So, this is my first time blogging and I know that right now, there is probably no one that will even read this, but this is something that I need to do.
First, let me give you just a little more information about myself so that you may have a better idea of who and what this blog is about.
I have never been an athlete. This is surprising to most when I tell them that my dad was a high school basketball coach and football coach...and a damn good one, too! But I grew up with my sister and my single mom where money was very tight. Sports were just not an option.
Although I will say, I played volleyball in the 6th and 7th grade and was mediocre at best, but suffered horribly from "stage fright" or "game day fright". So, I didn't try again.
My profession is as a graphic designer and an artist. I LOVE art! I could spend an entire vacation in museums! (and have) So, imagine my surprise when I find myself standing in room full of fit people about to receive my Level 1 Certification in CrossFit. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself there and yet, there I was! And I was in HEAVEN and loving every minute!
I first found CrossFit in January of 2010 thanks to my coach and friend Mark Smith. I had just been through, and was still going through, probably one of the most emotionally traumatic and stressful times of my life. I walked into that "box" just looking for something to get my mind off of things. What I found was that for 1 hour I could disappear into just the moment. Let me just tell you, it was the best therapy I could have found! After 6 weeks, my self-esteem had started to reappear and my self confidence was returning. Mind you, I still couldn't do one dead hang pull-up, but the way I felt mentally and emotionally was priceless. I asked Mark one night, "How can I share this? I want to be a coach, I want others to experience this, too!" He smiled and said, "I was hoping you would ask me about this."
Fast Forward a year and half. I am now a coach at Trinity Crossfit and I love everything about it! I have competed in the 2011 Garage Games (scaled division), #4# in Montgomery, Alabama, the Metro Dash in Atlanta and the Xterra Run in Pelham, Alabama. All in the past year. Another thing I never would have imagined myself doing. Gone is that girl with performance anxiety.
So, why do you care and why am I blogging? Well, I have set some new goals for myself and being a busy mom of 3 boys, I need some accountability. I can journal all day long, but knowing no one will read it, I can skip a day on training or have a bad week eating and who will know but me? Well, my husband of course, but he won't tell on me. :)
So what are my goals? The big one? The CrossFit Games! But first, I am setting my sights on the 2012 Garage Games, which should be sometime in February, 2012. I want to compete in the Rxd women's division, no scaling this time!
So this is my journey. I will be blogging what my workout program will be each day and my eating. Honestly, I hate to admit it, but I have a "Sugar Demon" and it is evil!! So, I am hoping that this blog keeps me focused on my goals and what I know I need to do to achieve them.
Feel free to following me. I look forward to these next few months ahead of me.
3,2,1...GO!
Awesome first blog Dawn! I'm terrified to try Crossfit-bad knees-and there's isn't one anywhere by me, but I try to replicate the workouts I find online as closely as I dare, and I love the feeling it gives me. You'll make it-and you'll be great!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. And I understand your fear, I have bad knees, mild arthritis in my lower back and 4 pins in my neck (disk surgery)
ReplyDeleteI have done physical therapy in the past and CrossFit has done more for me than any PT I have ever done.
I am a bit more cautious than some others may be, especially when it comes to my neck, but I still push myself. But maybe not as hard as I need to, which is part of why I started this blog.
Everything in CrossFit can be scaled to what your fitness level is. Just ease into it, know when to push the envelope and when your body is saying "seriously, please don't!".
Before CrossFit, I had to wear a brace on my knees if I was going to sit in a theatre longer than 2 hours. It would just lock up on me. I realized the other day, that I haven't had to wear a brace since April. And that was after I competed for 2 days in the #4# competition and then rode back home in a car for an hour.
So CrossFit has helped my ailments for sure. i call it the "fountain of youth".
The demonstrations on the CrossFit MainSite are really great for learning new movements. As a side note, Ben Smith, this years 3rd place winner of the CrossFit Games, works out alone in his garage. Happy WODing! :)