Dead Squirrel Run

Fun CrossFit Fact: On people's b-days there are especially fun (read: crazy intense) workouts to be had.

In fact, I plan on being sick for my b-day...actually, I plan on being sick on everybody's b-day from now on. Whew!

The workout board was la bled "Dead Squirrel Run," which I thought was the name of the workout. I figured by the time we were done we were all going to look like roadkill. It felt appropriate, especially when I found out we were doing 35 (The age of the guy) one arm db presses, one arm lunges, situps, ring dips, wall balls, box jumps, and burpees.

What they actually meant is the wanted us to run to the dead squirrel in the road and back. Really, some poor mummified squirrel in the middle of the road.

And, yes, this gym is run by guys. I think they are contemplating making shirts...

Anyway, as a side note I am hoping someone finds a pair of errant arms hanging around the gym somewhere. They're mine, I lost them at some point during the wall balls. I am checking the lost and found next time I am at the gym, I need them for Monday's workout.

First Impressions

So, first impressions, as the title of this post implies are just a general idea of my first impressions of CrossFit and CrossFit Strong.  Now, I should caveat this post with the fact I have watched my fair share of YouTube videos, and perused the CrossFit.com site in an effort to better understand what this whole phenomenon is about.  To be totally honest, it looked crazy, intense...maybe insane is a good word?  Actually cultish seems like a fair description (and a word I saw all over CrossFit.com), so I figured I would feel right at home.  I went to Texas A&M, and I loved it, enough said.

In true form, I got lost on the way to the CrossFit Strong on Saturday...my GPS led me astray, that’s my story.  But when I finally found it I was completely shocked by what I saw.  Everyone who was working out looked like they had all jumped in a pool in the last 5 minutes...actually I started looking for a pool cause that sounded like a great idea.  Yes, hello, I was that silly person in jeans and a t-shirt at the gym (box? Hmmmm, I think I have to workout at least once before I start adopting the lingo) on Saturday.  I had already worked out that morning, and had errands to run later so I really was there to just get a feel for the place. It was for the best, I was dying to join the workout, but being in jeans kept me from doing something crazy like trying to fit in two workouts in a day.

What struck me second was that everyone single person in the whole place was smiling.

I swear its true.

I was honestly looking for one unhappy person and couldn't find them.  And as I was standing there (sweating there?  I really should stop with the puns.) several people came up to us and began introducing themselves and telling us how much they loved the workout.  The fact they were able to string together sentences after an intense workout I found impressive, but they were also friendly!  (I admit to checking the industrial fan at the back of the room to see if someone had secretly hooked up a nitrous oxide tank...they hadn't in case you were wondering)

And I was pretty much hooked from the beginning.  Everyone works out a little differently, me? I need a community.  Whether its a training group, run group, whatever, I do not work out well by myself.  The sheer energy of CrossFit Strong had me hooked, I love it when people are supporting one another through workouts.   Gale asked me how I liked it after the class ended at noon, I told him I would start Thursday :)

Oh...and my best advice?  Don't watch all those CrossFit videos if you are worried about being intimidated.  There are some really crazy fit people on there, but that doesn't mean you cant be part of the CrossFit community.  Everything is scalable, and even in that short introductory workout I saw people with all kinds of different fitness levels doing CrossFit. Besides, even those crazy fit people had to start somewhere.

Right? ;)

Oh, and just because I do find those crazy fit people inspiring, let me add a gratuitous crazy fit video.  Just remember what I said. And the music has some not so family friendly words in it…just doing my best to warn ya.