It Started With a Thought

So I started writing this article in response to some facebook posts I have seen and the recent conversations I had heard about CrossFit from members at our gym, this was last Thursday . .


I had the funniest thought occur to me this morning, and I kid you not, if you are in a CrossFit circle, know friends that CrossFit, or have done a little research about CrossFit, you would find this hysterical too. . .

I am a pretty regimented person. My meals are prepared in advance for the day, I only change my route to work if I feel something is getting too routine.  I get the same 20 oz cup of coffee (Pumpkin Spice in season, Hazelnut or French Vanilla outside of the fall season), and I go to my corporate job.  I see the same people everyday that give the half-hearted hello's and ask, "How are you doing?", that wholeheartedly don't expect any real answer to come out of your mouth, cordial enough to ask, but cold enough not to really care.

So my thoughts started to drift as I strolled into work on this cold, rainy Thursday morning.  The rain clung to my three-quarter length wool coat, my shiny black shoes beaded with water, nature's "tears" ran down my face, and I took my time to get to my desk.

I was fifteen minutes late to work.  Not for a lack of preparing, you can tell that I do at least that, I hit stop light after stop light.  Random people going slowly because rain to them seemed to be 15 inches of snow on the ground. . .

This thought struck me and I started laughing out loud, but what would happen if we changed the workplace up a little bit?  How funny would it be that every minute that I was late, I did 5 burpees. . .   75 burpees before I start my workday, now that would suck!  But for that 8.5 hours (minus the half hour unpaid for lunch), I gave 110%.  If I pushed myself to the limit, went beyond my potential, and in that 110%, I stuck to my technique, then I know that I would have accomplished something that day.

Let's face it, for most of the population, we don't treat work with as much enthusiasm as we do a workout.  Work has become mundane, and for some, it's similar to our commutes, it has to happen - and we are just along for the ride.

Interestingly enough, CrossFit has been a topic that keeps coming up again and again in most conversations.  That one hour in our day consumes our lives and we have to remember, every thing in moderation right?  I don't think so.  The positive influence, similar to a drug, is addictive.  Now I mentioned why CrossFit is addictive in my blog http://anthonyoteri.blogspot.com/2010/11/inspiration.html.  I personally love feeling an accomplishment, I love watching people grow, I love watching CrossFit as an ideology permeate through the brain - clinging to people's neurons and being distributed via mouth(speaking) and fingertip(writing). 

But it's where CrossFit takes you outside the gym that is the most amazing in my eyes.  It prepares you for what's unknown and unknowable.  It takes you outside of your comfort zone almost every time.  Breaking you down to the point of exhaustion, where it is hard to muster breath, it is difficult to perform the most basic movements, and it let's you know that you can accomplish much more than you ever thought you could.

I am not thrown off by uncomfortable situations because of what I have experienced with CrossFit.  Sure, there are certain situations in life that we don't want to be in, but I find that certain situations aren't really that bad.  Somebody outside of CrossFit would hesitate if you asked them to perform 300 pull-ups, I would just start.  I find myself comparing what I have to do at work to what I do in a CrossFit workout. . . and for some reason, a system implementation, a organizational assessment, even a annual review really don't compare to Grace or Fran (those are staple WOD's in CrossFit).

I am going to refrain from movies today.  I really want to leave you with a good quote to end your Sunday and start your week, keep this one on your mind this week:

"Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control."
Richard Kline

-Coach Tony