After being away from the box for a week, due to strep throat, I finally returned back to Crossfit. I understand why people warned me that Crossfit becomes an addiction. The days I can't make it to the box don't have the same spark about them! There is nothing in the world like kicking your own ass!
This week at the box was different in a really profound way. One of my WOD buddies Adel celebrated his one year anniversary of Crossfit ! He is one of the most hard working and devoted people I have ever had the pleasure of crossing paths with. In one year, Adel fought blood, sweat, and tears to lose a total of 110#! As a beginner to Crossfit being able to witness a life changing accomplish such as Adel's is a very raw moment. It defines Crossfit, the community aspect of it, and what sets it apart from anything I've ever done before. You learn, as a community, to celebrate each others high and low moments. To dig deep for ourselves, and for each other.
We did a WOD named Adel which consisted of the following:
3 RFT
20 KB swings
15 Box Jumps (24'/20')
10 Burpees
400 M run
I unfortunately was not able to make the 9:30am WOD that Adel did, but when I showed up to the box at 4, I looked at the white board and realized everyone in the 9:30 class finished at the same time. Coach Rick explained that every single person in that class finished the last round of the WOD with Adel. I instantly got goose bumps. Seeing people of all ages, backgrounds, races, ethnicities come together, for the greater good is amazing. I've been in far to many situations where there was no good, no helping, no sense of community , so experiencing this was new to me, almost uncomfortable at first.
All through out the WOD I watched as I, and several other people literally left everything we had in us at the box. We do a lot of Hero WODs in Crossfit that honor fallen soldiers, which are really awesome, and being able to do a work out in honor of someone you work out with, you see battle for every inch, is a an intense, inspiring experience. I kept reminding myself of all the hard work Adel accomplished in the last year, and of all the excuses I (use to and still do sometimes) come up with to push myself beyond my limit that day.
PERSEVERANCE: continued effort to do or achieve something
despite difficulties, failure, or opposition .
BEFORE AFTER
I had the pleasure of being able to talk to Adel, ask him questions and hear his amazing story! I was so moved, and inspired by him and the answers he gave!
Q&A
How
does it feel it feel to sit back and think about that first day you showed up
for the Crossfit intro class now that it has been a complete year?
I sit back and remember that Saturday ( it was actually my birthday of last year) and I showed up at 8am for the intro. I walked in and in my head I was like “where's the equipment?”. My first intro WOD was rowing and box step ups. Rick told me to jump on my first day and I looked at him like that's not going happen, so I ended up doing step ups and when I was done I was seeing stars everywhere in the box and dizzy but it was something completely different than anything I had tried. I'm really glad I showed up that Saturday morning.
I sit back and remember that Saturday ( it was actually my birthday of last year) and I showed up at 8am for the intro. I walked in and in my head I was like “where's the equipment?”. My first intro WOD was rowing and box step ups. Rick told me to jump on my first day and I looked at him like that's not going happen, so I ended up doing step ups and when I was done I was seeing stars everywhere in the box and dizzy but it was something completely different than anything I had tried. I'm really glad I showed up that Saturday morning.
What
made you decide to try Crossfit? How did you hear about it?
I first heard about Crossfit back in
2008-2009 when my brother used to go to 908 (that's where he met Rick). My 2012
goal was to get back to the gym and work out like every year, so I joined
Retro. One day I was running there, my brother and one of his friends asked me
if I want to do a WOD with them while I'm there. I told them I'm going to try
it to show them I'm not scared or anything. I didn't finish that WOD that day,
couldn't even walk for the next two days and that's when I asked my brother if
he knew of any CrossFit gyms in the area and he told me about Rick and called
him for me to bring me in for my intro class.Why do you think Crossfit is something you stuck to?
I joined CrossFit because I had hernia surgery in June of 2011 and my doctor suggested I do the weight loss surgery and I was very close to doing it but instead I joined CrossFit 9 months after my hernia surgery. CrossFit is not just a gym where you work out and leave. After you stay there for a while you feel like you belong there and it's like hard to leave. In regular gyms, people don't sit there after they finish their work out and try to motivate you or even do extra reps so you’re not left alone working out, but at MCF I saw people after a long WOD and how tired they were, they would actually do the last few reps with me. That's huge motivation when someone else just does them to support you. And of course as hard as we work we also try to have some fun.
How do you feel knowing you are such an inspiration to SO MANY people?
I don't call myself inspiration. Watching some of the ladies, especially the ones with kids, between work, kids, the house, and the family, they still have time to make it for the WOD. I don't think anyone could use time as an excuse. And some of the men as well between work, family and they still show up 4-6 times, that's inspiring to every guy who says I got no time. If I can do it, I'm pretty sure anyone can. I had a hernia surgery 9 months before Crossfit and had surgery on my left leg in 2007 and I am doing it. I think people are scared to get out of their comfort zone that's why they blame it on time.
What is some advice you’d give a beginner of someone who is serious about changing their life?
Everything that's worth having is worth fighting for. Yeah, some days you are going to be in pain, others you are going to be sore and days you won't be able to move but you should know it's all worth it. One day at a time and just show up!
What are some things that helped you stay on track during this journey?
How much weight did you lose in one year?
I lost 110 pounds, 100% natural, in one year! I know people who were on diet pills and had the weight loss surgery and haven't lost that much weight. It feels amazing because I had doubts about myself when I first walked into the box, but one of the rules is the word NEVER is not allowed to be said, so if you can't do it today there’s always tomorrow, but never say never!
Who has been your biggest motivation and inspiration during this journey?
What goals are you going to accomplish in this next year?
My goal for next year is to be around 225 and keep PRing life.
I feel so lucky to be able to be surrounded by such amazing people all of the time. I know for a fact that Adel will keep kicking ass in everything he does! Miracles are literally happening every single day, and for awhile I was really closed off from that. Each person who does Crossfit has such a different, inspiring, unique reason for doing what they do. People like Adel make me work harder, become more truthful with myself, and inspire me not only at Crossfit, but in my entire life. When you stop making excuses, an entire World of opportunity opens up!
Today I am grateful that I went out last night with my friends Katie and Erin! We went to an Irish Pub in Somerville, and drank delicious beer, it was a lot of fun, especially after this long week of work. Ironically, I am starting to really embrace being single, although it's been a year, I feel a lot more independent now....FREEDOM! :)
What are you inspired by this week?
-A
