longevity

My son-in-law, John (crossfitcraic.com), pushed me ever so gently into CrossFit back in May, 2010.   (I know, I let a son-in-law push me around?)  Knowing I was working out to videos, jogging on the treadmill and playing lots of tennis, he was correct in suspecting I would take to CrossFit.

Not one to focus on my age, as we sat at the kitchen table talking about CrossFit (shocker), John looked at me and said, “No offense, mama, but I wonder if I’ll still be CrossFitting in thirty years.” To which I replied, “I wonder if I’ll be CrossFitting in thirty years!”

By my age, I have had multiple experiences in my life where I set out to do something for a long time only to decide shortly after starting that it wasn’t for me.  In reality, that usually meant it was too much work to continue.  Funny how a woman who is not afraid of hard work stopped short of full participation many times because of the lack of desire to commit to the work. 

CrossFit broke that cycle.  Initially, the progress at the gym and my physical changes were just too swift not to keep my motivation high.  Then the motivation changed from the flow of outside-in to inside-out.  Growing confidence in my abilities in all areas of my life was hard not to embrace.  It’s pretty tricky to explain to someone...especially someone in my age group...that picking up heavy barbells and tossing balls at the wall 9’ over your head can make you feel like a better person.  It even sounds a little suspect when I write it here! :)  Challenges will do that though.  And the beauty of CrossFit is its very nature encourages you to keep trying, keep working to get better, faster, stronger.  A bad day doesn’t want to make you give up. You acknowledge a bad day and move on, trying again. This is an important carry-over to the rest of my life.   My outlook, while never negative or defeatist, is both more focused and free at the same time.

Do I still plan on CrossFitting in thirty years?  I don’t need to ‘think’ I will be, I just ‘know’ I will be.  I do wonder, however, if I will still be letting John push me around in thirty years!