The Barbell Side of Life

I've spent a lot of blog time talking about the backpack side of my journey and have left a lot of the barbell side unsaid, but there has been a journey there as well. There has been reflection, changes in perspective, good times, and some awesome friends along the way. My Europe box count is somewhere around 15 at this point. Most for just a day or two, but a few for a bit longer. I've experienced a ton of different gym cultures, training styles, coaching styles, and programming focuses. Some gyms are gymnastics based with majority of the wods based around body weight movements. In other words, for me, #win. Some gyms are endurance based with at least a mile of running incorporated into every workout. Lord help me. I've found a few that have a programming structure similar to what I'm accustomed: a variety of strength, skill work, and sprint metcons. With every box I visit, I follow the workout laid out for that day. I know that a lot of time, planning, and effort go into the programming, and I want to respect that. Plus, perhaps the best way to meet and connect with other crossfitters is to suffer through the same workout right next to them. What does this mean for my programming though? It essentially means that I don't have a structured one. Truly unknown and unknowable. The Hopper if you will. I have tried to stay consistent with some kind of strength work, and by strength work I mean try to move something heavy as often as can in the form of a squat or deadlift and try to get in snatching and cleaning at least once a week. Definitely not the volume I'd realize if I was home in the groove of training, but I've learned a lot through this as well.

I'm a competitive crossfitter, and I love being a competitive crossfitter. I love spending hours in the gym. I love that completely exhausted feeling after a hard workout. I love the excitement of new PRs and the anxious thrill of being out on the floor with my teammates. I love it all, and when I'm in that well-oiled routine, my efforts are focused on becoming a better competitive crossfitter. There becomes this mindset that unless it's heavy, weighted, or strict, it's not productive in terms of training. While I'd be lying if I said I haven't had a few moments of panic when I can't hit a max or feel like I'm losing something by not following a program geared toward Open and Regional training, taking a step back has reminded me of why I choose Crossfit not only as my competitive sport but also as the sport I hope to continue for the larger part of my life. Crossfit has taught me to love my body for what it can do. Functional fitness. Last week, I had a little over mile to walk and about 10 minutes until my train departed. I was also laden with 40 pounds of my stuff (that keeps growing btw). I made it. Functional fitness. "No sir, actually I don't need need help lifting my bag". Functional fitness. Walking the seven to eight miles a day that it takes to see a city instead of using public transportation. Functional fitness and a lot of saved money. 

 One mile backpack run. 3.2.1 Go!

I've come so far in my life in terms of my relationships with food, fitness, and health. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have survived this trip. Three years ago, it would have been extremely tough. Crossfit, not just competitive Crossfit, has saved me in so many ways. This trip has reminded me of that. It's brought me back to the roots of why I love this sport and reminded me to be appreciative of every workout, to keep it varied, and to never underestimate any wod. Respect the movement. For example, I walked into a gym one day and the programmed workout consisted of hollow rocks and arch rocks. That's it. No barbell. No pull ups. No Burpees. I immediately went into what I'll call my "elitest" mindset and thought "well this is going to be a waste of time". I did the workout anyway, and I'll be damned if I wasn't sore for the next two days. I had a similar experience with bear crawls. Keep your head out of the sky Amanda. Fitness is more than throwing heavy weight around. So while there's a good chance I won't be hitting my maxes right away when I get home and back to my normal training routine, I know for sure that won't be coming back any less fit than when I left and I'll have a refreshed outlook on why this sport is so great. 

I'm not done yet, but to all of the gyms I've visited thus far, thank you. You've enriched my European journey beyond measurable amounts. You enrich this sport beyond measurable amounts. Without the community, Crossfit is just a bunch of glorified warehouses with chalk-white pull up bars, piles of rubber bumper plates, and dirty floor mats that leave knees and bellies dirty on burpee day, and as a community, we are so much more than just that. 

As a side note, my three year Crossfit anniversary is coming up in a few days. It's been such a ride and one that I hope continues for a long long time. Below is my first ever Crossfit goal card. Those damn wall balls :) We all have to start somewhere.  It's amazing what can be overcome and accomplished with a little bit of hard work, patience, and a rock solid support system. I love this sport.