Face Yourself

I have learned many lessons throughout my time with CrossFit, but one stood out more than the rest in the last couple of classes that I have taught.  The lesson on confrontation.

Confrontation -
  : the act of confronting : the state of being confronted: as
  a : a face-to-face meeting 
  b : the clashing of forces or idea

 This face to face meeting is usually you meeting yourself. . . every workout. . .let me explain


I feel that in every workout there is a point where you find your true self.  Now, this isn't the point at which I start talking about how we are all plugged into the Matrix and you wake up in a cocoon of sorts being used by machines to harness energy. . . not sure where that fits into this blog, but I needed to add a little color to the lesson of the day.

Seriously, that person inside you comes out every workout, I just happen to be the guy that views it.  Sometimes I try to bring it out early on, push you a little harder, make you take a step back, slow you down and try and bring about some consistency.

A few months ago, if I had asked one of the athletes that I coached to do pull-ups, he/she probably would have laughed in my face as he/she spun a comment into a very funny anecdotal statement.  The confidence, the fortitude just weren't there, but a very shiny, motivated seed was planted early on.

Let's fast forward to last night, fast forward to one simple statement,
"Use the band, time to start doing pull-ups."

And one pull-up, and two, three, and the #'s keep going up. . .

Let's reflect for a moment. . . a couple of months back there would have been a abrupt no to that simple request.  Not even a moment's hesitation to answer.

Last night I didn't get hesitation either, he/she went to the band, and just started going. . . and going.  And they did an entire workout with pull-ups in it, 45 to be precise.

There is no greater lesson learned than determining that what you think you can do and what you can actually do are two separate things.  But what comes before that?  Confrontation, usually involving yourself.  If you can't confront what you fear - embarrassment, ridicule, failure (I mean, you name it, the list can go on and on), how will you learn?

CrossFit has a way of making people really uncomfortable, but for all those uncomfortable moments, it has a way of building a strength within people to not just display confidence, but be confident.  Not many athlete's I know sweat the small stuff, cause they think back and go, "can't be worse than (insert CrossFit workout here)..."

So, my words of wisdom for the day - you can do what you know you are capable of, but try and go where you think you are capable and confront yourself, you will be surprised by what you will find.

- Coach Tony

Thanks to CFIW for the below quote:   

"There are no two words in the English language which stand out in bolder relief, like kings upon a checker-board, to so great an extent as the words 'I will.' There is strength, depth and solidity, decision, confidence and power, determination, vigor and individuality, in the round, ringing tone which characterizes its delivery. It talks to you of triumph over difficulties, of victory in the face of discouragement, of will to promise and strength to perform, of lofty and daring enterprise, of unfettered aspirations, and of the thousand and one solid impulses by which man masters impediments in the way of progression."
                                                           – Henry Ward Beecher