Why did I start CrossFit? I started to feel the aches and pains of getting older and knew that I needed to do something about it! I tried going to different gyms in the past and have even used personal trainers. That worked for a time but then I would put it on the back burner because "everything" else was more important than me working on me! I happened to see one of the CrossFit Games on TV and was really excited about the types of workouts they were doing. Then it clicked with me that the gym that I pass on my way to and from work was probably a CrossFit gym because I would see people pulling weights on pallets and running around the building with kettlebells, etc. I went on the website that same minute and signed up to come in and check it out. I've been part of the gym now for a year and a half and I am probably in the best all-around shape that I've ever been in. I was always active and played sports but never consistently spent time working on total fitness on a daily basis. It has become a total body, mind and soul workout for me. I do not like to miss a day.
From the moment I talked to AJ and did my first WOD "try out", I knew it was exactly what I needed. I never once felt like I couldn't do it because every one of the coaches took the time to work with me. That support still happens every WOD. Each coach takes the extra time to scale the work out to you. But -- they still push you to make it challenging and build you up to get to the next level of the movement. I also appreciate how the coaches really focus on form because they don't want me to get hurt. You know me better than myself sometimes! I love the DRiV community. Everyone in the gym supports each other and we cheer each other on. We all wait until everyone is done before we break down our equipment. We encourage each other to push ourselves to the limit. You never feel like your workout is inferior to the person next to you who has been coming for years. That is what motivates me to want to keep coming and get better and stronger and healthier. We all motivate each other to be our best self.
My proudest moment at the gym had to be the feeling of accomplishment the first time I was able to climb the rope to the top. That was so hard for me, it takes so much strength for me to push my body up that high and it was something I had never done. It took a few months of me coming every day and getting stronger. It's not something that is in the workout all the time and when it was, I would approach it thinking, “Okay, maybe today I'll get half-way up that thing!” And then one day it happened! I could hear Rena cheering me on and I just kept going. I got to the top! There is nothing like that feeling when you work hard and then you accomplish that "thing" you could never do. I felt such joy! Almost every day I get to witness someone ringing the PR bell and I see their joy in accomplishing something they couldn't do before and I totally get to feel the same joy again. That to me is what is so cool about the DRiV community!
I am working right now on getting stronger so that I can do pull ups. I still remember asking Sean, “What am I missing to get pull-ups?” And he said, "How much extra work are you doing to achieve it?" That was a “A-ha” moment! My answer was, “None!” That's all I needed to spur me on. Now, I'm doing the extra work to reach goals that I set for myself. I loved taking the Meathead class and it reaffirmed that extra work gets you to the next level of achievement that much sooner. Every WOD builds on itself and working on the hard things, for me, makes me so much stronger. I feel myself getting one step closer to doing the "next" WOD or movement RX.
My favorite DRiV Fitness memory is hard because great memories happen just about every week. One of my early favorites probably happened about a month after I started and the Open was kicking off. I had no idea what it was, but it sounded scary and I thought I couldn't do it. Todd kept telling me that everyone can do it. The DRiV team made it fun because each Thursday night during the open after the last class everyone hung around to watch the live announcement. It wasn't so scary after that because I felt like I was part of the team. After the live announcement we would cheer one of our own teammates on when they did the workout. That camaraderie really helped me get to know everyone and it was really fun and supportive.
In summary - I love DRiV. Our coaches are great. You guys are all so knowledgeable and committed to CrossFit and it shows in how you work with us everyday. Because you love it so much it is easy for that feeling to be contagious. I love CrossFit!