Updates on Crossfitting in 2012

I am still totally honeymooning with Crossfit -- after a day of doing handstand pushups on the backs of synchronously swimming dolphins, Crossfit and I are chilling in the infinity pool of fitness, watching a beautiful sunset with a tropical drink in hand.

OK, maybe not that idyllic, but I love that for the first time in my life, I can see and document tangible results from my workouts. I'm getting stronger - two days before Christmas I did a 200 lb. x 3 reps deadlift and it was exhilarating knowing that I could stare down that 200 lb. on the bar and say, I'm going to do this! I'm going to break 200 before Christmas so I can savor that for the next week. It is so thrillingly foreign, this concept that I - lifelong poster child for participation trophies - could actually improve and reach personal fitness goals. Besides lifting records, I've scaled up in a few ways - in December I went from the thickest (black) resistance band in my pullups to the next band - the green one.

You guys, I woke up on Christmas Eve excited to go exhaust myself working out at the box. I have never before in my life conceived of working out or wanting to work out so close to a holiday - now I'm stoked that it's possible.

I just received a Buddy Lee adjustable jump rope I'd ordered, because I'm harboring hope for this year and me learning double unders, and as I understand it, having a personal high quality rope can make a huge difference in that. I'm also brazen enough to hold hope for handstand pushups - not any time soon necessarily, but the other day I did manage to push myself up into handstand position against the wall unassisted, so I know that what remains is building the strength in my arms and shoulders.

It has not by any means been effortless - I usually train 5 days a week, sometimes broken up with a rest day in the middle and a Saturday makeup WOD, sometimes Monday through Friday. I take a day's break when my body feels as though it's had enough. I've also made strict efforts with myself on average diet-wise in recent weeks. Fortunately my Crossfit box is kicking off a potentially very lucrative nutrition/fitness/body composition challenge in a couple of weeks, with some hefty prizes to the victors at the end of several weeks, so I am very, very excited to have that start soon as I think it will help to keep me on track just in time for spring weather to emerge!

And - this is so ridiculously exciting - my brother has joined his local Crossfit box and signed up for a year's membership! I am super, duper stoked. I think just from my initial conversations with him that he might find a love for the weight work and the challenges the same way that I have. We are about 45 minutes away from each other, so I can't wait until we can try to do a workout of the day together, maybe during a holiday hours WOD or a charitable cause WOD. Maybe it will even draw a few other spectators from our family who can see what a difference Crossfit makes for us. ;o)