and you can work at it until you get better.
- Practice makes perfect. You may fail 1,000 times, but on that 1,001st rep, you'll get it. At the beginning of the summer, I couldn't do kipping pull-ups, double unders, rope climbs, kipping handstand pushups, and more that I'm probably forgetting. Now? After trying time and time again, I finally can say that I can do all of those things. Doesn't mean I'm good at them or don't have to work at them, but I finally can do them.
- I love how physically challenging it is. I walked out of that box every single day completely exhausted. I've never done harder workouts in my life. And yet, somehow, the next day, I'd be walking back in, ready for more.
- You have to get over your fear to get anywhere. I was nervous and afraid to start CrossFit this summer. What if I wasn't good at it? What if I didn't get along with the people at the box? What if, what if, what if. But I got over it, and the day after I got home I walked in and did an intro class. And after that, I nervously showed up to a regular class. I had to make myself go, because I didn't really want to. But I knew that if I didn't get over any of those fears, I was going to live with regret and always wondering if it was something I was capable of. And because I got over my fear, I had one of the most incredible summers.
- The scale doesn't tell you anything. I haven't weighed myself in months, but I know that I've gained weight. Do I care? Not at all. If you'd asked me that a year ago, my answer would've been different. But CrossFit has taught me so much about what my body can do. My body is an incredible machine, and now the only numbers that matter to me are how much I'm lifting or how fast I can finish a WOD. Because in the end, that's all I care about. I'm in the best shape of my life and could care less if that means that I'm xx pounds heavier. Because those pounds of muscle help me get stronger each and every day.
- Sometimes, you have to swallow your pride. Pride gets you nowhere. If you have to scale a workout, scale it. And sometimes, that really sucks, because there's something that you really want to be able to do, and you just can't do it yet. Sometimes, you're just not that good at something and you're going to have to work at it a lot harder than everyone else. At that's okay.
- Respect. There are so many incredible athletes at my box. There are people who can do so much more than me, finish a WOD twice as fast as me, and lift three times as much as me. And there are people who can't do as much as I can. I respect them all. Everyone shows up every day and works as hard, or harder, than I do.
- I still love competition. I had so much fun at the comp I did last month -- the spirit in me that's a fighter is still there, even after not playing competitive sports for a few years. I also love that there's people at my box that are just one step ahead of me on every WOD, because it gives me someone to keep up with and really push myself. It's my competitive spirit that makes me want to keep improving, and getting stronger.
I could go on and on about how much CrossFit has changed me and my outlook on fitness. But for now, I'll leave it at that. I love it so much, and it was so hard to leave my box today knowing that it was my last WOD there for awhile. I'm going to miss having a coach, having people cheer me on and encourage me, and so much more.
I also left today feeling extremely motivated to prove to myself that I can do it on my own, when I'm busy in school. I have a lot of knowledge, and access to most of the equipment that I need. All I need was the drive and motivation, and I know I've got it in me.
I am so excited to see what this school year has in store for me. I can't wait to see how far I've come and set some fun goals for the future!
For now, back to packing I go. LA bound tomorrow! :)
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