Mary and I have been walking/running about 4-5 days a week
at 5am. We started in August of 2012 and
soldiered through the freezing cold winter and back through Spring and
Summer. I am not a runner – never have
been. But over the course of the year, I
managed to get up to about 5 miles without stopping. This was huge for me! But it wasn’t enough. Sure I could run, but my body was not really
where I wanted it to be. Mary and I had drinks with an old friend who
told us about Crossfit. We hadn’t seen
her in several years and while she always had a thin build, we noticed that
she was lean, tight and strong. She
started back in May and raved about the classes. We both decided our “workouts” were getting
pretty boring and we weren’t really seeing any significant results.
So we agreed to give it a try. We started August 26th at 5am. Why 5am?
That’s the only time during the day where I’m not working and anyone that
needs me is still sleeping. I recommend a time like that for
everyone. Makes excuses nearly
impossible. So our already lean, tight
and strong friend met us there for our first workout. She usually goes later in the day, but got up
early to help shepherd us into this crazy, mystifying workout culture. The WOD or “workout of the day” was
thoughtfully written on a whiteboard in the front of the room. The room, lovingly called “the box”, is basically some warehouse space with gym
equipment lining the 4 walls. Lots of
weight bars, kettle bells, medicine balls, jump ropes and bars to hang
from. While I don’t recall the exact WOD
for my first day, it most likely consisted of some running, weight lifting and
core work - all in about 45 minutes, with some optional floor work (core
exercises) after that. I was pretty much
hooked from the beginning. The time in
class flew by and I didn’t feel intimidated by what others could do, or how
fast or strong they were. I knew I would
improve each day.
The box is my new sanctuary.
The coaches are fantastic and the people seem really nice. The vibe seems a bit more mellow than some
other local Crossfit gyms I’ve only heard about where competition seems
paramount. I
love a good competition, but for right now, I’m just trying to get through
these workouts, learn the proper form for some of these moves, and not throw up
during class. But don’t get me wrong –
many of these people are fierce! And I’m
certain if they do compete, they do very well.
But I like that the coaches tailor their approach to what your goals
are. Like today, all I wanted to do was
get through the workout. No one was
shouting at me with a stop watch telling me to hurry up. All I got was encouragement from the coach,
and others participating in the workout.
So you’re probably wondering since I’ve been doing this for
about a month now, how much weight have I lost.
Well, that’s the one thing about these workouts, and any strength
training workouts that are worth a damn.
I’m not losing weight on the scale - YET. I’m sure I could use some help with my diet,
but being a vegan and working this hard has proven difficult. But my body is totally changing. I can see it already. My first goal is to reduce the extra flab
I’ve got between the armpit and my bra line a.k.a. bra fat. I know once I get my diet squared away,
some of the weight will start to come off. I’m not seeing this as a temporary fix, I
really do see myself doing this long term.
I’m up to 6 classes a week now, been doing that for about 2 weeks, and I
plan to continue. I can tell that I’m
stronger already. Adding weights to
moves where just a few weeks ago, all I could lift was an empty bar. This was just what I needed to get me to that
next level of fitness. And really, at my
age – it’s more about health and less about a bikini bod. The good news is, I know if I keep this up –
the bikini bod will follow!
I encourage my local friends to give it a
try. The first class is free, you can
join for your first month for just $99 and that gives you unlimited number of
classes per week. Visit www.crossfitkennettsquare.com for
more details.
Break out the Advil and
join me – you won’t regret it!
