Today’s post is a guest post written by Rachel Lau. Thanks Rachel! -John
“Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives.”
In any established community, your members will be at different stages of their journey and this very much applies to us at CrossFit Genesis. You have folks who can tell you about CrossFit Genesis when it was just a garage gym. You have newcomers who may be planning to brave out their first WOD this week. Between these two extremes are a multitude of other stages you could be at including:
- Ignited and passionate about this new found resource and health philosophy
- Overwhelmed but still intrigued
- Injured
- Experimenting with nutrition changes
- In competition mode
- Burned out
- Trying to come back from being injured or burned out
- Established but interested in the incremental improvements you can make in your performance
- Stable…just trying to get your work outs in among the many other commitments you have in your life
One of the most beneficial aspects of community is that no matter where you are at in your own journey, there is likely someone else who has gone through it before. Or there is somebody to look up to or admire, maybe someone who reminds you of who you want to be like or why you got in to this in the first place. As someone in the stable phase I thoroughly enjoy the invigorating force new athletes brings to the gym. It gives our classes that jolt of energy that is so important to making the magical CrossFit formula work. And reversely, the old timers help set the bar, giving newcomers someone tangible to look up to. We all know that CrossFit doesn’t believe in the wall to wall mirrors that are ubiquitous in most gyms. But in being part of this community, we act as mirrors for each other, both for where we are heading and where we have been.
What stage of the journey are you in? What kinds of people provide your favorite mirrors, either inside or outside the gym?
This group earned their white bands and crossed another milestone in their journey! Congratulations! 2/18/12
February 21, 2012 WOD
Shoulder Press
3 sets of 5 reps
Then:
Dumbbell power snatch, rt. x 10 (men: 30 lbs; women: 20 lbs)
Pullup x 5
Dumbbell power snatch, lt. x 10
Pullup x 5
5 rounds
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I LOVE this post Rachel! I think I have resided in each of the categories at one time or another. This post is so timely for me because I am still struggling in my head with the set backs from my limited workouts during the pregnancy and now getting back in the grove- yet being so far behind where I left off. Because my body doesn’t FEEL any different (like it would with nursing an injury), my mind thinks I should still be able to perform as I did pre-pregnancy. I am nowhere near that level and I’m still coming to terms with it. I know I need to embrace where I am (because Josie is SO worth it!!) and move forward, but the mind can be a powerful force, as we all know. It is encouraging to see women like Sondra, Shannon, Darcie and Jessica who have recently worked through it successfully!
I’m definitely in the STABLE stage, but working to improve where I can. I’ve been doing CF for 2 years. I’m hitting limits and I have good days and bad days when I workout. I’m limited by what my 52 year old body with limited cardio will allow me to do. Just being here with such a supportive group is great. While I am competitive, I’m also realistic and I’m just so pleased to complete a workout, no matter what my time or how much weight I lifted. I keep trying to improve over time, my pull-ups, double unders, etc. But really, just happy to be here and not getting hurt!
Great post, Rachel! I’m one of the guys in the “stable” or “incremental improvement” groups.
Thanks Nehal. You are also an old timer.
Agreed, great post Rachel! I’ll be glad when I can get off the injured list ….someday!!
Sally, One thing also to think about is where you would be if you hadn’t been doing all of this working out prior and during your pregnancy. It would be a whole different story; I think it is something a lot of women can and do admire.
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