by Laura MacDonald
I love New Years. In the dying days of December I love how anything seems possible. A few days ago I asked my Facebook friends this year, what are you planning for in 2020? I have lots of new ideas that I way toying with for 2020 (start a home yoga practice! learn to run!) but those were more fun ideas to think about than plans that I would likely follow through on. My true goal for 2020 was to return to consistency with my CrossFit workouts. I have belonged to a CrossFit gym for seven years. It is a welcoming community of mixed ability athletes with wonderful coaches and outstanding programming. I love it. But it’s hard. I need to repeat that. I love it. But it’s hard. It can be very easy for me to decide to “unclick” myself from a class I registered for because I feel like I’m too tired, too drained from work to do a hard workout. I struggle to see myself as an athlete and I can pretty easily get a case of the “I don’t wanna’s”’ when it comes to CrossFit. As a result, my attendance at the gym this fall has not been very consistent. But here we come with a new year, a new resolution and a renewed commitment to the CrossFit community that I love.
The gym was closed yesterday so today’s 7:00am class was my first class of my new habit. Remember, I love a resolution! I packed my bag and laid out my clothing the night before. I got up before my alarm. I drove to the gym in the dark. I briefing had two thoughts as I drove: 1) please God do not let this be a partner workout 2) please God do not let this be a long workout. But I wasn’t really worried. Our workouts are usually short and partner workouts are unusual.
Of course when I arrived at the gym, the workout was on the whiteboard. It was long. Really long. It was also a partner workout. A hard one.
I was unhappy but got ready for class nonetheless. And then I read the skill portion of the workout – dodge ball. Every third day of the week at my gym, the barbell lift portion of the class is replaced by a skill or occasionally a game. I probably don’t need to tell you that I hate dodge ball, that I have some pretty terrible elementary school traumatic memories of dodge ball. And do you know what friends? That was it. I picked up my gym bag, I put on my jacket and I left the gym. And I cried in my car for the whole drive home.
Seven years at this gym and I have never bailed on a workout. And today I did.
Where does that leave me on day two of 2020? Well, I’m booked to go back to the gym tomorrow and again on Saturday. I’m booked to go to yoga this evening and on Sunday. After I finish this blog post I’m going to go for a walk with my dog in the sunshine.
Today I fell flat. There really isn’t anything else to do but pick myself back up and try again.
See you out there pals.
2020 is still new.
Laura is a secondary school teacher in Hamilton Ontario. She’s CrossFit athlete, regular walker, new yogi and occasional cyclist. In 2019 she learned that she loved to count (steps and kilometres and workouts completed) and is currently counting her way to 300 workouts in 2020.