Congratulations to Valerie Gordon, who is coming up on her 1 year anniversary at Legitimus!
Commitment is the key to success, and CrossFitting for one year is a huge milestone for any athlete, let alone one that works full time, and has two children!
Here is what Val had to say about her wod-iversary...
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It was nearly one year ago that I walked into CrossFit Legitimus, picked up a pink kettlebell and declared it heavy. I posed for a “before” photo only to be horrified at the pic Jen sent back, especially the egregious back angle.
Now that I am older, and at least a little wiser and fitter, it seemed an appropriate time to speak to the person I was 12 months ago – the one who had trouble committing to a workout regimen for more than a few weeks and who found the whole kilt thing just little odd - to answer those nagging newbie fears and questions I had at the time.
Q: Oh my god, who is that person in that “before” picture?
A: Face it, she’s you. But she doesn’t have to be. Set the alarm and get to the box.
Q: Come on, how much can I really accomplish in a 12-minute workout?
A: Start the AMRAP and about 3 minutes in, let’s chat about it. Can’t formulate a sentence? Yeah, there’s your answer.
Q: Will I embarrass myself?
A: Here’s a tip: Ask how to loosen the foot straps before attempting to exit the rower.
Q: How much will it hurt?
A: There will come a day - after you WOD and shower and drive to work - that you realize YOU CAN’T GET OUT OF THE CAR. You will contemplate calling a colleague to help remove you from your vehicle. You will eventually use what remains of your arm strength to lift your legs up
and onto the pavement and slowly hoist yourself to a standing position. From there you will do your best Frankenstein-imitation walk to your office. You will take this as some sort of absurd sign
of success and wear it like a badge of honor.
Q: What is a burpee?
A: Multiple correct answers here. I’m going to go with “the bane of my existence” and, more positively, “a symbol of life.” Simple philosophy: there will be times in life you are down. Get back up.
Q: Who is Annie?
A: A total b-tch nobody likes. The first time you meet her, you’re pretty sure she punctured your lung. You vow on the next encounter you will kick her a--. Beware, she still holds the upper hand here.
Q: Will the coaches yell and belittle me like at that boot camp
program I tried and hated?
A: You will find in your coaches expertise, care and concern. They’ll get to know you as an individual and will instruct, motivate and at times believe in you more than you believe in yourself. They’ll hold your hand the first time you’re brave enough to attempt a box jump (which will take you longer than you think) and won’t laugh when your wall walks are vertical only in your head and quite a bit more horizontal in reality. They will help you through set-back and disappointment. You will sometimes wonder why they care so much - after all, you’re just one person and often the last to finish. And then you’ll realize that your victories, no matter how small, are their victories too. And
you’ll want to keep achieving, for you and for them.
Q: What kind of results can I expect?
A: You’ll hear talk of PRs, races run and challenges met. But you may find the best indicators in daily life. You’ll take your family on a hike and agree to carry your sturdy but sleepy 5 year-old on the uphill portions of the trail. To get her on your back, you have to squat, hoist, carry uphill. She’s fickle so changes her mind frequently – on and off, off and on. Squat, hoist, carry. Squat, hoist, carry. And mid-way through the hike, it will hit you. You couldn’t do this a few months ago. And now you can.
Q: Do I have to change the way I eat?
A: Consider this: Eating humble pie daily in the box will fill you up and leave you with less room to put crap in your body. You will learn the hard way that hydrating with Pinot Grigio is not a good
idea. And whether you choose to commit to Paleo or not, there will come a time at the supermarket when you look in another customer’s cart and feel compelled to call out “that Lean Cuisine stuff is crap!” grinding the check-out line to a halt.
Q: Will I like the people?
A: Here’s the biggest surprise – think you can’t establish a connection when you’ve rolled out of bed at 5 am and spent the bulk of the class lying in a puddle of your own sweat? These people GET IT.
They will see you at your worst and at your best. They will make you laugh and sometimes see you cry. You’ll find someone to motivate and inspire you as you watch them get fitter and faster. You’ll also find someone like-minded who, upon seeing the words “handstand push-ups” on the board, will hide with you in the corner. And you’ll realize these are the people you’ve been waiting to meet. You will look forward to seeing them and this will keep you coming. And you will be thankful to have had the chance to get to know them.
Q: What do I do with that awful “before” picture?
A: Delete it. You’re not that same person any more. What a difference one year can make.
By: Valerie Gordon
