I cried in the car...

I started typing this several weeks ago...so let's pretend this happened last Saturday. Thanks for your cooperation:-)


What an emotional day last Saturday...I tend to lean towards the dramatic side sometimes...and last Saturday  seemed to be  no exception. 


So as most of you know, 4 weeks ago I entered the arduous world of CrossFit.  Folks, no words exist to explain the trials and tribulations of my CrossFit undertaking! But allow me to say this...I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!!!

So, getting back to my emotional breakdown...

Okay, so it all started when I walked into CrossFit for the Team Challenge. As I always do, I looked to the whiteboard for the WOD (Workout of the Day). When I spied the WOD, I nearly crapped my pants! See for yourself! 

Yeah, you almost crapped your pants too...didn't you? When I read the board my brain skipped over all the words and only registered the 100s. The only thing I saw while reading...100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100! 


My first thought...OH EMM GEE! Really?! Are you kidding me?! What did I get myself into. While everyone warmed-up, I thought about slipping out the door. I figured the distraction of the warm-up served as the perfect cover to scram. 

Well, during all of my panicking I failed to read ALL of the instructions. In short, this team challenged consisted of 3 rounds. Each round called for each team member to choose an exercise from the list (pictured above). 


After much debate, we decided on which exercises to execute.  Choosing the exercises proved somewhat manageable, but assigning the exercises to each team member, now that's another story.


My team spent a considerable amount of time trying to convince me that I possessed the strength to complete 100 35# kettle swings. And I begged to differ! Since they believed in me, I had no choice but to believe in  myself and I ACCEPTED the challenge. My contribution to the team challenge:

• Round 1 - 100 sit-ups
• Round 2 - 100 35# kettlebell swings
• Round 3 - 100 walking lunges

The plan of attack:

Oh yeah, one detail I forgot to mention, each team consisted of 5 members and only 3 members could workout at any given time. So that meant, when any member grew tired and needed a SHORT break, another team member started their assigned exercise.


So, the challenge started. 100 sit-ups, no problemo. Then came the kettlebell swings. The first several swings challenged my confidence in myself. I remember thinking to myself, "I told them I couldn't do this and I was right!" But I fought through the self doubt. As I struggled through the swings, the coaches gave me advice on technique which helped me establish a rhythm. 


By the time I reached the 50th swing, I wanted to quit, but again I pushed through it. By the time I reached the 75th swing, my arms burned hotter than the hubs of hell. I wanted to cry and give up. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, but I pushed them back and told myself:

"Man up and stop acting like a little girl!

By the 80th swing I started panicking as my other team member awaited her turn with the kettlebell. Many negative thoughts started running through my mind,

"Great! Now I'm holding up the team. If we lose, it will be my fault."

 As my resolve faltered I started to throw in the towel, BUT the team as well as the coaches rallied behind me and I began to see the light at the end of the kettlebell tunnel. As I neared my 100th swing, my comrades counted down: 

"8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2...1!"

 When I heard #1 I wanted to sink into the floor and not budge for the rest of eternity, BUT I still needed to complete 100 walking lunges! After a concerted team effort, we finished the challenge with a respectable time. We gave each other a CrossFit high 5 and reveled in the fact we completed the challenge without casualties or calls to 911.

 The team name resulted from combing the names of 3 coaches.

After CrossFit, I returned home, showered and reported to Weight Watchers. Prior to my weigh in I felt more than confident that after 4 weeks of CrossFit and cleaner eating, the scale had no choice but to reward my efforts.

So, I stepped on the scale.  Lo and behold the scale revealed a loss of .6! YES, .6! I jumped of the scale pissed off to the utmost of pissed-offness!! .6!! After weeks of foregoing rice, bread, fun, cocktails, sweets, doughnuts, pizza, french fries...you get the point, .6 was all I had to show for it!!!

I sat through the meeting. The leader's mouth moved, words filled the room, but all I heard, "Wah, wah, wah, wah wah." You know,  like Charlie Brown's teacher. 

The only thing on  my mind during the meeting...the measly .6 pounds lost! I impatiently waited for the meeting to end. After the leader gave the closing, I darted out of the room and made a beeline to my vehicle. 

I looked at my weigh-in book again for the umpteenth time and then the tears started. I posted my disappointing weigh-in results on Facebook and Coach Abbey wrote by far the best comment ever:

Don't get discouraged, Trina!! Remember, CrossFit's end goal is not to get skinny. You're making yourself better, stronger and healthier. Though it is impossible NOT to lose weight if you are truly changing your lifestyle, it may just take a little longer. You're doing awesome. And I think I noticed that moment today, (during the kb swings?) and I am proud of you for fighting through it and finishing. Muscle weighs more than fat- don't get hung up on the number!!

After reading Coach Abbey's comment I came to my senses and followed the advice I gave myself earlier that day. I manned up, brushed away the tears, and stopped acting like a little girl. 


The End...