I know many CrossFit stories start out something like this – “If you had told me I’d be able to do this I never would have believed you”.  Well, I hate to sound cliche but that is my one year story in a nut-shell.  When I started a year ago pull-ups were in my first WOD.  I had to use a green and red band to do any.  My one year anniversary workout (as luck would have it) had pull-ups and during the course of the workout I did 50 (kipping) without any bands at all!  If you had told me a year ago I’d be able to do that, I never would have believed you.  Lots of push-ups are happening, double-unders have started to click, I can rope climb, I’ve even managed a handstand push-up!  The barbell and adding heavy weights on it is still something I struggle with, but the struggle isn’t anything like it used to be.  During the foundations class I recall Jon wanted us to try a deadlift.  I think it might have been a 55 or 65# bar and I couldn’t make it budge off the floor.  Now my deadlift 1RM is 175#!!  It seems a bit far-fetched to imagine my shear strength would have increased that much in a year, and I don’t think it has.  What has increased that much though, is my mental strength, and that is making a difference in every facet of my life.

If you had told me a year ago that CrossFit would make me better at my job, I never would have believed you.

If you had told me a year ago that CrossFit would make me reconsider all the things I put in my mouth, I never would have believed you.

If you had told me a year ago that CrossFit would significantly improve all my relationships, I never would have believed you.

What I believe now is that mental strength is the most important thing we can bring with us to any workout setting.  Without it, we are just going through the motions.  Without it, we don’t care enough to read about our sport, study the ways we can be better and truly listen to our coaches.  Sure, our bodies need to be free of serious injury and in the proper state to grow – but I think that as long as we couple those things with true focus – we can make amazing things happen.

I can no longer imagine life without CrossFit – and that is certainty something I would not have believed a year ago!

Here’s the 1 year anniversary video Chris made for me: