CrossFit is our crack. Our whole family is high on it. Unlike most addictions, our dependence wasn’t fast and furious. It took some serious and consistent peer pressure (thanks Heather Young!) until we finally got that blissful dose and BOOM! we’re hooked – all four of us. Game over.
A year ago, attending a CrossFit class had never, ever even crossed our minds. Brent just wasn’t a group exercise type of guy and I was afraid. Very afraid. I’d heard horror stories about coaches screaming at participants as they pulled cars while carrying friends on their backs, pausing only to barf and then get back at it. No thanks. So when Dawn and Eric B. asked us to join them at MBS for a Paleo/Fitness challenge in September of 2014, we were reluctant. I mean, did we really want to give up wine and all things fun and delicious for 60 days?? We really like Dawn and Eric so we said, “What the hell” and our journey began…
We dove head first into the nutrition challenge and it was a heck of a lot easier taking that plunge together rather than flying solo. We were diligent and religious. I had always eaten a relatively healthy diet and was nutritionally conscious – buying organic etc., but it was new territory for Brent. He never subscribed to the idea that food affects, well, basically everything – mind, body, behavior, mood, etc. We have an eleven year old son with high functioning autism, so I was well versed in the role of nutrition and knew that it was sooo important to cut gluten and dyes out of his diet, but Brent was never on board. So C’s diet and our grocery bill were always a point of contention. Thankfully, he quickly started to feel the difference in his own body, and now he’s not only on board, he’s steerfing the ship…full speed ahead. So benefit number one of our introduction to MBS and Crossfit was a dramatic shift in our overall diet and Brent’s mindset about nutrition.
At the beginning of the challenge, we went to the hangar with our team to complete a pre-challenge workout. (Wall balls (yuck!), box jumps, etc.) Our measurements were taken (yikes!) and we were on our way. We were required to work out for at least 30 minutes every day and we had to record our exercise and nutrition choices nightly. Being (ahem) the fiscally responsible person that he is, Brent decided we could do all of the workouts on our own at a local gym – Crossfit seemed a bit pricey for something we could clearly do elsewhere. He’d watch videos and then we’d attempt the movements…he was kinda successful… me? Not so much. As many of the coaches at MBS can attest, I am a very kinesthetic learner and “challenged” when it comes to reciprocating movements correctly without guidance – basically, I need a good coach. So after a month of trying to navigate through some very technical workouts, we screwed our heads on straight and officially joined MBS. The monthly payment is comparable to yoga and it’s worth. every. penny. All of our friends were like, “Say what?? You’re doing Crossfit?!?” and all of the jokes started—you know the ones, “An atheist, a vegan and a crossfitter were sitting at the bar…” and “Crossfit is the reverse fight club…” Blah, blah, blah. Our response? “Don’t yuck our yum.” And on we went.
Brent started losing weight and transforming his body in no time and by the end of the challenge had dropped at least 20 pounds. I wasn’t dropping any lbs, (which was kinda frustrating) but I was getting stronger and my clothes were starting to fit better. Plus, people were stopping me in the grocery store to ask what I was doing to lose weight. So I guess I was just re-proportioning the weight - -or maybe building more muscle? Regardless, we both had more energy and were feeling fab. Benefit number two of Crossfit: more energy and transforming our 40ish bodies.
2015 smacked us in the face with the loss of a dear friend, knee surgery, long hours at work and lots of yucky stress. Then summer came around and we cranked up the fun. We LOVE to see live music, so we played and played. (Don’t get me wrong, dancing is crazy good exercise, but when you add the beer consumption, it doesn’t exactly even out.) We placed CF on the back burner and lost our healthy balance. Fast forward a couple of months and we felt nasty. Time to head back to our box. We sort of unconsciously agreed to commit to fitness and worked with each others’ schedule to make sure we both could go at least 5 days a week. Suddenly we were feeling great again! Our dedication has been solid since September, missing only a couple of days because of vacation. We’re crushing PRs while spicing things up with a bit of healthy competition between us. We encourage, support, and celebrate each other’s successes, which is pretty cool. Benefit number three of CF: it’s healthy for our marriage.
Here’s where the rest of the fam comes in…our 8 year old daughter plays competitive soccer. During the season, she plays 4-5x per week and we needed to find an outlet for her energy in the off season. She’s tall, but still doesn’t have a grip on her size and doesn’t play “big”. We figured we’d put her in CF twice per week to build strength and endurance. The funny thing is, she’s got mad soccer skills for an 8 year old, but she’s inconsistent with her effort. One day she’s playing like Messi and the next she’s looking for rainbows and unicorns. So, we didn’t have super high expectations for kids’ CF. She surprised the heck out of us. She’s balls to the wall start to finish. It’s crazy. She pounds out burpees, wall balls…whatever! And she can tell you all about an AMRAP, EMOM, or Hero WOD. No doubt she will play big in the spring. Proud parents right here. Benefit number 4 of Crossfit: strength training for our super star ;).
Back to our eleven year old with High Functioning Autism…he is brilliant—smarter than many adults in America (no joke), but while he’s a beast when it comes to brain power, he struggles with physical strength. Like many kids on the spectrum, C has delayed fine and gross motor skills and suffers from a weaker core. Being intelligent and aware of the discrepancy between him and other kids his age, he’s never enjoyed anything physical. Nothing. Nada. He’s not even psyched to ride a bike. (He can destroy a geography competition, but plays hooky on field day.) So, when S started in kids’ Crossfit, we let C just observe the first class. I told him his CF class was starting in two days expecting all kinds of resistance. He just nodded and told his sister after her class that his cf class was in two days. Not the reaction I was expecting, but I certainly wasn’t going to get my hopes up. Thursday came around and he crushed the class – participated the whole time…and here’s the kicker…he LOVED it! On the way home from class, his endorphins were on fire and he was jabbering excitedly about how he was going to go to Crossfit with Brent and me someday. What the what!?! He has never – I mean NEVER enjoyed anything physical – let alone wanted to go again! (I may have secretly shed a few tears of joy.) He’s been to two additional classes and is looking forward to more. It may be a honeymoon period but we’ll take it. Benefit number five: the whole family can participate – including our son with “special needs”.
Honestly, I could go on and on about the benefits of Crossfit and especially MBS: health, wellness, community, lifestyle… but if you’re reading this, you’re on the same page, so I’ll stop. Oh yeah, and remember our comical friends who were spouting out silly Crossfit jokes? Yeah, not so much anymore – they’re asking questions and trying to find time to join us at MBS Crossfit. They’re jealous of our high. ☺
